Arwen Evenstar necklace display

When we were in Paris, my husband wanted to visit some comic book stores - he always likes to visit those.  We found the Arwen Evenstar necklace in one of them - the one from Noble Collection - and he gifted it to me.

They told us to use it only over clothes, or we would risk it losing its shine. Since I already had a real jewel necklace, I decided to simply put this one on display.  So I perused Amazon, in search of the display glass dome, also by Noble Collection.

Unfortunately, the only one I found in Europe was selling for more than $200, which was a price I was not willing to pay.  Then I looked for it in the Noble Collection website, but even though the actual display cost about $35 there was a charge of almost $50 for shipping to my country.

So I decided to make my own.

I started by searching for an adecuate display dome, and found this one:

 

It measures 9 x 13 cm, so it was perfect!

 

I did not want it to be very big, so when I saw the size I snatched it immediately.  Then I purchased a template for a necklace display, like the ones you can see in jewelry shops, from Etsy.

I reduced it in size, printed it, traced it over 2 mm cardboard, cut it and covered it with black suede paper.  The result was fantastic:

It looks beautiful!  All in all, I did not spend more than 15 euros for everything.  Now the necklace rests next to our The Lord of the Rings books:

Review: Anastasia's necklace and earrings

Many of us have watched the animated movie Anastasia - or if you are lucky, maybe even the musical.  I have only seen the movie, and was hunted by the beautiful songs and the magic of a story that sadly, never came to past.  

As my interest for props used in movies is never ending, I wanted a replica of Anastasia's necklace - the one she used to open the musical box that her grandmother gave her.  As the movie is an animated one, the take on the necklace is an approximation.  However, I was lucky enough to find one that caught my attention.  The seller is LAcchiappasogni, from Etsy.  This is the exact necklace I bought.  I chose it mainly for the colors of the crystals and the size of the actual pendant.  I also chose a length of 65 cm and a type 3 chain.  Well, was I surprised when I received the package:

Look at that tiny Eiffel tower charm in the box!

 The packaging was done very carefully, and with great attention to detail.   I was enchanted by the Eiffel tower charm.  After all, it was "Together in Paris"!  I kept it and placed it on a shelf in my dollhouse.

And look at that!  The seller included a little gift in the tiny envelope.  A pair of clover earrings  So cute!! 

Now, back at the necklace.  It is simple gorgeous!  It is made with Swarovsky crystals, and you can tell by the way they shine and reflect the light.  The chain is very dainty and delicate, and also reflects the light beautifully - just like the one in the movie.  And of course, there is the engraving "Together in Paris" in the back of the pendant:

I am very happy with it.  I think it is a very well researched piece of jewelry.  It is obvious that there is a lot of care in the making of this necklace, to make it as screen accurate as possible.  That said, I would not give this necklace to a child smaller than 15-16 years old.  Playing with it would probably ruin it, as it is meant to be just worn and not handled too much.  

I also got a pair of earrings that Anastasia takes to the ballet:

 

I chose them with the silver setting.  They require pierced ears, as they close with a stud.  They are perfect.  They are not heavy at all, and are simple enough to be worn frequently or with any outfit.  They really look like a pair of icicles, and they shine beautifully!  They do not really scream movie accessory, and that makes them even better.  Good for ice princesses too! 

I highly recommend both of them!

An Egyptian necklace

Today I found Kassandra very busy, getting ready what seemed to be a gift box.

"A late Solstice present?", I asked.

"Exactly that", she said.  "It has come all the way from Netherlands, and it got stuck in the Postal Service office.  I am getting it all prettied up to give to a very special woman.  She is Egyptian, so I am sure she is going to appreciate the design.  It is the Egyptian goddess Isis.  The artist that made it is extraordinarily talented".

"I am sure your friend will love it. "

A gift for Kassandra

A couple of days ago Kassandra got a parcel in the mail:

I was with her when it arrived and I asked if I was allowed to stay while she opened it.  She said of course, and proceed to cut off the packaging tape.  She was very pleased when she saw it was a gift box:

"Undoubtedly, a gift from my husband", she said.  "How do you know?", I asked.  "The packaging is too gothic-looking to be from anyone else.  He knows I appreciate how gifts were wrapped in the past.  And there is no note, which is very like him.  But of course, I can be mistaken."

And then she proceeded to open the box:

"Oh, is not it delightful?", she exclaimed.  "It is beautiful", I said.  "And it suits you very well.  Your husband has very good taste."

She tried it on, and she looked like royalty.  I left her very happy:

I found out that the necklace comes from Nalladris, and the talented Sun is the maker.  I am sure Kassandra will be getting more pieces from there very soon.

Also, Sun will be coming to Madrid in the upcoming Tom Bishop Show in November.  I will be happy to chat with her again!

New prop replica necklace

My husband and I watched on All Hallows Eve the movie "The hunger", which none of us had heard about until I saw a mention of it on Jillian Venters' tumblr.  It is a movie about vampires, but it certainly is different than anything I have seen before...

Well, anyway, this post is not about that.  During the movie, Miriam and John wear some necklaces with an ankh, which they use to attack their victims:

Shot from the movie showing the necklaces

I fell in love with them the moment I saw them.  I have been using ankhs since I was 16 (that's more than 20 years, folks!), and have never seen a so clever contraption as these.  

Right after finishing the movie I ran to the Internetz to search for a replica.  I did not find one just like those in the movie, unfortunately.  But I found a very similar one from Alchemy Gothic:

Picture from the Sun Spot Designs website

I ordered it and it arrived today!  I love it!  I have changed the chain, since it was only 20 inches and it was way too short for a pendant of this size (the ankh measures 3 inches).  Now it hangs just between my breasts.  The fact that I ordered it on October 31 makes it even more special.

There are plenty of places where you can buy your own ankh.  It is officially called Ankh of the Dead; I got mine from Dreams of Caedryn on Etsy.

And if you still have not watched the movie, go and watch it!  Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie are both gorgeous on it!

Updates on the prop necklaces

Remember when I got Lana Lang's kryptonite necklace?  Well, I said I may change the chain because it was not sterling silver.  I had to do it.  I used the necklace two times, and the chain was already turning black, and my neck got green stains.  So yesterday I went to a jeweller to buy another linked chain; they replaced one for the other:

The new one is the one with the bead; the other is the old one

See the difference in color?  It was a worthy change; the new chain cost just 12 euros, which is very reasonable.

When the lady of the shop showed me the available chains to pick one for the kryptonite necklace, I saw that they also had rolo chains, and I asked to see those as well.  I ended up buying too a rolo chain for the H2O locket:

The rolo chain holds the locket; the other one is a 16" box chain that came with the locket

It was another worthy buy.  It is a 3 mm 18 inches long rolo chain, and it just cost 15 euros.  I had peruse the internet for the same chain, and the cheapest that I found was sold for $30 plus shipping.

Close up of the box chain and the rolo chain

It is a lovely chain.  It reminds me of the one Frodo used to carry the One Ring around his neck.

Can't wait to use them!

Back from vacation, and new necklace

Hubby and I got back 2 days ago from Pontevedra (Galicia), after spending 10 days at the beach with our family.  I have lots to talk about, and I will, as soon as I gather all the pictures we took, and have a little time to devote to the post.

In the meantime, I want to share the new necklace that I got: it's Lana Lang's necklace from the Smallville series:

Picture from the Jinxy Jewels Etsy store

I am not a fan of Lana, but I have always liked her necklace.  For a time I considered making my own, but I never did.  Just recently it came over me the idea to re-watch Smallville (I still have some seasons to buy), and somehow I ended up searching online for replicas of Lana's necklace.  Even though I believe some official replicas exist, they are too expensive for me, so mine came from Jinxy Jewels.  She has articles for fans of Supernatural, The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and other stuff too.  Check her out.

I hope someday I can buy a necklace with a clear bead - I would hate to hurt Clark if someday he happens to come near me.  I like the guy... But my true love of Smallville is Lex - up until season 5 at least, which is the last one I watched anyway...

Picture taken from buddytv.com

H2O Just Add Water Crystal Necklaces

Following my interest for mermaids, I watched the third season of the Australian show H2O Just add water - I was unable to find seasons 1 and 2 in YouTube.  It was fun, and I can understand why so many young people like it.  I personally root for Bella - I think she is adorable!

I was surprised to see that the famous crystal necklaces were not really important until almost the end of the season.  I liked the design - I find it simple and enchanting for a Summer ensemble, so I hunted down for a crystal necklace of my own.

I found an official one, of course; for sale in the German H2O shop:

Picture from the H2O Shop

Just the same as the locket, it is obvious that it's just a toy for little girls: the "crystal" is plastic and the presentation is not suitable for everyday wear.

I am a big fan of Sterling Silver Art, but I do not think the season 3 necklaces Blue Crockatt sells are similar in any way to the ones featured in the show. UPDATE: Blue Crockatt now has available a crystal necklace made with an Swarovski bead, much more similar to the ones in the show than her previous ones.

I searched more, and I found a lot of sellers that were selling similar necklaces, inspired by those in the show.  You can find them in eBay, Amazon and Etsy.  I am sure that most of us search in those necklaces whataver it is we find attractive about them in relation to the ones in the show: the color, the shape of the bead, the cord from which it hangs... I decided that somebody else's vision was not enough for me, so I decided to create my own version.

I began by searching pictures of the episode in which the crystals came into matter (season 3, episode 21), and I found these (I think the third picture is from the last episode):

Despite what everyone says, I think that the 3 crystals look exactly the same.  No matter which mermaid you like the most, they all seem to have the same shape in their crystal.  That sorted out, I studied the color.  In the first 2 pictures, color seems aquamarine; in the last, color seems dark blue - maybe it just changes as the crystal is hit by the light.

Watching videos in YouTube about how to make these necklaces, I found out this one, in which the artist shares links of the crystals she uses.  Of course, who better maker of crystal beads than Swarovski? Of the 3 pieces recommended, I liked the De Art pendant (Cleo) and the Cosmic pendant (Bella).  When studying the pieces, I find that the Cosmic pendant is too bulky (see alternate views), so I decided to get the De Art pendant - it also seemed to me the most similar to the ones in the show.  After that, I went to eBay to find a seller near me, and I found it.  It is called Crystals and Silver, and they had in stock the De Art pendant in Aquamarine, size 24 mm.  I still was not sure about the color, so I perused for another crystal with a darker blue color, and I found the Wing pendant in Capri Blue (size 23 mm).  Even though the shape was not very similar to the one in the show, I really liked the color, so I ordered one of each, as I could not decide between them.

For a time, I considered a black cord to hang them around my neck, just as the mermaids do.  However, I thought it was a pity to ruin the look of a nice shiny Swarovski crystal with a black leather cord, and I decided to find an sterling silver bail to complete them, and wear them on a sterling silver chain - after all, I figure, the girls would like to wear them on a more adult setting when they grow up, as they will not be teenagers forever.  While looking for the crystals, I had found a seller that was selling these pendants with lovely and out-of-the-ordinary sterling silver bails.  I found the same bails just by chance on Etsy, in the shop Silver Details, owned by Joanna.  I ordered 2 without delay, and here are the finished crystals:

The one in the left is the De Art pendant, and the one in the middle is the Wing pendant.  The one in the right hanging from a cord is a substitute that I made so I could take it to the beach or the swimming pool, and do not fret about damaging or losing the prettier ones.  It is just a twisted blue glass bead with a black cord, and I can always make more like it in case of an accident.  I also made matching earrings with the glass beads, so I have a set!

Looking forward to wearing everything this Summer!

Link sharing

I admit it, I love necklaces.  I get the most excited when I found out that a movie or series I like has developed jewelry accessories for the fans.  I think it is a very subtle way of showing your support for something without being too obvious, which sometimes can be tricky in a place with a dressing code such as school or office environment.

Sometimes these replicas are official merchandise; sometimes they are not, but it is because an official replica was never made or it was sold out.  

I think the first one I ever had was Arwen's  pendant from the Lord of the Rings.  We bought it locally when the movie came out, and it was the sterling silver version - it was the only one available then, and all the crystals had the same length.  The one they made later resembles more the one in the movie, but still, I like it very much.  We also bought the Nenya ring that belonged to Galadriel, and of course, the One Ring in sterling silver.  There are plenty of places you can still buy these, but my favorites are Tolkien Town and Tolkien Shop.

Later it was Lucian's necklace from the Underwold series; we would discover later it belonged to his beloved Sonya, but I think it is fair to say it was his necklace more than hers:

Picture from the Costumebase shop on Ebay

There never was official merchandise for this movie- or if there was, I never found it; so I purchased this necklace from a vendor on Ebay called Costumebase.  They have a great collection of movies and series memorabilia, so they are worth a look. UPDATE: It seems Costumebase is no longer on eBay, but you still can get Lucian's pendant here.

Then came the Vampire Diaries locket - the one Stefan gave to Elena and belonged to Rebekah and her mother:

Pic of the show showing the locket

There are a lot of vendors on Ebay who have replicas of this necklace; I got mine from djingang2009. UPDATE: It seems djingang2009 is no longer on eBay, but I suspect this seller is her.

Just recently, I bought an H2O locket.  The places to buy this piece are limited and more so as days go by.  You have the official Australian replica, which has sold out and is no longer available (unless you find a particular willing to sell you his/hers); you have the Spanish version:

Picture from the Amazon listing

This one is available at Amazon and eBay (1) and (2)  You also have the German version:

Picture from the H2O Shop.

Available at the H2O Shop.  And then, you have my favorite, and the one that I got, from Sterling Silver Art:

Picture from the Amazon listing

These are made of sterling silver, and you can choose which stone you want added, instead of only a plastic moodstone.  They are available at the Sterling Silver Art website, Amazon and her Etsy shop.  You can even get a rolo chain upgrade (the locket comes with a free link chain) and the pretty shell box you can see in the picture (both upgrades cost a bit extra).  I will post a review on this purchase soon. UPDATE: She has a new velvet shell box in blue that you can buy with your purchase or separately.

This one I have not got yet - but I have every intention to save for it so I can buy it in the future.  It is the locket from the movie The Illusionist:

Picture from the Illusion Locket website

This is an amazing piece of work.  Each locket is hand-made, and it works exactly the same as the one in the movie.  You can even store safely two pictures inside.  You can buy it at the Illusionist Lockets website.

Even though I am always interested in buying sterling silver replicas, I understand this is not possible for everyone.  Even so, if you are a big, big fan, I would advice to wait a bit, see if you really want the replica and get the one that will last the most.  Why? Because if you are a big, big fan, chances are you will still love the series or the movie several years later, and you will want a prop that resists the passing of time so you can use it more. 

Some other times we outgrow our interest for TV series or movies, and a metal or cheap replica will become rusted, or maybe broken with use or time.  Then you'll see it and think, "oh, that piece of junk I bought when I used to like the show".  If you get a lasting one, the love you had for the series may be gone, but you will have a real jewel you can use in everyday wear, store to use in the future, or to pass on to your children.  After all, we are talking about sterling silver lockets and rings.  Movie merchandise is more difficult to pass on, but who knows? Maybe your kids will love the same movies you used to love...

Here is another website I have perused for movie merchandise:
The Noble Collection

Now, do you know of any websites you can purchase well-made and amazing replicas?  Share them in the comments! 

Absinthe accessories - Not in Miniature this time!

Sometimes I just need to stop making minis for a while and enjoy a bit of crafting for myself. The Green Fairy has inspired these two accessories:

I did not spend a dime in this necklace - I used some bits and bobs that I had around the house. Actually, it has been years since I used the fairy pendant for the last time. Hopefully it will get a lot more wear now...

I did buy the spoons to make these earrings. Not exactly absinthe spoons, but one can forget about that small detail... They are actually quite long, I hope I don't hurt myself while wearing them!

And also, some Absinthe accessories for my home: The Absinthe Robette vintage add by Privat Livemont:

And to add to my little display, a sugar dish and a French Absinthe ceramic saucer - these were used in French bistros; every time somebody ordered a glass of absinthe the waiter would bring the glass on one of these plates, and at the end of the evening the plates were counted to know the total of the bill:

I'm beginning to have quite a collection of spoons, lol! The bottle is Absinthe Lucid.

And currently waiting on a glass brouiller and a packet of sugar cubes specially made for Absinthe... I'll let you know when they come :)