Twelve years ago this Saturday …
September 8, 2000
I woke at three-thirty in the morning. Well, it was more like severe stomach pains woke me at the are-you-kidding-me hour of three-thirty in the morning …
… and as I tossed and turned and made a few up and down restroom trips I cursed the delicious kielbasa and sauerkraut dish my mother served us for dinner.
It wasn’t until a full hour-and-a-half later that it dawned on me I was in labor.
Hard labor.
And why it took me a full hour-and-a-half to figure that out is still a mystery.
Especially considering I was two weeks past my due date …
Especially considering this was my second experience with labor pains …
I’m going to blame it on pregnancy brain. And mommy brain. This was number two after all …
On the plus side …
The labor the second time around was so easy, I actually had to hold her in until my OBGYN finished delivering twins down the hall.
The labor the second time around was so easy, I wanted to go home that very same day. Seriously.
The labor the second time around was so easy, I thought “hey, I could do this again” …
… thoughts that did not pass through my head after baby #1 until a full six months later. If that.
So to commemorate my daughter’s twelfth year on planet Earth … and her easy entry into this world … I decided to try my hand at something I’ve been admiring at quite a few Etsy shops.
Stamped jewelry.
I started with a stamp set I ordered here.
I also picked up a metal stamping block, blue beads to represent September’s sapphire birthstone, an 18-inch chain, and a peace charm …
Oh and I opted not to buy the special (and expensive) “official” stampers mallets and hammers in the craft store and just used a plain old hammer
… and I practiced on a spare charm. In the backyard. Sitting on the concrete path. While ants and beetles and flies and bees insisted on checking out what I was doing.
Didn’t they realize I was wielding a bug smashing hammer? A pulverize them to smithereens bug smashing hammer?
My first attempt included “shabbying” it up with some very fine sandpaper, like this shabbiest of shabby bloggers …
In hindsight, I would recommend sanding first. Stamping second.
I also realized you can line up the letters better if you use the reflection of the stamp in the metal’s reflection. Like so …
This required (for me) my 1.25+ readers, my nose practically touching the metal stamping blog … oh, and some up-close-and-personal time with those ants and beetles.
Next up was the bead. Not a true sapphire. But sapphire-colored. And not a charm.
Trust me. I would’ve loved to skip this part of the tutorial. I searched high and low for a sapphire-colored-September-birthday-birthstone-bead charm …
… and after the high-and-low-search proved unsuccessful , I knew I’d have to make my own sapphire-colored-September-birthday-birthstone-bead charm.
I winged it and picked up some pieces called “head pins” in the jewelry-making section …
… and thread that head pin through the sapphire-colored bead.
Next up: I bent the wire with my hand and made a loop with my finger …
… a loop at the top of that sapphire-colored bead. Then I wrapped the extra wire around the base of the loop, using whatever that tool’s name is to hold the loop as I wrapped. That tool that I can’t remember it’s name also came in handy to “squish” the end of the wire in place at the end.
The final step … threading the bead, the peace charm, and the hand-stamped dog tag onto a chain …
Now I’d like to claim this project was as easy as my daughter’s birth …
But the tracking down of the silver blanks to stamp on had me pulling my hair out. I envisioned a circle. Or maybe a heart.
But all I could get my hands on was the dog-tag-shaped charm …
Which in no way is a reflection my daughter. She is neither a dog. Nor dog-shaped. Nor dog-like. Nor dog anything … well, she is a dog lover.
Just wanted to include a disclaimer in the event this blog is used or referenced in a future therapy session.
🙂
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Happy Birthday to your girl! I have it on good authority that September 8 is the best and perfect day for a birthday. Although yours truly will be a tad bit older than twelve. 😀
This looks great! I’ve been wanting to do this myself! 🙂 Happy to the birthday girl!
christinasemporium.blogspot.com
love it! I have always wanted to try this but never did, this may take me over the edge. Happy Birthday to Molly and mom- you now have a hormonal teen! 🙂
First off- Happy Happy Birthday to your Molly! You did a wonderful job on the tag….those are tricky, aren’t they? You are a good Mom!!!! xo Diana
Happy 12th Birthday Molly! My Anna was born in March of 2000. 12 is a great age, btw. 🙂
Happy birthday to Molly! My 12-year-old daughter would love that swwet necklace that you “labored” over. I would never have the patience to make it for her though! I hope she has a great day! ~ Angie
Happy day to Molly! What a sweet idea perfectly executed! Hope there are more stamping projects on the horizon! 🙂
Happy Birthday to your daughter AND to you! I’ve always wondered how people made those cool stamped necklaces and spoons. I may try this one day! Have a “celebratory” day! xo
Happy Birthday to Molly….always love your stories!…and love the necklace….so instead of the person’s name on the “dog tag”…what about the name of your precious pet?…I am sure that my granddaughter would adore a necklace with the name of her beloved dog “‘Tucker”….are these new additions to your shop?
Happy Birthday Molly …you have such a clever mum!
ooooh just noticed you have switched over to wordpress, it offers so much more than Blogger doesn’t it. I build so many websites on it these days but am still running my Creative in Chicago blog on blogger…shame on me…just don’t have the time to swap it over!
Linda,
I love it! You’ve inspired me and i think i’m gonna give this a try! Thanks for sharing the resource for the stamps! I’ll also need to pick up a pair of readers! Happy birthday to Molly!
Blessings,
Doreen
what a gorgeous and sweet gift! my kids were both easy labors, but although the labor was easy, the child rearing is not, so i am gonna just stop. 😉
Happy Birthday to your daughter. I have four months ’til mine turns twelve. I think I can get a stamping kit by then! 🙂
–Elena
Happy Birthday wishes! Great little piece of jewelry that I’m sure she will always treasure! Any other projects up your sleeve with the stamping kit?
Great job! I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a stamping set and trying some of that myself. It just looks like another fun outlet for some creativity!
Happy birthday, daughter! I love my stamped-necklace (three rings with my boys’ names stamped on them). I can’t believe you just decided to “do” this. Amazing work!
What a FANtABULOUS job you did!!!!! WOW…looks perfect! Did it really take you that long to realize what was happening??? : ) lol!!!! I just find that hilarious knowing you!!!! hugs…
How fun trying something new. I bet she loves it! It’s a “classic” shape… we’ll stick with that 😉 I think you excelled at this Linda. It’s just cute as can be 🙂
This is the sweetest gift! Your daughter will be so proud to wear it and say her mom made it.
Linda,
Happy Birthday to your daughter.Our girls are almost a year apart! Mine turns 13 in November! LOVE that charm you made.My daughter would LOVE that.She is into peace signs.Where did you find those dog tags? I think they sell those stamps at Michaels right?
xx
Anne
Happy Birthday to Molly! And I love the necklace! It’s so cute!
My epidural made my twins delivery a piece of cake! Glad to hear yours was too – and you even had to hold her in (never heard that one before)! Fabulous gift to mark a milestone birthday – last year before she’s a teenager (which mine will be in November!
Kelly
Ugh, labor. It was so long and really hard with my first, that when we found out I had to have a scheduled C-Section with my twins, I was so relieved. It was easier for me to go through that, believe it or not! Happy Birthday to your almost teen!
Congrats on your new business venture. Very cute!
Very very cute! I think you have another Etsy shop in your future… Considering how easy things are the second time you do them and all. 🙂
Look at you!! Trading in your paint brush and sewing machine for silver stamping tools! Is there anything you can’t do? Happy Birthday to Molly ~ she’ll treasure this. 🙂
xo Heidi
So sweet (and so funny), Linda! A very happy birthday to Molly and to you, Mamma!
xoxo,
Meredith & Gwyneth
So sweet (and so funny), Linda! Happy birthday to Molly and to you, Mamma!
xoxo,
Meredith & Gwyneth
Happy Birthday to your daughter! This post came at the perfect time. My friend has recently started stamping jewelry and wanted to know if I wanted anything! Now I have an example of what I would like to show her. Seriously, we were just talking about this the other day.
I love how you made that gift. It is great that you thought it up yourself instead of following a pattern or instructions. Happy Birthday to your Molly and what a lucky girl she is to have a mom like you.
What a perfect gift! You did a great job… and happy birthday to your lucky birthday girl! 🙂
Happy Birthday, Molly!!! Hope the sleepover is fun. This is an awesome project. The sanded version is nice and ‘rustic’.
Where did you get the dog tags to stamp – did I miss this? This would be great for christmas tags on gifts! Love it
I love it! I really want to try out stamping – if I ever get around to picking up all the supplies…