Mama inherited lovely, costume jewelry from her mother, grandmother and great aunt Ethel.

She cannot see well anymore and her fingers can’t close the tiny clasps.

She still likes to look at her collection and talk about its history.

I had the idea to display her favorites as a collage.

I am very pleased with the results.

I am sharing the process with my readers because I made many mistakes that I hope you can avoid.

I used jewelry cleaner to get them all sparkling.

First, I ordered a beautiful golden, oval frame. It came with the glass firmly glued in.

This was not mentioned in the description.

My husband had to assist in the glass removal after I broke the glass. (I am accident prone.)

I ordered black plastic craft mess and black velvet with adhesive on the back.

I arranged and rearranged the pins on a template with grid lines. I wrote any info off the pin onto the template.

I took photos of the various patterns and picked my favorite.

I used the fake photo from the frame as a template many times. DO NOT TRASH THIS.

It helps to fold the oval in halves both vertically and horizontally to have an x and y axis for a guide

Finally, I arranged the pins on the mesh and marked where holes needed to be cut with a gold pen.

The pins were stored on the template for easy replacement. There was a last minute tweaking of placements.

After all the holes in the mesh were cut with tiny scissors,

I stuck the velvet on the front and cut x-shaped slits with an X-acto knife.

Cut the outer oval border LAST. You will need that extra margin for handling.

I then pulled the pins and clasps through the mesh to secure each pin flat against the velvet.

A piece of black craft foam fills the space behind the mesh. Cardboard was too stiff.

I put the template and photos in the back of the frame for reference.

The hinged back can be easily opened and a pin removed if mama decides she wants to wear one.

Mama loved the collage.

We went back to look at more jewelry. Here we go again!

FLOWER

I appreciate that my last year’s Poinsettia and a little Schlumbergera have chosen to bloom by my desk.

It is comforting to be accompanied by bright colors on this dreary day.

I consider myself lucky again today.

My green friends are cheering me up.

Flow

My garden developed decades before the deer showed up.

We used to be surrounded by hundreds of acres of woodlands.

Our surroundings are slowly being developed and nudging the wildlife elsewhere.

My daylily collection is now a popular buffet line.

The Society garlic that used to work as a deterrent is now ignored.

I have a fencing method I will share later.

For now, here’s the evidence of an evening of feeding.

Flower has more work to do.

FLOW

The yellows come first like little beacons.

Then the purples start shining.

The stripes appear a bit later.

That’s when I have to walk over to look at them closely.

Those stripes lure me out into the garden.

I must see that magical combo up close.

Purple, white and gold.

Thank you spring!

FLOW

Every spring is welcome. I need this spring more than all the previous springs. I bet you feel the same way.

The faces of flowers lift my spirits. The early flowers are especially appreciated.

I have many types of daffodils. I like to call them little suns on stalks.

Their brightness is a cheerful sight.

Even on cloudy spring days, I can always find some sun on a stalk to bring some joy.

Flow is ready for spring.