Two worlds

Ok, so - in a bout of random sketching due to a university project, I noticed this little thing that buzzed around my head for quite a while afterwards. It wasn't until a lot later that I actually decided to do something about bringing that idea into reality.

So, here it goes: after a lot of pondering and thinking and brainstorming and other synonyms, I figured out how to do it. More about that later, for now, let's take a look what I actually made. Yesh, it's just a capsule shaped key-chain, nothing too special. Some odd abstract shapes on each side...

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However, if you take it and twist it...

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...like such, you get to turn that boring shape into something a bit cuter...

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...like such.
The abstract shape becomes... another abstract shape. Although, turn it around...

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...you see that it contains something less abstract. Well, in some way at least.
What does that kanji mean? Well, I couldn't think of a more appropriate thing to place on a heart than "love". Yes. Sappy? Maybe. Lazy? Also maybe. But fitting, I believe. Or would like to.

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So, how did I make it? Well, with a lot of work - more than i thought, really. It started with a piece of hardwood floor. I sanded it down to a manageable width and cut it to create the hinge. The hinge itself is a little complex and a little hard to explain, but if someone would like me to go in more (technical) depth on it, leave a comment, and I will.
Once the hinge was working, I started sanding the wood to get the appropriate shape. And boy, did I sand it down a lot. The wood was tough and it took some time, even with a rough sandpaper. Once approximately there, I printed out a draft version of the drawings and set out to get the final shape with fine sandpaper. After doing that, I went to a fancy copy shop and printed out the full quality color picture that i pasted onto the heart. After yet another bit of sanding, and connecting it to the the key ring (using mostly fishing equipment), the only thing left was the lacquer...
I used maybe the wrong kind, or the brush was dirty or something, I don't know. The thing is, it now has these little specks on it I didn't even properly notice until it dried of completely. It kinda spoils the effect, but it's not really all that noticeable. Still, it's something that kinda irks me.

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Anyway, once all that was done, it was time to pack it up and give it to someone as a birthday gift (a rather badly belated one, too :/). So, I figured, if I already made the entire thing from scratch, might as well make the gift box too, right? And here it is - I used an old origami box figure and set up soft silk inside to give it a bit of class (I fail miserably, I know, don't rub it in). That was topped of by a clear white lid, and tied with a blue ribbon, ready to be given away...