My current focus on making the keys is searching for pieces that look like they belong together and appear seamless. Sometimes, like life, that’s a real struggle.

Now that I’m in my 60’s I’d like to think that I know better about some things and I interact well with others but the truth is I don’t always do that. I still catch myself behaving in ways that can, at best, be called immature, and, at worst, be called uncaring and selfish.

This batch of keys, and perhaps all the keys, are a reflection of where I am today. For the most part it’s fun and I’m curious about how things go together and wanting to be open to what comes. Sometimes, like in Key 2739, nothing seems to work and I find myself repeatedly taking pieces off until I get something that is complete. I’m not sure what I think about Key 2739 besides what a struggle it was to make…

In the end all I can do is move on to the next one and strive to create something better and keep the things (behaviours) I want and remove the things (behaviours) that aren’t working.

Key 2738 is made with some big rusty pieces found on the road, a beautiful piece of brass rod that was in the very inner workings of that cash register I took apart last summer, more rusty bits, an angel pin, other jewellery bits, and a very small piece of a favourite leather sparkly bracelet around the ends of that brass rod.

Key 2739 had so many parts behind the dragonfly before I finally (finally) decided to go with the leaf that has been on my workbench for several months searching for a home. Originally this key had a butterfly on the other side of that dragonfly that ended up breaking (lucky break I say as the piece wasn’t really working). Hey - maybe that’s another way to look at my own failings/breaking down — a lucky break ultimately as it got me out of a situation that wasn’t working. Lots of jewellery bits and bobs on this one along with a deconstructed key, part of a silver utensil, and the number 4.

Key 2740 has another cash register brass rod (which would have been inside the rod in Key 2738), a clip from the cash register, a retired Christmas decoration, chain, more jewellery parts, the glass bead from an earring that’s also been looking for a key for years, part of a broken bottle that’s likely road glass and not sea glass, and a cool coiled bit of metal.

Key 2741 is made from necklace flower parts, an owl, more jewellery bits, a brassy hair clipper I found on the sidewalk near my studio, parts of the tuning section of a classical guitar, and some sort of long screw I got at the Restore.

Key 2742 is made with a Robertson screwdriver (thank you mystery person at Saskatoon Makerspace who gifted this to me), a pair of found earrings (not sure if they were on the sidewalk or the road), more jewellery bits, tumblers from locks, and parts of keys — including one key called “Elixir”.

Key 2743 is made from a very large pendant, another screwdriver, a tie clip, jewellery bits, handles from a silver tray, more metal bits, and a little unicorn.

Key 2744 began life with some hoop earrings that had beads in them and a brooch that just didn’t work for me until I took it apart and used the shell, the flower, the heart, and the blue tear-shaped rhinestone separately. The beads came off the hoops and after initially leaving them blank (silver) I covered them inside and out with some lovely silver charms I got at a thrift store.