Black Rosary for Men - Onyx Gemstones

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A very masculine Rosary for Men.  Black Onyx Gemstones and Bronze parts.

The Perfect Rosary for a Six Year Old

      A few years ago a friend asked me to make her daughter a First Communion Rosary.   She wanted her daughter to choose the beads she liked best.  When I asked the little girl what color she wanted for her rosary, she was very emphatic and firm that she wanted a RED rosary.  Being someone who felt very strongly that First Communion rosaries should be white, I had a little trouble wrapping my mind around a bright red First Communion rosary.  But I thought it was just an unusual taste in this child.


      A few weeks later, another friend asked if her son could come over to pick beads for his First Communion rosary.  I pulled out my favorite browns, blues and green gemstones onto the table.  He came over and his eyes fixed on the Red First Communion rosary that was waiting to be delivered to that little girl.    "Ahhh that is a beautiful rosary!" he sighed.  Hmm I see a pattern developing!

   This experience fully prepared me for my six year old to make his choice for a rosary.   Again, all my beautiful beads are laid out in front of him (and I don't have any red beads).  But without any deliberation in the matter, he emphatically declares it has to be RED!   LOL!  I have to chuckle.  It seems that red must be a very stunning color for little children of this age!

    My six year old loves to help bead rosaries.  So I was happy to include him in the process, even though it means waiting several seconds for each Hail Mary bead to be strung  (while I string the little spacer beads in between).

    I laid out several small crucifixes in front of him and asked him to choose the crucifix he liked best.  He reached past my choices into the supply box and pulls out the BIGGEST crucifix in my box.

  "OK, now why did you choose that crucifix?"
  He replies, "Because God is really BIG!" 

  "Well, that's a very beautiful crucifix, but unfortunately it is too big for your little rosary.  How about we choose this crucifix.  Look it has a picture of a Sacred Heart.  That shows how much Jesus REALLY loves us."
    To my relief he was very excited about that idea.  And very happily latched on to the Sacred Heart crucifix being the perfect crucifix for his rosary.  I was glad of that since it also is the most detailed crucifix for its size, and has a gorgeous corpus.

  When it came to choosing the center, I pulled out several of different shapes and sizes, expecting he would have a strong opinion on this choice too.  He said, "Eeny meeny miney moe.  Catch a monkey by the toe....(etc.  etc.) ....My Mommy told me to pick the very best one and you are it!" 

So why did you "EEny meeny miney moe, this one?" I asked.
"Because they are ALL good choices!"  says he.

OK well that's the mind of a six year old for you.  Strong willed one moment and easy going the next!












     It is my belief that we should not give cheap plastic rosaries to our children if we are able to give them something better. Children are drawn to beauty and should learn from a young age that we save our best for God.

      This rosary will not be used as a necklace or as a plaything.  Beads can be very dangerous for young children and should never be used without close supervision.


    In our family, the kids rosaries are stored in a box and we pull them out for use during the family rosary.  My son will be so pleased to lead a decade with his beautiful red rosary.


    I was happy that the rosary (red as it may be) turned out very very beautiful....My son will love the rosary all the more since he had a part in choosing the key parts in the design and beaded much of it too!  (Look at how well the bead caps he chose match the crucifix and center! Do you think I have a future rosary maker here? ) .....I know that he will treasure this rosary for many years to come!

Solid Brass Wired Rosary - Blue Crazy Lace Agate

 

 Blue Crazy Lace Agate has to be my favorite bead.  I just love the color and the swirls of dark shades that run through this bead.  Each gemstone is hand turned with thick 20 gauge solid brass wire.  I pay close attention that the links are tight and with the thick wire it would be pretty hard to break this rosary.  (I haven't known of a 20 gauge rosary to break)  The chain that connects the decades are an even thicker soldered brass wire.  Yes this is a heavy duty rosary.  I have said a few rosaries on it myself, to break it in, and it is a wonderful prayer piece.  It is currently for sale in my Graceful Rosaries shop...and I hope that the recipient of this rosary will treasure it for years to come.

Free Give Away ----Handmade Rainbow Jasper Rosary Bracelet with Bronze Medals

Enter today to win this FREE Rainbow Jasper Rosary Bracelet...No purchase necessary!

Rainbow Jasper Rosary Bracelet  Valued at $25.00

Contest ends April 17, 2010.  Follow this link to the Etsy Rosary Guild to learn how to enter:

http://etsyrosaryguildteam.blogspot.com/
This bracelet is made with 8mm beads for the Hail Marys and Our Father bead.

The crucifix and miraculous metal are beautifully detailed. They are solid bronze, hand cast from antique pieces.

The bracelet is strung on Jewelers wire---49 strand of stainless steel that is nylon coated. It is very strong.

It is finished with a bronze plated toggle clasp that is so easy to put on or take off!

This Rosary Bracelet is a Large Size: 7 1/2"

Sliding Bead Wooden Cord Rosary

Sliding Wood Rosary $35.00

This is my latest design in the Sacrifice bead collection....though they are not actually Sacrifice beads.  I have always loved the way Sacrifice beads slide so nicely up and down their cord and stay in place.  For a long time I have been wanting to use this concept to make a rosary where it would be impossible to lose your place.  I especially think it will be nice for children to be able to move the beads as they pray the rosary.  This is my original design...I have never seen a rosary like this before.

About the Miraculous Medal

Semi-Precious Gemstone Miraculous Medal Necklace $50.00

"All who wear the Miraculous Medal will receive great graces; they should wear it around the neck. Graces will abound for persons who wear it with confidence."  Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure

When one is looking to obtain a Miraculous Medal it is important that it is cast with the special characteristics and symbols as revealed by Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure.  Many medals are cast with the image of Our Lady of Grace on the front, but they do not have the symbols on the back (a Cross intertwined an "M."  the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, both surmounted by flames of love, one having a crown of thorns, and other pierced with a sword. Encircling all of this are twelve stars around the oval frame.)  If we want to obtain the benefits of this medal, that heaven has sent to us, we must have all aspects of the medal in place as Our Lady described. 

I have made this particular necklace to showcase this gorgeous antique reproduction Miraculous Medal. (Available in my Graceful Rosaries shop)  It is fully detailed on the front and back.  I have chosen many blue gemstones in varying shades of blue, the color of Our Lady.  The gemstones include Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, Angelite, and Iolite.

The History of the Miraculous Medal:

The Mission of making and distributing the Miraculous medal was first made manifest to St Catherine Laboure in a series of visions that began on November 27, 1830.  That day was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The Sisters were gathered in the chapel as usual for prayers at five-thirty in the afternoon. Suddenly Our Lady appeared to Catherine.

At first Mary appeared standing on a globe and dressed in white having with a long white veil which fell to her feet. The Virgin held in her hands, at the height of her shoulders, a golden ball which she seemed to be offering to God as she raised her eyes to heaven. Her fingers were covered with rings whose precious jewels sparkled brilliantly and showered down innumerable rays of light on the globe beneath her feet, almost obscuring the view of her feet. Mary lowered her eyes and looked directly at Catherine. Mary said nothing, but Catherine heard this message, "The ball which you see represents the world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The jewels which give no rays symbolize the graces that are not given because they are not asked for." Then the apparition changed.

Our Lady appeared with a white dress, a blue mantle, and a white veil which draped back over her shoulders. She was still standing on the globe, and had one foot on the head of a serpent which lay at her feet. The 1830 was marked on the globe. The Virgin had her arms and hands pointed downwards, and a cascade of rays was falling down from both hands onto the globe. An oval frame formed around the Blessed Virgin, and written around within it, in letters of gold, was the beautiful prayer, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you." This was the front side of the medal that was to be made.

Then the vision revolved to show the reverse side of the medal. Catherine saw a Cross with a bar at its feet with which was intertwined an "M." Beneath the "M" were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, both surmounted by flames of love, one having a crown of thorns, and other pierced with a sword. Encircling all of this were twelve stars around the oval frame.

(From an article entitled St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal by Rev. Robert J. Billett, C.M.F)

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