Kaeru Kaeru.....Coqui Frog Shopping?

On Sunday I bought a package of acrylic four-leaf clover beads from Hilo Ben Franklin Crafts. At the time I didn't know what I would do with them but the display of St. Patrick's Day green beads at the store was so eye-catching and irresistible that I had to have the clover beads. I also bought a green frog Japanese bell and a package of pink cell phone straps. ( In Japan the frogs say "kaeru, kaeru".) Somehow I decided that the clover bead and the frog bell should go together, perhaps because they are both symbols of good luck to two different cultures. With 22 gauge wire I wire wrapped a clover bead to the phone strap jump ring and the bell.

The phone strap (or purse pull) was cute and I thought that it would be a good add-on to a card for someone going to Vegas. (Giving someone 'lucky' money for a trip is a Japanese custom.) The card in the photo (click on it to enlarge) started from a blank green card whose front was trimmed with a Martha Stewart daisy edge punch. Next, I cut a piece of pink washi paper from a 12 x12 sheet that had some silver and gold designs on it. It might be attractive to tear the washi paper instead of cutting it. I stamped the round cherry blossom design from the Hero Arts Clear Stamps Asian frames set onto the washi paper. (I used gold Brilliance ink and gold embossing powder.) I cut a single strand of pink Mizuhiki cord into four pieces and slipped them through the jump ring of the phone strap. Then I tied a loose knot with the Mizuhiki and the strap. After crinkling the Mizuhiki into a design I attached a glue dot to the back of the knot and placed it on the card.


In the photo is a green frog bracelet that I made years ago. It seemed to match the card and I wanted to say that I was mistaken and that I did make a green bracelet before. I think this bracelet would be 'lucky' for those who believe in frog luck. You might still be able to find the enameled metal frog beads at Ben Franklin Crafts or the staff may be able to order them for you. The lampwork beads that look like frog eggs are also from BFC. The bicone crystals used in the bracelet are the color-changing ones but light green or peach crystals would work just as well. Well, keep crafting to keep your mind off the economy. Hurry and send in your entry to our contest to win a $100 gift certificate. (Learn about the contest at http://www.bfcraftclub.com/ .)