"Would you consider doing a necklace like this..." the email asked. She wanted me to make a similar necklace to one I have listed, but using shells she had. I found some shells I had here and tried a couple of drill bits I had to see if I could make the necessary holes. Not a problem. I had a perfect piece of chain. I figured an hour, maybe less. She sent me the shells she wanted me to use and I sat down to drill the holes. These were not like the shells I had experimented on. They were much thicker and harder, like they were petrified, like they were stone. Drilling these holes was no picnic. I tried every different bit I had that I thought would
work. This was taking a LONG time. Hours. Then the best bit broke. *much gnashing of teeth* The next day I run out to the hardware store where I spend $7 on a new drill bit. Back at home I finish drilling the holes and link the shell pieces together. Just as I'm about to finish and box up the necklace, one of the pieces breaks just where the hole had been drilled. I file down the shell piece and try to make it look natural, drill a new hole, attach the wire, and gingerly put it in a box before anything else happens. The necklace is now winging its way off to the customer and I think she'll be pleased. I do not blame the customer
at all, but she gotz herself one heck of a deal. Between the time it took to finish this little project and having to spend on a new bit and all, I think I actually lost money on this one. Live and learn?
While vending at the Portland Saturday Market a couple of weeks ago, I was approached by a family to see if I could make a bracelet for the girl, a teenager. She was graduating from high school and her parents said they would have a special bracelet made for her. She pulled out a baggie with several pebbles in it and described the sort of thing she wanted. These weren't precious stone pebbles, these were just your basic run-of-the-mill pebbles, but apparently they were precious to her. Her mother explained that they had a whole heap of sentimental value for her, that they were from someplace very special.
When I got home, I sketched out a design and after a few back and forth emails, we settled on something. I created hewn, fine silver "pebble" discs and bezel set three of the little stones. The discs were then riveted together with lengths of wire. I hustled to get it done in time for her graduation and did. She was thrilled with the results.
