Irish Jewellery Inspired by Nature

I've been busy getting out and about this summer to make up for a very indoorsy winter when I worked by day and studied by night. That doesn't mean I haven't been busily crafting away at some key jewellery pieces for the coming season. In fact, I've found plenty to inspire me outdoors as always.

          Emo Court, County Laois 

           Connemara marble earrings, Emerald Raindrops

Sunset, County Offaly

Sunshine-inspired citrine earrings, Golden Glow

                         

Blessington, County Wicklow

Irish, Connemara marble pendant, Mountain Source

Blessington Greenway

view of one of the lakes along Blessington Greenway, own photo

Blessington Greenway walk provides an easy escape from the city with a 7k stomp through the countryside that is easily reached by public transport. The walkway, which opened as recently as 2014, is fully accessible by car or bus. The 65 goes from Dublin city centre almost to the start of the walk at the Northern tip of Blessington in Wicklow. Even if you decide to stop in Blessington town centre for refreshment first, it's only a stone's throw to AvonRi resort and adventure centre,  where the greenway begins. Access is through a gate in the back car park.

Blessington Greenway, photo by Sheila Mahon

Although the route commences so close to the town, you are instantly distanced from civilisation. The path takes you round the side of the lake and through the forest. After a while, however , you do need to leave the woods and follow the road for a few metres before resuming the track once more.  

view looking back from lake, own photo

photo by Sheila Mahon

Several kilometres on, you will need to emerge again and cross a road but at no point do you have to walk on unsafe road or on any grass verge, except at the end, when turning up a short, quiet road that leads to Russborough House. For this reason, I give this route the thumbs up for safety as well as accessibility. It is also level, with no hills to negotiate and the path is easy underfoot. At some points boardwalks help the walker cross what would be boggy or uneven terrain. I have done this walk in light rain with no bother.

Russborough House, Photo by Sheila Mahon

Russborough House is worth a tour if you have the time and interest, but at the very least the quaint tearooms serve up seriously good cake and a chance to rest. There are also a few craft studios in the beautiful grounds and a maze, which I have yet to explore. The first time trying out this walk, after a decent lunch, we braved the whole walk back to Blessington. However, 14k can be a bit much in one day, even for an avid walker like me. Revisiting with a bunch of friends on a muggy day last weekend, we left one car in Russborough and another at the start of the walk. We were so grateful for our foresight. There is a bus stop near Russborough but the route isn't all that frequent so be advised to check bus times both in advance and on Dublin Bus's real time app if possible. 

Apart from the ease and accessibility of this walk, I love it because it takes you through a variety of scenery. With cake at the end, what's not to love?

Pigeon House towers & Poolbeg lighthouse- Caught My Eye 37

Caught My Eye  is a series of blog posts showing scenes I found interesting, odd, curious or beautiful. Some curiosities that I capture inspire the Jewellery that I make. Others don't, but just getting out there and looking fires up the imagination. I am a creative observer, not  a  photographer  by any  description.  So  if  you  expect  top  quality  photography I'm afraid you will be disappointed.  Please simply enjoy a snap-shot glimpse of the world and maybe grab some inspiration for yourself.

Pigeon House chimneys, Poolbeg up close, own photo 2015

Here is a sight that's as Dublin as Guinness, the Liffey and the traders on Moore Street are. 

Dubliners have used the Pigeon House power station chimneys  in Poolbeg  as a point of  reference from afar ever since 1903.  Whether you are viewing the  unmistakable towers from another  point along Dublin bay such as Dollymount or Dun Laoghaire or from up the Dublin mountains, they are a well known landmark in the distance that helps get your bearings. 

I only noticed this week that I can even see them from Portobello on the edges of the city centre. I have been looking at them daily on the way to work for a few years now and never even noticed. They were just there, part of the accepted skyline.

Poolbeg chimneys from Dollymount, own photo, 2013

This shot was taken from the bathing area at Dollymount strand in the north of the city. (Caught my Eye #16)

Here is the view from the south, taken at Monkstown, near Dun Laoghaire. 

Pigeon House chimneys, own photo, 2015

This is a shot from another location along the same stretch of shore. Is that Jaws lurking in our waters?

Poolbeg chimneys, Dublin, own photo 2015

The closest view is via a path running between Sandymount strand and Irishtown park which takes you behind the disused power station, around to the docks and the jetty leading  to Poolbeg lighthouse. (See it here on Map my Walk but do come back to me here!) If you've never done this walk, be forewarned that it's a rather fragrant part of the city with the waste water treatment plant right beside the towers. After a while you don't notice the...um...aroma anymore, though I cracked up when my  friend told me she was taken there on a school trip back in her school days. Now there is a teacher with a sense of humour!

Poolbeg pier, own photo, 2015

The red dot at the end of the angled pier is Poolbeg lighthouse, a part of the city that can feel strangely remote. Dublin is full of surprises and inspiration. For about two seconds I considered using the red and white chimneys of Poolbeg as inspiration for dangly earrings. Then sanity returned. They do however, remind me of candy cane ornaments. I'm off to to play around with some designs....

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.

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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

Dun Laoghaire Pier Lighthouse. Caught My Eye no.36

Caught My Eye  is a series of blog posts showing scenes I found interesting, odd, curious or beautiful. Please do enjoy a snapshot glimpse of the world through my creative eyes. 

Dun Laoghaire (Dun Laoire) is one of Dublin's ferry ports, a large, lively town and a favourite among city dwellers for a day out. It has two long piers where you can go for bracing walks with the reward of a whipped icecream cone at the end.  Just about anyone who grew up in Dublin in the last 50 years or so will nod and smile at the words 'Teddy's Ice cream.'  The humble little shop with a hatch window facing out onto the coast road is an indelible childhood memory.

Nowadays you can claim your ice cold prize at the end of the pier if you wish. Teddy's has an impermanent annex tucked behind the East Pier lighthouse. 

Dun Laoghaire Lighthouse, East Pier, own photo, Spring 2015

The lighthouse was built in 1847. Keepers and their families once lived in the dwellings at the base, though in 1955, the two families were removed and only the keepers lived and worked there in shifts. In the 70s the lighthouse became fully automated.

detail of surrounding wall, railings, steps

I last took this walk in the late Spring, accompanied by an Etsy friend, out for a crafty chat. We slurped our '99' cones, perched on a cold stone step facing the base of the lighthouse. The two hook-like structures on the opposite wall caught my eye. They call to mind snakes or birds, maybe even swans, spying on the people below and hoping for a crumb of wafer. 

They also remind me of long, sleek earring wires. In my mind's eye I added some dangly beading........if you ever take this walk and find such an addition, twasn't me...I was nowhere near the vicinity Officer....

Flora & Fauna from Irish Bogs - Caught My Eye 35

Caught My Eye  is a series of blog posts showing scenes I found interesting, odd, curious or beautiful. Some curiosities that I capture inspire the Jewellery that I make. I am artistic and therefore an observer but I am not a photographer by any description. So if you expect top quality photography I'm afraid you will be disappointed.  Please simply enjoy a snap-shot glimpse of the world through my eyes. 

bog cotton, Clara bog boardwalk

I was back in Offaly again last week and got a chance to go walking both at Clara bog nature reserve and the wetlands of Finnamore Lakes , Boora. The area is abundant in plant and wildlife. All these photos are my own.

I fess up I'm neither botanist nor bird watcher but I love getting out walking in the wilds and always take my camera with me. Something always catches my eye,often the smaller things like the heads of bog cotton  (common cottongrass) poking up through the boardwalk at Clara nature reserve. 

section of boardwalk at Clara Bog nature reserve

The boardwalk circuit is very short, so we went round twice before the clouds opened. If you are looking for a decent walk, go to Finnamore lakes or Lough Boora.

Finnamore Lakes reserve

Geese at Finnamore Lakes reserve

On the day we went, we didn't spot much wildlife other than a few swans and one rabbit hopping away from us. Let's not forget the little midges that nibbled at our faces when we passed through a small wooded copse! At the second lake we happened upon a family of geese. I took the shot quickly and got out of there fast as they can be vicious. In the midlands they say they are more effective than any guard dog, I will take their word for it.

bog daisy, Finnamore Lakes

 This bog daisy, which is bigger than your average garden daisy, is about the only thing that inspired me in terms of jewellery making. While the daisy shape is one of my favourites, the petals themselves are a familiar shape in gemstone bead cuts.

 

Irish seaglass pendant and Connemara marble ornament with flower motifs

WATCH THIS SPACE....

pink chalcedony petal beads (large)

kyanite beads (medium)

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Click here for Connemara marble earrings inspired by Irish bog heather 

Click here for Bog oak at Boora - Caught my Eye

Click here for Inspirations from Irish boglands in Autumn

Inspired by Irish legend: Children of Lir

Although my Irish jewellery is contemporary in design, much of the inspiration comes from the ancient Celts or traditional folklore.

Lir pendant, Connemara marble with sterling silver swan charm, Handmade by Amo'r

An idea was tucked away at the back of my mind to make a pendant inspired by the Irish legend , 'Clann Lir' or 'The Children of Lir' as it is called in English. I knew it had to involve indigenous, Connemara marble and sterling silver. 

The Children of Lir, Silk batik art by ArtonSilkbyLouise (Etsy)

LEGEND OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR 

True of many an Irish tale passed from generation to generation, there are several variations of this ancient story.

As one version goes, Nobleman Lir and his wife Aobh had 4 beautiful children, a girl named Fionnuala and 3 boys. Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Tragically, Aobh passed on too soon and the young children were left without a mother. Aobh's father, King Bodb, wanted to keep Lir content so he sent his other daughter, Aoife, to take her sister's place. 

Aoife soon grew jealous of the bond shared by her step children and her new husband. She contrived to have the siblings killed but her servant refused to carry out the ugly task. So instead, Aoife magically turned them into swans, bound together by chains of silver and doomed to swim the lakes and seas of Ireland for 9 centuries. She gave them one gift, singing voices more beautiful and enchanting than that of the lark. The spell would only be broken if the silver chains broke at the toll of a sacred bell

Eons passed and the child swans survived many adventures, battling the waves of the ocean and beating the cold of the deep lakes. They became famed for their charming singing. Eventually the four found solace at a peaceful monastery. However Deoch, wife of the King of Leinster, wanted to take possession of these beautiful swans so they could sing to her and her alone. She demanded her husband capture them.

During the melee to grab the birds, the monastery bell tolled. At that very moment, the sharp blade of a sword accidentally severed the silver chain that bound them. In an instant, the spell was broken but the children were shocked to discover they had lost their youth and were almost 1000 years old and very withered. No time passed before they moved on to the next world. There however, they were happily reunited with their beloved parents.

hand formed silver spiral

Swan Spiral Charm

Recently I stole a quiet half hour to form a few Celtic spirals from solid sterling silver wire. It occurred to me that the shape can turnout swan-like, if the loose end is left long and graceful. To remain true to a Celtic spiral shape, the charm does need to remain fairly rounded, however.

hammered silver, spiral swan charm

A few strategic taps with a chasing hammer on an anvil perfected the shape while hardening the metal. I then used the round end of the hammer head to add bevelled texture, which catches more light.

A swan is born! I wire wrapped the charm onto this gorgeous, one of a kind, slab of Connemara marble, cut by a Galway mason. Occasionally I hang my pendants on velvet or crochet chains. In keeping with the legend, Lir pendant could only be hung upon a silver chain.

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Click here to read the story of the Irish Claddagh symbol

 Click here to learn how to make a Celtic spiral charm

Sundown in Spring, Caught My Eye 34

Caught My Eye  is a series of blog posts showing scenes I found interesting, odd, curious or beautiful. I am artistic and therefore an observer but I am not a photographer by any description. So if you expect top quality photography I'm afraid you will be disappointed.  But please do enjoy a snap shot glimpse of the world through my creative eyes. 

Sunset in Spring

This fiery shot of a sunset just after Easter happened almost by accident. The orange sky is not a result of photo editing but partly down to experimentation and mostly fluke - it's how it came out on my ordinary point and shoot camera. 

Capturing a washed out sky versus a colourful one

During daylight, the sky in my scenic photos often turns out completely white. A friend who knows something about photography gave me a tip to make the sky blue. First you point the camera up at the bluest part of the sky, then depress the button half way, while keeping the focus on the blue. Then move your view back down to what you actually want to capture, without letting go of the button. When you are steadily focused on the target, click the button the rest of the way.  Above are great examples. These are 2 castles I shot while visiting Jersey last year. No need to guess which photo is the result of this little trick.

Sunset in Offaly, April 2015

I just thought I'd try something similar with a beautiful sunset while on an Easter break in county Offaly. Above is a wider shot.

The following evening the sunset was a bit pinker. Employing this little photo trick, this is how it turned out. This purple colour is not the result of editing after the fact.

Above is a different shot, where the trick didn't fully work, but it still turned out interesting. The actual sky was dusky with a purple tinge to it, but this is what the camera captured. The only editing after the fact was to darken the photo a little so the trees were fully black.

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