I love my girls!!!!

And to celebrate my love for them & who they are as people; for Mother's Day, I made them each a necklace....a "soulful" necklace. I wasn't able to complete their necklaces by Mother's Day however so we met up for sushi & martinis last week & I gave them to them then.

I saw this thimble necklace design, by the extremely talented Diane Cook, in the current Belle Armoire jewelry magazine by Stampington. Her designs were based on a heart, birds & religious icons though. I wanted to make my girls one, using soul as the theme.

And I know there's been a lot of controversy & discussion in blogland about the ethics of copying an artist's work & I'm gonna give you my 2 cents worth. I have big reservations about copying an individual's work that they were generous enough to share on their blog but if you publish a tut & I pay for it (whether it's online, an in-person workshop or in a magazine), then I am then free to "copy". I've purchased the knowledge so I am free to use the knowledge. *crossing my fingers that the marvelous Ms Cook agrees* Cause she is FULL of marvelous ideas!!! *grins*

This is my version of Diane Cook's Heartstrings....I call them "She's Got Soul".

I strayed from Diane's designs in many ways. I didn't age the silver as my girls don't like old stuff (I know!!!!!), I used heavier fabrics & I went easy on the bling & left off the lace completely, as neither Stacie nor Shilah are into that kind of stuff. (again I know!...but I love them anyway! LOL) This first necklace is for Stacie. I used a beautiful blue & tan upholstery weight fabric, torn into a frayed strip & faded vintage blue ribbon. For both necklaces, I used charms symbolizing things that are important to each of them...adding a few "pearls of wisdom", a crystal drop, a bottle of "dreams" (the bottle is full of mini-rhinestones) & a couple strands of rhinestone chains.

The poem Footprints in the Sand has had special signifigance to Stacie, ever since Clifton's accident, when after a particularly bad day, a social worker at the hospital gave her a charm w/ it. So I made her a mini-book out of resin. (just spread the resin front & back on the paper & allow to dry. It drys pliable like leather!)

Since Stace is an optometrist, I thought it would be fun to make the letters so small that you need a magnifying glass to read them. I was able to get the entire poem in a tiny book, just a bit over an inch and a half.

Her bottle of dreams, a cross to symbolize her love for God and a mirror ...the mirror is to encourage her to see her own beauty.

And of course, being an optometrist, she needed a pair of glasses.

And because she is officially a Texan now, I included a cowboy boot charm. A couple of Christmases ago, she told me a story of how she wanted a pair of red cowboy boots as a little girl & never got any....so I took both my girls boot shopping for their Christmas present. She didn't pick out red ones though so I guess I still owe her a pair. ;)

I added a key to a heart locket....

and added pictures of the "keys to her heart".

For Shilah's necklace, I went w/ a nubby floral fabric, using yarn trims, faded pink ribbon, etc.

She has collected angels most of her life so I added an angel wing.

and a sterling wineglass cause she is her mother's daughter. ;)

She also has a love for our God so a rhinestone cross was added to her's as well.

The keys to Shi's heart.....

She is known to have a major shoe fetish so I added a high heel.

Her bottle of dreams....may they all come true!

And I had to include a butterfly...she knows why.

Here's how the necklaces look hanging...like beautiful, jeweled tassels!

My girls & I; taken Mother's Day of this year....Shi is on the left, Stace on the right. I am so blessed to have them in my life.

I LOVE MY GIRLS!!!!!