Poppy: The Little Pug Cross at the Centre of Everything
When Ita contacted me, she wanted a necklace of her lovely Pug cross Terrier, Poppy.
Poppy was about to turn 8 the following week, so this was a lovely time to create something special to celebrate her birthday.
Ita sent me lots of photographs of Poppy, and from her message it was very clear just how much this little dog means to her family. She told me: “We love her so much and she is the centre of our lives. I’d love a necklace of her if you could please.”
I got to work creating Poppy in sterling silver and 22 carat gold.
Poppy has such a characterful little face, and when I'm making a custom piece, that's always one of the most important things for me to capture. It's not enough to make a little dog that looks like the right breed. I want the finished piece to make the owner think, that's my dog.
With Poppy, all those little facial details and her distinctive expression had to be there.
I worked in layers of sterling silver, adding 22 carat gold to recreate her colouring and bring warmth and detail to the finished necklace.
“Hi Avril. I’ve just received my beautiful Poppy necklace this morning.....OMG!! It’s just fabulous, the image of the girl herself 😍. Thank you so much I’ll treasure it forever.”
I absolutely love that phrase, “the image of the girl herself.”
That's exactly what I hope for with a custom piece. Not just a necklace of a dog, but a little silver and gold version of their dog.
And Poppy is very much still here, so this isn't a memorial piece. It's a celebration of her, made while she's still enjoying life with the family who clearly adore her.
I love making these pieces for dogs who are still here to enjoy all the fuss. There's something rather lovely about capturing them at a particular moment in their lives and creating something their owners can treasure alongside them.
If you would like to have your own dog recreated in silver, even from older photographs, I would love to see them. You can read more about my process here: Custom Pet Jewellery.
Who knows? Your precious friend might just be the next one I’m smiling about at my workbench.
Easy Design Process
Take the first step toward an one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery you and your pets deserve. With my simple, personal design process, I'll create a treasure that lasts a lifetime, and beyond.
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