A Princess Can Do Whatever She Wants

This is the latest entry in my "Jewelry You Won't Find In My Online Shops" series. I was sharing Princess Katie stories with my friend Loren the other night when I found the pictures from her 7th birthday where she received an extra special birthday necklace, her "Princess License".

As you might recall, it is a Tilley Family tradition that every year for the girls' birthdays I make each one a special piece of jewelry that somehow reflects where they are in their life at the time. A few months before turning 7 Katie latched on to her personal mantra "A princess can do whatever she wants." One day I was browsing the website of dear friend and fellow jewelry maker Bonnie Alvarez, owner of Birth Designs Studio, when a princess themed pendant she had listed caught my eye and my inspiration. This was before I was doing any metal stamping at all, but even if I had been, Bonnie's expertise and variety of stamping fonts and symbols was key to the design of such a princess-worthy piece. Bonnie created a custom sterling pendant for me with Katie's new catch phrase and marked with a crown.

Of course princess jewels must sparkle. My original plan for this necklace involved a different color scheme, but when we found a black and fuschia polka dotted dress for her birthday outfit the whole piece suddenly came together. Fuschia Swarovski crystal hearts and black, silver and fuschia Swarovski crystals dangle on either side of the custom pendant from sterling silver chain.

Yes, this child is spoiled rotten! And yes, she is most definitely an everyday princess!