The date: February 17, 2008. The day started innocently enough for McGlashan, Leaning over the railing of her front porch, she would soon find herself ten feet below on the ground when it gave way, sustaining internal in- juries that required multiple surgeries and a month in Intensive Care.


This matters because the natural sense of humor and wit with which McGlashan fashions her creations comes through even in the re-telling of that day and all its re- sounding ripple effects. One of her most inspired pieces is an indistinct, yet attention-grabbing picture of her “Sec- ond Belly Button,” or the drain that left her stomach car- rying all sorts of post injury muck. Mounted to a piece of the offending porch railing, and strung to be worn as a talisman and reminder of life’s mulligans, this is just one of the honest, thought-provoking, yet completely wearable pieces that defines McFlashpants.


And now, without further ado, it is time to introduce you to the latest wonder of the artisan world: McFlashpants. With a name like that, you’re bound to expect something interesting, and McFlashpants doesn’t disappoint.


Once in a rare while, something truly unique manages to escape from the wilds of the corporate business jungle. Jewelry designer and antique goods “re-purposer” Jen McGlashan, the owner of McFlashpants, is the kind of creative force that gets “it.” What is “it” exactly? To hear it from her, she says it all started with a fall.


These days, McGlashan resides in upstate New York with her son and husband on a piece of farm land that she is converting to become an artists retreat and cultural work/show space. Thankfully, she hasn’t given up on the jewelry that is created from found items. Her work, as she calls it, is not meant for mass production. She relies on the donations of mismatched antique silverware sets so graciously left by the “cutlery gnomes” in the area, and creates wearable art that is strong, yet from another era. It is a marriage made in silver: an antique butter knife becomes a beautiful cuff, necklaces and earrings are forged from hollow knife handles, and it’s at once simple, yet intricately patterned.


McGlashan’s work crosses into housewares as well; Stain- less steel forks work as toothbrush or razor holders, soap dishes spring from serving spoons, and McGlashan is expanding her living jewelry world to include plants, mosses, and the like. To get more information or see for yourself, visit www.mcflashpants.com.


Septemeber October 2010 | Healthy Hippie Magazine 37


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