Seaglass Bottle Stopper

One of my favourite pieces of beach treasure is this intact, sea-tumbled bottle stopper that I found on a shore near Dublin. Originally a club sauce stopper, it is quite a rare find. Isn't it simply gorgeous?

seafoam seaglass bottle stopper

fully frosted seaglass pendant

Natural seaglass is glass that has spent decades tumbling in the salty waves of the ocean. The silt, rocks and elements polish and smooth any ragged edges. More importantly, the water eventually leaches minerals, namely sodium and potassium, from the glass, causing that frosted or etched look that cannot be faked. Only time and tide achieve it. A highly frosted piece must have been in the sea for well over 100 years. 

Glass bottle stoppers were particularly popular in these parts in the 1800s before solid cork stoppers became more commonplace. Flat-top stoppers with cork sheaths around the shank were much used for sauce bottles from the mid 19th century. Not surprisingly this style is known as 'Club Sauce Stopper.' The cork would have eroded away in the sea decades ago. Today glass stoppers are still found in retro-styled perfume and apothecary bottles, for example. 

partial sea glass bottle stopper

 This partial piece was found on a North Dublin shore. The round rim has been eroded right away but you can still tell it is an antique bottle stopper. It is a beautiful teal colour. 

This intact one was found on a South Dublin shore and is a lovely seafoam colour. This greeny aqua tint often seen in old seaglass is caused by the iron content in the sand used to make the original glass.

 I don't intend wrapping it into a piece of seaglass jewellery. This beauty is more of a collector's item to hold onto for the joy of having found it.

*****

Want to see some rare red seaglass I found? Please click here

Click here to see some interesting shapes in white seaglass

Seaglass bottle necks

How to clean Seaglass and sea pottery

The Irish Claddagh Symbol

This week I listed an OOAK Connemara marble pendant featuring a vintage, sterling silver Claddagh charm.

The Claddagh heart is a well-known and internationally popular Irish design.  The Claddagh ring was the original format, and has been about for 300 years or so, but charms, pins and engravings based on the design are also found. This particular charm that I used is a sold silver pendant from the 1980s.

This famous design features a crowned heart clasped by two hands, which are clothed in gauntlet gloves. The hands symbolise friendship, the heart, love and the crown stands for loyalty. There are many modern variations in the design, including those with two hearts instead of one.

There also exists a variation without a crown, called the Fenian Claddagh. Historically it was adopted by Irish rebels who refused to recognise British rule.

ORIGINS

 

This class of ring belongs to a wide group of rings called Fede rings, which involve clasped hands in the design. Fede, (or Faith) finger rings date back to the Romans. However, it is not known when exactly the first Claddagh ring incorporating a heart was made, though it is believed to be a 17th Century development. It wouldn't be Irish without a few stories and legends surrounding its origin...

Claddagh was a small village outside Galway city, but is now part of the city itself. The oldest surviving Claddagh rings date back to the 1600s. Some of those bear the signature of Galway artisan, Bartholemew Fallon. 

There is a popular belief however, that the artist who first made the ring was a contemporary of Fallon's, fellow Galway man, Richard Joyce. He was kidnapped by pirates and sold to a Moorish goldsmith as a slave. He meticulously learned his master's craft and gained the respect of the goldsmith. When he was eventually released, he returned to Ireland where he put his smithing skills to use and created the famous ring. His branding and initials are also believed to be on some of the oldest surviving of these rings. 

However, Irish stories nearly always involve things happening thrice, so not surprisingly, there is a third goldsmith from the era also accredited with designing the ring, Thomas Meade of Kinsale. 

Who is to say which, if any, of these three jewellers was actually the first to design this famous emblem?

Those who prefer a more mythical view will tell you that the first Claddagh ring was dropped by an eagle into the lap of one Margaret Joyce, widow to a Spanish merchant named Domingo De Rona. Allegedly the majestic bird gave it to her as a reward for her charitable works.

Connemara marble Claddagh pendant

Today the  Claddagh ring is popular, particularly with the Irish diaspora, as a wedding or engagement ring.

The pendant and other variations are more often given as a gift of friendship. Whatever shape or form it comes in, the Claddagh motif is a powerful symbol of pride in Irish heritage.  I thought it very fitting to team the Claddagh charm with a gorgeous slab of indigenous Connemara marble, another intrinsically Irish treasure.

More from this blog:
Celtic Influences in my Designs
A little about Connemara marble 

Recycling Project. Candle Holder with Small Seaglass Pieces

Small pieces of colourful Irish seaglass

 What do you do with those little tiny pieces of frosted seaglass that wash up on the shore? I have a bunch of them that are way too small for wire-wrapped jewellery and ornaments. The colours are beautiful and it's a shame to waste them. Most of them are fully frosted so they have probably been tumbling in the sea for decades and it's lovely to be able to recycle them. Here's one very simple idea as to how to display them by making an eye catching candle holder.

(To learn how to clean seaglass  firstclick HERE)

As this is a recycling project, I decided to re-use this small, glass, ramekin dish that came with lemon souffle in it. (Yummy!) At just over an inch high (c28mm) and slightly more than 3 inches in diameter (c78mm), it is the perfect size for displaying a tea light candle.

First I put the small tea light in the centre of the ramakin. After placing the small seaglass around the candle, I carefully filled the dish with water, falling short of the top of the candle by about half a centimetre.

The colourful pieces of sea glass remind me a bit of those sugary, jelly sweets small kids love.

The fluted design of the dish throws gorgeous patterns of light. The candlelight picks up some soft colour from the seaglass in the water. Three of them would make great centre pieces along a table. Only two lemon souffles in a pack...I'd best go and get some more so.

To learn how to clean seaglass click HERE

To learn how to clean seaglass jewellery click HERE

February Features. Etsy Treasuries

A few more recent treasuries to share and say  

A BIG THANK YOU 

for.

I am always grateful and honoured to be included

 

A huge thank you as always for Lynn Corrigan of Lynn's Creative Crochet. who includes one of my items in a treasury just about every month.  Thanks Lynn for featuring my garnet pendant in this sweet Valentine treasury titled 'There's Still Time'. 

....And then Lynn only goes and features me in another one!!!

 Thanks so much for including my sea pottery and copper pendant in 'Peaches and Cream'.  Please do take a moment to pop over to Lynn's Etsy shop, Lynn's Creative Crochet.

A big Irish hello goes to Mil, Vam and Pam of Three Sisters Create. Thank you so much for including my Conneamara marble earrings in this timely treasury, titled 'Irish Luck.'

  This refreshing green treasury aptly titled 'Botanical' is by Dori of Hunkii Dorri. Thanks for Dori for including my green and black necklace 'Betwitched.' (Clever shop name btw!)

Another fresh list! Joanna of Gems Gallery has cleverly balanced this treasury titled 'A Little Bit of Green,  A Little Bit off Chocolate.' Thanks for including my citrine earrings!

Thanks too to Bimi of TriyaandNora for including my guardian angel charm (or pendant) in 'Mother's Day Gift ideas - What can we buy from Ireland'. Thanks for the reminder too - in Ireland Mothering Sunday falls on sunday 10th March this year.

Meet up with Fellow Irish Craft Workers

On Saturday I went along to a small meet up of fellow Irish craft workers in Dublin for a good chin wag and exchange of ideas. We also traded a few surplus supplies with each other, which was fun. I just thought I'd introduce the shop of each member who attended by showing off my favourite item from each one.

Valentines day egg cosies

 Mo of Huggle Knits kindly organised the meeting.  Though she can turn her hand to several crafts, Mo mainly knits and crochets gorgeous, handmade accessories for children and adults. Her latest range of cute egg cosies are simply adorable.

Patchwork ball with rattle

 Fi of  Patchwork Delights also attended. I have bought at least two of these patchwork balls as gifts for my friends' babies over the last couple of years. I can vouch that the hand stitching is tiny and so neat!

 

I was very pleased to make a new acquaintance in Margarita, of Linen Artisan, who hails from Spain. I spent over 7 happy years in Spain in the 90s and it was refreshing to chat (in my rusty Spanish) with her about her country. Margarita makes beautiful linen accessories for the home and also bags. I love the colours of this cottage chic lampshade.

Plum ribbed shrug

 Hazel Donnelly's soft hand knits are available in Hazel Donnelly and she also sells some great supplies at The Irish Knitting Room.  Though I have my eye on the unusual buttons available in the latter, I prefer to highlight her handwork.

Lastly there was lil' ol' me. I was going to post something typical of my work to illustrate my shop, perhaps something in Connemara marble. But then it occurred to me to actually ask myself what my favourite item from my current stock was, something I'd never really considered before. Hard to know when you have a large inventory of 60 items or so and you are biased about your own work...gotta love all your creations equally, right?? 

And yet the answer was staring at me within seconds of looking at my home page:

Irish Copper & Sea pottery Pendant

 This Sea pottery and Copper piece is currently my favourite as it brings together my love of Celtic motifs and the joy of beach combing for treasure. Added to that, this design was inspired by a wonderful day out at the National Botanic Gardens with two of my Etsy friends, Mo, mentioned above and Heli of Heli Creations. So for me it also symbolises some of the things that matter to me; good friends, creativity and appreciation of nature.

Connemara Marble Charm

Just listed on Etsy: Connemara marble charm, a small piece of Ireland to treasure.

Connemara marble Celtic charm

Attach this Celtic charm to your phone or handbag. Hang it on the wall, or on your Christmas tree. Perhaps you'd prefer to tie it on your rear view mirror. Made with genuine, natural Irish Connemara marble, it will remind you of Ireland. Connemara marble is a rare stone mined only in the wilds of West Ireland. This charm was handmade by me in Dublin. Connemara marble symbolises serentity, calm and luck.

Click here to learn a little about this rare, Irish stone

 

Handmade for First Communion

Handmade, First Holy Communion bracelet

 For many Irish children, May is the month for First Holy Communion. I remember my own, at the age of 7. It was possibly one of the most important days of my young life, next to losing my first baby tooth.

Yes, I was heavily schooled in the religious significance and cultural meaning of the ceremony, but for many a young Irish girl, the social implications are not to be ignored either. We all know too well the pressure that kids can be under to have the right look, the right dress, the right accessories.  And of course,  the pressure is on the parents too then.

Though I felt a bit hard done by at the time, thankfully, my pragmatic parents would not enter the race for the most extravagant outfit or lavish gifts and celebrations. My Mum, adept with a sewing machine, made me a simple, knee-length, white dress. I yearned for a maxi so I could be a princess for the day and I wished I had tonnes of relatives living in Dublin so I could visit and collect 'Communion money' like my schoolmates. My dress may have been simple but it was in fact, very pretty and my mother hand-sewed little white flowers on the end of my veil. It was more than enough. In fact it was very special, even if I didn't fully appreciate it then. I did get a special silver charm bracelet though, which I treasured forever.

Simple seaglass pendant from Ireland

 I'm proud that I grew up with handmade. I'm lucky that my mother in particular, nurtured our creative side and sometimes ignored our desire to have 'the latest big thing'. (click here for a blog post about my handmade childhood posted on Etsy Ireland Blog in 2010).

Is May The Start of the Irish Summer or Not?

Teal seaglass pendant with flower detail (sold)

 Here's a real Irish conundrum for you. May is here, and in this corner of the world it is officially the start of Summer...right?? Well, according to Met Eireann, our national meteorological service, in line with the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, the summer months are June, July and August. Yet according to the Irish calendar (and popular, local understanding it would seem,) Summer is indeed May, June and July.

Celtic, Connemara marble keychain

 I don't believe we're just being awkward or trying to confuse the rest of the world. Nor are we exercising our very Irish sense of individuality...hmmm, well, maybe there is a bit of that.... But the Gaelic calendar dates back to the Celtic system of time keeping.

Butterfly button pendant

Click here for: the full story from good ol' Wiki but in  simple terms, in pre-Christian Ireland, the solstices (longest and shortest days of the year,)  fell bang in the middle of Summer and Winter, not at the start. Likewise the two days of the year where we have 12 hours of daylight and 12 of night, the equinoxes, fell in the middle of Spring and Autumn. Hence, from a cultural stance, with the Summer solstice falling on 20th or 21st June each year, the month of May heralds the beginning of Summer.

So be it. Summer is here! In fact the sun even came out today to prove it.

Away With The Fairies. A Tale of Inspiration

I've had this dainty piece of drilled beach glass for at least a year. It's a little small for a pendant. And as white seaglass is common enough and I have plenty of bigger, more exciting pieces to work with, this little fella was lost and forgotten in my bowl of beach finds. I didn't feel inspired to do anything in particular with it.

Maybe it was my hike to Fairy Castle in Ticknock (which may look like a big pile of ordinary rocks, but is apparently the remains of an ancient cairn or tomb.)

Or perhaps it was this pretty fairy village I found in my cousin's garden? ( How cute is that?!)

But most certainly, it was my 5 year old niece who took me fairy-watching in the park over the Easter holidays and filled my head with stories of goblins, witches and fairy princesses....ok, maybe it was me who was telling the fairy tales, but all that magic had to go somewhere didn't it?!  TADA! And so appeared the Blue Fairy:

Blue fairy bookmark

Thank you to Alannah, for sprinkling a little magic dust and inspiring me to create something pretty. Oh to be a child who believes in fairies again.....

A Snippet About Connemara Marble

The region of Connemara is an area of natural beauty in West Connaught, Ireland, namely in West County Galway. It is only here, in this unspoilt land that Connemara marble, described as our national gemstone, is found.

Connemara marble is an extremely rare and beautiful stone. It has been  mined and carved for centuries. This stunning green stone is over 600 million years old. (Here comes the science bit...) It is a metamorphic rock made up of recrystallised particles. (Ok, that is about as much science as you are going to get out of me but I did find this more technical info online.)

Love Spirals pendant, Connemara marble with Swarovski crystal

It is a hard and durable stone that can take a high polish. Considered to be the world's rarest and most exquisite, true green marble, it comes in a wide range of tones from pale, grey-sage to darkest forest green, with every shade of lime and leaf in between.  On occasion a yellow ochre specimen can be found. It is highly variegated so it is not unusual to find several contrasting hues  in a small piece of the gemstone.

OOAK Connemara marble pendant, Legends

Traditionally it has been used for making worry stones, rosary beads, jewellery, household items, ornaments, and so on.

It is also used as a durable, aesthetic building material not only in Ireland but around the globe. Famously it can be seen in the Chapel of St Patrick and the Saints of Ireland at Westminster Cathedral, London, for example. Here, in Dublin, the reception desk at Leinster House's new pavilion is topped with a fine example of sleek, Connemara marble.

Irish pub ornament or Christmas decoration, Connemara marble

When I started out beading and wire-wrapping, I never expected to be using Connemara marble among all the other exotic stones I found. I am so glad I discovered its unique beauty and am proud to use this and other, unusual, indigenous Irish materials in my work.

 Kilkenny Marble Earrings             Cork Red Marble Earrings

(these earrings sold, but you can watch Handmade by Amo'r on Etsy for other designs)