Last night I got a text message from Dave, the gentleman I recently created the custom band ring and companion pendant for. The text was a thank you again for the piece, and included a photo of his lovely daughter, with the pendant "where it was meant to be", around her neck. It looked great, and (thankfully), the chain I chose was just the right length!

It was a great way to get to be involved in the gift, since I couldn't be there, and so flattering to be included in such a special moment between a father and a daughter.

Thank you, Dave, for including me. And thank you again, universe, for allowing me to continue to keep creating day after day.

Peace!

wow....I can't believe this month is almost over! I've been working long days at my day job, then spending long evenings in the workshop with commissioned pieces. The days aren't so hot...but the evenings are awesome! I'm currently working on another retirement gift, this one entirely different from anything I've done before and, as usual, I can't say what it is until Friday, just in case someone is peeking....Monica, you know who you are!

Yay! I am finally able to post the image of the latest custom piece I've been working on, a companion piece to the wide band ring with the Guatemalan overlay. When I met with the client to present the ring, he was extremely happy with it and said he'd like me to make something for his daughter's birthday, which was coming up in a few months. I did something I almost never do, and suggested we come up with some ideas right away (I always have a terrible time promoting myself, even when someone comes right out and asks me!). Anyway, since I still had the other (not quite) half of the slider, I suggested a pendant, and off I went. After coming up with several designs, the client chose this one, and even though I'm the one who drew it, once it came to making it I realized how complicated it was going to be! Yup, even I sometimes forget that just because I can draw it easily doesn't necessarily mean I can forge it as easily!

This piece required nine separate pieces of silver to be soldered together, all without unsoldering any that was already soldered (you with me so far?), and then the fun part - the stone is a Brazilian Emerald, and I think I held my breath for the entire time I was setting it - they are very fragile, and I was warned by several people that it could shatter very easily. Because, you know, it wasn't stressful enough already, ha-ha.

In the end it all worked out, all the pieces stayed together, the black patina stayed where it was supposed to, and that pesky, lovely Emerald cooperated and didn't shatter. All in all, a successful piece, and the client was very happy with the finished pendant.

It was really flattering to be a part of another custom piece that is so meaningful to not just one, but two people. May they wear them in good health for a long time to come.

Peace!

Of all the things I've created in this life, my son is the one I'm most proud of :) He is currently working in Northern BC, and so it is the first Mother's Day we've not celebrated together...but at least he was able to send me a message through the Ethernet to say he was thinking of me, and we'd celebrate when he next comes home. Yup, I raised him right ha-ha.

I wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day. May your children and families remember to celebrate YOU!

Peace!