This year I decided to donate one of my jewellery items to charity and the charity I chose is called Butterfly Conservation.
This charity carries out a lot of butterfly conservation projects countrywide, such as the creation and linking up of butterfly habitat, as well as monitoring and recording butterfly species and encouraging an awareness of the importance of a diverse ecosystem, – all issues which are close to my heart as I have had an interest in wildlife conservation from a very young age.
The piece I chose to donate was a cuff bangle I had made and engraved using argentium silver and was modelled on the brown argus butterfly. I really enjoyed making the piece and for the first time explored the use of stipple engraving technique to create the delicate wing patterns of the brown argus butterfly.
So the auction had around 65 items and between them the target of £12000 was smashed with a very generous £13889 in auction bids! I know this will all be put to good use in helping to conserve UK butterflies and their habitats.
To have watched my little brown argus butterfly cuff take part in something like this was really nice, – and I have to admit there was some ongoing excitement in our household towards the last few days of the auction as the bids on my butterfly cuff kept racking up!
The final and winning bid on my piece was £340, which was very exciting, and I look forward to posting it to it’s new owner next week.
I’m always looking for new ideas and I’m open to suggestions for a similar project next year, so if you are associated with a charitable cause that would benefit from either a handmade donated jewellery item or my time (in a jewellery making capacity, ie a jewellery making workshop) in any way, please do get in touch, it would be great to hear from you.
I’ve created the two following links if you would like to view the ‘Auction for the Endangered’ which was hosted by ‘Givergy’ or to find out more about the charity Butterfly Conservation and what they do.
https://butterfly-conservation.org/
Jenny Gartside Jewellery 