Every now and again I make the time to create a large piece of fairytale jewelry. I love creating these large "art pieces," but sometimes it is difficult to justify the dozen hours each piece takes, when I know I could be making dozens of smaller jewelries that sell more readily.
Oh, the joys of running a business and needing to make money for school.
This spring, I was contacted to create a custom Entwife Circlet with oxidized copper, dark brown and green glass leaves, and black details. Unfortunately, the commission fell through, but I had already gotten enough work done on the circlet to finish it a bit differently and add it to my Etsy shop.
I'm glad I did; every time I make large pieces like this, I can see my craftsmanship improve dramatically. Art (and hours and hours of practice) is really its own form of very human magic.
For those of you unfamiliar with my previous work, the Entwife Circlet was originally designed for a Lord of the Rings themed ball. My friend was dressing up as an Entwife (the Ents were tree people, shepherds of the ancient forests of Middle Earth) and I created a custom ensemble of jewelry for her in exchange for a gorgeous medieval dress. You can see the jewelry ensemble here, and additional pictures of her handmade costume here.
Last autumn, I created another one in brighter greens for a bride to wear at her wedding.
The Entwife circlets are headpieces appropriate for any woodland or fairytale themed costume. The most dramatic feature is an array of pinecone flowers on the back, with beaded chains that dangle over the hair.
(This chain feature was inspired by the headpiece that the Elf Arwen wears in the Return of the King movie).
The base at the front of the circlet is made out of braided copper wire. On this particular headpiece, I kept the copper raw (no jewelry wax to protect the color) so that it can oxidize and gradually change from bright shiny copper to a deep dark brown.
(Of course, any jewelry made with copper can be cleaned to a shine by gently rubbing it with vinegar, washing in water, and patting dry).
Since copper reacts with the salts in many people's perspiration, I lined the front of the headpiece with a black ribbon.
Czech glass leaf beads-- my most favorite beads in the whole wide world, short of actual gemstones-- are meticulously wirewrapped onto the circlet, along with Swavroski pearls and wood beads.
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| The necklace and earrings will be up on Etsy soon! |
Rosie has been my apprentice this summer and has learned about everything from how to package and weigh envelopes to how to use a soldering torch to designing Celtic knots to building workbenches with power tools to being the second shooter at both a portrait and a wedding photoshoot. I don't think I ever caught on to things so easily when I was eleven!
(BTW, I'm going to put in a plug for the company I bought my shirt from (I have not been asked or compensated to do so). You may have guessed that I really like fairytales and costumes. Unfortunately, it would be more than a little bit weird if I wore my full medieval getup around a college campus. But what I can do is wear this shirt with the corset-style lacing, the bell sleeves, and the embroidery and pair it with a pair of dark wash jeans and a cool hairstyle. It's the Miranda Gothic shirt from HolyClothing, and Indian company, and is one of my favorite clothing splurges ever. It's probably also the most well-constructed shirt in my entire closet.)
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed looking over these pictures! I certainly enjoyed making this circlet.
It's the wrong season, but once the pinecones are again littering the ground, I will make a tutorial on these pinecone flowers!
UPDATE: This circlet has sold! I hope that the new Entess loves it! If anyone is interesting in commissioning one just email me at shealynnsfaerieshoppe@gmail.com.
(Above is the Entwife circlet I made for the wedding; below is the very first Entwife piece I made).
