Many of the "perfect packages" from last summer's Wizarding Event included sea shells. I'd collected a lot of interesting ones over the years and they tucked in to the packages nicely. Bu I liked them, too, for their seeming magicalness.
They remind me of mazes and labyrinths.
Wall Maze (circa 1060 AD) from Cathedral at Luca
Maze from the Hereford Cathedral Mappa Mundi ("map of the world")
Above 2 images source
And they remind me of nebulae.
Package 11 began with an amusingly mysterious, tarnished metal box. I could easily imagine its being stashed away on the shelves of some wizardly person. Especially neat was its shaped carry-handle and octagon-itude. The clasp was in good repair but missing a lock. I substituted an old metal pin I found in my miscellany box of such things.
Since the metal case was such a prize in itself,* its contents were simple: two sea shells (presented in a small, black cloth pouch) and a weighty, solid metal cache box containing a tea candle.
I knew the age of the young lady who would receive this package and wrote the letter from a girl-wizard who I imagined was just a little older and recently graduated from our school of magic. The letter itself was handwritten using a dip pen and mocha brown fountain pen ink. The stationery was a half-sheet of pale pink calligraphy paper with a parchment finish.
Text of the letter
Summer - July -2011 - new student dayHello A----,My name is S------ C------. I finished my studies at N------ three years ago. When I started, I thought I wanted to specialize in Metal Magic (my father is a Goldsmithy Mage, and I just love what he does!). So I was very surprised when the magic sorting vessel said "House N------!"
But I am so glad it did as I am very happy in my work with plants and ground creatures. I hope all goes well for you too!
Here are a few things to get you off to a good start! The "gift candle" is actually very useful in doing homework assignments (both potions and Professor M-------'s). You never know when you need a little spellfiremaker! I used the metal box to store my tools for Professor T----------'s 2nd year class in "Muggle Technology Repair."
But the two shells are just a little good luck gift. I received something similar on my first day and so appreciated it (I was very nervous!).
Yours truly,
S------
The case fit perfectly into a gift box I'd found at Goodwill. It had a snug-fitting cover and was covered with a heavy, crushed-silver paper.
The package, like all the others, was wrapped in brown packing paper and tied up, in this instance with some of the leftover raffia fiber I'd used to crochet the Headmaster's Straw Hat. The postage stamps were real ones, part of my box of world stamps that I also use for the fictional letter games I play.** The bright delivery stickers were a lucky find at a local office supply shop. (In the back of the store they have a wall of vintage office materials!)
Here is a freeze-frame capture shot of the moment the box was opened by its happy recipient.
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The posts describing all the imaginary postal packages can be found grouped here under the tag faux package.
* One of the "rules" I created for the making of these packages stated that "The package had to have comparable coolness as far as all the other (19 total) packages were concerned (so that no child felt somehow slighted)." (See the post for Package 1 for the rest of the criteria.) In this case, the metal case was of rather high caliber, raising its coolness factor.
* One of the "rules" I created for the making of these packages stated that "The package had to have comparable coolness as far as all the other (19 total) packages were concerned (so that no child felt somehow slighted)." (See the post for Package 1 for the rest of the criteria.) In this case, the metal case was of rather high caliber, raising its coolness factor.
** In a few weeks I will be posting a short series on the creation of fictional correspondences. Stay tuned!
