Commissions are scary, because we assume the client has a preconceived notion of what they want. It also is a lot of responsibility, because they asked you to create something for them rather than just select something out of your shop. The latter gives you a happy feeling, because they connected with something you already made with no one else's involvement, but your own thoughts.
As it was on my Worktable Wednesday post
However a client that you know personally, love as a friend, and who has said take as much time as you need lowers the stress or at least spreads it out into daily increments you can handle!
We selected the turquoise cabochon together. Both of us like turquoise with a lot of veining in it. For the design, she'd given me a photo of a turquoise belt buckle that she owned so that's where I started. It was traditional metal work with just a plain silver frame. Of course I couldn't do that!Her love of gardening came to mind. She's a calm giving person with a strong love of family. It was a large cabochon and I didn't want to make it even larger.
Off I went and here's her finished pendant:
I looked at the cabochon a lot trying to see ifI saw anything in it. I never did, but now I see a frog leaping!
Frogs are good in the garden!