skip to main |
skip to sidebar
16th of June, 1983. We sat in the kitchen of the little house that was just for the higher grades. One of us sat in the open window that faced the path coming from the main school building. He held a champagne bottle in his hand and every time someone came walking over from the school he yelled out "Finished? Finished!!!!!!"
It was the day of our oral exams.
School was over for good. Around here we didn't have official graduation ceremonies. No speeches, no diplomas, no caps and gowns. We had marched through the school, one half of us dressed in mourning clothes, the other half doing samba in the hallways to show we were both sad and happy. We spontaneously decided to have a small book burning of old school books and some of the boys set up a tombstone for our (at least) thirteen years of school, a stone some of us used to visit each year on the 16th of June, so they could have a small reunion dinner afterwards. And of course we had a party in the gym.
The little house doesn't exist anymore, there's a more modern and bigger building now. I'm almost sure the tombstone doesn't exist anymore, either. Every time I come by my school (at least once a week) I wonder about that, one of the these days I'll have to walk into that yard and take a look.
And almost exactly 33 years later our Jewelry Artisans Community Oldies but Goodies Challenge is about graduation gifts. I don't remember what I would have liked to have, I don't remember what others might have received as gifts.
This, however, are some jewelry ideas from our members. As always there's more to see if you click the link above.
What do you remember about your graduation?
1 and 4 Cat's Wire
2 and 6 Jewelry Art by Dawn
3 and 7 MC Stoneworks
5 Violetmoon's Corner
I vividly remember the discussion about children thinking that cows are purple thanks to a commercial icon. I had the luck to have a godmother whose parents had a farm, and my very personal cow there, Diana (whom I desperately wanted to buy), was light brown and white.
I also remember listening to parents at our local zoo who told their children the most incredible things about our animals. It usually didn't go down well if I took the liberty to educate them on the goat NOT being the sheep's mom and I didn't even go that far to tell them the goat was in fact male.
Maybe that's why today's quote made me both roll my eyes and laugh out loud at the same time.
We are in the beautiful county of Midsomer (where your life expectancy is about as high as that of a worm surrounded by a flock of hungry birds) and people have come from the city to drive their cars off-road through the mud of the countryside.
Brad: Oi! Excuse me? There's a farmer who deliberately put a load of bulls in the field we want to go through.
Brad's pal: Yeah!
Brad: Now a bridle path has a public right of way. Why would he do that?
Garth: And where was this?
Brad: It was in a field at the Melham Cross Road.
Garth: Hm. I think you'll find they were cows.
Brad's group starts laughing.
Brad: Cows (laughing). When was the last time you saw cows with horns?
I can only understand Garth's feelings too well ....
Midsomer Murders, UK, 1997 -
Have you ever been to a black tie event? Honestly, I haven't. Okay, so I don't really wear black ties at all ;-) For such an event it has to be a bow tie, I read. I remember that when I was a teenager it was totally in to wear a bow tie, both girls and boys did it, sometimes even with a special t-shirt. We were such fashion victims ... erm, rebels. One of mine was metallic blue leather.
I'm digressing. This week the Oldies but Goodies Challenge at the Jewelry Artisans Community was about black ties, not metallic blue ones, about formal, fancy events, not about a party for teenagers.
For once it's a good thing we are no experts for men's jewelry. Did you know that at such an event you are not even supposed to wear a wrist watch, no matter how fancy it is?
So instead we set out to see what we could find to spruce up a lady's gown for the fancy black tie event. Enjoy!
1 MC Stoneworks
2 Jewelry Art by Dawn
3 The Crafty Chimp
4 Cat's Wire
5 Violetmoon's Corner
I remember how I once knitted a cat from black wire, black crystals, with yellow crystal eyes. Unfortunately I only have a really bad picture of it.
When I posted the picture of the sparkly cat (still without chain then) on my Facebook page, I wasn't sure yet what it should be, so I added the question "What should I do with it?" and got the answer "Donate it to a cat rescue." The lady also came up with some cat rescues in the US and Canada right away although I tried to explain that I am in Germany.
Okay, so that hadn't been exactly what I meant, I thought more in lines
of should it be a necklace or maybe a brooch, but then again ... why
not?
Since then I have donated pieces for more than one charity or a cause dear to my heart, both in my own and other countries. Usually I don't find out how much they have actually brought in for the charity, but I'm always hoping I could help at least a little bit.
You won't be surprised to hear that the charities or small clubs that I donated for usually have to do with animals.
Often they have an open day where they sell things or maybe there's a raffle or a silent auction.
Here are some of the items I made for them. I wish I had taken pictures of all of them.
Somehow it seems right to make something that is related to the cause itself. A cat for the rescue organization or helping out with vet costs (not mine or it wouldn't be a donation ;-)), little birds, animal patterns for the local zoo ...
Another way is of course to put something in a shop and donate all or part of the proceeds. I think that makes most sense if you have an own category for those items, so you can collect a amount instead of donating a few bucks every, now and then. Personally I prefer the other way, also because I like the idea of creating something for exactly this event.
Thinking about it it's time again to look out for some events.
And if you wonder now why I am telling you all this, well, the month is almost over which means it was time for the blog carnival at the Jewelry Artisans Community.
Let's see what other members have to say about the topic or what items they will show us.
Jewelry Art by Dawn
Violetmoon's Corner
Today I'll make it short and snappy.
Working on a project (and some chores around the house) had been on my to-do list, actually two to make the loom free from one for the other, but I'm so worn out from this week that it's not going to happen. Unfortunately.
You might have noticed that I haven't been around last week on here, either. I didn't want to skip another Friday, but obviously it couldn't be anything complicated.
Not complicated doesn't have to mean boring, though. At least that's my opinion about today's bracelet which is beaded from matte metallic piggy beads and shiny golden seed beads. What do you think?
