The Mourning Star Pin Badges

I had the pleasure recently to discover an artist previously unknown to me who produces her work in the form of pin badges: Elizabeth Basten, owner of The Mourning Star. Based in the U.K., she creates enamel pin badges, as well as jewellery, wooden magnets, key rings and embroidery patches. Of course, what caught my attention is how she takes her inspiration from nature and its myriad wonders, and occasionally spices things up with a dash of magic and folklore.

Looking through her online storefront on Etsy, as well as her shop on The Mourning Star website itself, I was quickly captivated by the remarkable as well as delightfully creative designs she has produced as hard enamel pin badges. Mycologists and other fungi fanciers will be amazed at her many mushroom-themed designs. The Mycologists Field Guide pin badge, incorporating both a book and a natural history theme was instantly a must-have for my collection. (Something tells me more of her fabulous fungi will one day also be joining it.)

Another that captured, nay, grabbed my attention by the lapels and held it firmly, is her All The Devils pin badge. Apparently it was created for the book launch of Catelyn Wilson’s book of the same name. To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with the book itself, but the combination of the antlers, the luna moth, and the up-turned crescent moon went straight to both the naturalist and pagan portions of my heart, and an example of it too is now safely with me in Oregon.

I have a feeling Ms. Basten is going to be the recipient of more of my money in the future. Indeed, I’ve already added her Death’s Head Hawkmoth, her Mourning Glory Angel, and her three species logo (a Rosy Maple moth on fly agarics growing in moss campion) pin badges to my notebook for, shall we say, future reference. The only problem now is which of these new jewels do I pin to my tweed jacket’s lapel for an inaugural public wearing first?