luna scribbles

luna scribble earrings. pearl and silver

ah, there's a better look now. I have this friend that I got into the habit of making jewelry for. We met in college, when we were both terribly poor, and we had a habit (still do!) of having magical fun times together and making thoughtful gifts all on a shoestring budget. It is a relationship of poetry and appreciation of the small things, and her thoughtfulness and attention to detail warm my heart endlessly.

This autumn, for example, she sent me a care package. Instead of packing peanuts, she went to a favorite park where we used to take long walks and talk, and gathered coloured leaves from each tree along the path, and used those to cushion the package. I was smelling the leaves for weeks. Whey they finally got dry and crinkly and lost that damp "fall leafy" smell, I took them out and used them to mulch my garden, so that they can continue to feed and nurture my home and my life. (except the pine cones, which are joining the ranks of my holiday decor)

So I got into the habit of making jewelry for this woman because a.) it was fun, b.) I always found a way to express something I wanted to say and c.) I always keep my supply stash fairly well stocked. I started to wonder last year if it wasn't getting repetitive or boring or whatever, but when she told me brightly that she never buys jewelry anymore because she has artist friends that design and make pieces just for her, I was reassured. I had a hard time coming up with what I wanted to do this year.

I've never been able to justify the expense of these beautiful button pearls before, but I found some in a summer sale this August and snapped them up. They're creamy with a pinky iridescence and I love the soft, dewy-drippy texture of their surfaces. Inspiration hit at the last minute (just when I needed it) and yesterday, I broke out long lengths of sterling silver wire and started weaving around them. They make me think of many things: the moon, wholeness, birds' nests (and a certain home-finding nest charm!), weaving (and the re-woven yarn hanger on the stained glass), scribbles/doodles, etc. - which all felt so appropriate.

They're quite simple, but I think they're rather dramatic in their own way. I hope she likes them.