For Boston Marathon Victims: New Peace-Theme Charm Bracelet Line

Dove Charm Necklace, $28

Like so many other Bostonians last Monday, I stared at Twitter, online video, and news reports in shock. I found out at work about the Boston Marathon tragedy, and when I got home I watched the news in horror as it began to sink in. From the hour long drive from my office listening to somber radio broadcasts and the number of injured rising, to a woman hysterical crying in her car asking me for directions to get back on the Tobin so she could get to Boylston, it really hit home.

Double Heart Charm Bracelet, $28

I watched, as I'm sure all of America did, the video of the bombs over and over again. It's disturbing and unsettling. I've lived in Fenway for five years, Somerville for one, and in Chelsea - right off the Tobin- for one. I've walked down Newbury and Boylston countless times, shopping or going out to eat / drinks. This was my home, and I felt powerless.

Shortly after we began to process the news, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during the Marathon.

I found as an artist the best way I could process this was to donate as well. I don't have much, but I have seen success with my She's the First Cupcake Necklace design, of which proceeds go to support girls' education in the developing world. So I designed the Ash Tree "Peace" Bracelet Collection, where 50% of proceeds will go directly to One Fund Boston. I chose a dove and a peace sign, to hopefully promote the idea of peace in this world. The last charm is a double heart, designed to represent and remind us of our loss here, but give us the strength to move forward.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support by the business community and individuals who are united in their desire to help; The One Fund Boston will act as a central fund to receive much needed financial support. At moments like this, we are one state, one city, and one people.”

 - Governor Patrick

Peace Sign Charm Bracelet, $28

I propped and photographed all next to my favorite Boston Red Sox visor, and got them up on my Etsy site as soon as I could. I'm hoping that something as small as this can make a bit of a difference and we can all move through our own healing processes.

Thanks to all of my customers for your continued support - we'll all get through this together.

God bless,
Ashley

Cupcake Charm Leather Bracelet

I understand I have a cupcake problem.

With the success of the She's the First Cupcake Necklaces and how much fun they are to make, I starting fooling around with sketches of simple cupcake bracelet designs. I know that many people already have a favorite necklace that they wear every day, so I thought a cupcake bracelet may be a perfect, logical next step for my cupcake jewelry line to take.

Cupcake Charm Leather Bracelet, $45

The result was this "sweet" handmade cupcake charm bracelet - elegant and simple, I strung a high quality black leather bracelet with a single antiqued silver-plated pewter cupcake bead. The cupcake charm is available in either pink or white frosting (aka, strawberry and vanilla), with"sprinkle" rhinestone colors including red, blue, light blue and green.

Each frosted cupcake charm measures 11x11mm in size, and the black leather bracelet with sterling silver clasp is available in the standard size of 7.5", and larger sizes are definitely available. I just thought that this would make a perfect gift for a little sister, daughter, or best friend!

White Cupcake Leather Charm Bracelet, $45

The high-quality black leather also makes a fantastic base for other large-hole bead charms, available at a fraction of the price - so grab yours today @ the Ash Tree Etsy shop! :)

Silver Bangle Charm Bracelets

Nautical Charm Bangle Bracelets, $25 each

Now that we're into the bitter cold January weather, it's the perfect time to remember summer. Remember how warm you were? Remember being out on your boat, walking around outside without a jacket on?

Simple Starfish Charm Bracelet, $25

Well I do. At least, I try to. With the newest line of silver charm bangles, I think summer can be worn every day. With Christmas over, there are still birthdays, anniversaries - (and don't forget Valentine's Day, which will be here before you know it!) all perfect times to give her a beautiful and elegant piece of jewelry - that's not only handmade by a local artist, but won't break the bank.

Bangle secures by squeezing the hook to secure over the ball.

 Because of their simplicity, they are the perfect piece for any outfit. You can see from the image above that you simply squeeze the bracelet together to secure or remove the hook over the silver ball to hold the bangle in place. Very sturdy, and nearly impossible to lose!

There are several nautical charm bracelets available: starfish, quahog shell, scallop shell, anchor, and sailboat charms. Visit the Ash Tree Designs online store, the 6 In the Shipyard retail location, or contact me to order your piece, or talk about other charm options that you may have your heart set on ;)

Silver and Gold Leaf Charm Bracelet

Look no further for the perfect accessory to holiday parties this year!

Gold and Silver Leaf Bracelet, $50

This bracelet was painstakingly handcrafted from delicate silver and gold leaf small metal charms on silver plate chain, which makes it an extremely elegant charm bracelet. Each leaf charm measure 6.5mm x 4mm each, and the volume of these brilliant, understated leaves make this a delicate but beautiful piece of fine handmade jewelry.

The bracelet size pictured here is approximately 7"-8" long and secured with a small toggle clasp. I also made a beautiful pair of delicate matching gold and silver leaf earrings, pictured left.

Makes a great gift, for yourself or for someone special :) Listing valid while supplies last, and I've limited it to only 3 editions this season, so hurry and order your Silver and Gold Leaf Charm Bracelet today! Special commission requests may be made post-2011.

Visit the Ash Tree Designs handmade jewelry shop on Etsy.

Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry

Enameled Breast Cancer Ribbon Earrings, $18

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month - what have you done to support the cause? Maybe you've signed up for a walk, made a donation, or set aside time to volunteer. With the newest breast cancer awareness handmade jewelry collection now available from Ash Tree Designs, you can promote awareness every day. Pictured above are adorable pink enameled earrings on silver, measuring 15x9mm in size: the perfect size for subtle stud earrings!

Breast Cancer Charm Bracelet with Mussel Shell Charms

I created a series of awareness pieces that do their part, while looking fabulous. Above is one of my famous cluster charm bracelets, featuring silver ribbon charms in a sea of pink mussel shell links secured with a toggle clasp. Below, you can also see these same ribbon charms on a pair of matching earring studs, which are suspended in front of the same pink mussel shells. 

Antiqued Pewter Ribbon Charm Earrings with Pink Mussel Shells

All of these designs and more products that have been made to promote awareness to find a cure are available at 6 In the Shipyard retail store in Hingham, MA. You can also find a small selection available at the Ash Tree Design online shop.

Antiqued Pewter Awareness Ribbon Charm Earrings

Whether you are embarking on a breast cancer awareness walk and looking for a fun way to coordinate your group, or wish to give a gift to a brave survivor, purchase these beautiful pieces. Bulk orders accepted and encouraged - so email me, or stop by 6 In the Shipyard to get started!

Evil Eye Jewelry

Introducing the latest in Ash Tree Designs: Evil Eye Jewelery!

The inspiration for these pieces came from a belief in Greece which I had learned about in my visit there last year, and had further researched recently. Evil Eye jewelry works when the wearer is given the "Evil Eye", or a look of envy or ill-will from another: the wearer's "eye" then looks back at them, neutralizing the negative energy and keeping the wearer safe. 

Evil Eye Bracelet, $8

 

Many people in the Middle East believe that receiving envious stares from other scan bring you bad luck. The most common Evil Eye bead is a beautiful blue color, because in the dry land of Turkey, "blue" water is precious and life-giving. I use a large blue bead for my most basic piece, the Evil Eye Bracelet, $8 which is threaded on a black cord adjustable with two slip knots.

 

Evil Eye Jewelry Now Available from The Ash Tree!

In addition to the simple Evil Eye Bracelets now available from the Ash Tree (and can be bought at Ash Tree's 6 In the Shipyard Hingham store location!) there are also many other colors of Evil Eye jewelry available. Red, another popular color, is often associated with luck and good fortune.
 

Shop all Evil Eye products in Ash Tree Handmade Jewelry online, or stop by the 6 In the Shipyard in Hingham, MA to pick up a good-luck, good-karma jewelry piece of your very own! Makes a great gift for guys, too :)

New Location for The Ash Tree!

The Ash Tree's unique products can now be found at our new store location, 6 In The Shipyard. The new shop, now located in the recently opened Hingham Shipyard Launch at 18 Shipyard Drive in Hingham, has been a smashing success so far in the holiday season.

Though we wished we could have moved in earlier to capture more of the holiday rush, the traffic and business has been excellent. 6 In The Shipyard represents six different vendors that each bring something unique to the table, and I am proud to be doing business with them.

I have been able to contribute my online marketing knowledge in the design of a new website and blog, as well as setting up a 6 In The Shipyard Facebook Page and Twitter account. At the shop, I have all of my merchandise, and will use the venue as an experiment when designing new jewelry or pieces of art. Currently, I have my jewelry (and famous handmade earrings!), handmade books, recycled sail wallets and sail bags, embroidered necklaces, Purple Heart merchandise, seaglass rings, seaglass necklaces, and much more!

Also included in the "Six" are Dock This Way Embroidery and Design, Camilley's Closet, The Pink Poppy, Soul One One, and Sea Glass Photography. For more info, be sure to swing by the 6 In The Shipyard website to view products from each of the vendors, visit their websites, and check out the guest blogging and *wonderful web design work* provided by yours truly!

Contact me for more information!

Handmade Fluorite Semi-Precious Stone Bangle

Fluorite Semi-Precious Stone Bead Bangle, $23

One of the latest in unique designs from The Ash Tree, this bangle is hand-wrapped with silver plate wire and strung with semi precious fluorite stone beads. It was a difficult concept to execute, but I finally nailed it with the finished result in the latest installment of my handmade jewelry collection.

The shape of this bangle is what makes it a bangle rather than an actual bracelet. The wire that supports each fluorite semi-precious stone actually gives the bangle it's defined shape. As a result this bracelet fits the smaller wrist, measuring in about 7" in length. The bangle is fastened with a handmade silver plate wire hook, assuring that this piece won't go anywhere!

 

Interested in one of my one-of-a-kind pieces? Contact me to get yours today, or to discuss the possibility of hosting a jewelry party...did I mention hostess gets to keep a piece of her choice? :)

Rose Quartz Bangle

The latest piece in my handmade jewelry line is this delicate Rose Quartz Beaded Bangle. This was a really fun piece to work on - using 2 different gauges of wire, 16 and 22, it was almost like braiding. I had to string a head, curve the thicker wire around the rose quartz sphere, then wrap the 22 gauge and start over again. Seriously complicated. And thus awesome. Fellow artists will understand. :)

Due to the size of the beads, the resulting piece echoes organic shapes reflecting the beads natural beauty. Not to mention how great rose quartz looks against the bright silver plated wire: and on a tan model ;)


This is a delicate bangle piece is intended for tiny wrists, as the thicker wire forms the shape and holds it in place. I am going to experiment with different beads and bead sizes to make a larger size: I just bought some Amazonite beads, which are a deep jade green color. I think that this would look great against the silver - but for now, the pink quartz looks awesome!

You can find this Handmade Bracelet in my shop for sale at $15. Shoot me a convo if you have any questions, or let me know what you think about this new design!