🐞Taxidermy Bug Brooches--"Jumping Jack" & "Little Miss Soon-To-Be" | Hannabal Marie

My little brooches.

Hello ladies and gents

Today I am bringing you a post that will either make people intrigued...

or just really gross them out. 

I love the preservation of critters in whatever form they can be obtained. 

But most importantly, the preservation of insects. 

The look of the butterflies pinned to foam boards.

French Beetle Taxidermy Tray. [Circa 1950s]
Image found: Google Search Engine.

French Butterfly/Moth Taxidermy Tray. [Circa 1970s]
Image found: Google Search Engine.

Mixed Insects In Framed Wooden Box. 
Image found: Google Search Engine.

I want to address that I would never hurt a living thing intentionally 

but I do love and respect all aspects of life--both living and dead.

The following critters were found as they are shown.
My dog actually brought me the dead grasshopper, so he was the one who supplied me. lol
I only picked up the carcass and used it for the following pieces of art.

It was either do this in remembrance or have my dog chomp on them. 

I couldn't let him munch on this beautiful little guy. 

But thanks, Charlie--for giving me the little present! :)

My dog, as I said, found me the little guy.
So, I put him inside some plastic packaging--to keep him protected for a while.
I didn't want him to crumble into dust, so it was important to seal him into something.
I sadly don't own a lot of the tools I used to have, like jars and containers--so I had to use what I had on hand. 

This was the first time seeing the little guy.
I used some recycled plastic packaging for the sake of these mini brooches. 

Just me picking him up and checking him out.
Apparently, one of his limbs fell off--so I had to gently put him into place and reattach the limb.

Poor little guy--luckily for me, he will be sealed nice and tightly. 

This is the final product of my turning him into a brooch, so I can gawk at his greatness forever.
Victorian women, back in the day, used to create brooches/jewelry for their mourning of loved ones--
and also, contrary to disbelief, they also made pet mourning jewelry--
by putting hair clippings, teeth, ect into sealed jewelry pieces so they could have a piece of them forever.
I would love to keep that tradition alive, if I could.  

 👉"Jumping Jack" Grasshopper Brooch👈

I know it's nothing grand but it's a start of something beautiful.
Also, it's my very first creation using dried specimens.
I didn't have much on hand, as I mentioned, so I ended up reusing some packaging that had little bubble sections.
I merely placed him (with the help of some tiny pins and adhesive) inside the plastic dome.
I then used a lighter to melt the plastic around him, so it encapsulated everything nicely. 

 "Little Miss Soon-To-Be" Pupa Shell (Lady Bug) Brooch👈

I also found this little lady bug pupa shell on a leaf when I went walking around town.
A little bush had a ton of them, but this one was the tiniest and cutest.
Pupa is the last stage before a lady bug becomes a lady bug--
so, when the time is right for the bug to emerge from it's pupa...it will shed the skin and basically transform.

[ Just to make sure I am perfectly clear--this is the shell. There is no bug inside. ]

I really love how they turned out and I can't wait to create a nice makeup/fashion look using these as the highlight.
I am in love with brooches but these have to be my all-time favorite. Sentimental and personal.

I also tried to make them look elegant by getting all artsy.
On the Pupa, I just kept her on the leaf and tossed in some thin sticks.
On the Grasshopper, I put some blades of grass, a leaflet and a thin twig.
I also made the Grasshopper appear as if he was "jumping" through the grass.
All set on top of vintage text from an old textbook about backyard gardening.
(I didn't damage the book, some pages were falling out and I only used selected pieces!)

That is all for now. 

It's a part of my life that I would like to surface online.
I am in love with a lot of things--

dry and wet specimens, as well as vintage taxidermy and many other curiosities.
Death doesn't always have to be seen as something revolting, frightening or horrid.
Just as we perceive Life to be, It can be beautiful, too...
if it's seen in such a way.
xoxo