Assemblage Challenge - Curious Stirrings

Just finished up Denise's Assemblage Challenge. It took a very interesting twist.
First, here's a look at the goodies she sent me way back in July:

And I made this box ... this figure:
... and then ...na-dah. It just stalled. I wasn't too concerned. These things happen and part of my caveat with the Assemblage Challenge is NO TIME FRAME. So I shelved it and proceeded with other projects. Oh sure it niggled in the background but other things ...shiny things...  took precedent.

Part of my discontent was the path I'd taken was so cute, so... precious and if you know me at all these are two words NEVER used to describe me. Or my work. 

And I really wanted to do right by grrl ... a bit of backstory may be in order.
As with most of my artist friends, I'd "met" grrl online. But I also got a chance to meet her in the flesh. At Art Fest 2008. And maybe one of my few regrets is that I didn't shove my feelings of being overwhelmed aside and somehow tell her, "Hey! I think you're awesome! And we need to hang out. Now!" But I didn't. I simply hunkered down and swooned from the row behind her. I still have a girl-crush on Her Most Splendiferous Self so, yah. Really REALLY wanted to nail this challenge.

Cute? Precious? SOOOOO not gonna cut it.

Fast forward a few months and I noticed grrl hadn't been posting. As she was a pretty regular contributor ...on FB ...on her blog ... I contacted her. I'm so glad I did. Because Lo! and Behold! she'd been transitioning. And it was Good. And made so much sense.

And I immediately went back to her work-in-progress. One of the bits she sent ...the words "curious stirrings" embedded in resin ... JUMPED out at me. And the piece fell into place. It feels deep. Redolent of "meaning".

I present ... Curious Stirrings
Interior will remain unshown until Denise receives it. I hope she likes it!