Peacock Feather Cuff Bracelet

I'm certainly not the first leather-worker/jewelry-maker who decided to use a peacock tail feather motif in her work* so it's not an original, ground-breaking concept, but as I have several of these feathers poised at my workbench, staring me down with their iridescent eyes as I hammer, carve, and bead it's been hard not to be inspired by them. Still, I hope my version is a bit distinctive and has a different character from the peacock feathers rendered in leather by other artisans. I was really focused on the sinuous lines and shapes formed by the feather whereas the other versions I've seen tended to focus on achieving a more robust texture. You can actually catch a glimpse of this bracelet in its unfinished form posing on my granite tooling slab in this entry.

It is a fairly simple bracelet based upon the general pattern of what I refer to as my tab bracelets but with a little twist. Unlike my other tab-style cuffs, the leather tab upon which the feather is carved is in a subtle S-curve shape which looks really lovely curling across the wrist. I stamped the word "beauty" beside the feather on a gentle baseline curve to echo the feather's lines and to suggest that it too could drift lightly on the air. This also happens to be the first tab bracelet I've used sterling silver chain & wire for the clasp. In the photo below you can see some of the beads I've chosen to compliment the rich colors of the feather. They include a faceted lime green turquoise roundel, freshwater pearls, what I think is carnelian, an amber glass bead, and another small turquoise nugget.

This one is slated to be taken to the show in September. I'm hoping to make a corresponding necklace if I have time.

*Sunny Rising Leather, who has been an inspiration to me in the creation leather necklaces & bracelets, has also tried her hand at peacock feathers as well as just the "eye" of the feather. I also found another Etsyian who makes peacock earrings but I believe he or she layers multi-colored leather rather than carves and paints/stains it.

Blue Lotus Blade Hoops

I need to get into the habit of posting more photos here to make this a more visually appealing blog. Even I have to admit that when I follow or subscribe to a blog that is related to someone's artsy or crafty work, what I mainly like is seeing pretty pictures of what they're making, so I should try harder to deliver the pretties on this blog too.

Here is the first of the teaser photos I'm hoping to post of some new pieces I've been creating. They are teasers because, for the moment at least, they won't be going up on Etsy: they are part of my inventory for the upcoming craft show in September. If they don't sell at the show, they will eventually find their way to Etsy though if it's any consolation.

This is a pair of leather & sterling silver blade hoops with freshwater pearl dangles. I have another set I made which are a more deeper, saturated blue. I'm not sure which look I prefer. This set looks more earthy but the darker ones are more striking. The leather portion is about 2" wide and overall each earring is about 2.5" long so they are not for the timid.

The Lovely Coffin

The centerpiece of this rustic, earthy necklace is a unique coffin-shaped pendant. Straddling an odd line between creepy and cute, its motif of skull, heart, flower, and scrollwork is inspired by various forms of folk art including designs on the gravestones of German immigrants in the artist's native state of Pennsylvania and Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) imagery.

The pendant is suspended from three strands of deep brown leather cord and closes with a lobster clasp. All of the metal elements of this necklace are sterling silver which have been oxidized to achieve a dark, nearly matte appearance to harmonize with the rest of the piece.

The Lovely Coffin pendant is handcrafted of vegetable-tanned leather which has been carved and tooled into a low-relief sculpture. It was then stained to highlight the details and has been signed by the artist on the reverse. It has been sealed with a protective coating to help ensure that it retains its loveliness for a long time, but please keep this necklace dry to help ensure its longevity.

measurements • necklace is about 16.75" in overall length (an extender chain could be added for additional length: please convo for more information about this option); pendant is approximately 1.5" wide by 2.25" long
materials • hand-carved & stained leather coffin pendant; oxidized sterling silver wire; suede lace; glass beads
price • $45.00 plus S&H; Available at my Etsy shop!

La Catrina · Leather, Sterling Silver Necklace

Catrina is a representation of Lady Death at her most elegant. Originally depicted in a 1913 etching by Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada, she has become an icon and an archetype.

Her face is adorned with designs similar to those found on sugar skulls which are given to both the living and the dead in celebration of the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday. A six-pointed star sits at her crown, a shining anatomical heart floats before her chest, and she is flanked with the outspread wings of a bird of prey. La Catrina hangs delicately from a series of faceted, jet black, glass beads reminiscent of a rosary which are then attached to lengths of soft suede lace. The necklace closes with a handmade hook clasp adorned with the same glass beads.

The main pendant was was hand carved and tooled from vegetable-tanned leather and then dyed and painted. Her eyes and heart have a high gloss finish so they glisten in the light. The front of the pendant is sealed with an acrylic coating to ensure that it stays vibrant for a long time to come, but please keep it dry and out of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight to ensure its longevity. It is signed by the artist on the reverse.

measurements • necklace is about 21"(53.3cm) in length; pendant is approximately 3.5"(8.4cm) wide by 3"(7.6cm) long at its broadest points
materials • hand-carved & painted leather, sterling silver wire, glass beads
price • SOLD!

No Postage Required · Leather, Sterling Silver Earrings

Maybe they're love letters, notes from a long-lost friend, or birthday cards from a relative. (Then again these little envelopes may just contain your latest credit card statements, but I'd like to think they're too whimsical for that purpose!) We'll never know for sure, but they contain the potential to symbolize any sort of mail that you might wish to send or receive.

Each miniature, sealed envelope was carved out of vegetable-tanned leather and then subtly stained. They dangle along with olivine freshwater pearls and two different kinds of chain from hand-crafted ear hooks of sterling silver.

measurements • envelopes are approximately 0.875"(2.2cm) long by 0.5"(1.3cm) wide; they dangle about 1.5"(3.8cm) from below the ear hook (not including the chains)

materials • hand-carved and stained leather; sterling silver wire & chain; freshwater pearls

price • SOLD!

Faery Wing · Leather & Sterling Silver Necklace

When most people think of faeries, they think of wings: lovely little sprites or enchanting maidens with insect wings unfolding delicately from their backs. It might be surprising for some to learn that before Shakespeare's time, wings were not a common, defining trait for faeries and in fact it is very rare to find reference to them in traditional European myth, legend, and balladry. The faery folk of old could be beautiful or bizarre-looking, and encounters with them were perhaps more feared than they were desired, but they were always respected as being embodiments of something sacred and numinous.

Today the wings of faeries are regarded as literal, but perhaps they were not meant to be so. During the same time period when wings became to be a newly popular attribute of fey creatures, interest was being renewed in the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. The word for butterfly in ancient Greek was psyche which also happened to be the word for 'soul.' Psyche was also the name of a mythical girl who became the lover of the God Eros. In classical artwork Eros was shown with feathered wings and Psyche was often represented with the wings of her namesake as a visual cue to her identity. Perhaps those who originally associated the fey with butterfly wings were really intending to use metaphorical clues to show the sacred nature of Faery as well as its proclivity for transformation.

This necklace is a lovely reminder that not everything valuable in the world is to be taken literally and not all knowledge lies on the surface.

The letters stamped across the hand-carved and painted leather pendant read "Wings are but a symbol of the soul." From delicate chains hang briolettes of labradorite and moonstone with inner flashes of blue, freshwater pearls, glittering swarovski crystals, and semi-precious stones to compliment the colors in the faery wing.

measurements • the overall length of the necklace is approximately 17 inches and closes with a lobster clasp; the faery wing pendant is about 2.5 inches long by about 1.75 inches wide at its greatest points and dangles 1.5 inches from the main portion of the necklace
materials • hand-carved & painted leather faery wing; sterling silver chain & wire; freshwater pearls; labradorite & moonstone briolettes; swarovski crystals; coral; semi-precious stones; glass beads
price • SOLD!