2012 and Touch Wood Rings

 2012.  A new year! 

This very human marking of the passage of time is of no consequence however to the critters or the natural world around us.

The coyotes go about their business with purpose and poise.  

It's a lovely time of year, presenting us with breathtaking skies at sunrise and sunset. 

As we bid the old year Adieu and greet the new year ~ I thought I'd share a sampling of Touch Wood Rings commissioned during 2011.

   Every ring has a story, and a delightful individual or couple attached to it.

The people are what makes our work such a joy.

This set of Touch Wood Rings is Bethlehem Olive wood, 

lined with a bright contrasting wood for inscriptions.

Crossed spiraled inlays of (I kid you not) crushed cinnamon 

(for a very special reason) on Hawaiian Koa 

and her ring is Grayed Maple wood. 

This set is Hawaiian Koa incorporating maple, Purpleheart wood and grayed maple.

Classic Touch Wood Rings; Hawaiian Koa with Grayed Maple

Hawaiian Koa and African Blackwood (Grenadilla)

Hawaiian Koa, juniper heartwood, clear juniper and crushed Jade

Juniper heartwood ring with mahogany inlay bordered by narrow inlays of clear juniper 

Black walnut wood ring with a braided birch bark inlay and birds eye maple liner

Magnolia Wood ring with a braided Juniper heartwood inlay.

Oh, and did I mention the lovely people we have the pleasure of getting to know?

Here are a few of the friends we made this past year ...

 Nick and Lauren

 Matt and Ally

Jonathan and Jessie (I'm writing a separate post about their story ~ coming soon)

 Nicole and Lonnie

 Annalise and Jie

These People are what Touch Wood Rings are all about.

  

Thanks to all our old friends, and those not yet met,

Brightest blessings in this new year and beyond.

River stone, Willow, Black Walnut and Love

Tim and Charley sent their own stone to be incorporated into their wooden rings.  The stone was from a local river in the Toms Creek Basin of Southwest Virginia.   They were such a pleasure to work with.  We began our conversations back in July, and David made their rings in August.   Another lovely couple with very kind words for us ~ Thanks So much to you both!

In October Tim writes ...
"Hi Nicola and David!   I am very sorry for the long silence. We did indeed receive our rings without incident, but immediately moved Charley out to Colorado and so life got away from me for a while.

The rings are beautiful; true works of art. we both love them! They really capture a lot of the essence of our relationship: light, gentle, but with a core of strength and solidity. And the contrast of the willow and our river stone against black walnut is perfect - exactly what I had hoped.

Thank you so much for all of your hard work in crafting these rings. Although Charley and I are 1500 miles apart for now, I feel like the rings give us a tangible symbol of our connection. We often send snapshots of them back and forth, just as little reminders. =) 

 

Anyway, we are both very grateful to you for your craftsmanship and artistry, and are recommending you to all of our friends! Charley and I both treasure our rings; our thanks again to you and David for bringing them to life and for the care and love that you put into their creation!

Peace to your both, Tim"

Tarra and Aly and their Touch Wood Rings

Hi Nicola and David,  First off, let me give you a GINORMOUS virtual HUG for the beautiful creation that is our rings!! We LOVE them!  They fit perfectly and are just incredible.
I've attached a picture.  Thank you so much for creating something so unique, and special for us.

When I wrote Tarra back to ask if we might post this on our blog, she responded, " Of course you may post our picture and comments !!  Please let us know how else we can support you in letting people know how wonderful, unique and amazing your rings are.
peace,  Tarra and Aly.   

Oh yes... this is why we do what we do.  The people we work with are so wonderful ~ they are warm and loving humans; one and all. Thanks so much Tarra and Aly.  Wishing you both tremendous happiness, now and in the future.

Enduring and eternal love ...

We did it! We're married!

And... the rings were beautiful! I've attached some pics of us, the rings, and the ring bearer just for fun! Enjoy! :)

The rings were (and are) absolutely perfect!
Thank you again!!! Jie & Annaliese

What lovely human beings these folks are. From their first email to us back in January 2011,
they have been such a pleasure to work with.
Blossoms on you Annaliese and Jie and Thank You!!

Jie and Annaliese designed their rings with an interest in the metaphysical properties of their stones and woods. Their Touch Wood Rings are a combination of Ancient Kauri wood, Birds Eye Maple Wood and stone inlays combining raw emerald, sapphire and rose quartz.

The Chinese idiom they chose for their inscriptions were also really important and special to them. Jie explained that all four tones of modern Mandarin are represented in this short four word phrase which is the first line of verse seven of the Tao Te Ching.
tiān cháng dì jiǔ

Literally translated: Long-enduring Heaven and Earth ~
Enduring and Eternal Love.

May it ever be thus.

Happy Anniversary to a couple of old friends

We recently received this most welcome email from old friends; a lovely couple from Ohio who we worked with in 2009.

Melanie writes ...
"While David was making our rings, I don't think I ever told you why we opted for wood instead of metal. Getting married was a big stretch for me - I come from a family with close to a 100% divorce rate (on both sides!), and the whole idea really scared me. I finally decided that we could make it work, but I still balked at getting traditional-looking rings. I wanted our marriage to be different from the other marriages I had been around, and so I wanted our rings to look different, too!


For me, they are a visual symbol of the wonderful marriage we have created, and the hope that our lives together will be filled with happiness and love. Every time I look at my ring, it's like a little reminder that we choose our own destinies. The fact that they were handmade by such wonderful, unique people is just a delightful bonus. We are just coming up on our 2-year anniversary this October, but I'm already planning for a 10-year anniversary wood ring! : ) "

Thanks so much Melanie~ And Happy Anniversary to you and Russell!

Sending our love, as ever
and our warmest wishes for your continued happiness.

Gentle Spirits and their Wood Wedding Rings

We began a wonderful, warm correspondence with Henaz and Pradeesh back in January and David created their Purpleheart wood wedding rings in July of this year.

Because of a planned trip to India to visit family, we held onto their rings till August, and while they were able to share photos of their finished rings with family; Henaz and Pradeesh did not see their rings till just recently when they returned home to the US.
On September 9th we received this lovely email.

Dearest Nicola and David.
Our rings are absolutely beautiful. They capture exactly what we wanted our wedding rings to represent--a sense of wholesomeness and well-being.

The color of the Purpleheart wood is incredible. We are so grateful for the love and care you have obviously put in to making them. Your partnership, creativity and nurture through this process mean so much to us. Thank you for not just the product, but the process, too. We could not have asked for more from our wedding ring makers and our wedding rings. Warmest wishes and love, Henaz and Pradeesh : )

Henaz and Pradeesh are now busy with final plans for their wedding celebration on October 9th. David and I will be there ~ in spirit ~ with gratitude, and with warm and loving wishes for a beautiful day and a lifetime of happiness.

Love and Wooden Rings in Denmark

Michael and Ulla of Denmark sent us this sweet photograph when we first started talking in late 2009.  It's the photo that David had on his wall while he created their rings...

The Birds Eye Maple and Hawaiian Koa Wood Rings commissioned and designed by Ulla and Michael in February of 2010.

A few weeks ago, they sent us a lovely email ~ and some great wedding pics !
The last one is my favourite : )

"It has been almost a year since our last contact but what a year! Our wedding obviously came as no surprise to you. We had a fantastic day with lots of friends and close relatives in an old house in the forest. Not too formal and completely in our spirit. Our wedding photos were taken at several locations; some in the urban jungle around the docks and some in the forest.

Besides that wonderful day, Michael finished his master's thesis, which has since been published and, on a Friday afternoon in February Ulla gave birth to our wonderful son, Astor! To allow him grow up with nature around him, we have recently bought a cabin, where we will stay for as long as we can keep warm, before moving back (to the city) for the winter. So a wedding, a master's degree, a son and a house purchase later, we can look back at a wonderful year and we wanted to share some of our experiences with you. "

Thanks very much Ulla and Michael ~ it's so great to hear from old friends! 

Wishing you and your wee lad continued happiness and all good things. As ever, Nicola and David 

This is why we love what we do!