My husband's brothers wife asked me if I would do something with an old silver bangle. She said it was about 18mm wide by 1mm thick, only gently curved, hinged with one side patterned and the other plain. (I hadn't seen it). Initially she just said if I could make a couple of pendants using the patterned side, whatever I thought I could do, that would be great - one for her and one for her best and life long friend, they would both be 50 this year, and she thought it would be nice. She said the clasp was broken, but it wasn't something she would wear anyway, but would like to use it in another guise. So I said I would need to see it before I could say whether I could do anything or not.
The bangle has now arrived, with a note, telling me that it was her mothers (who died when she was a teenager)....so, no pressure there then! Also, the note tells me that she wants a pendant incorporating a hare and the moon, and her friend wants one incorporating a bird and the sun - with the patterned part used for the hare and the bird. Is it just me, or is this starting to smack of way too high expectations? She DOES know that I am a beginner hobbyist - not a professional, or even a hobbyist with a good deal of experience. Also, I'm not certain the bangle can be flattened out without loosing the pattern. When I sat down to have a think about it, it occurred to me that if I made a mistake with the plain part, I could just use a new piece of silver and she wouldn't be any the wiser, but if I went wrong with the patterned side...well, that would be a disaster and she would be really upset.
If it had been my old bangle, I would have no qualms about giving it a go, with nothing to lose. But it's not mine, and it could be loaded with emotion!
Am I being a wimp, or should I tell her she needs to go to a professional for what she wants?
I do go to a class once a week (on a Friday), and can talk to my tutor then, but I'd really like to know what you guys think about it.
Sue
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