It’s that time of the month again – time for We’re All Ears Challenge! I’ve really enjoyed these monthly prompts to create earrings. Erin does a great job picking interesting topics to explore. May’s theme was tea parties! For some, that conjures up images of Victorian England garden teas or exotic oriental tea houses. (Our Denver Botanic Gardens had a Japanese tea house in the meditation gardens that I always wanted to visit). Maybe it reminds you of pretend parties in the backyard with plastic tea service sets. Or perhaps you have a special porcelain set for fancy occasions. One of the most alluring aspects of taking tea is the beautiful tea settings! Cups, teapots, silver spoons, platters of tiny sandwiches and treats… Even though I struggle to enjoy the beverage, I love all the trimmings associated with the time-honored tradition of taking tea. I even have a pinterest board for teapots and teacups!
Even with all the ideas for inspiration, when I hear “tea party” my mind races to only one thing. And that’s Alice in Wonderland. The iconic Mad Tea Party has a special place in my imagination and I revel in every interpretation of it.
So naturally, my earrings had to look like they would fit in with Alice’s teaparty.
When the first Alice in Wonderland debuted, I was so inspired that I made jewelry based on nearly every character. I’m still fascinated with all the color, patterns, and visual elements the film wove together. It was a feast for the senses. Today I was happy to wear this set to the sequel. The earrings and necklace featured here were inspired by Alice’s tea party. Mad Hatter has always been associated with the color purple to me, so I used a mixed glass bead collection in various shades of purple, accented with silver butterflies, flowers, teapots, and teacups. And I used the classic Tenniel illustration of the tea party to make the bezel for the necklace.
It was thrilling to fall through the looking glass with Alice once again today. The return to Wonderland was every bit as magical and inspiring as I’d hoped. I’ve come back home with my mind churning with all the great scenes, color, and imagery and can’t wait to make more Alice jewelry.
Etsy art:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/189040911/alice-in-wonderland-were-all-mad-here
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 