A Yosemite National Park Proposal

We had a lovely email from Chris just the other day that he has kindly allowed us to share with you. Chris commissioned David to create a 'Juniper heartwood ring with a featured knot' for his beloved while Chris handcrafted the Juniper Heartwood Ring Box. It's so perfect ~ like the ring rose from the heart of the box.

And the good news ....
"Hey Nicola and David,
I just wanted to share a few photos with you. SHE SAID YES! We had a beautiful trip to Yosemite and I gave Jessica her ring in the meadow below El Capitan. It fits perfectly and she is so happy with it. She can't stop talking about how perfect and beautiful it is. I built a box out of Juniper Heart Wood to compliment and protect the ring.

Attached are a few photos for you. Thank you so much for your work. We are so happy and Jes has already started checking out your site looking at wedding bands. We'll be in touch. Thank you! Chris Our congratulations and love to you both Chris and Jessica.
May all your days together hold the magic of those moments at Yosemite!

A wooden ring takes the spotlight in a Broadway Musical

This scene which makes reference to a wooden ring is from
'A Little Night Music' a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major.

My sincere thanks to Marian who contacted us in her quest for a wood ring after watching her friend perform this scene in a current Broadway revival of A Little Night Music. She told us about the scene, how touching it was and sent us the excerpt. Thank you Marian.

Scene 8, Act 2 'A Little Night Music'
(A grandmother is having a conversation with her granddaughter ~ shortly afterward in the play the grandmother passed away.)

Madame Armfeldt:
A great deal seems to be going on in this house tonight. (pause) Child will you do me a favor?

Fredrika:
Of course,Grandmother.

Madame Armfeldt:
Will you tell me what it's all for? Having outlived my own illusions by centuries, it would be soothing at least to pretend to share some of yours.

Fredrika: (After thought): Well, I think it must be worth it.

Madame Armfeldt:
Why?

Fredrika:
It's all there is, isn't it? Oh, I know it's often discouraging, and to hope for something too much is childish, because what you want so rarely happens.

Madame Armfeldt:
Astounding! When I was your age, I wanted everything - the moon - jewels, yachts, villas on the Riviera. And I got 'em too, - all for the good they did me.
(Music. Her mind starts to wander)
There was a Croatian Count. He was my first lover. I can see his face now - such eyes, and a mustache like a brigand. He gave me a wooden ring.

Fredrika: A wooden ring?

Madame Armfeldt:
It had been in his family for centuries, it seemed, but I said to myself: a wooden ring? What sort of man would give you a wooden ring, so I tossed him out right there and then. And now - who knows? He might have been the love of my life.

( Fredrika falls asleep, resting her head against Madame Armfeldt's knee. )

No, it wasn't this ring ~ this is a Touch Wood Ring
hand crafted by David Finch
In this scenario, the beloved said yes!! With no regrets.

Spring arrivals and departures

Spring departures: From David's hands to Brett and Kortnee
Their Touch Wood Wedding Rings ~

Purple heartwood and African Blackwood ring designs
with jade and malachite inlays

Springtime arrivals on the meadow include White crowned Sparrows, Ruby-Throated and Calliope Hummingbirds, Red Winged and Yellow headed Blackbirds, Robins, Swallows, Purple Finches and bluebirds.

And more Spring departures ~ these Touch Wood Ring designs:
Jen and Brent's Dark Hawaiian Koa wood rings

This Black Wood Ring with crossed spiraled inlays of Golden Koa
and a golden Koa interior; for Nicole

Ed's Black Walnut Wood Ring ~ a tapered wood ring
with crossed spiraled inlays of Ash

Juniper Heartwood rings for Debora and Keith

African Blackwood, Hawaiian Koa and
Juniper heart wood rings for Brittany and Derek

Amber and Kelsey's gently tapered Arbutus Wood Rings
inlaid with New Zealand Paua shell.

Dark and light Hawaiian Koa Wood rings
with Birch Wood interiors for Abby and Alex

And our newest arrivals ~ Evening Grosbeaks;
there are 5 couples here now.

Wooden Rings and a song of Spring.

This is where your Touch Wood Rings are 'born'.
It's where we work and live and play. If you haven't already; I invite you to visit our personal blog (The Homestone) for photos David and I take of every season, and the birds and animals who call this place home.
Spring is such a glorious time of year ~ anywhere it occurs ~ I can't resist sharing a few pics with you here, on our wood ring blog! It's Spring on the meadow, Spring on Mackin Pond.

It's the 21st of March and the willows are vibrant! Their reds and oranges and browns bursting with catkins. Here is a tiny Touch Wood Ring (Size 3.5) made of willow with inlays of rosewood and grayed maple. (This willow wood ring was designed by and created for Stephanie.)


It's a beautiful thing ~ this explosion of pussy willows and the return of our feathered friends. Already there are well over a hundred Red Winged Blackbirds and the 'girls' have yet to arrive. The male Blackbirds melodic conversations are mesmerizing.


Surrounded by the ever changing beauty of nature as we are; it would be impossible not to be inspired by it.
Here are a few of David's latest Touch Wood Ring creations.

Rosewood Rings with inlaid quartz, commissioned by and created for Denise and Brent.

Grayed maple wood rings with Australian Blackwood ~ designed by and created for Colin and Leigh.


Dark Hawaiian Koa Wood Rings with Oak inlays.
Australian Red Gum Wood Ring with a Maple wood liner and an inlay of Malachite.
A tapered Juniper heartwood Ring with a Koa Wood Liner and a Grayed Maple Wood ring with Hawaiian Koa inlay.
An African Black Wood ring set with golden koa bordering an inlay of Malachite and Azurite.
While we were away this month visiting family in the Similkameen Valley, David got another large piece of beautiful Juniper heartwood from his brother Sid.

Here is another example of a Touch Wood Ring (for Naomi) made of Juniper heartwood.

And with that, it's time to get back to my emails and all the folks we have the honour and privilege of working with. Thanks for dropping by and thanks for your patience while we took some time away. Till next time ~ be well and enjoy a moment or two of the blackbirds in concert on a little spit we call the island.

Five Rings made of BC woods.

With the arrival of people from all over the world to British Columbia this month ~ I thought it would be fun to feature 5 Touch Wood Rings that incorporate BC woods or have a BC theme.

This set of rings was designed by a BC couple to represent the mountains around Pemberton. The primary wood is beautifully figured Bethlehem Olive wood. Their rings are lined with BC Birch wood.


The photograph above was taken on one of David's small handcrafted boxes. The box is made of reclaimed Bug Killed Pine from our own property. This is the same reclaimed wood that was used in the making of the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Our Juniper heartwood is from the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia. You'll find lots of examples of Touch Wood Rings made of and incorporating Juniper heartwood. Here are two examples.


And below; a BC Apple Wood Ring. This wood also comes from the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia.

Finally, a February sunset over the meadow where Touch Wood Rings are created.
Welcome to British Columbia.

A random gathering

Touch Wood Rings ~ a random gathering on a Sunday evening.

Ash Juniper and Mesquite Wood Rings. The mesquite was used as the interior wood in this set of rings. Ash juniper is the primary wood.


Classic Juniper heart wood rings ~ our juniper heartwood comes from David's brothers property in the Similkameen Valley of British Columbia. It's beautiful wood! Durable, and with so much variety in figure, grain and colour.

John and Whitney's black walnut ring design below and the lovely ring box they ordered from Al Ladd. We highly recommend Al's work if you are looking for a finely crafted and beautiful home for your Touch Wood Ring.


Dark Koa wood rings with inlays of Birds eye maple.
Hawaiian Koa wood ring with a single offset inlay of African Blackwood.
Mid toned Hawaiian Koa wood rings with three spiraled inlays of African Blackwood (Grenadilla), Ancient New Zealand Kauri and Maple wood.
Black Walnut wood rings with Birds Eye Maple liners

Classic Hawaiian Koa Wood Ring with a Eucalyptus liner
Juniper heartwood ring with a featured knot and a birch bark liner with natural birch bark markings. Out of curiosity and just for fun, I spent a few minutes on Google Translate and came up with these translations of our name;

Touch Wood Rings

• Vietnamese Touch Wood Nhẫn
• Ukaranian Сглазьте кільця
• Turkish Touch Ahşap Yüzükler
• Thai วง Touch ไม้
• Spanish Touch Wood Anillos
• Slovac Zaklopať na drevo Prstene
• Serbian Тоуцх дрвета прстенова
• Russian Сглазьте кольца
• Romanian Touch Wood Inele
• Portuguese Touch Wood Anéis
• Persian لمس چوب حلقهها
• Macedonian Допир Вуд прстените
• Latvian Touch Wood Gredzeni
• Korean teochi udeu banji
• Japanese tatchiuddoringu
• Irish Teagmháil Adhmad fáinní
• Hindi ṭaca vuḍa riṅgōṁ
• Hebrew טבעות Touch Wood
• French toucher des anneaux de bois

'Touch Wood Rings' in any language are sustainable made and meticulously hand crafted wooden rings.

Touch Wood Rings and Design decisions.

Every day brings delight; new inquires and old friends alike. Not having access to telephone on the meadow; we do all our communications by email. It's more time consuming than using a telephone but I find that it's a pretty cool way to get to know people.

I have a lot of fun talking with folks by email; answering questions and offering assistance with wood ring design ideas or chatting about sustainable living. We meet the most amazing people.

One couple was especially creative with their emails. One of Jamie's emails included this Photo shop mock up of Frank ‘thinking seriously’ about his wooden ring design. They were kind enough to let us share this image with you. Great Fun!! Thanks Jamie and Frank.