beetlepunk?
Been crafting as often as my busted hands and back will let me--the Luna Festival is Saturday, and I think I have nearly $1000 worth of merch, I've been so busy. There will be photo prints, hairpieces, and jewelry for sale. Anything that doesn't move goes on Etsy next week for general consumption.
These are my latest offerings, and a new project inspired by a gift from Nathan a few weeks ago. He sent me a pair of elytra earrings, and I immediately fell in love with them, which meant I wanted to take them apart and see exactly how they were made.
A little research and some haggling netted me a small tub of taxidermy supplies from Thailand and the pictured project was born--wearable exoskeletons of deceased jewel beetles (Sternocera aequisignata-family Buprestidae).
I improved on the original--I used spring green anodized titanium jump rings I hand-cut as the framework for the exoskeleton. Titanium is a pain in the arse to wrap and cut, but it's strong and beautiful and I am pleased with the results. I made eight pairs last night, and I hope to play with the designs a bit in the future, perhaps adding delicate freshwater pearls to the structure.
Here's another image of the earrings. They have this near-addictive attraction, and the way the light curves across the elytra perpetually mutates. Mostly they look emerald green, but their edges curl into tones of violet and cobalt.
Yum.
Two pairs are for sale here. Quick, make them go away before I cave and covet them for myself.
EDIT: I listed another pair of titanium ones!
Thanks!
These are my latest offerings, and a new project inspired by a gift from Nathan a few weeks ago. He sent me a pair of elytra earrings, and I immediately fell in love with them, which meant I wanted to take them apart and see exactly how they were made.
A little research and some haggling netted me a small tub of taxidermy supplies from Thailand and the pictured project was born--wearable exoskeletons of deceased jewel beetles (Sternocera aequisignata-family Buprestidae).
I improved on the original--I used spring green anodized titanium jump rings I hand-cut as the framework for the exoskeleton. Titanium is a pain in the arse to wrap and cut, but it's strong and beautiful and I am pleased with the results. I made eight pairs last night, and I hope to play with the designs a bit in the future, perhaps adding delicate freshwater pearls to the structure.
Here's another image of the earrings. They have this near-addictive attraction, and the way the light curves across the elytra perpetually mutates. Mostly they look emerald green, but their edges curl into tones of violet and cobalt.
Yum.
Two pairs are for sale here. Quick, make them go away before I cave and covet them for myself.
EDIT: I listed another pair of titanium ones!
Thanks!