About Phony Red Sheep
Phony Red Sheep is a small one-person jewelry shop run from a home studio. The work is photo-based custom jewelry — dangle charms compatible with Pandora bracelets, adjustable bangle bracelets with personal photo pieces, pendants and necklaces in matching styles. Most pieces are personalised at the point of order with a photo the customer sends in.
The name
Phony Red Sheep is a family in-joke that stuck. It came from a child's mispronunciation of an unrelated phrase, my partner thought it was funny, the early customers thought it was charming, and once an Etsy shop has a few hundred orders under a name you don't really get to change it. It is a phony red sheep no longer.
How a custom photo piece is made
- You email a photo and tell me which piece you'd like (charm, pendant, bracelet set, etc).
- I crop and adjust the photo to fit the piece's cabochon or setting. A small proof goes back to you for sign-off.
- I print the photo on archival-quality paper at the right size for the piece.
- The photo is sealed under a clear glass cabochon and set into the chosen jewelry mounting (charm, pendant, bezel, etc).
- The finished piece is packaged in a small jewelry box, often with the customer's choice of gift wrap, and shipped.
Lead time from order to ship is usually 5 to 7 working days. Rush orders are possible for an additional fee if the calendar allows.
Photo guidance
The best photos for custom pieces are high-resolution, well-lit, with the subject reasonably centered. Tight crops on a face usually look best in charm-sized pieces (the smaller cabochons reward simple, clean subjects). Group photos can work in the larger pendant sizes. If you're not sure whether a photo will work, just send it — I'll give an honest opinion before charging anything.
Most-ordered gifts
- Photo charms for grandparents — usually a grandchild's portrait set into a dangle charm for the grandparent's Pandora bracelet.
- Bracelet sets with Swarovski birthstones — the photo charm plus the birthstone, often given as a milestone-birthday gift.
- Memorial pieces — a photo of a loved one set into a pendant. These are treated with extra care; I write personally rather than sending automated emails on memorial orders.
- Wedding-party gifts — sets of matching charms for bridesmaids or family. Bulk pricing on quantities over 6.
What's in the catalogue beyond customs
Alongside the photo-customs, the shop has a small range of ready-made pieces — non-photo charms in symbolic designs (initials, infinity loops, anchors, the heart of the family), bracelet bases that take any of the dangle charms, and matching jewelry box-sets for milestone gifts. These pieces are available without the wait of a custom order.
Materials
Charm bases are made from .925 sterling silver or surgical stainless steel depending on the piece (the listing notes which). Cabochons are clear glass; the photo sits under glass for permanence and won't fade or scratch with normal wear. Swarovski crystals are genuine Swarovski. Chains and clasps are matched to the body of the piece — sterling silver pieces ship with sterling chains, stainless pieces ship with stainless chains.
Shipping and returns
Most orders ship via tracked postal service within the US and internationally. Custom photo pieces are non-returnable for obvious reasons; ready-made pieces are returnable within 30 days unworn. If anything arrives damaged or wrong, please email immediately and I'll fix it.
Contact
Email [email protected] with photo attachments and the piece you'd like. I read every order email personally and reply within a working day.