Thing-a-day.com

Although I am not a packrat, I have a lot of stuff, including several small objects of importance. The dark wood of the cigar box invoked thoughts of libraries and museums, so I thought it might be a nice vessel to display some of my small objects of importance.

I am fascinated with the act of cataloging items and with the look of specimens and exhibits. There is something interesting about objects being defined without emotion but being held as important enough to preserve them and sometimes to display them. I decided to include a list of factual titles for each one of the objects, but I added no more information. I leave it to the viewer to make their own story, or to research an item’s significance (read: ask me). I was originally going to tag each of the items with a number that corresponds to the list pasted into the cigar box lid, but I thought that would look cluttered - and detract from the objects.

After TAD I plan to explore tagging, coding, and cataloging some more.

Tomorrow morning, the wee one, my mother, and I are off to Miami! TAD from the beach!

Today, as usual there have been a lot of “What the…” moments at home. I still have a broke down back, but I am improving. Thanks to everyone who has let me know they feel for me. Despite my can’t sit, can’t lift status, I did some work on my next TAD project.

Yes, I mounted a cigar box on my wall, upside down. To find out why, you will have to check back tomorrow.

Today my back seized up and then went out.  The nearest bed at the time was my at my mother’s house.  She kindly gave me a bed and an ice pack and I took a vicodin and laid still for over 2.5 hours.  If you knew me, you would know that I never, and I mean never lie motionless for long period of times.  I can be lazy but I am very fidgety.  Nevertheless, toward the end of my afternoon catatonic experience, I planned out my next non-shrinky dink project.  I did jot down my thoughts at the end of my lie down.  My back hurts too much for me to sit here and type and upload pics, but trust me, my second cigar box will make an excellent jumping off point.  I also worked a bit on another shrinky-dink necklace.  Neither rain, not sleet, nor back spasms…

This TAD is a special order for a friend. She wrote, “If you have any openings in your craft calendar for the rest of the month, I would totally love some sort of fertility/get my mojo back craft!” My friend has been trying to conceive and recently experienced a miscarriage. Understandably, she has felt out of sorts, angry and a deep sense of sadness. Immediately I knew I wanted to make her something that would allow her to focus on positive thoughts for her future. It is my belief that this sort of focus will help her restore her aforementioned mojo. It is always a good idea to have one’s mind (mojo) jive with one’s body (fertility). I also know she has a penchant for religious art. My friend is a prime candidate for a shrine.

But you cannot make a shrine for someone else - it is a deeply personal item. So I thought I would get her started by creating the exterior along with ideas and tips for filling it.

I knew I wanted to incorporate the image of a pomegranate, because that is my favorite symbol of fertility and I thought my friend would really like it as well. I also wanted to give the shrine a similar feel as to my Hugh Hefner tribute candle, minus the camp. So I used aluminum foil and incorporated a candle. When I pictured the structure itself it became clear to me, that my best bet was to get my hands on a wooden cigar box.

Today (after my semi-annual trip to the dentist) I headed to a fancy-schmancy cigar store (in my dentist’s neighborhood) in search of the perfect box. Now, I can be pretty fancy-schmancy myself, but I was intimidated by this store because I am a 29 year old woman looking for empty cigar boxes, not a 56 year old man looking for expensive cigars. But my worrying was for naught. The clerk was super nice. He led me into the humidor, showed me a pile of boxes and kindly told me to take whatever I wanted. I selected two lovely wooden boxes - one for me and one for my friend’s shrine. What a score!

After I put my daughter to bed, I began work on the shrine and could not stop. I used craft glue, Krazy Glue, acrylic paint, a glossy copy of my favorite pomegranate image, shiny paper, a metal flower and precisely 1 rhinestone. I managed to complete my part of the shrine. I just have to package it up with instructions and tips. That will be tomorrow’s TAD.

Closed Box (Back of shrine when open)

Open Shrine (Side view)

The Inside (Calling out to be filled. That candle holder is Krazy Glued in place so it is secured even with the shrine closed and upright.  The candle is not!)

Top of the Cigar Box/Bottom of the Shrine (When I use objects in ways not originally intended, I like to leave evidence of their former life)