Hummingbirds are perfect muses

     Hummingbirds are just such amazingly beautiful little creatures.  I mean look at them, they are like tiny jewel encrusted flying ornaments.  

They don't really look real! Their myriad colors are so bright and iridescent they don't seem like they could belong to something that is a living breathing animal.

It puts me in mind of dichroic glass jewelry. 

A few of these birds look like they sport some kind of plated armor, or fish-like scales.  I suppose the feathers are so shiny that they create a sort of holographic depth.  The fact that their colors are so unpredictable makes them appear even more ethereal and jewel like.

With such beauty and uniqueness it is very easy to find inspiration in these little wonders.  I have recently been making bird brooch/pins that are heavily influenced by the fantastical look of hummingbirds. 

I have found that sequins and beads, among other things, are perfect at recreating some of the iridescence and magnificent colors of these birds.  

I call this orange bird pin "Happy Hummingbird".  The way I made his beak just makes him look so joyful.  
This particular pin took quite some time to make.  The more elements and detail the longer it takes. For example: the beads are placed on a headpin or a straight wire, then I form a loop at the end of the wire.  This loop is used to keep the beads in place and to sew the element onto the felt base.  All the little yellow circles are the wire loops with many stitches around them.  In this piece I tried to make it where none of the silver wire showed  through on those loops.  I added lots of little silver beads to make the piece more interesting and to put breaks in the orange color or the other beads.

For a look at more of my bird pins please go to my Etsy store at: www.limbolabs.etsy.com

The "Happy Hummingbird" will soon be joining them there.