Julie Leonard has enjoyed making assorted crafts for well over twenty years. She has dabbled in a little bit of everything, from friendship bracelets to elaborate dream catchers, painted t-shirts to wreaths, lathe-turned wood goblets to knitting, sewing to rubber stamping and probably things even she's forgotten by now! But beyond all else, the hobby she's held the longest is beadwork.
Overall, Julie is a self-taught artist; some of the best "schooling" is experience. She's taken metalwork classes and two classes on beaded pouches but outside that, everything she knows has been the culmination of twenty years of trial and error.
She prides herself on unique designs, simple but elegant lines and the ocassional eccentric combination of colors, shapes and textures. She also strives to create sturdy, long-lasting jewelry. Should you treat your jewelry lovingly, it will last you for years to come -- and may even treat you lovingly in return!
For years, Julie created her own pieces of wearable artwork but with experience and maturity, going into the "adult world," she found other people taking great interest in her pieces. It was not long at all before Julie was creating earrings and bracelets for her bosses and co-workers -- as well as gifts for their assorted relatives, and then fulfilling specific commissions.
Over the years in commissions, necklaces have been the runaway favorites, requested more frequently than any other piece of jewelry. After over six years of taking commissions, Julie finally realized it was time to assert her designs again and realized she needed to put her freeloading website to work!
She now creates designs that are sold on Fridays in her workplace, sold here at HorseAndRabbit.com and will soon be seen at the cozier Renaissance Faires and other craft shows in the Southern California area.
Julie still accepts commissions on a case-by-case basis and is planning a jewelry party for mid-November of 2006.
If you have any questions about Julie's jewelry, her involvment in Renaissance Faires or would like to make a request, feel free to
anytime. She doesn't bite!
When Julie's not being crafty, she loves to read and write, ocassionally draws, has played flute for nearly 20 years and adores playing with her two cats and doting husband Scott. To read more about Julie, see her written work or look at some of her drawings -- or to find out more about her husband and their other hobbies, please visit