Jewelry From My Best Friend’s Garden

I love jewelry that’s beautiful and also tells a story.  These pieces are formed from green bean leaves from my best friend’s garden, so my connection to them is mighty strong.  Grab a cup of tea and let me tell you the story.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I traveled to North Carolina in June to attend a week-long Introduction to ArtClay Silver class at the John C. Campbell Folk School, also known as summer camp for crafty adults.  Well, any trip to that part of the country makes my heart swell, because I get to visit my sister and her family in Georgia, my mother-in-law in Asheville, and my best friends who moved to Honea Path, South Carolina.  Ted and Kristen and their two small children moved from Orlando to this tiny town near Greenville to be closer to Ted’s large and tight-knit family, and to re-gain the quality of life that a small southern town can offer.  I’ve missed them terribly since they departed in 2006.

This visit was the first time we’ve seen Ted and Kristen since they settled into their new home last fall.  Kristen has a green thumb and a love of fresh produce that had her outside planting a garden as soon as the winter frosts had passed.  By the time we arrived in June, her little patch of paradise was well on its way to producing a bounty of fresh homegrown food.

In my class at the Folk School, we learned how to use 2-part silicone molding compound to create molds and impressions of just about anything that has a texture.  One of our projects included impressing a leaf in the compound and using the resulting mold to make fine silver leaves.  Suddenly, I was on high alert for leaves with interesting shapes or deep textures. Just as we were all packed up and reluctantly leaving our friends, I looked down and noticed the leaves on Kristen’s green bean plants.  Wow – what incredible deep veining they had!  I dug out my molding compound, mixed a small batch and impressed 3 sizes of green bean leaves.

The fine silver leaves made from these molds are just fabulous and people really seem to be attracted to them.  Furthermore, when I share the story of my friend, her garden and how much I miss her, the connection is extended to include everyone who hears it.

These are available on request, and will be listed in my store when I get that set up.  The smallest leaf is used for earrings.  The medium and large sizes are pendants.  They can be shiny – just tumbled and polished, or I can add a patina treatment to highlight the texture and add color to each piece.  Let me know what you think!

Check out Green Bean Series set in my Flickr Photostream for more photos of the collection and a shot of the original mold.