The Lid is OFF!!: A Child of the 70's

- Glenn Campbell

I decided in the spring that I was going to take the summer to work on designs and not so much worry about inventory. I wanted to make designs that felt like “summer”. I also wanted to experiment with recreating a mood to transcend imagination to another time and see what creating in that world would bring.

I was born in 1969 so my childhood summers were lived in the 70's. I set the mood for my summertime designs by listening to 70's music that reminded me of summer music festivals, carnivals, fireflies, honeysuckle, swimming in the creek, riding on the tailgate of a truck, and eating watermelon. I tried to do as many of these summer activities as I could. I will be ending the summer walking 100 miles in the English countryside thinking about my summers submersed in the works of Tolkien, Jane Austen and most certainly, “Alice in Wonderland”.

As you can guess, the work took on a gypsy/boho feel as did my summer. I worked barefoot and every day came home with dirty feet and messy hair. When the collection was complete, I submitted it for licensing and got a big ol....”LOVE it All”! So.....as you also could guess...that starts my new process of how to best foster imagination. It proved also to be a great way to slow life down a bit and pay close attention and really enjoy the little things. It's been a very enjoyable summer!

I have a summer art festival this Saturday. The TomatoArt Fest in East Nashville is summertime art and music festivals at its best! Just one day, 600 vendors, music and great food. East Nashville and it's hipster vibe is the perfect neighborhood for a street festival and an excellent excuse for me to make pretties with my new designs.

In the sprit of my 70's childhood summer, I wanted to make something with solid perfume. I was so obsessed with solid perfume as a kid. I didn't have any of my own but would just marvel at this little treasure hidden inside of another treasure whenever I ran across one. My grandmother had a few hidden inside of brooches.

When I was having my kindergarten school photo made, there was a girl in front of me that was wearing a bird pin. I tapped her on the shoulder and asked her if I could wear her pin in my photo. She happily said yes and took it off after her photo and I pinned it on. I was so happy to have something pretty to wear in my photo. To my surprise it had solid perfume in it! I smelled my wrist the rest of the day. It smelled like honeysuckle. By the time I was old enough to buy my own jewelry, solid perfume had gone way out of fashion:(.

I decided to bring some back! I found these wonderful large lockets and then I had my solid perfume vessel! I wanted these because I could also put some of my summer art designs on them as well as perfume in them. I mixed up some beeswax, almond oil and an essential oil fragrance using white lotus flower, amber and patchouli. I'm calling it “ my big girl summer”.

I made it a Sunday project for me and my man. We had a ball! They are a 30x40 cabechon setting with wire wrapped beads, antique brass findings and are approximately 18 inches in length. Bohemian and delicate but substantial in size. I will keep mine on a dressing table as a pretty, as a reminder and as a scent to always have a bit of summer near me. There are three sentiments... “You belong among the Wildflowers”, “Daydream Believer” and “I am not afraid, I was born to do this”.

Here are some photos of a few of them! Can't wait for Fall!!