If you read this blog with any regularity you have heard of the overflow box. In reality it is overflow boxes, but who is counting? The overflow box is full of things that I bought thinking that they would be great for my bone set, or pieces that I bought to replace other pieces, that ultimately did not work out. This post has some of my favorites.
This is a small comb carved from bone. When I saw it my mind immediately turned to things like femininity, beauty, untangling or straightening things out, a treasured possession, etc… I tried it for a few readings, but it never really fit in. Le sigh….
I have had the carved penis for quite some time, long before I got a set of bones. When I saw the torso, I thought I could pair it with the penis to represent male and female energy. However, the torso reminded me of a dismembered fashion doll so after trying it for a throw or two the torso and the penis were removed and replaced.
One of the Gem Faires I attended had a vendor who sold craft supplies for steam punk and goth crafts. There were boxes and baskets of metal trinkets, much of it covered with whatever they used to blacken it for a more distressed look. As you went through the containers the black powder got all over your hands. They knew it was an issue because they had a supply of hand wipes available for their customers.
Wings have so many possible meanings – air, birds, freedom, soaring above it all. But in the end they never made it into my set and will most likely be used to embellish a mixed media art piece at some point in the future. 
Heart with Veins
This was from the same goth/steam punk vendor and I really love this piece. I have a bronze heart in my main set that I love so I bought this with the idea of using it to replace the milagro heart I use in my travel set. I knew it was rather large for that set when I got it and I actually walked away without purchasing it for that reason. But something called me back and I bought it against my better judgment. My first impression was correct – it is just too big and it offended my sense of proportion for the set. Oh well…
The Metal Man
At the same gem faire there was a man in one of the smaller rooms with a large variety of metal charms. These were purchased as a result of that unfortunate encounter. None of them ever made it into either set, but I had fun picking them out and rationalizing their purchase in my mind with lots of great meanings for them.
Lucky beans in glass with $100 bill
I was fascinated with this piece when I saw it. I had visions of using it for luck, gambling, returns on an investment, abundance, etc. Unfortunately I already have pieces to represent those things and I like them better. Maybe some day…
Last, but not least I give you The Mood Fly. The image on the left is how it looks normally and the image on the right is how it looks if you hold it in you hands for a few moments, warming it with your body heat. I don’t know what I was thinking aside from the fact that I found it kind of cool.
Just because these pieces did not work out for me does not mean that they are not great pieces. Obviously I thought that they were great at the time of purchase, but for one reason or another they did not pan out. What does not work for me may be perfect for you and maybe they will give you some ideas that you can adapt for your own set. Maybe a few months from now I will do a second post on other pieces that fit this category as I have many more. It will be hard to top the mood fly though.