Decoden: Part two

My dear friend Mia needed a phone case.  She's one of the most coordinated athletes in my social circle, but oddly...also the most clumsy.  Her phone was at risk... so I made her this..

I tried to keep her case relatively 2D because she likes to stuff her phone in her pocket.  It came out pretty good.  Pink, bright, and sparkly, just like her personality. 

Decoden Phone Case

Since I've had some trouble with maintaining proper pressure whilst using my jewelry pliers, I've started branching out into crafts that require less sensitive, delicate work.  Of course, I stumbled onto Decoden.  Decoden is a decoration phenomenon in Japan.  Quite literally, Decoden is "Deco" as in decorated and "den" as in Denwa, the Japanese word for phone case.  Tons of people will think that these Japanese trends have nothing to do with American fashion, but you'd be wrong.

Have you ever gotten nails covered in rhinestones and little filigree add-ons?

Courtesy of Slodive.com

Courtesy of Fanpop.com

Sure the nails have been a thing for a looooong time.... But seriously, doesn't this look vaguely familiar?

From brand-crea.com

Looks familiar to me.  Well, seeing all these fancy pants cases made me want to make my own...


BAM!!! 

While mine is significantly less cute and significantly more amateur looking, I like it a fair amount. 

Memebox Special #44: Very Berry PART THREE

I swear to goodness I'm going to post something I've made soon.  ...Soon.  Hee hee hee..  But first, let me tell you about another of the memebox products that I got in the Very Berry box that I really, REALLY liked.  The Reinplatz Essence Mask.  I got blueberry. 

Out side of the package, it looks like this.  It's a little bit strange looking if you're used to American clay masks, but it is still functional.

You smooth the mask on your face and just let it sit for 30 minutes.  The essence mask sinks into your skin and leaves it refreshed, revitalized, and smooth.  I haven't had to do my usual, twice weekly exfoliating mask in 2 weeks since using it. My acne is reduced as well.  I should probably use one of these regularly.

Memebox Special #44 Very Berry: PART TWO

The next product I tried, of course was the lip color.  Mine came in the Cherry Punch color.  It's reported to adjust the pH level, moisture level, and prevent moisture loss.  Sounds like chapstick- well.  No it doesn't.

Yadah's lip tint has a faint, natural-smelling cherry scent and literally melts into your lips.  Shortly after applying, my lips seemed to soften and smooth.  They looked plump.  I mean... I have fat lips to begin with, so they ALWAYS look plump, but they looked lifted.  This lip tint gave me a lip lift.  A dab of lip gloss over the tint brought them to the full pout I usually sculpt into being. 

After about 4 hours the lip tint was gone because I was eating and drinking.  That aside... the scent of the tint lingered, just as advertised and, stranger still, my lips were still soft, supple, and hydrated.  I decided to test this one again.   This time, for a longer time frame.

I put it on before I left for work, didn't add gloss.  The tint survived 6 hours, until I had lunch and wiped my mouth off.  It wasn't until I hit the 7.5....closer to 8 hour mark that my lips started to feel a little dry.  This is a notable feat because the hospital I work in has air is as dry as the Sahara.  I put a little more on to renew it.  It held until I took my make up off.  I think if I had added the gloss, it would have stood up better.

For a lipstick, it falls short.  For a tinted lip balm, I must admit, it works BETTER than chapstick and the creamy long-lasting effect is on par with MAC creamy lipsticks.  Chapstick feels waxy.  MAC lipstick smells like crayons.  The Yadah lip tiny was creamy and left my lips super hydrated and plump.  No more chapstick for me.

Here are some photos of my bare lips, then 1 coat of the lip tint, and finally 2 coats.  After two coats, it's pretty opaque and kind of glossy on its own.  After 3, watch out.  It starts to get runny.

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Memebox Special #44: Very Berry

This is the first Memebox that I ordered from eBay for myself.  On the memebox website, it was advertised as having the following items: Skin CRONies Aronia Moisture Cream, Konad Niju Blueberry Moisture Hand Cream, Swanicoco Super Brightening Hydro Solution, Reinplatz Essence Mask, Borntreen VitaBerry Cleansing Foam, eChoice Fall in Love Berry Body Lotion, and Yadah Lovely Lip Tint Stick.

The one I got from eBay had everything but the Cronies Moisture Cream, and the Swanico Super Brightening Solution.  I won't miss them too much, though.  They were anti-aging creams and radiance boosting formulas.  I figured I could live without something to fight crows-feet.  At least until I'm 30.  I've got a few more years. 

When I opened the box, the scent of berry things wafted up from the very paper in the box.  I don't know if that's an effect of the products inside or if memebox engages in some subtle mind-fuckery when they assemble their signature pink boxes.  I dove in, examined all the products to see if they had been tampered with.  They hadn't.  Then, I had to decide what I would use first.  The answer was simple.

The same place a lady starts her beauty regimen

The cleanser was the clear choice for my first product test.  I opted not to do a lame test like a lot of bloggers- you know the one.  Where they test the product ONE TIME and then you never hear about it again?  Instead, I tested this product over the course of five days to see how it truly affected my skin, using it the same way I use my other cleansers.  I used it over the course of 5 days and documented the changes in my skin in a little mini-diary.  My findings were thus.

Day 1:  Product left my skin feeling velvety and soft, hydrated and supple.  Since it claims to be a 'gentle' cleanser, I'm worried that there's a residue on my skin instead of just clean, fresh skin like my usual cleanser leaves behind.

Day 2: The zit I was getting it smaller than I thought it was going to be and kind of sore, but my skin still feels velvety and soft.  Nothing weird here.  My skin's not as oily and my whiteheads seem to have calmed down.

Day 3: Today I used it with my cleansing brush, like I usually do with my usual cleanser.  It worked into a nice, rich lather.  My face tingled for a little while afterwards, so I let it sit and sink into my pores for a while.  It actually works well for a facial mask.

Day 4:  I washed as usual today and used my usual facial mask..  The mask tingled more than usual and the blemishes that were hiding under my skin were clearly visible when I took it off.  Made short work of them. 

Day 5: The blemishes I popped yesterday appear to be healing well and the mild abrasion caused by popping is already starting to peel.  Overall, my skin is VERY supple, soft, and velvety.  My spots seem lighter too.  I'm going to switch to my regular cleanser to see if that makes a difference.

In the end, after using my regular cleanser for just two days, my skin had returned to its usual either painfully dry or fried egg greasy state.  My whiteheads came back with a vengeance and I got new zits.  As soon as I used the VitaBerry cleanser, my skin returned to the supple, fresh, dewy texture I had gotten accustomed to. 

Wow.  I guess I should make a switch to the Vitaberry Cleanser...permanently. 

Memebox Special: eBay

Now, you all know I'm a bargain hunter... but with memebox that's actually not necessary.  Each regular sized box costs about $23 bucks and contains from 4-7 FULL SIZED HIGH END BEAUTY PRODUCTS.  Full sized.  Not sample.  FULL.  Get that in your mind.

On average, the products included will cost from $10-$25 each.  So, if you get 1 15 dollar item and 3 $5 items, you've still spent less than you would have if you had bought them separately.  I can't do any better than that.  My Google-fu and eBay-jitsu is not as mighty as the memebox bargain. 

Unfortunately, memebox's set up doesn't cater to those of us with specific tastes.  They announce a box 3 months before it actually ships, give it a theme...and you have to wait until they're sold out or shipped before they will actually tell you what's in them.  The only thing you know is that each box will always include some sort of cleanser, moisturizer, mask, and lip balm- at the very least.  Even then, a lot of memebox's good or really interesting boxes sell out FAST.

A lot of the boxes that I knew I wanted to try had already sold out, so I waited.  I kept missing the new boxes as they were released.  Then, one day, on a whim, I typed in memebox in eBay's search bar and BAM!  People were selling their memeboxes. 

As it turns out, the mystery effect memebox shrouds their boxes in leads to people ...overbuying.  The results are a bunch of folks with boxes full of things they can't use, have too many of already, or they don't like.  The effect?  A surplus of memeboxes sold on eBay.  "Used" memeboxes anyone?

Now, under normal circumstances, I'd be afraid to buy something like this from eBay.  A USED beauty product could have anything in it.  However, a "used" memebox is a horse of a different color...  You aren't buying a single, used product.  You're buying a used box.  There may be one or two products missing, but all the others are still tightly sealed in their original foil and shrink wrap packaging. 

The best part is: memeboxes for less than $20.  I bought one- I mean... a few.

Korean Skincare

A while ago, I reviewed the Etude House Baby Choux peach primer, the Dear Darling Jelly lip tint, and the Princess Etoinette lipstick.  I raved over the benefits I saw, the positive skin changes I experienced with the products as well as glee over the scents and effects they rendered.  Because I am a scientist at heart, I began to research South Korean beauty trends, products and skin treatments.

What I found was intriguing.  For one thing, South Korean Beauty culture is one of the most frighteningly damaging things I could ever hope to learn about.  Sure, they based a person's beauty on a standardized "Golden Ratio".  They also view beauty as a sign of good health and invest a great deal of research in products that will treat beauty problems from the inside out... That's all fine.  The Golden Ratio is hardwired into our brains to help us pick out healthy partners for reproduction.  It's science.

But they also have an absurd frankness when it comes to evaluating their beauty.  The stigma of possibly being ugly shadows both men and women.  There's an also a destructive amount of esteem placed on plastic surgery...to the point where parents are recommending it preteens to get it before their kids hit puberty.  As damaging as this plastic surgery culture is... I have to admit that they still have some very effective skin treatments.

Serious stuff aside, since my affectionate relationship with Etude House began, I've been on the look out for any other cool, cute, and effective beauty items I can snag from Korea.  It was through this that I discovered that Etude House, with all its pretty packaging, sweet scents was only considered a "Drug Store Brand" as far as Korean cosmetics go. 

Now Etude House is cheap for a drug store cosmetic brand, so I was intrigue and went forth to learn more about higher end products.  Let's face it, in the past, I've had luck with finding the right shades in American drug store brands, but the skincare products are of lower quality and break me out.  My line of thought was, if Etude House is drug store for Korea and it does nice things for my skin, then surely the higher end products will do even more wonderful things for my skin.... 

I was right.  Check back for a review of the first product on Monday.

I HATE Boxed Macaroni

Maybe I'm spoiled.  Maybe I'm weird.  Whatever the case, I have decided that I HATE boxed "macaroni and cheese" meals.  Stale cardboard flavored, powdered orange milk dust covered JUNK.  UGH!  I hate it.

I have tried every brand, every shape.  It's all horrid filth made to help the macaroni deprived believe they are eating something close to the creamy cheesy goodness that people like my mother spend hours slaving in a kitchen to make.  To be frank, I'd rather have the difficult to prepare, but delicious macaroni to this awful Goldfish shaped mac and cheese or even Kraft or velveta shells.

Fatal Frame Charm Bracelet

I play more video games than Zelda series additions.  Unfortunately, I have this horrible condition: I always get stuck on the stupidest, easiest task.  Every RPG, action adventure, fantasy, and platformer has a set of levels or mandatory minigames that involve skills that have nothing to do with the regular game play.  You know what I'm talking about.  The race, the timed task, the weird trivia game.  They all have one and I always get stuck on it.  Oh.  I can take down your toughest boss, but I can't break all the barrels in 30 seconds.  It's a personal flaw.

I also can't play horror games without screaming and crying.  I'll admit it.  However, I can make a mean charm bracelet.  This one is themed after the Fatal Frame franchise.  I was staring at some of the charms my dear friend gave me last year and some random beads from an assortment I bought not too long ago.  I also found some silver camera charms. 

Originally intended for something, else, these particular charms and beads looked GOOD together and reminded me of something I'd played a long, long time ago.  Fatal Frame.  You know, that horror survival game based on the old belief that having your photo taken steals part of your soul.  It sends you running around in haunted locations with a cursed camera, defeating ghosts by capturing their essence in Polaroids. 

I did something different with this charm bracelet. Not only did a I use a variety of dark beads and add much more to it than I normally would.  I also added some chain tassels between increments of beads and charms to give it more depth.  It gave the bracelet and interesting and charmingly sparkling appeal.  Pretty fitting for a bracelet based on a game that involves photos stealing souls, huh? 

Farore's Wind Bracelet Again

Where do I start?  Hmm... I'll start with this.

I'm back to making some small jewelry things, taking my time, trying to make sure I've got a really solid design and am using materials I already have to pull together something pretty rather than wasting time, energy and dexterity on something on experiments and trying to come up with new techniques. 

I had a few of these awesome green beads left over in my stash.  I wanted to make a necklace with them laced together with wire, but I couldn't logically see that working out well. It only works well when you have something to lash the beads against or they're big enough to be the focal by themselves.  So, I opted for a frosty looking white and green motif.

It's really simple, but it works very well with a nice cocktail dress.

Saturation: A poem

Too novel and new
Too unique to stay you
Elements scraped, refined, and tinctured
Hues boiled, extracted, and decantered
More
Not added for the benefit of design,
But an arms race to keep it mine.
Fighting for relevance.
They wanted more.

Color seeping from your skin,
Mimicked till water thin
Concentrate the shades to make them real
Super-saturated, lost all appeal.
More
Because the colors made you blind
Burning rods and cones to stay defined
Losing all elegance
You give them more.

Arachne: A Study in Suggestion

In high school we briefly studied Japanese water color and woodblock printing. The art of suggestion, of abstract illustrations of things present in nature with simple brush strokes was key.  I found it difficult to do that sort of thing.  I usually add layers of little details bit by bit until it's ridiculous.  Still, I managed to get the idea of that particular unit.

Recently, I decided to see if I could apply simple themes and techniques with jewelry making.  That was how this particular necklace came about.  As many of you know, I like spiders, bugs, and cute little things represented in jewelry and embellishments.  With this piece I decided to try to suggest the idea of a spider instead of tossing some spider charms in there.  This was the result.  Tell me if you can see the Arachnid elements.

I used some of the same beadwork techniques I used for the red necklace in a previous post.  I made some modifications to the spacing and execution, though.  I wasn't going to use a pendant with quite the same impact as that design, so I had to make sure the elements and spacing of the elements fit with the more modern and sleek feel of this necklace.

I also made a pair of earrings to compliment the necklace.  They aren't nearly as ornate as the necklace.  However, they still suggest elements common to spiders.  As you can see, I used leverback earrings.  They're better for keeping the earrings in your ears.

So, here's my question:  Did you guys see the spider elements I mentioned?  Comment with what you thought was related to our 8-legged friends. 

Fruit Snacks: For Nostalgia!

How many of you guys used to eat Fruit Snacks when you were younger?

You  know.  Fruit snacks.  Those fruity gummies that everyone thought were healthier than gummy bears and starburst because they were shaped like fruit and had artificially added vitamins to them.  They tasted like 'fruit' too.  Ha! 

When I went to high school fruit snacks fell out of favor as the go-to sweet because all the demands of an over-scheduled teenager required more calories than eating fruit snacks could efficiently provide.  What I'm saying is, that 4 dollar box of not-candy didn't have the maximum caloric punch possible for the effort it would take to buy it, carry it, store it, open it, and eat it.  There were heartier snacks available for cheaper.  I left the fruit snacks behind.

Recently, I stumbled on them again in the grocery store.  Same brand, slightly different name, revamped packaging.  They were waaaaay cheaper than I remembered.  Twenty packages of fruit snacks for the same price as a 6 pack of fruit snacks back in the day.  On a whim, I bought them.

 

I couldn't wait to try them...again!  They weren't quite what I remembered.  They were sweeter, not nearly as tart and you couldn't seen the weird vitamin crystals in them any more.  The texture was more like that of a gummy bear and the artificial flavoring was much more pronounced.  They weren't gross, but they weren't as good as I remembered.  Still, I ate them up.  They have more sugar than they did in the nineties, but that's fine.  I work retail.  A 5 minute break with a handful of these and a glass of water is the difference between a dead-eyed zombie stare and the bland, stupid smile that customers are much more comfortable with. 

Abandoned Commissions: Part 2

The next incident of commission related disappointment came shortly after a coworker encouraged me to bring my jewelry on one of the days we would be released early for holidays.  I was still working at my university at the time.  I shrugged and decided to bring some of my hoard.  If things went well, I'd have more money.

I brought the jewelry.  I had to lug it to and from class with me.  Ugh.  At the end of the day, we all sequestered ourselves into one of the empty conference rooms and spread out everything I had on the tables.  It was one of those rare moments when I look at my jewelry as an observer instead of as a creator.  The effect is waaaay different.  I stood back while the ladies pawed at, fussed over, and made agreements with each other about who would get what.  At that time I didn't make duplicates of anything.  So you and your BFF had to come to an agreement otherwise it would turn out like an episode of the Highlander: There can be only one.

I made a decent amount of scratch.  2/3rds what I'd make if I sold at a convention.  However, there was one young lady who wanted something specific for her niece's graduation.  I was still new to this commissioning thing, so I decided to take on her request, thinking that the folks at work might be a bit better than the ones at church.

What followed was an ordeal that tested every fiber of my patience and level temper.  The young woman wanted something 'flashy but not too flashy' to go with her fucsia dress.  I informed her that she would have to secure the beads.  She claimed to not know where to go.  Despite me instructing her on which craft stores she could visit to get the materials for her jewelry set, she never seemed to have time to go and in the end I was asked to take care of it for her.  That's a no-no.  I didn't know what she wanted and I was not about to waste time and busfare going out to a craft store and paying out of pocket for her stuff.

So, I turned to eBay.  I sent her a barrage of links to various beads that could arrive within a week if they were purchased right away.  She went with the smallest number of the cheapest beads she could find.  The quantity wasn't enough.  Thinking creatively and hoping that my dedication to helping her realize a good design would hopefully win me a return customer, I scoured my stash for some left over stardust beads to add into the design and give it a little extra sparkle to attractively contrast the shape of her face.  It would help me stretch the limited quantity of materials I'd be given.

Then she decided that she wanted that particular style of bead to be ALL OVER THE NECKLACE instead of in strategic places.  I told her that I didn't have any more and that she would have to get more from the craft store because they were on the expensive side.  She hem-hawed on that, then claimed that it was ok.  Later she brought a different kind of silver bead, again, cheap as possible, and demanded that I use those instead.  I remade the set.  She wasn't satisfied.   "Add the really shiny ones back in."  I remade the set.   Then we went back to the idea that I buy more stardust beads and add them into the design.

I still wasn't used to putting my foot down when faced with people older than me, so I asked my mother what I should do.  Wise as always, she told me to stand firm and that saying 'no' wasn't impolite because technically I was an adult too.  She also warned me of what was to come.

I refused to buy stardust beads for her necklace.  The woman claimed that it was fine.  Later, just as my mother predicted, the young woman claimed that since she wasn't getting what she wanted, she shouldn't have to pay.  If there's anything that pisses me off, nothing does it quite like giving me the run around when I'm trying to be kind and then having the audacity to act as if a small act of charity has impinged your honor and I should have to pay for it.  I'm sad to say that she brought out the worst in me.

In the end, she spent a total of $2 on materials and I spent 10 hours, nearly $15 dollars, and probably a few dozen gray hairs remaking the set several times.  I was so flustered and upset.  I considered cutting out the materials I contributed to it and throwing the rest away.  But that would be wasteful.  In the end, I gave the darn thing away because just looking at it made me sick to the stomach.  Repurposed and rehomed, I can say this, I felt much better giving the piece away than trying to sell it to someone who didn't want to pay in the first place.

Glitzy Earrings From the Treasure Chest

A while ago I did some photos of some of the awesome finds lurking in my stash.  WELL.  I've turned another of those finds into a pair of earrings.  So, here you are.  I won't make you wait for it.

These are actually already available on my Etsy here.

Something For Me: Skelly Earrings

I almost never make things for myself.  Well.  My birthday just passed and I decided to change that.  These earrings are made of howlite skull beads, gunmetal chain, brass jumprings and cute little swarovski accents to give them more color.  Also, They are Mine. 

Look at those gap-toothed grins.  Adorable.

This is allllllll mine.  Ok.  I'll stop teasing you guys.

They look helpless.  Time to put them on.

Floral inspirations

I like flowers.  They're pretty, simple, and they brighten up a place.  Rarely do I see flowers explicitly expreassed in jewelry.  I don't mean, like, a resin pendant with a flower in it or something like that.  I mean a TRUE expression of a flower with the necklace mimicking vines, branches and leaves around a floral focal.

I've never seen that outside of specific art pieces.  So.... I made my own.  8D  I had some flower bead caps in pink Czech glass.  I also had some vintage leaf beads that I won in a destash auction.  All of them were leftovers from other projects that have either sold already or claimed by yours truly.  Together, they built up something beautiful and rather hypnotic...

I'll let you guys in on a secret.  I name every piece I make.  Each one gets a name.  It's good for helping me keep track of which is which.  Anyway, this baby is called Path of Flowers.  Here are some more photos.

Some detail shots for you too...

I tried to keep the flower and leaf motif uniform throughout the design, even in the little extra elements.

I made earrings as well.  I'm starting to get back into that.  It's awesome.

I tried to make sure they looked as much like fruit and flowers hanging on a vine as possible.  Even though their design is simple, they pack a punch as far as striking visual appeal.

I'd say it worked.


EDIT:  Someone asked for a Link to my Etsy Page. 

Abandoned Commissions

At first, receiving a commission is like an honor.  Someone has bestowed upon you a position of complete authority over the execution and beautification of a paltry handful of beads.  You enter into a covenant with someone to produce a vision because they like your work, trust your skill, and want something unique.  It validates your hobbies and interests in a way that selling to a boutique doesn't.  Plus you get paid for it.  Receiving a commission is awesome on all accounts, unless one specific thing happens: The commissioner doesn't pay for or doesn't want to pay for your work.

It's happened to me a number of times, more times than I like to think about.  Sometimes, it's understandable.  Sometimes it can be devastating.  I am, despite my bluntness and inability to sugar coat anything, kinda sensitive, especially about things I've worked hard on.  Having my work nitpicked or devalued hurts.  Being stuck with a product of efforts someone completely snubbed is like a reminder that I didn't perform as well as expected or that I wasted, time and limited resources on something that didn't meet expectations.

I HATE when things don't go according to plan.  I hate redundancy.  I like doing things right the first, or at worst, the second time.  Errors, repeats, and complete rehashing of a project irks me to no end, stifles my creative juices and leaves me feeling more wrung out than I have any right to be.  I have been that way since I was a child.  Decisive action is the way to go.

That is why abandoned commissions irk me so.

I'll share a few of the stories with you, starting with the first.

I had made my mother a bracelet.  It had a bit of an old Hollywood feel with lots of swarovski crystals, antiqued brass, and vermeil components.  It had been a labor of love.  Painstakingly, I wove together beads, components, and crystals with golden tiger tail wire to make something reminiscent of a a diamond tennis bracelet.  It took a lot of planning to properly execute it and when it came together, it was beautiful.

One Sunday, the Mahogany Stylist wore it to church.  While it was good for me because I received a great deal of commissions as a result, the bracelet's popularity was a double edged sword.  People who never had a kind word for me suddenly wanted my attention, wanted to know everything I was doing and began hounding me for a copy of the bracelet.  Many were content with just that, a copy.  Others wanted a slight variation with silver accents instead of gold.  Some of them wanted COLORS instead of the simple golden and crystalline clear design my mother had.

That meant buying more materials...  I was excited at first, so I obliged to make the bracelets.  I bought materials, crystals, and components in a variety of metallic finishes.  I was planning how I'd spend the remainder of my meager paycheck on supplies that would help me to make more money than I could at the job I was currently working.  My enthusiasm, however, was wholly unwarranted. 

In hindsight, a great deal of the first few commissioners were spot on with their understanding of the expectations for a requested item worked, even if mine wasn't.  They paid gladly, left tips, and chastised me when they found my prices too low.  $25 for a tennis bracelet carefully woven to look like the real thing.  That was cheap even if it was costume jewelry. 

However, it was the ones who had so many requests, so many variations, the "the fancy clasp, not the plain clasp you've been using on everyone else's.  I want mine to REALLY stand out" folks who posed the most trouble.  These self-absorbed, delusional misers seemed to have some bizarre notion that when you ask a person you see regularly at church to make you something, it should be free.  One woman went as far as to claim, "Well, since we're sisters in Christ..." as if Jesus himself would condone her propositioning me under false pretenses and weaseling out of paying for her bracelet.

If I remember correctly, he trashed the temple for robbing the people by soliciting the purchase of sickly, unwanted sacrificial animals they claimed were up to higher standard.  Essentially, he condemned them for taking advantage of the people's naive trust in things related to their place of worship.  Which was what this woman TRIED to do.  By pleading 'sister in Christ' she attempted to absolve herself from something honorable like paying for requested goods.

I will admit that at that age, 19, I was still very naive, but I was not stupid.  I offered to hold the goods until she was able to pay because I needed to try to recoup my costs.  In response, she began telling other churchgoers that I charged 'top dollar', as if my efforts weren't worth the small price I was asking.  In the end, people eventually saw the truth, but she still clamors for attention every now and then by loudly exclaiming 'When Can I Get My Bracelet??'.  Thankfully, no one pays much attention to her any more.

She wasn't the only one to try to worm out of paying for one of those bracelets..and for a long time, I had quite a lot of them on my hands.  I eventually sold them off at a slightly reduced price and recieved quite a few rave reviews for my efforts.  Here are some pictures.  I apologize for the quality.  I was still learning to photograph jewelry back then.  haha.