bridal head accessory

this was a picture given to me by my cousin who is getting married and wants two bridal head pieces. she also asked if i could add my mehndi touch to i and tweak it so that it looks like its mehndi-like.
these were my designs.

some patterns were of Roome's were similar to that of the picture reference given to me by my cousin

Roome 1998:36

Roome 1998:39

Roome 1998:44

Roome 1998:47

using wax rolling worked well for these small elements

i aslo spend one entire day piercing this one element and filing it and sanding it to make it perfect so that i could make a mould of them and cast.

and my hand pieced flowers. lloks like everything is slowly coming together.

edinburgh etched copper bangles

I prefer the scratchy line,the flower looks more visible and raised.

the lines are etched neatly and deep after 10 hours

 sanding and polising did not remove etched lines,etching was quite deep.filed the bangle to removee edges and give a comfort fit.

mothers day

I need to make gifts for mothers day,for 3 grannies. Im making copper bangles which I know all 3 of them would wear as opposed to any other jewellery.It can be used to ease artritis pain because its made out ouf copper.

im gonna pierce out mehndi patterns that I found in a book (Roome 1998:121)

Il solder copper wire all around the cuff so that it will be wearable.

act1

okay so ive tried using the wax in the plastic tube.I kept a tub of boiling water so that the wax will be kept warm and soft.The piping bag idea sort of works.

Just a few problems I encounted.One was the boiling water was seeping into the cone and mixing with the wax,two the tip was soft so when I applied pressure it squirts out a blob.

My intension now is to find a new tool that I could use to make the technique work. I need some sort of metal tip if I want to use this applicator.Loretta Roome uses a jacquard bottle with a metal tip to apply mehndi she says its found in craft shops,they are dye bottles prbably used for batiking fabric and she says they are also available in dispensers of your choice.

making mehndi cones

I need to find some way of using the henna application method using a cone in my jewellery.Ive thought about materials that will be sutible for casting that will be a thick liquid when heated enabling me to create mehndi patterns and when left to cool it will harden so that I will be able to invest the element to start the wax burnout process.

I thought about using different waxes,chocolate,icing,clay but if I use clay I will need to make a silicone mould afterwards then pour wax into those moulds.

so Ive decided to try use wax first.

I started by making my cones with thicl plastic,acording to the instructions in the book called the Timeless art of henna painting by Loretta Roome.

I made a few sizes so I could see which size is more comfortable and easier to use,also getting different hole sizes for differnts thickness for the wax mehndi.

Mehndi designs and what they mean

Mehndi is a secret language,a language of symbol through meaning and specific signs and patterns, the use of symbols are universal as Loretta Roome describes as "voice of unconcious and ancient".Patterns have been created by different people with different personalities with differnt goals in life.They have been created with the influence of maths,science,art and religion been the main infleuence with the use of tantric signs.these are signs used as apart of rituals or prayer,etc.Loretta discribes patterns as a decorativeart that reflects nature,so are the different styles of mehndi greatly influenced by geography and places that it is practiced".

According to Loretta all symbols begin with "bija"meaning kennel and seed with added geometric forms,she says the "bindu" meaning point,is the starting pint from which everything emanates and merges.

symbols common in mehndi are sun,moon,stars,which refers to the deep,lonlasting love between husband and wife.
Flowers,sweets,games,gameboards,vines,waves,scorpions,peacocks,parrots,pickles,people,sweetmeats,pots,musical instruments,elephants,fans,feathers,fabric and flames are symbols that I have noticed in mehndi designs.I think these symbols have significance and relative meaning to life,earth, individual and the community,like discribed by loretta, "symbols are the nature of human emotion".

fruits flowers and vines are joyous symbols,the lotus and roses are commonly used aswel as the mango shape mostly in bridal mehndi,this represents virginity.Whilst vines and creepers are known to grow towards the light so they symbol devotion,evoking tenderness.

Animal motifs that are usually used are birds especially peacocks because of its beauty its considered the companion of the wife longing for her husband in time of seperation.It is said thet the beauty of the peacock will distract the woman of her grief.

Loretta speaks about a style of mehndi called " New Mehndi", its a style where focus is on using positive and negative spaces in a creative manner almost like a white wall behind a painting.

The art of mehndi

Loretta Roome states, in order to understand the art of mehndi, you have to understand the role of body adornment, meaning the places where mehndi is placed. As Oppi Untract says,"by adorning the visible,material body,they also seek to satisfy a universal longing for embellishment of its intangible counterpart: the human spirit". Its through spiritual teachings that the invention of ornamentation and designs are used to celebrate the human form.This being both celebration and superstition,according to Lotetta the patterns in Hindu tradition are offerings to spirits,gods,goddesses to appease them .It is belived to be sacred invites grace and good fortune into the home,marriage and family thats why its an integral part of bridal odornment.

Shringar is a Hindi term decribing the beauty of womans creativity,Mehndi displays a act os creative expression,great work of art.A lady can reveal her Shringar by adorning herself or another as Loretta says "power of beauty beneath the surface". Mehndi is a language,not just a beautiful art form,its a womans voice with the universe.

what is mehndi?

Reading the book The timeless art of henna painting by authour Loretta Roome she defines Mehndi which is a Hindi word used to describe Henna,Henna painting and resulting designs. Henna is a plant, a natural product used to saftly colour and stain hair and skin whilst conditioning them. Henna leaves are crushed into powder mixed with different oils that accelerate the staining process. according to Loretta Mehndi is an ancient cosmetic healing art,it is done using elaborate patterns and deigns,that are tradionally done on the hands and feet.The process of Mehndi is painless and in no way harmful to the skin in fact it conditionsthe skin and beautifies the body,its like a temporay tattoo,stains a redish colour that can last on the skin between several days to several weeks depending on the Henna mixture and the duration of it on the skin.