Ever since I was very young I've been drawn to things magical and have felt a deep curiosity about what lies behind and beyond the physical world around me. My imagination was rich with magical beings and creatures who lived in strange and wonderful worlds.
This magic wand in it's holder of hand-dyed, hand-spun silk and hand-painted silk lining is for small acts of magic. It's large focusing gem makes it powerful despite its small size.
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at the car dealership sewing the lining to the knitted outside while I waited for my car to be serviced. An older gentleman - someone who looked as if he'd spent his working life doing something sensible like construction or truck driving - walked in and looked at what I was doing.
"That's pretty. What is it?"
"A holder for my magic wand."
That was a conversation stopper. He raised his eyes from the holder to me and I could see that I was being reappraised in light of this information. A bit later another older gentleman came in and we all had a very sensible conversation about the evils of black flies, deer flies and mosquitoes. I think I was redeemed.