Octopus

I've spent the last week obsessively sketching and reading about octopuses. They are strikingly intelligent and curious, love to explore and are quick to learn. Octopuses can open bottles and some have been observed playing with Lego toys in their aquariums. I'm sure I will be carving more octopus designs as I learn more about them. See an octopus open a jar!

"Every age had a keyhole to which its eye is pasted."
Mary McCarthy
I'm pretty sure the keyhole for our age is the reality show!

These next two beads are older designs making their first appearance in the catalog.



Six of the answers from a Magic 8 ball are carved on the sides of this bead:
"ask again later," "my source says no," "most likely," "outlook not so good," "don't count on it," and "signs point to yes."

When I was 7, one of my friends got a Magic 8 ball for her birthday, and I was enthralled by it. I was pretty sure it wasn't really magic, but what if by chance it was? Were the answers that slowly swam into view in the murky blue liquid really just random?
Some days, when I'm struggling with a question that I just can't answer, the Magic 8 ball seems as good a source to consult as any!

"Concentrate and ask again"
Another Magic 8 ball answer - this phrase comes to me when I'm anxiously pushing myself to find a solution to some problem. It's a reminder to me to focus, to remember to breathe, and to see my question in a new light. A different vantage point is often just what I need to solve the question.