reliving my childhood - a Betsy-Tacy adventure

I've been back in the saddle with lots of custom orders in my Etsy shop this summer, and it always feels great to work on items that have personal significance in some way. My favorite recent order was a set of four necklaces, each featuring a picture of elementary-school-aged Betsy, Tacy, and Tib (plus Betsy's little sister Margaret) from the wonderful series by Maud Hart Lovelace. Elizabeth, the woman who contacted me, ordered the necklaces for her daughter and nieces, who have been reading the books and decided to take a trip to the Betsy-Tacy Society in Mankato, Minnesota to see the childhood home of "Betsy" (Maud Hart Lovelace) and learn more about the books and the author. I was thrilled: I have fond memories of my own visit there as a child, and it made me nostalgic for my home state and those charming stories. What better project, really?

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the completed set of necklaces, because they were so sweet and some of my favorite pieces I've created, but I was in too much of a hurry to get them in the mail and to Elizabeth in time for their big trip. Luckily, however, she took some beautiful photos of the girls having the time of their lives in "Deep Valley" and gave me permission to share this collage with you (you can see a great shot of the "Betsy" necklace in the lower left, and you'll notice the girls wearing their pendants in the other photos as well):

I'm so honored to have been a part of their adventures "Over the Big Hill" - thank you for sharing, Elizabeth!