She loved the way the embroideries shine in the firelight, the smooth and delicate feel of the fabric embracing her body, the perfumed scent of the fan enveloping her senses in sweet intoxication. Lost in beauty, she remembered the tattered hakama she cherished as she ran in the fields, wild and free, the warmth of the hearth where she ate the food she and her family cared and took from their own crops, the laughter each time they find themselves huddled beside each other in the cold winter nights with no spare blankets to be found. She cherished them, memories old yet full of love. An old life it seems, now replaced with richness she never thought would graze her skin. Mere memories, distant but never forgotten -- she longed for them as she drifted between gold and silver.

Inspired by the stunning Maki-e art of Japan. The first time I saw a piece made with its style in Osaka Castle, I couldn't tear my eyes from it, even my heart. Being kind of melodramatic huh? But it did tug at my heart so much. It's so beautiful and hard to make. Hardwork leads to beautiful things, no matter how long it takes to get there.