Taking A Powder

Purple Haze
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What: Alum powder.
Origin: Crafty impulse.
Usage: Not at all -- I never even opened the bottle.
How long kept: Maybe a year.
Why kept: I might make some homemade clay, and thus It Might Be Useful.
Destination: Yesterday at lunch, a friend mentioned the science fair experiments she had been doing with her boys. They had been growing crystals with a variety of ingredients; she remembered alum crystals she used to create as a kid, but hadn't been able to find alum.

This goes into the mail today. (She lives in NJ.)

Confession: I had thought about making painted beads for one of my projects, with homemade clay made with alum.  I'm going to count this as a victory in my ability to "let go" of a thought (as well as a testament to the impermanence of all thought) -- shortly after getting the clay recipe from my mom (Thanks, Mom!), and locating the alum at the pharmacy, the intention evaporated.   Completely.

Bonus: A nice memory of charcoal gardens we used to "grow", I believe which also used alum. (Thanks, Mom!)