My youngest daughter Gabrielle is a published poet! She's had two poems that she wrote in high school published in separate student anthologies through creative writing competitions. She has also written several lovely poems about her brother that we've published as In Memoriams on either his birthday or anniversary. I had thought to create a piece based on one of her poems but time (lack of) got in the way and I didn't have time to create the components I wanted for the piece.
So, I created a piece (it's not quite finished, there's a bit I'd like to add to it) that I had started quite some time ago while thinking about my oldest daughter Caitlin. She has an affinity for ladybugs. In all cultures ladybugs are considered lucky and when she was younger Cait used a combination of ladybug and luck as her ID for a social networking site (and yes, Caiti, there is a ladybug bracelet in your future but not this one!). I've made this piece using gold-filled chain, headpins and clasp; the individual charms are vintage German glass pendants that I picked up years ago at The Beadin' Path. I've painted designs on some of them and a few of them have either heart shaped beads or rhinestones glued to them with painted portions to resemble ladybugs. So, without further ado: Ladybug, Ladybug
Now, the poem/nursery rhyme Ladybug, Ladybug is a bit morbid! I remember chanting the first line as a child when a ladybug would land on me. I certainly didn't know the remaining lines and didn't realize there was more to it until looking for a piece to relate to the bracelet. I couldn't find a ladybug poem that I really liked (I'll have to speak with Gabi about that!), and The Ladybug's Picnic (which I prefer) is a children's song (maybe I should have saved this for the next Challenge of Music?). There are quite a few variations of the rhyme, and while they end slightly different, they all begin the same:
"Ladybug, ladybug fly away home
Your house is on fire and your children will burn.
Except little Nan,
Who sits in a pan,
Weaving gold laces as fast as she can!"
