Five is My Lucky Number

And so Michelle assigned me Day Five of our Poe Gift Exchange to provide a gift for everyone. And Day Five was a trying day. It was a good day but a day of intense emotions with the little people and some big people. I'm rather done in. And when that happens, all you can do is say a prayer and hope it is bed time soon enough.

Hymn by Poe

At morn--at noon--at twilight dim--
Maria! thou hast heard my hymn!
In joy and woe--in good and ill--
Mother of God, be with me still!
When the Hours flew brightly by,
And not a cloud obscured the sky,
My soul, lest it should truant be,
Thy grace did guide to thine and thee;
Now, when storms of Fate o'ercast
Darkly my Present and my Past,
Let my Future radiant shine
With sweet hopes of thee and thine!

There. Now do you feel better? I feel better. So much so I'll show you my wrapped gifts I made for the girlies.

I love it when someone goes all out and makes elaborately wrapped gifts. But I will most often wrap small gifts in old book pages and tie them with twine, no tape. Especially if I have made the gift. If I have worked to make the gift the wrapping of it is a nuisance. I know. I'm lame. So here's what's inside...

I thought we would be overrun with crows, which were my first choice. But I struggled to make what I wanted to make. I can't even remember what the first two test gifts were.

 
But I ended up with a Tell Tale Heart

 
(and one raven).

 
Really, can a girl have too many necklaces? Not in my book.

when i paint, i want to there be a lot of texture. when i take black and white photographs, i appreciate high contrast. when i write i want subtext and more subtext. and when i made these necklaces, i wanted visual layers. i also wanted simplicity. so the chain is a ribbon of recycled sari silk. the hearts are polymer clay, unvarnished and matte. and each is finished with a dangling gemstone. there are peruvian opals, bright green chalcedony, and freshwater pearls. each one glossy and shiny. in this way, the elements create tension, structure, subplot, and texture. all the sorts of things i like. but as a whole, they are simple, unfettered, and easy. i like that.

i hope the girls like that, too.

and, on a timely and homorous note i will leave you with this. did you know that poe published an article, a piece of fiction in the new york sun in 1844 titled The Balloon Hoax? it appeared as if it were a true story, but it wasn't. oddly familiar? 

 

Comments

[Mija]

Love Love Love your necklaces clever girl and I am especially thrilled with my raven adornment! Thank You to the heavens and back. I am so digging this gift exchange! Tomorrow you can open my pressie! hee hee

I'm sitting here eating tart apple and persimon crisp, wishing your could join me for dessert and a cup of tea. How I enjoy fall food and warm drink, mmmmmm so sooooothing.

BIG Love! May tomorrow be chill for you and the little people. XXOOX

[Linda]

Love the necklaces. Just creepy enough to be Poe but still VERY cute! :) You sound like me overwhelmed and done in. I find that I can't get much done during the week with my youngest being homeschooled and then I try to do too much on Friday and Saturday and by the end of the weekend I need a drool cup and a stuffed animal representing my inner child. ;p But I'm ok. I feel better today and ready to start my week. Nothing like a good nights sleep and a new outlook. Oh those people with the alleged balloon hoax. I say alleged because I'm the first to jump up and point fingers. I knew something was stinky and won't be surprised if they get charged with fraud. It's sad what people will resort to for attention. Wow, I rambled. TTFN

[pilar]

Oh, I just love my little black heart! You know me too well! The pearl and purple sari silk were just perfecto. I spied a group of our local murder of Ravens watching me take snaps of this beauty. I think they wanted to take it from me!

Thank you for this delicious treat of Poe!
xoxoxoxo

[ruth rae]

love these! (you know I had two crows as pets when I was a girl?)

[Tamerie Shriver]

I love all the different hearts and the one crow! How talented you are!

[Antique looking rings]

I love the Raven necklace!Mija- you are so lucky to get it! All of them are unique and beautiful but I love bird symbols in my jewelry- don't even know why :) Good to know I am not alone hehe :) Did you make these out of Fimo?