Rosie Weisencrantz ~ Handmade Vintage Jewellery…

 

** Rosie Weisencrantz is offering all Love My Dress readers a 15% discount on anything on the website until end of May. Enter the code LOVE at checkout **

 

Good afternoon folks.  I'd love to share details with you this afternoon of a talented artistan craftsperson who is producing some really beautiful jewellery and accessories that can be worn by the bride – or otherwise. Think beautifully crafted, romantic fanciful jewellery for the 21^st century damsel.

Rosie Weisencrantz was established by textiles designer Caroline Rose Dent, following a whimsical dream…

"Rosie Weisencrantz is  actually a character in a dream I had : an artist whose work was  so incredibly beautiful that I awoke from the dream with a mixture of awe and envy, and had to write the dream down. As my middle name is Rose anyway, it just felt right to take her name for my jewellery brand.

In many ways I feel that she has always been a part of me. I think we all have an alter ego,  waiting to reveal itself,  and Rosie is mine…"

 Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Rosie Weisencrantz

I use linen thread to  weave together old trinkets, flowers and antique lace to make beautifully crafted one off pieces of jewellery and hair adornments in the form of necklaces, bracelets, headbands, rings and earrings. My main customers are brides to be.

I approach every piece with fresh eyes, like an artist creating a new work of art, or a poet writing a new poem I like to think that my work is, in essence, about romance, memories, fantasy, nostalgia and dreams, and as such, have a poetic quality that  transcends all notions of material value.

The tradition of handcrafted work is very tied up with my nostalgia for the past, when virtually everything of beauty was lovingly handcrafted, and therefore precious because of all  the time and love that had  gone into it, and  not because of a label sewn on the back…

I especially love to work on commissions whereby the client is personally involved in the creative process. She may bring just a brooch, a bead or even  a pyjama  button to the altar of creativity, but her  involvement in the process makes the end piece so much more special to her, and  thus more enjoyable and satisfying  for me too.

Occasionally I make memorial or remembrance necklaces, containing precious momentos from  a loved one that has passed.  For me, this a beautiful and satisfying part of my work.  I  feel incredibly humbled by the way  strangers are  so willing to open their hearts and share their stories with me. In this small way, a tiny piece of their own history and personality is woven into the necklace.

I subscribe to green and ethical working practices. It is important to me that all my jewellery is made from found and reclaimed materials, not only because of my personal beliefs around wastage and over consumerism, but also  because age has its own special patina, imprinted by the passing of time. The beauty begotten by age is something that can never be replicated by a machine. The one thing that we can never manufacture is time!

I have been involved in designing and creating beautiful  things for 30 years. Before making  accessories, I trained as a weaver, and  spent 20 years designing textiles, during which time I won  international awards, and had my work featured in interior  magazines and books.

My  love affair with “vintage”  became apparent in my first year at art college, where I could be regularly  spotted wearing an ankle length  green velvet cloak, a black 20s style headband and a Victorian black whaleboned silk damask jacket with a tiny tail bustle. I wore that jacket  till it literally  shredded on me, and  I still miss and long for it to this day ! I had a passion for 1920s and 30s, be it fashion film idols or music  and by the time I was 25 I had acquired my first wind up gramophone and a stack of 78s, which I would take on picnics.

Later in life, I inherited several  old religious amulets belonging to my grandma, who was a bit of an eccentric spiritual eclectic, and it was the most natural thing in the world to weave them all together in one necklace….and thus Rosie Weisencrantz Jewellery was born.

I am drawn to the meaning and memory found in momentos and keepsakes as opposed to precious jewellery whose beauty often lies in it’s material value. Victorian mourning jewellery in particular holds a deep fascination for me, as do lockets, religious / mystical amulets, and  basically any objects that has a history and an emotional  connection, and thus a value beyond it’s physical appearance and monetary value. Old   flowers, handwritten letters, a 4 leaf clover, a button from a loved one’s pyjamas,  a seaside souvenir from a special day, simple things that remind us of people and places we loved , all hold fascination for me….

Right now, I am particularly  inspired by a combination of  nature and fantasy. My  latest collection  of wedding headbands contain a lot of antique lace and flowers.  Think. “ A Midsummer Nights Dream” meets “Alice in Wonderland meets Thomas Hardy,  a  potent mix of innocence fantasy and  nature. To me there is nothing more achingly  beautiful than nature itself, and  I like to think of my jewellery as being similar in spirit as say  a garland of fresh blossoms, or  a daisy chain necklace. It is not possible to create anything more beautiful than nature itself. We are all poor imitators by comparison, but I hope to capture some of it’s beauty in my work.

 

 In terms of fashion designers, I love the work of Vera Wang. Her wedding gowns especially are to die for (or even better….get married for!).

In terms of icons I have adored Sally Bowles since I first saw the film  Cabaret, back in the 70s. I was inspired enough to go out and  buy a  bowler hat and fish nets, long before Burlesque became popular…

If I had to choose a face for  my brand however it would be Helena Bonham Carter, as I have always loved her quirky, slightly gothic and very personal sense of style. I like people who dare to be different.

As far as prices go, my earrings start at £18 and bracelets at £40.  Necklaces and headbands start at
£130…

For further information, you can visit the Rosie Weisencrantz website.  You can also find Rosie Weisencrantzon Facebook.

Remember readers, that Rosie Weisencrantz is offering ALL readers a 15% discount on anything on the website until end of May. Enter the code LOVE at checkout.

Much love all and thanks Rosie for taking the time to share a little bit about yourself and your beautiful designs with my readers. 

Much love,

Annabel

♥