A whole lot of love

If you've worked with us or follow us on social media you'll have seen a whole lot of love in our correspondence and our posts. That's not a 'marketing ploy'. It's real. 

It's all about the love that David and I have for the work we do and how grateful we are for each and every one of you.

   

In 7th grade, I was fortunate to have had a truly inspirational teacher.  He inspired and encouraged my love of acting and writing and set me on a course that would have a huge impact on my life.  At the end of Grade 7 which was the transition point from Elementary School to Junior High, my beloved teacher, Victor Wilson gave me with a copy of 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran with a personal note of love and encouragement inscribed on the inside cover. I will never forget that marvelous teacher and have always felt The Prophet to be my own personal book of psalms.
When I consider my life and my work, a single phrase from Gibran often comes to mind. 

"Work is love made visible."

Here is an excerpt from Kahlil Gibran
'On Work'
 
"And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart,
even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection,
even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy,
even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead
are standing about you and watching."


This is how David and I approach our work. 

After almost two decades of Touch Wood Rings and working with folks from all over the world, it is still just the two of us and our hands and hearts committed to you, your beloved and your rings.  That's our guarantee. 

When an individual or couple chooses to work with us ~ we are honoured and humbled.  By the time David is creating a ring for you, we count you among our friends. You become part of our family. That's our promise, With Love. Always.

Touch Wood ~ Across the Pond

Every day we receive emails from people all over the world. Old friends and new. Every day I am touched by the loving, caring people who take the time to write to us; to inquire about a Touch Wood Ring and to tell us about themselves, their lives and their loves. 

They share their stories with David and I and they put their trust in us. It is a humbling thing. 

                                            

Michelle and Tez live in a village in England. There is so much more to their story of course, but briefly; they met in Chester in 2000, they were engaged in 2002 then finally married in December 2016!   And to that we say Congratulations and Much Love!!


Michelle shared with me that "Tez didn't even want a ring as he can't wear one due to his work, and didn't really like rings ~ but when he saw how special Touch Wood Rings were he agreed!! So this was the perfect solution! I discovered Touch Wood Rings when our beautiful friends got two for their wedding and I have ask them to show me their rings every time we meet as I love them so much!"
Below are Michelle's dear friends' rings.  Commissioned in November 2011, Chris and Angela's Touch Wood Rings are English Oak with spiraled inlays of crushed jade.

Michelle and Tez designed their rings incorporating Juniper heartwood, Birds Eye Maple and a mother of pearl inlay for Michelle's ring.  

As David began work on their rings, Michelle and I got to know each other better.  I sent her a pic of our new pup. I admit I am seriously smitten :) It's been six years since we buried our last old pup and David and I were both ready.  Here's the 6 month old addition to our family.

After introducing Kali to Michelle, she invited me to join a small group of friends and their fur babies on Facebook.  I'm really enjoying the group. 

When David completed work on Tez and Michelle's ring we shipped them off across the pond and waited.  In 15 years we've done this thousands of times and we still hold our breath.  

On a Tuesday morning in early December, David and I were in town having breakfast at our favourite diner.  My Messenger dinged.  It was Michelle announcing the arrival of their rings!  She and Tez were home and Michelle shared the opening of the package with us with pics and commentary.  That was So delightful.  To share those moments from half way across the world... David and I were both really touched.

Michelle and Tez were married on the twenty-second of December. Michelle wrote: "The rings have made the wedding! We are overwhelmed with the attention to detail; love; warmth and encouragement from you and David. The whole process from start to end was a really exciting process and brought something truly unique and special to our wedding."

And so ~ here's to the start of a new year, lots of celebrations of love and the beginning of new friendships. Much love to you and Tez, Michelle ~ and to your four legged friends too.

A Welsh Love Spoon and their wooden rings

We first connected with Eric and Sarah back in November of 2015 and decided that February would be the perfect time for David to make their rings. 

They chose walnut as their primary wood (more on that in a moment) with inlays of dark figured Bethlehem Olive wood and a full moon inlay of Aspen for Sarah`s ring. 

Eric and Sarah were engaged in Cornwall in the traditional Welsh fashion, where a carved wooden spoon is presented rather than a ring. Their spoon was made of walnut, which is why they wanted walnut rings. They shared a picture of their spoon and were hoping the rings might be somewhat similar in terms of color and grain.

For the uninitiated; the custom of giving a Love Spoon is unique to Wales and originated in the 15th Century, when lovers would offer intricately carved spoons, bearing symbols of their feelings and hopes, to their partners. Love Spoons today are given as gestures of friendship, engagement, wedding and anniversary gifts.

David used our Heritage Black Walnut to mirror the figure in their beautiful spoon.  

They were kind enough to let us share a few pictures from their wedding, and they wrote:

We had our shindig in the Catskills and took some time out while we were still in the mountains to do a little photo shoot.  The rings are on the chicken foot ring holder that I made for them -- don't worry, just a plaster cast, not a real foot :)  

We fashioned the broom out of an aspen walking stick that Eric had made when we lived in Colorado... partly why I wanted aspen wood in my ring :)  Thank you both again, we love the rings and have received so many compliments on how lovely they are. We'll cherish them forever!  Best wishes,  Sarah and Eric.

Now happily married, Sarah and Eric are moving back to Colorado and excited about the next chapter in their lives.  

It has been wonderful to meet you both (hopefully we`ll meet in person one day too) and we had so much fun working with you on your rings. Thanks so much Eric and Sarah!

We`ll sign off with this old Welsh Blessing. 
Wishing you a house full of sunshine, hearts full of cheer, love that grows deeper each day of the year.