I went to town taking these "signature Jean Yates" art photos for YOU, dear reader (or both of you, if you are there today).

Why did I do this? Honestly, there were two reasons. One was simply that I got the package from Michelle Mach yesterday, and I loved the packaging SO much I saved opening it until today, to get the full impact of the excitement of opening it until right before I wrote the blog about it! Hey! It could be like a reality show, I suppose, only I have never seen one.

Anyway, the packaging was adorable and of course I have re wrapped it just as it was and it is waiting right near me, until I choose what I am going to design with it.
This is something my grandmother always did when she got a package. She would open the box, and look at her present. Then she would actually literally return it to the person who had given it to her, perfectly wrapped and like new. A bit unusual, but sometimes you just have to roll with family idyosyncracies. Someone would end up with some nice new Saks Fifth Avenue Soap at Christmas or some chic Elizabeth Arden lipstick in a brushed matte gold case, chosen to celebrate my grandmother's birthday.

I do not plan to give this bracelet back. However the bracelet is super, and so are the extras, and I love the box and the ribbon and Michelle's "butterfly" circle and her daisy card! I just love everything!

I admit that
I happen to like the bracelet just as it is, but I know I have to alter it or I won't be following the rules. I DO understand the Michelle thinks that the crystal spacers are more wintry, and that this is supposed to be a SPRING challenge. Therefore I shall do my best to design a jewelry piece or pieces which have a bit more of that air of the season of Spring about them...Michelle included a delightful set of kidney ear wires and two large grass green crystal beads, as well as two smaller indicolite colored beads--with these three colors (including the aqua in the bracelet ) -- you could actually "rule verldt, Boris"!
Thank you so much, Michelle, for that!  I really love that hit of extra color in the package.
So here are my glamorous and artful photos I took, with comments.

jean's arty picture number one. what can I say? this is a GREAT PACKAGE.
Michelle rocks !!! I added the flower.






Ahhhhhhhhh!  Spring sprung when I opened the package! Cool colors, flowers, butterflies and that great bracelet and fab extra beads and ear wires!  I was infused with joy! Look at all that color and potential!

I call this final one "Portrait of a Bracelet, on a Leaf"--look at the way the sparkle juuuuuust misses the leaf stem. Hey nobody's perfect.

 In sum, I am terribly psyched for this challenge ... and when the first whisper of Spring is in the air, when the leaves are just beginning to unfurl, and the tiniest snowdrops are up in the Northeast here, where I live, you will be able to blog hop and view and enjoy online all of the creations by all of the participants in Michelle Mach's Suddenly Spring Challenge!
Thank you, Michelle!--jean

all the kits are sold out but check out the link above so you can read about the challenge!
This photo is courtesy of Michelle and is a very lovely photo I couldn't resist including!   :)