Lavender, Purpleheart and Laburnum Wood Fascinator Hair Pin

This unusual handcrafted pin is made from Lavender, Purpleheart and Laburnum wood. It features a natural gnarled and twisted 'fascinator' top that is sure to catch the eye. The collar has a band of dark Purpleheart wood and the rest of the length is made of gently contoured Laburnum wood with fine grain patterns running down the piece.

Lavender is a prised plant in the mint family. It has been widely used across Asia, The Middle East Europe and northern and eastern Africa for centuries. Best known for it's stunning flowers, unmistakable fragrance and powerful oil, this herb is a truly wonderful plant. Anyone who has stood in the middle of a lavender field can attest to this! It's a favourite herb in English cottage gardens thanks to the Romans who first introduced it to Britain and named the herb Lavare, after their word for 'to bathe'. Lavender boasts many medicinal and magical attributes and is famed for it's calming properties. It was ancient Arabia that first farmed the herb for it's potent oil.

The wood from lavender is rarely used and usually discarded once the old plants have lost their vigour. I have been so excited to work with this Lavender that came from a local garden in Wiltshire after a hard prune a couple of years ago. It has quickly become one of my favourite discoveries for making pins.

Purpleheart is a very strong wood from south America. This piece was left over from a local carpentry workshop. It is one of my favourite woods to work with. Sapele Mahogany comes from West, Central and East Africa. It is often used in furniture and cabinet making and as a veneer for marquetry. It is also used in the construction of musical instruments, for building boats and as a flooring material.

Laburnum wood is a stunning wood found in southern Europe and here in the UK. Prized by furniture makers and luthiers this beautiful deep grained wood is often used for veneers. It is one of the few woods we have in the UK that feels and behaves like rosewood. Cross cut sections of this wood called 'oysters' have been used to make furniture for centuries. A stunning tree and a gorgeous wood, it never fails to impress. This piece was salvaged from a very old tree that had fallen in a storm in 2012. I've saved as much of the old dear as I could and I can't wait to see what further wonders lie beneath the bark

Measurements:

19.5cm Long

6.4cm Wide