Getting nowhere fast on projects. I'm managing about 5 buttons made in any given day (not lack of time, just boredom with it) and have tied a few frogs. I'm supposed to be working on a fairy dress for my daughter's eighth birthday party. She also put in a request for a detective hat today. So, mommy's stuff is being put off for a bit.
If you're looking for something interesting to read (and it just so happens kid themed) I came across this rather interesting article on corals and rattles and other children's jewelry. Beautiful silver mounted pieces of coral, like this one from the Walter's Museum of Art, dated 1475-1550, more usual with red coral, and gold mounted wolves' teeth were part of upper class children's dress. Their aesthetics beat modern binkies hands down and the associations of the materials with keeping away bad luck is intriguing. I'm teaching a class on apotropaic jewelry (jewelry intended as charms against bad luck and for good health) at the end of next month and I'm sure these will find their way in. Really wish I read Dutch, the museum catalog looks fascinating. There is also a page at Wikipedia of some of the portraits with corals in them and once you know what you are looking at its amazing how frequently they are encountered.
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