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Celebrating Wild Things – Little Brown Bat

leather bat barrette

Sharing this leather bat barrette in celebration of the wonderful little brown bat that I found in my driveway yesterday! I’m not sure if it was injured, or if it was in a torpid state. Perhaps the high winds knocked it out of its roost, and out of hibernation?

The wildlife rescue that I called was unable to make it out until the next day, but someone explained how to safely capture the bat until qualified help could get there (bats can pose health risks to humans & animals, so it’s really best to leave rehabilitation to the pros). .

Thankfully, the little fella made it through the night, and the rescuer was able to pick it up today. She’ll check it for injuries and tend them if needed … or just give it a safe space to crash until it’s ready to come out of hibernation. In either case, the bat survived, and is now in more capable hands. I’m so grateful that there are folks with the knowledge, skill, and heart to do such work!

Bats get a bad rap for being vicious and spooky, but in truth, they’re lovely creatures who play an important role as pollinators. With that said, this post is a celebration of bats in general, and particularly, the little creature that I found yesterday. This barrette is a fantastical shade of shimmering burgundy-purple, but the real life bat that I met was an adorable little brown bat.

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Beauty and Death shoot

photo © Michelle Masso

Michelle did this shoot in February or March, but I just realized that I never shared any of the images here! She had the concept for this last year, but it took a few months for the various participants and contributors to bring it all together. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with her, and this is one of my favorite shoots so far.

The set was an old civil war graveyard. When she contacted me with the idea, she was a bit worried that it might be “too dark” for me, but I think it’s perfect. The photo to the right is one of my favorites — I love the faded look, and the subtle damask pattern in the background that echoes the pattern on her dress as well as the pattern on the headstone. 
photo © Michelle Masso
It’s been a lot of fun collaborating on these shoots. I love her aesthetic as well as her imaginative approach. I also love that it challenges me to work on more intensive pieces. This collar for example — it may look simple, but it’s very detailed and it reflects countless hours of work. It incorporates a series of 1960’s era cabochons and cameos, along with a huge assortment of unusual vintage French jet sew-ons from the late 1800’s. These beads were traditionally used in Victorian mourning jewelry and garments, and I hoped to capture that feel with this piece.

If you’d like to see more images from this shoot, you can check them out on my facebook fan page. While you’re there, consider “liking” the page, so that you can keep up with our future collaborations.