Tuesday, August 16, 2011

New things from old things

So it all began about a year or so ago when I started an album on facebook asking my friends to "Mail Me A Letter or Something" -- and did they ever! One of my my intriguing things that I received, other than the coconut with my address taped to it (see below) was this old earring and necklace set sent from my dear old friend Sarah. Sarah and I have known each other since she was skipping around the playground pretending to be a horse and I was selling little handcrafted trinkets below the jungle gym (some things never change). This little collection she mailed me had the most wonderful story:

The original pieces along with Sarah's letter.

So I waited. And waited. Stared at this set. I didn't want to take it apart for fear of cursing the mojo attached to each little iridescent dangle.  Would a pack of flapper ghosts suddenly find me in my faraway Maine farmhouse and force me to do the Charleston? Would I really mind that kind of punishment? Probably not. I'd even film it and show everyone I encountered.

The time finally came. People kept asking me, "What did you make from that flapper set?" or "What the hell are you waiting for?" So one day I stopped waiting and just started taking it apart. I created three pairs of earrings the first night (with another night of crafting yet to come) and created these beauties that I'm quite proud of:

This is the pair that Sarah and her mother selected to love up.



These chalcedony earrings already sold on Etsy!


This floral set is still for sale on Etsy.

And this is the coconut that I found in my mailbox: