Jewelry Stories from Until Leaves Fall in Paris

It’s time for a new Jewelry Stories post!

I can’t tell you what joy I get from combining my two favorite things – books and jewelry – into these pieces that help bring these stories to life in new ways. Today’s book will already be making it into my Top 10 favorite books for this year, so there was no question that some inspiration for jewelry and bookmarks would be found within its pages.

One of the things (there were many!) that I loved about Until Leaves Fall in Paris was little Josie, and maybe that’s because I have two little girls of my own. Their innocence at that age is something that I wish I could bottle up and keep forever. It made me wonder how much World War II changed their lives…how they must have witnessed their parents, grandparents, etc. trying to live through one day at a time.

In all that wondering, I wanted to create a collection of designs that had some whimsy. Not all of the pieces do, but most are purely feminine and dainty.

So relax for a couple of minutes while you peruse each design and excerpt, and I’ll see you at the end for some closing thoughts. 🙂

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More books covered a table by the window, circled by two mismatched wooden chairs and a stuffed armchair.

Paul heaved a sigh. “Monsieur Meow told me to ask you out to dinner. I told him it was far too early, but he won’t listen to reason. You know what cats are like.”

“I like that lady.” Josie waved her arms as Miss Girard had done. “She has legs and wings.” Paul chuckled. She did indeed.

Paul lifted his chin to the night, the stars snuffed by clouds, the lights snuffed by war. “It seems strange to end an evening in Paris without music and dancing and talking into the night.”

“I’ve gone through what I can. Ready for a business lesson?” Lucie groaned. Why couldn’t he wave a magic business wand and make it go away?

“The reminder card was darling. ‘Don’t let your green leaf fall,’ and that darling cartoon leaf and the darling expression on his face as he fell.”

Josie had insisted on wearing pink today with her hair ribbon tied around her head like Lucie’s rather than in a bow above her ear.

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So – do you see all that whimsy up there? 🙂 I hope so! Each photo has a link underneath where you can view more pictures of that design plus a more detailed description. Here’s a little backstory on each design –

• The Chair and Stack of Books Bookmark was actually a design I created last December on a whim. I came across the charms at the craft store, and knew they belonged together. It wasn’t until I read this book that I knew the bookmark would be a perfect match to this story.
• Cats… honestly, they’re not my thing, but I know so many people love them! This was the first feline design to EVER make its way into my shop in over 8 years. Dogs are so much more my thing.
• The ballerina charm bracelet had me grinning from ear to ear as I was putting it together.
• The navy bookmark – I came across that charm several months ago, maybe around the time I was reading the story. I don’t think I realized at the time that it was going to fit so perfectly with this story, but I snatched it up just in case.
• The magic wand – more girly-ness. Sorry y’all…it could not be helped!
• Don’t let your green leaf fall – This phrase is mentioned numerous times in the book as it’s the slogan for Green Leaf Books. There were several other passages referencing leaves, all beautifully told, but this phrase was the most poignant to me. The green beads have been in my stash for YEARS, and the colors matched the ribbon and charm to a T.
• Last but not least, those dainty little bow earrings. These beads have been in my stash for quite a while, too, but the bow connectors were a recent acquisition. Definitely a design for girls young and old. <3

It’s always sad to bring a new collection to a close, but there are so many other stories and designs waiting in the wings! If you have not already grabbed a copy of Until Leaves Fall in Paris, I highly recommend that you do! You will not be disappointed. 🙂

And in case you didn’t know, this book has a loose connection to the last book Sarah wrote (When Twilight Breaks). You can read my review of that book here (it’s a winner, too!) and see the Jewelry Stories post for it here.

Thank you for supporting my little creative endeavor and the authors who bring these amazing stories to life. My hope is that these jewelry and bookmark designs give you a fresh glimpse into those stories and a way to remember them for months and years to come. And if you’ve missed any past Jewelry Stories posts, you can find them all here.

If you aren’t already subscribed to my email list, you’ll want to do that here so you can be the first to see those new designs when they drop. In every email, there’s a list of books that I’m currently working on and designing jewelry for.

Until next time! ♥