GLORY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, AND EAGLE CAM

"HEART OF THE HUNTRESS" GLORY EAGLE PIN/PENDANT

     With Independence Day pending, we thought we'd share the inspiration behind our Glory Eagle collection.

     In 2011, the Kirk’s Folly design team, along with many Americans, became enraptured by the birth of baby eaglets on Norfolk, Virginia’s live eagle cam. 

Watching the nest daily, as both parent eagles awaited the arrival of their hatchlings, how could we not be inspired?

When the eggs hatched, to our surprise we saw the Father eagle not only brought food to the nest, but also watched over the baby eaglets allowing the mother eagle the opportunity to spread her wings. 

We all felt the loss when tragedy struck and the mother eagle was  killed by an airplane. What would happen to the baby eagles?

After a period of time, it appeared the father would no longer return to the nest and steps were taken. The three baby eaglets were moved to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, where we were able to watch them continue to grow via the Center's live cam.

FOREVER FREE GLORY EAGLE PIN

Very inspired by the eagles' story, our design team created our “Glory” Eagle Collection, hoping to convey the majesty and fortitude found in these magnificent birds who serve as our national symbol of freedom and independence.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE

Happily the story of the baby eaglets turned out better than we could hope.

In July of 2011, the birds were released at Berkeley Plantation. Only one eagle, a female, appeared reluctant to leave the grounds. After a careful examination, she was judged too stressed to be freed at that time. 

PITTSBURGH HAYS EAGLE CAM!

After being cared for at the center for several additional weeks, the young female eagle was successfully released in August of 2011.

A transmitter had been attached to her and the Wildlife center tracked her travels and shared the news with her fans. As of January 14, 2014 she'd made her home base in King George County, Virginia.

 In March, she turned three years old, and this month she returned from a stay in Maryland to fly over the Potomac River in Virginia.

Meanwhile, amidst much public protest, in October of 2012, the Norfolk Botanical Garden (where the eagles were born) removed all three of their eagle nests. They cited that the nests were too close to the airport, endangering both the eagles who annually nest there and the passenger filled planes at the airport.

Norfolk Botanical Garden

 Largely due to the popularity of the Botanical Garden eagles, eagle cams have gained a wide audience and we, at Kirks Folly remain among those watching the magnificent creatures. 

This 4th of July,  wear your Glory jewelry with pride and...

“SPARKLE THE WORLD!”

Enjoy this brief video of the Pittsburgh Hays eagle cam and you will understand our fascination with these majestic birds.

CONGRATULATIONS 

SHERYL PIERSON 

 WINNER of our JUNE 2014 Drawing!

Sheryl, Please email us @236helenjane@gmail.com, 

so that we can get your beautiful Sister Mermaids Seaview Moon Enhancer Necklace to you.

INSPIRATION MERMAID: BEHIND THE KIRKS FOLLY MERMAIDS

THE MERMAID by Howard Pyle

Mermaids have captured the hearts and imaginations of men and women the world over. The bewitching sea creatures are found in every culture and date back to ancient Greece, where archaeologist have found bronze moldings of sea nymphs which are over three thousand years old. 

Diego Fernandez's evocative mermaid 

Appearing as both the heroine and villain in countless stories, mermaids run the gamut of emotions, from beautiful seductress to powerful predator. Beneath all these depictions lies a common thread: mermaids embody femininity in all its forms—from the innocent child to the passionate woman. Mermaids symbolize the full spectrum of the feminine, the light and the dark, its power and its mysteries. To embrace the mermaid archetype is to embrace these traits within.

David Adam's scrimshaw

Ulysses and the Sirens H.J. Draper

 Here at Kirks Folly, we fully embrace the mermaid and the  mystery she holds. 

When we design our mermaid jewelry we envision the elusive fish-tailed beauties of ancient lore, who sing captivating songs to lure sailors closer for a stolen kiss or to seal their doom. 

We visualize longhaired lovelies cavorting amongst the sea creatures—seals, seahorses, octopi and dolphins.

The Mermaid and the Dragon
by Warwick Goble

We imagine the sleek, glistening scales of their undulating tails as they dive the depths plucking pearls and treasures from the ocean floors.

We picture them in small groups baking themselves on sea cliffs and separating  seaweed from their gleaming curls with combs of pearl and bone. 

We sense the ocean spray splashing on their warm sunbaked skin, as the wind lifts their hair to reveal the laughter in their eyes and the secretive smile on their lips.

John William Waterhouse

We marvel at the powerful twist of their graceful bodies before they dive from their perch.

Brief glimpses of exquisite faces charm us before disappearing below the ocean surface and we can only stare at the rippling sea, imagine what lies beneath and strive to capture it in metal, crystal and enamel.

Mermaid of the Lighthouse

The illustrations accompanying this post are some of the many, which have inspired the Kirks Folly vision of mermaids. 

Sailor's Fairy Siren Pin/Enhancer

Please share your thoughts on mermaids with us and visit our Inspiration Mermaid Pin-board here to see more of our mermaid inspirations.

Summer is coming, embrace your inner mermaid and…

SPARKLE THE WORLD!

Leave us a comment if you'd like a chance to win our June giveaway drawing. Click here for details. 
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