Sparks of Inspiration

You never know where your next spark will come from. My most recent one came from an alchemy listing on Etsy. Could I make a “feather wrap” pendant? My first thought was, “What is a feather wrap?” After doing some research and conversing with my prospective customer, I was excited. I love working with nature’s materials and the challenge of custom work. I use a lot of shell, wood, gemstone and freshwater pearls in my jewelry. So, it was an exciting prospect to learn how to work with feathers, leather and horse hair to complete this request.

I experimented with different ways to secure the materials for durability and with an eye toward the desired finished aesthetic. I designed and assembled a couple of samples without horse hair for my customer to give me feedback on. I was pleased to find out that I was achieving the right look. One of my samples was even a perfect match. Now the challenge was to incorporate the horse hair into the next round of feather wraps. To braid or not to braid? I made one with a spray of horse hair (that one is now part of my jewelry collection), but the braid had the right look for my customer. (Photos of the two custom pieces are included in this article.)

I enjoyed working with these new materials so much that I decided to add a couple of designs inspired by the spark of the alchemy listing to our shop. You will find them listed in the Feathers n Wood section.

What spark will come my way next? Will it be related to jewelry, gardening, photography, graphic design or something else? I don’t know, but I do know that it will present a challenge, and I love a good challenge.