hieroglyphics

The top of the box, with a scarab and an amber bead.

component

This is one of the inner parts for the top of this box - I love the light coming through the jewel, so I’m not going to put in the portrait that was going to be on the bottom of the lid. There will be several items in the ’secret’ compartment, including a map and a message written in demotic script.

I may have over-thought this (as usual).

wear

I love the patina on old materials, and the strength of something that has been around for many decades or more than a century. Some pieces are so beautiful, they must have been someone’s valued possession. I’m glad they weren’t tossed in the trash when an old dresser drawer was cleared out, especially since I search for small, already broken things - usually the first to go into the bin.

change of focus

Building is such a different mindset than locating materials, sometimes at first it is hard to not to wander off and explore yet another possible source of more parts. ( I am grateful that there are people who are willing to package up fiddly little broken bits and put the word out instead of throwing them in the trash - I hate breaking things, especially if they are old, and I need material to build with.) After resisting the urge to hunt and gather, it’s easy to go too far the other direction and find myself trying to build a tiny steam engine when I don’t actually need to power anything, it just needs to look like it’s possible. Finally, after cruising back and forth picking up, fitting together, rejecting parts and picking up others, I’ll have the pieces I think I need. A bit of a wrestle, trying to make them work in a way they were not engineered to do, then rivets and glue hold everything together. The next day I face the mass of boxes and trays and wonder how I ever got an idea for the last project.

The photo is one of the pack of dogs who keeps me company and reminds me to take long walks, this was the picture the shelter took when her previous owner turned her in. After a month of not eating the pound’s dog food she looked even worse, but nine months later she’s the pretty girl of the bunch. I’ll post a current photo later.

construction

I’ve collected masses of material for my new project, now it’s time to construct. Hmm, looking at my work space, maybe a bit of sorting and some organization should come first.