There seems to be a rainstorm coming. Tiny Oliver can feel it in the night air. He settles in under the perfectly sized toadstool umbrella and tips his little face up toward the stars to wait.
Meet Oliver
It was not so long ago that Oliver was one of hundreds of tiny toadlets crawling out of the pond all at once. That is how it happens with American toads. The tadpoles transform together, completing their metamorphosis at the same time, and then they leave the water in a great mass migration, hundreds of tiny new toadlets heading out into the wide world together before eventually dispersing to find their own territories. When they leave the pond they are barely a quarter of an inch long. Smaller than your thumbnail. Already completely themselves.
Oliver found his spot. The stony forest floor beneath a good toadstool, surrounded by ferns and wildflowers that help keep him hidden from anything that might think he looks like a good snack. He is still learning the big wide world but he knows a few things already. He knows that after a rainstorm the best bug snacks come out. He knows this toadstool is exactly the right size for one small toad. And he knows that the night air before a storm has a particular quality to it that feels like anticipation.
So he will sit here a little longer and do some stargazing. The rain will come when it comes.
The Necklace
Oliver sits inside an arched sterling silver frame, his chubby copper body with its round silver belly nestled among a scene of tiny wildflowers, ferns, mossy ground cover, and smooth pebbles on the forest floor. Above him a dramatically large toadstool fills the arch, its textured cap spotted and detailed, the gills beneath it hand carved. Tiny stars or rain droplets are scattered across the dark sky behind him. Everything in this pendant was carved and made entirely from scratch, not cast, so that every element has its own unique texture and life.
The hand fabricated sterling silver chain features beautiful wave links and is about 23 inches long, adjustable to shorter lengths by moving the S clasp to different points along the chain.
- Pendant size: About 2 inches tall and 1.5 inches across
- Chain length: About 23 inches, adjustable shorter
- Materials: Sterling silver throughout with copper toad body
- Chain style: Hand fabricated wave link chain
One of a Kind
There is only one Oliver in the world. When he finds his home he will never be made again exactly like this.
A Note from Tamara
I made Oliver because I wanted to capture that particular kind of small creature contentment. The feeling of being exactly where you are supposed to be, under exactly the right shelter, waiting for exactly the right moment. Oliver is not worried. Oliver has a toadstool and a sky full of stars and the knowledge that the bug snacks are coming. I hope he makes whoever wears him feel a little of that same quiet confidence.
Shipping
Oliver is finished, packaged safely, and will be on his way to you within 3 to 5 business days.