cages, wrapped links and bows.

dogwood crucifix

This "dogwood" crucifix is a plain nickel-silver one and shows a dogwood blossom at each of the four points.

caged Our-Father rosary

rosary with caged Our-Father beads

I liked the St Joe rosary so much that I used the same Hail-Mary beads and Our-Father beads from Ave Maria's Circle on my next project. I used OLRM 509, a 49mm* nickel-sliver "dogwood" crucifix from Our Lady's Rosary Makers, and AMC 2226, a 25mm* nickel-silver miraculous medal center from Ave Maria's Circle. I was planing the turquoise Guadalupe rosary so I decided to use this rosary to practice caging the Our-Father beads. Each Our-Father bead is caged in a 6-inch helix of wire. Like the St Joseph rosary, each bead is strung on a wrapped wire link, and wrapped wire bows are used as connectors (instead of jump rings) and to separate the Our-Father beads from the decades of Hail-Mary beads (instead of a few links of chain). I used 20 gauge nickel-silver craft wire for the links, bows and cages. (*measurements include bails)

St Joe rosary

black wooden "Saint Joseph" rosary

Saint Joseph Rosary, black wood and copper wire

This rosary came out very well. Everything except the wire is from Ave Maria's Circle. The wire is 20 gauge copper wire from the JSM Bead Coop. The crucifix is 2 1/8 inch wooden crucifix stained black with the corpus and titulus in nickel silver [AMC #351]. The crucifix lacks the metal binding/backing that is common to this kind of crucifix. I wasn't sure how I would like it, but it turns out that the lack of backing emphasizes its simplicity and "woodenness." The Hail-Mary beads are 9x6mm oval, black wooden beads [AMC #508] which I bought in bulk. The Our-Father beads are 10.5x7mm, oval ridged black wooden beads--[AMC #543] This crucifix and these beads go very well together. The center is a 1-inch St. Joseph Center [AMC #242]. Wrapped wire bows are used to attach the crucifix and center, and to separate the Our-Father beads from the Hail-Marys. I didn't plan it this way, but the simplicity and wooden parts evoke a sense of St. Joseph. I like this rosary very much, but a friend of mine asked for it, and I gave it to him. I will have to make myself another one.