April Component of the Month! Headpins…

 (If you are looking for the “Inspired by Reading” post and creative reveal – please click here. )

 I love it when a plan comes together. I received these simply gorgeous glass headpins from the hands of Jen Cameron for this month’s Component of the Month at Art Jewelry Elements. But I was out of town. I got home with 36 hours until the reveal… and I was tired and had mounds of laundry to do… When I sat down this afternoon I was thrilled to make it work – and I am pleased with the results. 

Jen's headpins

The headpins made me think of water. Not only the color, but the spiral and the tiny bubbles… I have been working on and off lately on a series of Goddess necklaces. This color and the element of water made me think of Yemanja. She is the Yoruba orisha, or diety of water, childbirth, the essence of the ocean. She was and is revered in many Afro-American regions, from Brazil to the Caribbean. (My Yemanja figure, shown on my “water” shelf with Sulis from Bath, is from New Orleans. ) Over time, Yemanja was seen to share many characteristics with the Virgin Mary: protectress of women and children, robed in blue, Mother of all… Mary is also known as Stella Maris/Star of the Sea thus linking her with the ocean as well. 

Water elementals

So I started browsing the stash… and started with a piece of sea glass. Here is a little “photo essay” of the selection process: 

planning pix

After that – the Parawire and the seashell were kept in the mix, along with copper links. I found the color blue more vibrant than the gems in my stash, and turned to Czech glass and crystal to satisfy my palette. The copper links are stamped “etoile” and “de la mer” to reference Yemanja/Stella Maris/Mary. 

the necklace

Coiled wire bail, dangle headpin, stamped copper links, wire wrapped crystals and glass beads, sari silk, seashell, hand made wire clasp. 

Not bad for a day’s work! What do you think?

Please stop by these blogs – my team mates and the guest designers participating this month: 

Guest Designers:

Erin Prais-Hintz

Kathy Lindemer

Alice Peterson

 

AJE Team:

Susan Kennedy

Lesley Watt

Melissa Meman

Linda Landig

Jen Cameron

18 thoughts on “April Component of the Month! Headpins…”

    • jenny says:
      Reply

      Thanks Susan – it is still new to me that others may want to hearthe myths that I thrive on – I have friends in the Mythic community of Faires and Cons – and its exciting to me when the interests and inspirations cross over to the beady world. Thank you for reading!

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  5. Erin Prais-Hintz says:
    Reply

    I love that you have a little shrine like this, a cabinet of curiosities filled with treasures! This is truly a gift of the sea, the colors, the words, the thought that went into it! I enjoy seeing how things evolve for artists and how they put things together. Thank you for sharing your talent with us! Enjoy the day. Erin

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    • jenny says:
      Reply

      Thank you for calling out its Shrine like qualities. I have been making ceramic shrines in my other body of work for like 15 years now… and I am consciously working to find the common ground between my mediums! Thank you for your kind, and ever charming words, Miss Erin!

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  6. Jen Cameron says:
    Reply

    You always amaze me by the amount of thought and inspiration from myth and history that goes into your pieces. It’s more than just something pretty…which is basically how I design 🙂

    I love everything about it…design, story, that you pulled it off so quickly.

    Thanks for participating!

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    • jenny says:
      Reply

      Thanks Jen – Sometimes its harder for me to work without a “why” behind the piece – and the CoM’s have been good challenges for me to go ahead and create something wearable and pretty. This one – maybe the lack of time had me default to my Mythic settings?! Ha. 

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  9. Linda Landig says:
    Reply

    I always learn so much from your posts, Jenny. I love how you brought together such diverse materials: the copper links, the sari silk, sea glass, crystals and the headpin. That is like the sea itself, touching diverse shores and affecting the lives of so many diverse people.

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