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MHR is honored to present to you as guest designer 2012-2013,
Anne Cramer of All Beautiful Catholic Beads.
Please enjoy, in her own words, this portrait of one of Australia's finest rosary makers!
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Family Life
I live by the sea in the state of Queensland, in the vicinity of Brisbane.
The weather is sub-tropical, with humid summers and mild winters,
but the sea breezes curb the humidity.
It's a wonderful spot!
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My husband and I have been blessed with
six children, three boys and three girls.
We are involved in amateur musical theatre,
and have belonged to a Gregorian Chant choir
for the past nine years. We sing once a month in
a beautiful church that is part of a monastery and
nursing home, high on a hill that overlooks the sea.
I have also enjoyed many years of
painting and portraiture work in pastel.
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Rosary Making
I started making rosary beads and religious jewellery after the birth of my youngest child.
I knew Alice Cantrell at Gardens of Grace from a Catholic forum that we were a part of, and
I followed a link to her beautiful site. My heart was completely taken with how she had
applied her talent in the making of rosary beads and tenners.
I wanted to make devotional pieces that would last a lifetime, that were beautiful, and be, by the use
of natural gemstones, able to showcase the glory of God's creation. Since the rosary has been part of my life
all my life, the thought of being able to create something that might reflect dimly the beauty of grace
which comes from its recitation, was a great gift to me.
While I live in Australia, I post worldwide, to the United States and Europe.
In fact, most of my online customers are from the States!
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I think one of the joys of making religious pieces is that I can gift friends, relatives and religious
I know with something that has been made with a lot of love. Something truly handmade.
I like to imagine how a rosary can best represent favourite devotions, saints and colours.
I also enjoy creating themes for my religious pieces and carrying that through to the choice of
gemstones, bead caps and rosary parts.
A lot of my creations have themes. I like the "layering" effect in which the physical represents
the spiritual, so it is a constant reminder when you look at the piece.
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I've recently developed a new design for my tenners, which adds the three introductory
Hail Mary beads, then a rosary center to be used as the second Our Father. This led me to
creating an original design for a tenner bracelet, featuring a rosary centre that sits at the top
of the wrist as a lovely focal point. A Pater bead and three Aves are before the rosary centre,
seven Aves after it, so when offering a decade, when the third Hail Mary is offered,
the finger slips over the rosary centre and continues on the decade with the fourth Hail Mary.
It sounds unusual, but works really well and keeps the bracelet at a size that can be worn on the wrist.
To illustrate the use of this tenner design, I've uploaded a video to Youtube.com.
Click here to view it!
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Marian Valley
Australia does not have many Catholic shrines but an hour or so from our home is a really beautiful
shrine to Our Lady called Marian Valley. http://www.marianvalley.org/ It is tucked away
in the Gold Coast hinterland and it’s a narrow valley, with steep cliffs surrounding.
Within the valley is a Monastery, a Church and many lovely shrines to Mary and the Saints, and
a life size Stations of the Cross running along the length of one side, finishing with a huge resurrection
scene with Our Lord surround by angels.
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Marian Valley also runs a retreat centre and has an Adoration Chapel. Pilgrims in buses and cars
come in droves for great feast days, from all parts of our State, and people arrive daily for their own pilgrimage
or day of prayer. It is always a wonderful feeling to arrive in this valley, the beauty of it naturally
raises your mind and heart to God. It’s a haven and a place of peace.
The Pauline Fathers look after the shrine. Lay ladies look after the retreat centre and one lovely brother
works in the Valley. You will often see him on a ride-on mower, or taking elderly people to the end
of the valley in a golf buggy. He also trains the young boys in serving for the liturgies. While there is
an undercover eating area, I particularly love picnicking on the lush grass under gum trees.
I have my favourite spot where there is always a kookaburra in the tree above.
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Blogspot!
I have, for some time, maintained a blog, Under Her Starry Mantle,
where I share my explorations into the bounties of liturgical life in the home.
Here I share information about a wide range of subjects which you might enjoy, from
All Saints party decorations to gardening, books to religious images and website links.
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My more recent projects include
creating unbreakable/lifetime
scapulars in 100% wool
with embroidery work, and
serving up baked goods with
liturgical themes!
You're welcome to my blogspot to
see more about these interests.
Just click the Starry Mantle link
provided below.
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Contact Information:
email:
anne@allbeautifulcatholicbeads.com
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So let your light shine before men that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven
(from the Sermon on the Mount)
Matthew 5:16
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