It's been a little while since I joined in a challenge, and Sally's Inspired by Winter Challenge sparked my curiosity. I don't often use wintry colors or symbols in my jewelry, so I thought I'd take a shot at it.
I started thinking about what it is I love about winter. I kept coming back to the nights. Snow, of course, and the nights. Then I immediately though of some very fond memories of cold winter nights. So this piece was born from a memory, or story of sorts.
I kinda wrote it out short story style, something I used to do often, and miss dearly. I hope you enjoy.
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It was a dark, crystal clear night, and the air in the woods I knew as home had a cleansing crispness to it. I put on my gloves, and tightened my coat. It was cold enough for snow, but there was none. There was only the darkest, clearest sky I'd seen in ages. Every star of every constellation I'd studied was perfectly clear. What wasn't clear, was my vision, as the tears flowed down.
I plopped myself down on the icy ground, and a shot of cold ran through me, sending shivers. I wiped my tears and looked up at the stars, wondering who else may be watching them. Wondering if she, my best friend, halfway around the world, was watching them too. We had spent so many ice cold nights star gazing. We had to learn the constellations for school, but really, we just loved doing it. We knew all the constellations, stars, and spent hours on our backs, looking up, and talking about boys, clothes, life.....the things girls talk about at 14 years old.
I thought of her now, and how unfair life was, that she was so far away. I let the tears flow, and breathed in the crisp, cleansing air. Each frozen breath seemed to revive my soul, and with each one, I felt a little better.
I wonder if she knows how special those times were to me, how much she touched my life. How just the crisp clean winter air makes me think of the times we spent laughing and laughing, making memories. I wonder if she knew how much I missed her when she left.
So now, to this day, I go out on cold nights, to breath the cleansing crispness of the crystal clear air. I think on things I love, on people I care for. I stare at the wonderful moon, against the backdrop of bare trees. There are hints of frost, sparkles, tiny specs of beauty in the barrenness of winter. I find the stars I know, make wishes, send prayers, and love it....every minute of it. Until I am frozen, and ready to thaw.
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I hadn't planned to write anything for this, but the memory, and why I love this about winter, was just very powerful. My piece came together so easily, as it often does when you are so truly inspired.
I used crystal quartz, for the frozen shimmers and the crystal clear air that I love to breathe. I chose one of my full moon clasps for the focal and a star connect in bronze too. I added a silver swirl to represent the galaxies, and a little Buddha at the bottom for the thoughts and prayers I think of at these times. I went with browns and crystal, since growing up in the woods, winter was dark, bare, and earth toned, unless there was snow.
I love this piece, and I am so thankful I got to revisit a time when life was simpler care-free, as well as a time of sadness, that these cold winter nights helped me through.
Staci Smith (you are here)
