I’ve been going through some big life changes the past few months. I went on stress leave at the end of April, decided to move on from my day job at the end of the summer, and signed the necessary paperwork in June. I’m not done yet with my current work chapter though. I am back at the day job in August and, like a generous person? a fool? agreed to stay on through September to overlap with whoever replaces me. it was challenging for me to admit my burn out and inability to cope. It was challenging for me to say no I can’t accept my current circumstances; some days I’m not sure if I did the right thing or not and wished I could have been more “advanced” as a person and not been overcome by my feelings - a thing I have always had an excess of! I had thought that by this stage of life I’d be better able to navigate life and the truth is sometimes I can move through everything easily and sometimes I can’t. Luckily for me I do have a super supportive and loving “it will all be ok” partner and kind and supportive friends and family.

Making keys is usually fun and, for the most part, I still marvel at most of the keys when they are completed - a type of magic really. I may not always know where to start with the keys but I do love making them. I also love finding things on the road and incorporating them into keys. For quite some time I have wondered what a sad key would look like…and not because I carried around a lot of sadness during May, but because I was genuinely curious if I could create one. In some ways Key 2699 is a sad key to me and in other ways I think it is the most modern “key looking” key I have made.

Key 2695 is made from a dart and a brooch that I turned on its side. The silver leaf is part of a bottle stopper and the gold ring is an earring. There are a few more jewellery bits - from brooch pieces to necklaces to beads and the words love on the bottom of the Other Side that come from two different pieces of upcycling. Some people say this key reminds them of Harry Potter. I suppose there is something magical and flying about it - perhaps the dart memories are coming through…

Key 2696 is made from a curtain rod, part of a fancy clock, beads, and earrings and other jewellery bits. Also something rusty that I have no idea what it’s original purpose was, rivets that were gifted to me by Actionwear Saskatoon, a leather strap from a much beloved bracelet, and beautiful aqua beads that shimmer with green and gold iridescent highlights when they are moved in the light.

Key 2697 is made from a piece of fancy “gold” cutlery, some statement necklace pieces, a ruby red cufflink, rhinestones, and chain, other jewellery bits, and a magnificent piece of gold fillagree that I have no idea what it’s original craft purpose was. I tried a few things on the One Side and was happy with how the pieces from two different necklaces fit together so well. I’ve had that piece of gold fillagree since the first time I visited the second hand craft supply store Nefilibata in its new location. I really struggled - I mean really struggled - to figure out how to complete the Other Side of this key. In the end though I am extremely happy with how it turned out and love it as equally (or perhaps even slightly more) then the One Side.

Occasionally I muck around with the editing button when finalizing photos of my keys. That was the case with Key 2698. I don’t even know what I clicked on to change the colours of parts of the key but I decided I liked it enough to keep it and count it. Because really, 5000 Keys is a lot of keys and my key making time should count even if it’s only electronic!

Key 2699 is made from a Honda emblem and the first letter of a Ford Emblem. The shaft of this key is some sort of wrench that was donated to my by a key-making supply supporter at Saskatoon Makerspace. There is part of a charm incorporated into this key that says “forever” on One Side and “you have my heart forever” on the Other Side. In my interest in creating a “sad” key I think I somewhat succeeded in doing that on the Other Side. For sure that is a concept I will keep working on. The key is quite large and I think is the most “key-looking” in the photos of all the keys I have made.