Frog Prince

 

Yes, this was yet another project.  It started out as something to place into my friend's little gallery shop but then she said business had been really slow and she hadn't had any sales for several weeks.  In other words; she didn't need any more inventory.  I truly understood and could empathize as my own tiny etsy shop, AlmostPrecious,  been has languishing in a purgatory of loneliness.  Views are waaaay down and I've not made a single sale since I switched from selling my destash supplies back to handcrafted jewelry.

 

When I first saw these adorable pewter frog beads I instantly thought of fairytales and frogs who were really  princes under a witches wicked spell.   Well what can I say, other than I love fairytales and fantasies.  :) 

 

I went ahead and created the little frog necklace using some of my hand braided kumihimo braid and used sterling silver coil ends, extender chain and a very long, heavy weight headpin with one gorgeous clover shaped head on it.  The heavy weight headpin was long enough for me to wrap it into a 2 loop bail ... a bail large enough to slide over my kumihimo cord.  For convenience to the wearer I splurged on a sterling silver, swivel clasp.  Perhaps I over spent in supplies but I did want to make this piece special.

 

 

Photo above - back of necklace showing extender chain and swivel clasp.

Photo below - showing the elaborate head of the heavy weight sterling headpin. 



 

The matching earrings also feature that cute little frog bead and my own handcrafted earring hooks (fashioned out of 20 gauge, 925% sterling silver wire).  Each hook is embellished with a glass flower bell bead and a Swarovski crystal. 

 

Again, perhaps I over spent on my supplies but I think somethings are just worth it.   How about you?  How do you feel about this?  Do you think most people would rather purchase a piece that used highend supplies and pay a little more for it, or would they perfer to save money and purchase something that uses economical supplies but will probably not look as nice or last quite as long?

Footnote - Is it just me or has Blogger been obnoxious today?  It is stopping me every few seconds to save text, down loading photos was a hassle and inserting URL links had to be done manually (which was a royal pain) as the pop-up was not working as it should. 
PS - Not sure that the links are functioning as I tried one and got an error page.  Oh Blogspot why dost thou constantly break my heart? :(

A Jewel by Any Name

Photo - Little Rylee Jade . . . getting cuter by the day . . . and faster.

This post is not going to be about my jewelry, but it does entail a jewel . . . Rylee Jade.

Unfortunately I don't get to see Rylee, my great-granddaughter, very often as both her parents have to work in order to pay the bills and make ends meet. Guess that's the curse of today's fast paced, expensive world.  The only time I get an opportunity to see her is when my daughter, Kathi, Rylee's grandmother, gets to babysit her. 

These photos were taken back in March  and Rylee wouldn't (or couldn't) stay still for anything.  I can't tell you just how many photos I snapped in which she was little more than a smudged blur . . .

Photo above . . . See what I mean ?  She's too fast for my camera.

Photo below. . .This is a bit better but there was always some part of Rylee that was kicking, thrashing or wiggling - in this shot it's primarily her tiny, little feet that are moving.

Hm - today I wish that blogger would have the problem of being too fast.  It is acting horrifically slow and sometimes takes 10 seconds before it will allow me to type a single character so this post took considerably longer to type.  Hate it when I type a whole sentence and find that there is nothing there, only a blinking cursor.  Hope this glitch doesn't last long.