Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Mermaid Treasures: Gather and Flow


Ashley Willemain's Etsy store, Gather & Flow, held a circular moonlit mountainscape that I have been yearning to own and wear for almost a year now. After firmly placing it on my bucket list for the year and deciding to go to the mountains on vacation this summer once again, I could resist the siren song of the mountain necklace no longer. 

The necklace arrived in a rustically beautiful box wrapped in a handsewn fabric strip and tied with a thin whip of leather. It took about two weeks from time of purchase to arrive. Each piece is hand sawn and hand made. No casting or short cuts here.


I adore the little hand sewn muslin pillow she created on which to lovingly lay the necklace.


This is a more delicate piece that I aim to wear fairly often. I think it would be nice for layering too. It hangs on an 18" chain that has tiny striations etched into the links to add texture.


Ashely is very easy to work with and offers layaway plans and custom creations, even if you want to use a stone you already own. Her communication is excellent. She messaged me right after I purchased to let me know when it would be mailed out. Chain length sizes can be altered too. I found the whole experience wonderfully pleasant and I am already eyeing the matching moonstone ring. And check out the mountain range and wolf moon necklaces.... stunning.

Do you enjoy the mountains?

13 comments:

  1. Although I haven't actually spent much time in them, I do love the mountains. I'd prefer them over all that sandy watery beachy stuff. =P

    This piece is gorgeous!

    ~Deb

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    1. LOL! Awwww come on! I get ya though. A lot of folk don't enjoy the beach. Something with the sand? The salt water? I don't know. But leaves plenty for me. :-) Though the mountain bug has bitten me something fierce. I keep trying to talk Adam into us moving to North Carolina.

      Thanks! I thought so too... I really loved wearing it today.

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  2. Good choice for your list, the texture on the mountains is perfect. It makes you feel like you are there. I just browsed her shop and her landscapes are wonderful, it reminds me a little of Rick Manuel which I've been a fan of. The little blacked out etched things have the same charm as his, though she has her own style for sure.

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    1. The texture is totally what grabbed me. I have perused many mountain scene necklaces on Etsy but the primitive yet realistic portrayal in this tiny portal really grabbed me. Plus the moon. I will have to look up Rick Manuel. I enjoy how artists can take something similar yet make it their own. I really, really appreciate her customer service. She is very kind.

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  3. This piece is gorgeous! Wow such detail and just screams Julie. I also love the amount of detail this vendor puts into her packaging.

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    1. Thanks! The detail for such a tiny piece is amazing. It is about the diameter of a nickel. Packaging says a lot about the attention to detail and level of craftsmanship an artist expects from themselves.

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  4. Beautiful! I need to add her to my list for gift-giving! I am totally a mountain person--beaches are only acceptable if it's cold and gloomy :D

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    1. Absolutely! A gift from her shop would be a treasure for sure. In fact, I am going to be gifting one of these necklaces myself to a family member. Cold, gloomy beaches are poignant experiences to be had for sure. Though I will take them any way I can get them sans Red Tide. But the mountains are not so easily visited by me. We have to drive about 9-10 hours to get to the good ones. But well worth it. Ready to make the journey to Tennessee in July.

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  5. Stunning! This necklace is also on my bucket list... I may need to purchase before our mountain summer adventure!

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    1. We can be twinsies! But don't purchase it too fast. ;-) I was going to get it for you silly goose.

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    2. I thought this looked like something you've shown me before! Eeeekkk!

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  6. It is rather breathtaking, with the use of negative space for sky, the suggestion of craggy rocks upon the mountaintops, my favorite bit is the tree silouettes, though the moon may be slightly off scale, it nestles between the peaks nicely.
    Do I enjoy mountains...well, you know I've visited the misty Smokies, driven through the Blue Ridge and they held a gentle blue-green majesty. But, what I wish to behold are the sharp snow-covered peaks; Mt. Washington, Mt. Rainier, the Alps, Denali, Nagano...Everest. These are the majestics, the stalwarts, the wind-blown, sun-burned stone monuments to the earth, the sky. The constant everlasting witnesses to human civilization, endurance, hubris. Symbols of adventure, ascending into the highest realms of personal, physical and spiritual growth, overcoming great obstacles, and my favorite symbol-the reminder to stay humble and grounded when you feel on top, because you must always come down.
    So, I'd say I do enjoy mountains-very much and all of the potenial meanings held in this little silver rendering of one:)

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    1. Jay. Your prose elegantly portrays my vivd feelings on mountainscapes and the serenity I pull from them. The Smoky mountains and Blue Ridge mountains are the only ones I have even been to, though I have seen the dessert mountains in Nevada and Fuji-san from a distance in Tokyo, I would love to go to Colorado and the PNW for sure. On my list. The Alps though. Yes. Please.

      Glad you could appreciate the handmade beauty of this charming necklace. I really am enjoying wearing it. <3

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