Angela at Hoofprints on Hearts is giving away two unique pieces to two lucky winners!  

The first, a 100% recycled copper horse pendant with a ruby red Swarovski bicone crystal. (The pendant comes with a copper jump ring that can easily be opened to fit onto any necklace. The pendant is 1.25 inches in diameter.)

And the second, 100% recycled copper hoofprint earrings with two Swarovski Crystal Blue Zircon bicone crystals on each earring.

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ENTER TO WIN by answering this question in the comments section below:

Is there a horse that has left a hoofprint on your heart?

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Get to know the artist Angela from Hoofprints on Hearts…

Tell us a bit about yourself/your art!

I grew up in a very small (almost microscopic) town in northern Ohio and I had a lot of time to dream about horses while growing up! I was one of the little girls who begged and begged her Daddy for a horse but never actually owned one so I spent a lot of time reading as much as I could about horses, studying breeds, and planning for that magical day when I was old enough to save up and buy my first horse. Finally that day came and I bought my first horse when I was 19. I worked at a boarding stable to pay for the board and then later on after meeting my husband, we were able to purchase our own land several years later so that we could wake up each morning and enjoy our horses right in our own yard. We now have three horses, Border Collies and a Labrador Retriever, and 2 cats and my husband and I have 3 beautiful children together – an 8 year old daughter, 5 year old son, and an 8 month old baby girl. It is a busy household!

I’ve always aspired to work either around horses or in a hobby involving some aspect of horses and my full time job is completely unrelated to horses, unless you count the fact that my income pays for the care of my own horses! When my favorite horse recently passed away, I needed an outlet to express my feelings so I began to create custom equine inspired jewelry. I began by helping close friends to make personalized mementos of their horses with horsehair bracelets. Creating personalized bracelets lead me down the path of exploring ways of making personalized and unique charms, pendants, and various equestrian inspired jewelry out of hand formed silver and copper. I love the warm hues of copper and the color variations that come from copper which make each piece completely unique.

Are you a horse lover or horse owner?

Both! I’ve loved horses my whole life and was fortunate enough when I was 19 after many years of begging and pleading my parents, to finally come up with the money for my own horse. She was a beautiful stout 14.2 hand little Zippo bred Quarter Horse. We enjoyed 13 wonderful years together until we lost her to a bad bout of colic. Losing a horse can be one of the most tragic and sad events of your life. My piece that I’ve affectionately named, “Cheyenne” is one that I created to honor my special mare.

How did you become a metal-working jewelry artist?

While creating bracelets for people from horse hair, I was looking for more unique charms than mass manufactured items. Utilizing metal clay enabled me to create personalized charms and opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I often say that working with metal clay or copper clay is a bit like working with Play Dough. In fact, my kids often sit alongside me and test out new molds that we’ve created by using their Play Dough!

How do your pieces come to life?

Do you sketch them out or do they come to life in your mind? The horse itself is a work of art in its natural form. I try to create my pieces to convey the beauty of the horse in a way that when the customer wears their jewelry, they are wearing an expression of their love for horses or their love for a certain riding style or discipline. After sketching the draft of a new piece, I either make a mold from carving the design into a mold or carving the horse directly into the metal in its clay stage. After the pieces have been fired at over 1700 degrees, the real beauty of the piece is revealed as organic binder is burned off, revealing 99.9% copper. The pieces are finished either as natural copper or with flame coloring to bring out an array of colors due to the nature of copper reacting with the heat.

Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve created?

It’s hard to pick a favorite because like every horse, each piece is unique!

How can people get a hold of you, see more of your work, and become a fan?

Visit my Etsy shop

“Like” my page on Facebook

or Email me at hoofprintsonhearts@gmail.com

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ENTER TO WIN by answering this question in the comments section below:

Is there a horse that has left a hoofprint on your heart?

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*We use Random.org to choose winners. All entries at HorseDigests.com are created equal. 😉 Comments close at 9pm (CST) Feb. 25th, 2013. Winners will be announced on Feb. 26th.