Hey, kids! Wanna see the keys?

Master key, cleaned, but still still in its sprues

Nine keys, on their tree of wax

Nine keys, cast and in their sprues

Nine rough keys, still unfinished

(Photos courtesy of David MacMillan, sculpting and silver casting by Rollande Krandall)

Wow, I am so incredibly geeked about the prospect of seeing these finalized. David and Rollande are two of my dearest friends, and early and ardent supporters of the book. So much so that they gave me significant seed money to print the first issue, and refused to allow me to pay them back. The cover of issue 4, an oil painting, was my repayment — and it still hangs in David’s office. When they moved, he said it was one of the first things he brought with him.

So many little points in our three lives have been synchronous. It’s another one of those blessed things in my life … for example, when I was broke and unemployed, I’d drive out to their house in Ferndale, and we’d carpool down to the DIA to see the exhibits. Once, while we were there on a Friday night, we saw a live glass-beadmaking demonstration. Little did we know that Rollande would soon find a serious hobby in bead creation.

Beadmaking led to a class in silversmithing, and as a lark, Rollande said that she’d like to try her hand at making the key. Several classes, untold headaches, a six-hundred mile relocation, casting-tool acquisition and a scratch-built shop later, here we are. Rollande’s dedication to the project (not to mention her sheer tenacity) has been nothing short of amazing.

On Rollande’s suggestion, we’re going to be making a limited run of 50 “Special Edition” keys, that will come on a little six-inch loop of special-ordered .5mm (you read that right) sterling silver chain, and rest in a special wooden box with a bronze-cast half-key on the lid (as opposed to the two-sided, three dimensional silver key itself). These will be essentially as close to a perfect reproduction of Vogelein’s key as she can get.

Concurrent with the special edition, we’ll also be selling the keys with only a jump-ring, for wearing as actual jewelry. Wear it as a necklace, as a bracelet, or buy two and make earrings; your choice.

I’ll let everyone know as soon as I have them in my hands; there should be at least nine special editions up for grabs within the next couple of weeks. YAHOO!