Wildlife and Wooden Rings

We are really enjoying our moose this winter.  After the wildfires in 2010 we didn't see these guys much at all.  It's so cool to wake up in the morning to find a couple of moose bedded down in the snow waiting for the sun to hit their backs before they rise. 

We don't pass up any opportunity to take wildlife photos and our moose are pretty comfortable now with us moving about and doing what we do.

Besides wildlife, one of the other things I love to photograph is a brand new wooden ring created by my amazing husband; the man who pioneered and introduced the steam bent wood ring.  And he really is amazing.  Not only did he "start a revolution in the jewellery industry" as a very early client predicted; but our off grid comfort is due in large part to his knowledge, creativity and ingenuity.

And, every ring that David creates has a real and wonderful person at the other end, each with a love story and a good, kind heart.

People we have the great pleasure of getting to know.

People who become friends.

 

 We are honoured and humbled to work with each of you.

 

 I love this Touch Wood Engagement Ring.  

It's a gently tapered Century Walnut Wood Ring 
with 150 year old Post Oak interior 

and a Mother of Pearl inlay.

Here's a Walnut and Greyed Maple Wood Wedding Ring 

with a full moon inlay of Cole's own crushed stone.  

I really like this design ~ it's such a classy ring for a guy.

Another wood ring created for a groom-to-be
from Cherry and Juniper heartwood ~ two of my favorite woods. 

  Below is a commissioned African Blackwood Ring, 

with inlays of Golden Koa and Cherry Wood.

This ring has an interior liner of Birch Wood.

Our tremendous thanks and love 
to the folks who commissioned these wooden rings;
Ashlee, Shaun, Dan, Cole, Dani and Erica!

Oh, and one more... just for fun
This is a West Coast Arbutus Wood Ring with a mixed stone inlay.

If you haven't already, you might enjoy visiting our

Touch Wood Rings Website,

our Homestone blog 

and you'll find us on Pinterest too.

Thanks so much for dropping by!

To a New Year!

 To our old friends, our new friends 

and the friends we haven't met yet,

A very happy New Year! 

Thank you for making 2013 a truly wonderful year!  

Warmly as ever, Nicola and David  

Scotland and Canada ~ Peter and Erica

Peter and Erica ~ 2011 in Banff National Park, snowshoeing.

Peter commissioned his engagement ring for Erica this past summer and David created their ring in August. Erica is Canadian and a Marine Biologist. She and Peter met in Scotland and now call Scotland their home.

Peter designed Erica's Touch Wood engagement ring with Juniper heartwood as the primary wood, Birds Eye Maple interior, a narrow inlay of Bristle-cone Pine with a full moon inlay of Abalone shell.

On October 24th,  Peter wrote with this happy news:
"Hi Nicola and David.  We've just got back from a walk up Meikle Says Law, the highest point in East Lothian. I proposed to Erica, and she said "yes". She loves the ring! 

Here's a picture of us at the very top (it's only 535m above sea level, but you still get pretty good views out over the Firth of Forth, over to Fife, round to Edinburgh, and to North Berwick and Dunbar.)"

 

 Peter and Erica Happily Engaged.

 

Our love to you both and wishing you many happy years ahead!  We hope you are enjoying your  travels this winter.  Warmly as ever, Nicola and David

Christmas Eve on the meadow

 Touch Wood and a White Winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Much love, today and every day.

Warmly, Nicola and David

Live Oak and Lovely People

"Hi Nicola, I thought you would enjoy seeing the wonderful ring you and your husband were so instrumental in creating for Maggie and I.  We were married in September on Edisto Island, South Carolina. Thank you for being a part of that and thank you for the magnificent wedding band. We both love it!  Most sincerely, Andrew"

 David created Andrew's ring from South Carolina Live Oak ~ kindly sent to us by Maggie's parents from their family property.  Teresa; Maggie's mom also sent along this photo of the tree from whence the branch wood came. Her photo is from early Spring when the azaleas were blooming and the oak hadn't yet leafed out.

 

The center inlay of Andrew's ring is Canadian Quartz ~ sent by Andrew from the area of Eastern Canada where he was born and where his father's family hails from.

It's heartwarming and humbling to see things come full circle.  From Andrew's first email contact in May of this year, to getting to know Andrew and Maggie and Maggie's mom a little through emails, receiving their lovely oak wood and quartz in the mail, creating Andrew's ring ... and then their photos ~ sharing a little of the magic of their wedding day with us.  Bright blessings to you both, Maggie and Andrew.

~

As a little aside to the story of Andrew's Touch Wood Ring;

 if you are ever in the city of Travelers Rest, South Carolina stop in to

Swamp Rabbit Brewery and Taproom.  Maggie's parents; Teresa and Ben have been renovating the old post office for months as they get ready to open their local craft microbrewery (planned for January 2014) located just off the Swamp Rabbit Trail at 26 South Main Street in TR. 

Not a Swamp Rabbit : ) but it seemed a good opportunity to post a pic of this little bunny. Here, David is snuggling the wee one who had to be moved out of harms way on a warm spring day.