Cottonwood business Uniquely Meek launches Web site

A Cottonwood artist launched a Web site last month officially launching her jewelry and saddlery business, Uniquely Meek. Gayla Meek, 56, has built up an impressive stock of necklaces, saddles, and other leather work in a work shed at home.

Perhaps the centerpiece of her business, her glass bead necklaces require a great deal of time to create. She put 40 hours of work into some of her necklaces, and her turquoise necklace with pearls took 87 hours to complete. The necklace has an underwater theme and contains pieces of real coral, she said.

"I enjoyed doing this stitch and kept doing it," Meek said. "I can never really say what inspires me. It could be anything."

All her necklaces are made with genuine gemstones and glass beads, with no plastic or acrylic pieces, she said.

"It's relaxing and stimulating at the same time," Meek said of building her necklaces. "(They are) made to last and look good for a really long time."

With a variety of necklaces already built, Meek said she will continue to make new ones as she sells her current supply.

Her work with jewelry, though, only represents a share of her productivity. Meek showed off a stack of black, patent leather harnesses and saddles that she designed and built in her shop. She even developed an English saddle with adjustable knee rolls that help keep a rider's position proper. Her work with leather began as a teenager, when she carved her first harness for her horse.

Aside from numerous beads and rolls of unfinished leather, her spacious shop contained upholstery repair supplies, a homemade Mardi Gras mask and a life-sized llama with adjustable joints. The model llama will become the mold so she can build several more to show off in her yard.

"She wants a whole herd out there," said her husband Gary Meek, who added that the ranch the couple lives on has allowed them both to engage in a number of hobbies.

The two retired from a wholesale florist business three years ago and have lived in Cottonwood for 20 years.

To see the leather and jewelry for sale by Uniquely Meek, visit the Web site at www.uniquelymeek.com.