Garden of Gethsemane in Tucson, Arizona

Over a week ago, I had the opportunity to visit once again this beautiful garden here in Tucson with my daughter-in-law.

I find this garden to be a beautiful place to meditate and be in awe with all the detail of the statues built.

The artist, Felix Lucero, in World War I, he lay critically wounded on a forgotten battlefield, he vowed to God and himself if he survived he would dedicated the rest of his life sculpting religious statues and began his work in 1945 and these statues have survived time.

There are some damages but minimal and Jesus' feet on the cross came apart, and is work in process, but the serenity there is priceless.

I am impressed of the detail of the facial features of the statues, is like looking at real human beings.

If you ever visit Tucson, AZ, make sure to visit this wonderful landmark.

Garden of Gethsemane

Address:

602 W. Congress St., Tucson, AZ

This is my beautiful granddaughter, Amaya, she loves to take pictures

Sacred Heart, Saints Religious Medals Charn Bracelet

This is another bold bracelet to make honor to Our Beloved Sacred Heart of Jesus.

May His Blessed Love always be with you.

I used a vintage medal of Jesus, Sacred Heart, adorned it with Czech. rhinestones. I used other vintage medals including Virgin Mary, St. Jude, St. Michael, Miraculous Medal.

The beads I used are beautiful large coral beads, red glass heart-shape beads with yellow glass beads representing flames

Virgin Mary Cameo Locket Shrine Religious Necklace

This is another of my bold necklaces to make a statement of faith and to honor our Most Blessed Mother, also in a bold way.

I just love creating these necklaces, it just transports me to a place of peace and love when I'm creating one, and everything just falls in place.

Even though, it does take time to complete, every time, is a different experience but with the same love and peace, like I'm being guided on what to add and where everything has it's own place to belong.

Inside locket I added a small shrine to Our Beautiful Humble Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph and Sacred Heart, all the back adorned with lace

OL Lourdes Soil Reliquary Locket Religious Necklace

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,

Mother of Mercy,

you are the refuge of sinners,

the health of the sick,

and the comfort of the afflicted.

You know my wants,

my troubles, my sufferings.

By your appearance at the Grotto of Lourdes

you made it a privileged sanctuary

where your favors are given to people

streaming to it from the whole world.

Over the years countless sufferers

have obtained the cure for their infirmities -

whether of soul, mind, or body.

Therefore I come to you

with limitless confidence

to implore your motherly intercession.

Obtain, O loving Mother,

the grant of my requests.

Through gratitude for Your favors,

I will endeavor to imitate Your virtues,

that I may one day share in Your glory.

Amen.

I was given by a special person a beautiful medal with Lourdes Soil encased on the back and wanted me to use it in one of my creations and after much thought between a bracelet and a necklace, I opted to make a reliquary locket necklace using this beautiful medal.

I added a beautiful one decade rosary with angel center

Besides the relic medal of Lourdes Soil, I added a vintage Sacred Heart of Jesus medal and angels picture from a prayer card. I used vintage lace as well.

St Benedict Saints Religious Medal Handcrafted Bracelet

THE JUBILEE MEDAL OF ST. BENEDICT

The power of St. Benedict is revealed in this small object that has been fostered by his spiritual sons many years. Marvelous is the aid which the St. Benedict Medal affords to its devout wearers in the manifold necessities of soul and body. On this account the Medal is well known and widely used throughout the Christian world; everywhere it is regarded as a highly favored object of devotion.

St. Benedict (born at Nursia, Italy, in 480) had a profound veneration for the holy Cross and for our Saviour Crucified. In virtue of the Sign of the Cross, he wrought many miracles and exercised great power over the spirits of darkness. In consequence of the great veneration in which St. Benedict was held from the early Middle Ages, it followed that a Medal was struck, one side of which represents St. Benedict holding the Cross in one hand and the Holy Rule in the other. Around the image of St. Benedict are these words in Latin "May his presence protect us in the hour of death." St. Benedict has ever been the patron of the dying, because of the circumstances attending his own most glorious death, for he breathed forth his soul while standing in prayer before the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The reverse of the Medal shows the image of the Cross. Around the margin are the initials of Latin words which form verses supposed to have originated with the holy Father Benedict himself. The English translation is: "Be gone Satan! Suggest not to me thy vain things. The cup thou profferest me is evil; drink thou thy poison." In the angles formed by the arms of the Cross are the letters C.S.P.B., signifying "Cross of the holy Father Benedict." The letters on the Cross itself have this meaning: "May the holy Cross be my light; let not the dragon be my guide."

Medals of Saint Benedict are sacramentals that may be blessed legitimately by any priest or deacon

PRAYER TO ST. BENEDICT

Glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet. I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God. To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me. Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate you in all things. May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

I created another bracelet honoring St. Benedict. When I am inspired to create a bracelet for St. Benedict I'm drawn to make it with black, there is something that draws me to that color no matter what other colors I may consider, black stands out more.

I added a large St. Benedict medal, beautiful ornate crucifix and many Italian oxidized medals including St. Joan of Arc, St. Dominic with Queen of Most Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Guadalupe with Holy Child of Atocha.

Miraculous Medal Cameo Pocket Watch Religious Necklace

I wanted to create another unique and bold necklace with this beautiful vintage cameo of Our Lady of Grace, Miraculous Medal. I found this antique-style pocket watches that I added the cameo and adorned it with beautiful clear aurora borealis Czech. glass rhinestones and added a stunning vintage blue rhinestone.

Inside of watch I added a beautiful color picture of the Holy Trinity from a prayer card

St. Jude Relic, Saints Religious Medals Charm Bracelet

Prayer to Saint Jude Thaddeus

Glorious Saint Jude, with faith in your goodness I ask your help today. As one of Christ's chosen Apostles, you are a pillar and foundation of His Church on earth. You are among the elders who stand always before God's throne.

Brother Jude, you are renowned for your kinship with Christ and your physical resemblance to our Savior. Help me remain close to Christ and resemble Him in my outlook and actions.

Holy Apostle, you are venerated for your work of preaching the gospel and your faithfulness to Christ by a martyr's death. Assist me to preach the good news of Christ by word and example, and remain steadfast in His service as you were.

From your place of glory, do not forget the needs and difficulties of Christ's little ones like me, still struggling on the way home to God. Pray for me that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (name special problem) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.

Intercede for us all, gracious, brother Saint Jude, and pray for us to the Lord our God in our daily toil and our necessities. Amen.

I created another charm bracelet honoring a great Saint, St. Jude, he was the first Saint that I had a vision of when I began making my jewelry and is very important to continue making bracelets in his honor because he is always willing to assist us in our needs.

I used a very unique relic medal. Other Catholic medals include figural medals of Divine Mercy and Pieta, included silvertone oxidized and color Italian medals, Guardian Angel, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, St. Padre Pio, St. Stephen and others.

May St. Jude always bring you your petitions

Guardians of a Soul

For the second year I was asked once again by a non-profit organization that deals with pregnancy and women facing a difficult decision of pregnancy.

This organization provides women and men with accurate up-to-date information in order to make informed decisions about pregnancy, sexual health, parenting and relationships.

Last year they also had a gala and silent auctions to help the center and it was a success and this year I was once again asked if I could donate a bracelet and for me to chose what I wanted to convey in this message.

I prayed and meditated on what message would be perfect for this organization and not long after I had meditated on it, I began receiving a wonderful message to include a Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus cameo and angels made of flowers and as I was creating this bracelet I began receiving the message, which I had to write down right away not to miss anything.

This was the message I received appropriate for those women facing a decision regarding their pregnancy and most cases they don't realize how important that baby is in their life and in ours

GUARDIANS OF A SOUL

When we come to this earth our soul comes with a purpose that makes us guardian of that special soul God intended to serve humanity and with that special assignment He and Our Blessed Mother assigned special guardian angels to assist us guarding our souls.

The cameo represents Our Blessed Mother with a very special assignment to care for Our Lord as a child because He needed that Special Mother’s love and care and guardian of His soul.

When we become parents we are also have the responsibility to guard our baby’s soul until they reach their potential to know their purpose in this earth, what God intended for that special soul to be and together with the guardian angels and Saints that are now in Our Lord’s place can assist us in reaching that potential.

This bracelet represents each angel is different, Like in Blessed Mother’s garden, each flower is different but yet beautiful, our soul is also different and beautiful and serves a different purpose and when we all come together creates something beautiful. That is how we need to live united with God’s purpose to create a beautiful world.

I know God will continue to work with these women and heal their own soul to realize that they need to be guardians of a soul, their baby.

May God grant them peace and success

If you are one of these women facing a difficult decision and live in the Sacramento Area here is the site http://alternativespc.org/ and if you live in another area, please contact your local Church or a local agency that serves the same purpose to help you protect this beautiful soul, God trusted each one of us with that special mission of being a mother.

God Bless

St. Lazarus, Patron Saints Religious Medals Bracelet

Leper mentioned by Christ in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31

There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores

Against Leprosy and also is petitioned for serious illness

I found this stunning vintage mother of pearl medal of St. Lazarus, which is very rare and I just had the inspiration today to make one in his honor.

I added handcrafted Bali glass beads and mother of pearl beads.

Other Catholic medals include a figural medal of Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus, St. Jude, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, St. Padre Pio, Sacred Heart of Jesus and others.

This combination just came together as it each piece was meant to be.

St Therese Altered Art Religious Locket Shrine Necklace

"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Therese of Lisieux

I Found the most beautiful figural medal of St. Therese and I was so excited to be able to create a necklace honoring St. Theresa, The Holy Face of Jesus and Sacred Heart of Jesus

I used a very unique round locket to create another locket shrine. I added a beautiful token with an angel and adorned it with rhinestones.

Inside locket I added beautiful fabrics and added a pocket statue of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, very special Holy Face of Jesus medal, tiny Sacred Heart and Holy Spirit cross

"Angels Among Us"

For the past days I've been so inspired to create angels and on Saturday I attended a gem and bead show that came to Tucson and before going I had asked my angels to guide me what I needed to buy to continue creating my jewelry and to my amazement, I kept finding mostly for angels, found so many beautiful angel wings, crystals, pearls. I just love the large wings and I'm so excited to be able to create larger angels.
This is a larger angels with the new size of wings I found and also found that gorgeous rhinestone ball that I used as a face. So, that means you will be seeing more angels soon.

Victorian Style Brass Angel Cherub St Michael Necklace

I had been saving this stunning brass St. Michael pendant to find the right piece to use it on and when I saw the gorgeous brass cherub connector and fell in love with it, I knew they were to come together.

I added beautiful light pink crystals to bring out the brass on this necklace.

The angel connector appears to be antiqued and love the appeal to both the angel connector and St. Michael's pendant.

Another Blessing Today

Today I received more gifts from a very special lady to use in my creations. I was just so overwhelmed.

When I first began to read her note, without looking what she had sent me, I got tears and this beautiful energy over came me, like an embrace and comfort.

When I finish reading the note, I understood the tears and the beautiful energy.

She sent me a piece of rose that was touched to a relic of St. Theresa in the year 2000 when Pope John Paul had St. Theresa's relic all over the world. She wants me to use it in my creations.

Another beautiful and special medal she sent me was one of Lourdes Soil encased in the medal.

I just feel so privileged and honor to be able to work with such pieces and I ordered a couple of lockets to add pieces of the rose and keep that Sacred Treasure in lockets to add to my creations.

I'm so excited to be able to work with such pieces. God and Our Blessed Mother has been so wonderful in providing me with such treasures through someone else.

I praise Our Lord and Blessed Mother for continue sending me such beautiful Sacred Treasures.

Virgin Mary Mt. Carmel, Saint Religious Medals Bracelet

PRAYER

O Most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein You are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech You from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand Your power.

O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

O show me herein You are my Mother. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in Your hands.

I was able to find another large medal of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to make another bracelet in Her honor. I wish more larger medals would be made of Our Blessed Mother

This image is one of my favorites of Our Blessed Mother, I feel so much of Her love and comfort when I gaze at Her image, there is this sweetness.

On this bracelet I added several tiny Catholic medals as well including Divine Mercy, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Medjugorge, Sacred Heart, St. Jude and Divine Child

Jesus Relic, Reliquary Locket Religious Medal Necklace

I compassionate thee, O most sorrowful Mother Thy heart was pierced with a sword of grief  when Simeon foretold to thee in the Temple  the ignominious death and the desolation  of thy Divine and most dear Son,  which thou west destined one day to witness.  By the great anguish of thy suffering heart,  O gracious Queen of the universe,  impress upon my mind,  in life and in death,  the sacred Passion of Jesus and shine own sorrows.  Amen. 

St. Alphonsus

I created another special and meaningful locket reliquary locket necklace with a very unique relic touched to the Holy Shroud of Oviedo in Spain (Cloth touched to the Holy Shroud of Oviedo) (Head-veil of Christ)

I added red beads to represent the Precious Blood of Christ. I included a one decade rosary and a piece of a vintage broken bracelet depicting the Stations of the Cross

I found it interesting that on this relic medal there is a red stain inside the glass dome and not all the relics have this stain, I did noticed it when I was adding it to the locket.

"Virgin Mary's Garden", Saints Religious Medal Bracelet

If you had ever been blessed to see a glimpse of heaven's garden, you will find so many colors together with the flowers, stones, water and birds, the difference from earth's garden is the size, the flowers in Heaven are so large and vibrant but the colors are gorgeous and with this bracelet I wanted to bring that garden together honoring Our Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus

I included a beautiful resin cameo of Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and added many other Catholic bracelets. I added many clay and lucite flowers and leaves.

Includes gemstone butterflies, metal birds, dove to bring this heavenly garden together.

OL Fatima, Angels Altered Art Locket Religious Necklace

O Most Holy Virgin Mary,

Queen of the most Holy Rosary,

you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima

and reveal a glorious message.

We implore you,

inspire in our hearts a fervent love

for the recitation of the Rosary.

By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption

that are recalled therein

may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask,

through the merits of Jesus Christ,

our Lord and Redeemer.

When my kids, now young men, were little they used to be scared of the night, specially my middle child, he was constantly fearing having to go to bed because he was scared, no matter what I would tell him or prayed with him, he would still get up on the middle of the night.

One day I had the idea of making him, and my other kids, a special angel trinket box which included a feather and stardust and I found a beautiful poem to go perfect for the box and I told them that God appoints special beautiful angels for each one of us and specially at night when he is afraid he can open this little box and he would find a piece of his angel and that will connect him with his angel to come and save him and take away his fears and it did helped him sleep better with no more fears and they still remember their little box, when they see I make one for someone else.

That's what I wanted to create with this locket, be a reminder that Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord has appointed special angels to protect us.

This is the poem, I just added the last part to the poem to go with the box I had created

An Angel flew by a bustle was heard,

As I caught my breath I saw an angel in flight,

With a whisk of her wings sheltering me,

Stardust fell glistening free,

I could hear my heartstrings playing as she flew, leaving behind this stardust. Whenever you feel lonely or down, just open this locket as a reminder that your angel is always around.

I also included three Hail Mary's beads and one Our Father with a St. Michael charm for The Crown of St. Michael Chaplet

here you will find the full prayer: http://letyscreations.blogspot.com/2010/01/crown-of-saint-michael-chaplet.html

Virgin Mary Czestochowa Saints Religious Medal Bracelet

The Black Madonna of Czestochowa The Icon was, according to legend, painted by St. Luke the Evangelist on a cypress table top from the house of the Holy Family. The picture shows the Madonna in fleur de lys robes.

The painting displays a traditional composition derived from the icons of Eastern Orthodoxy. The Virgin Mary is shown as the "Hodegetria" ("One Who Shows the Way"). In it the Virgin directs attention away from herself, gesturing with her right hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. In turn, the child extends his right hand toward the viewer in blessing while holding a book of gospels in his left hand.

the oldest documents from Jasna Góra states that the picture travelled from Jerusalem, via Constantinople, to finally reach Czestochowa in August 1382. The Black Madonna is credited with miraculously saving the monastery of Jasna Gó ra (English: Bright Mount) from a Swedish 17^th Century invasion, The Deluge, which actually changed the course of the war. This event led King Jan Kazimierz to "crown" Our Lady of Czestochowa ("the Black Madonna") as Queen and Protector of Poland in the cathedral of Lwó w on April 1, 1656. This legend was however created much later than the actual events, as in reality the icon had been taken away well in advance so as to prevent it from falling into the hands of the advancing Swedish army.

Another legend concerning the Black Madonna of Czestochowa is that the presence of the holy painting saved its church from being destroyed in a fire, but not before the flames darkened the flesh tone pigments. The legend concerning the two scars on the Black Madonna's right cheek is that a Hussite robber drew his sword upon the image and inflicted two deep strikes. When the robber tried to inflict a third strike, he fell to the ground and squirmed in agony until his death. Despite past attempts to repair these scars, they had always reappeared.*

*Wikipedia

I had been saving this beautiful vintage medal of Our Lady of Czestochowa for a very long time until I felt it was the right time to use it and I found that this is the right time to use it. I love the detail of this medal.

I added other Catholic medals including vintage and new.

I added gorgeous coral color fresh water pearls and vintage and new pearls to embrace the wrist and enhance the medals.