Dandelion magic toy.

Here is the dandelion magic trick. Because there is already the element of magic attached to it, I like to think that one can throw in the myths associated with dandelions, and make a wish as you spin it, or send a thought to a loved one. I think the green string worked wonderfully with the image but will not work for many others so I need to start a little collection.
The metal spins much better than the card prototypes because it is heavier= better inertia. ( I say as if I really know what that means).

I think the interactive element to this allows so much more room for triggering and/creating memories associated with this old invention and it's revamp.
I am working on an animated gif to give an idea of how beautifully the images become one when it spins.

Interactive Folklore

These are my beginning designs for a Victorian-type magic trick necklace. It takes two folklife images and makes them one if you spin the disc.

I think nostalgia is a multi-sensory experience. Although one thing might evoke it, it can trigger the memory of a smell, a physical feeling, an emotion, a sound, etc. Interactive objects could be more memorable because they stimulate a range of senses. It is also customary of folklore in that it can be passed down in oral narrative, games, or physical objects.

I think of folklore as something that has to be "told" or "taught" and thus shared. Games, stories and tricks, lessons and arts (all of which I strongly associate with the idea of folklore) are shared between people, making them more memorable and clouding them with a nostalgic feeling. I'm feeling the need to make objects which make one say " Ah! Remember when..."