Marilyn McElroy created Witch Hazel Collective in 2020, right before the pandemic hit. In the beginning, she said she focused her brand on bath teas, following her interest in herbal medicine. Shortly after starting her business, McElroy, who said she holds an associate’s degree in Biology, came across electroformed jewelry and decided to research the process.
The electroforming process is technical and time-consuming, requiring knowledge of chemical interactions as well as extreme attention to detail. The process begins with sculpting the jewelry with clay and adhesive, as well as sealing whatever the acid will disintegrate, such as insect wings.
A conductive paint is then laid on top, and the piece is put in a bath of copper sulfate and sulfuric acid. With a copper pipe placed in the bath and connected to the power source, the copper molecules are transferred to the piece over a series of days or even weeks, depending on its size.
McElroy started electroforming herself, incorporating bugs and objects she found. Then she began selling her work with success at Eugene’s Saturday Market in 2021. In 2022, she began making fairy wings in addition to her electroform jewelry.
McElroy’s work led her to start partnering with Renaissance Fairs across the country, creating and selling her wings on a large scale.
Since the beginning of her business just a few years ago, McElroy has experimented with and incorporated numerous niche and technical craft methods. She’s grown her brand to a large scale in the few years that she has been selling; starting with sales to friends and family, to the Saturday Market and now selling her products statewide.
McElroy said she enjoys studying natural objects and beings on a small scale, looking at fine details and admiring the minute aspects of each one. Insects are especially intriguing to her; as they are often full of color and unique features.
“Bugs are so beautiful, but their lifetime is short,” McElroy said. “I don’t know what happens with reincarnation, but I love the idea of having a part in giving something a new life, another time in
glory.”
McElroy creates pieces with bugs that she finds as well as ones that friends and family bring to her.
Along with the scientific and anatomical aspects, McElroy is connected with the Fairy community in Oregon and said she loves to connect with the magical attributes of nature. She has run and coordinated several events, such as the Faerie Market and Pagan Pride, and said she’s elated to see the community being revived.
“It’s really crazy out there; I used to want to fix everything, but you can’t. It’s amazing to have a place to just be a magic maker and focus on that,” McElroy said.
In contrast with other communities she has lived in, McElroy described the people and creators in Eugene as being incredibly supportive of each other and focusing on being happy and creating rather than competing for sales or copying one’s craft.
Living in Colorado previously, McElroy said she noticed that handmade work was intensely undervalued and has found that to be the opposite here in Eugene, especially with its thriving artistic scene and options for small businesses to sell their wares.
“The community here really shows up and supports people in their endeavors and their dreams; in Eugene everyone tries to spread so much of the love around,” McElroy said.
Art has been and still continues to be thought of often as a hobby rather than a career, which is something that McElroy aims to change.
“We need to have people doing art and there is plenty of space for that to be a valid job,” McElroy said.
As her fairy wing sales increased, McElroy hired a few people to assist with the production of her products. She said she strongly values a fair and safe work environment and aims to create a collaborative process.
With her desire to create magic and beauty in our overwhelming world, McElroy provides a whimsical, unique and nature-derived piece to the Eugene community and markets across the U.S.
You can find Witch Hazel Collective here.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated the owner’s name as Lisa McElroy. This is not the case. The owner’s name is Marilyn McElroy.
