2014 ~ Touch Wood Rings ~ a year in review

 Touch Wood ~ 2014. 

This was fun!

I picked one couple and their rings from each month last year to showcase as a kind of 'year in review'.  We work with so many wonderful people in the course of a year. Thank you all for coming into our lives and for entrusting us with the creation of your rings.   

Here's hoping 2015 finds you feeling energetic and optimistic 

and doing what you love with those you love. 

Enjoy this sampling of Touch Wood Rings from 2014.

January 2014 

~ Amy and Michael ~
Juniper Heartwood, Birch, Purpleheart, Peridot and Willow

February 2014

  ~ Allison and Phil ~

Greyed Maple and Australian Red Gum Rings with Thomsonite Stone inlay

March 2014

 

~ Aron for Jamie ~

 Cherry and Maple Wood Ring with spiraled inlay of Melody's Stone

April 2014

 

~ Anne and Alex ~

Their 2008 Hawaiian Koa and Zebra wood rings

Back for a meadow visit and a refinishing.

May 2014

~ Chris for Sharon ~

Dark Hawaiian Koa wood ring with a Cottonwood inlay

June 2014

~ Matt and Patricia ~

Apple wood and 150 year old Post Oak Rings with willow, 
mother of pearl and anthracite coal inlays.

July 2014

~ Sherry and Mary ~

Wide tapered Cherry wood rings with birds eye maple inlays

August 2014

~ Justin for Dani ~

Tapered Rosewood ring with full moon Turquoise inlay

September 2014

 

~ Garret for Larissa ~

Juniper heartwood ring with Lapis and Sodalite inlaid in a natural knot

 October 2014

~ Pam and Brendan ~

Australian Alpine Ash wood rings with natural knots.

November 2014

~ Whitney and Nicole ~

Dark Hawaiian Koa with mixed Lapis and Turquoise inlays

December 2014

~ Josh and Cait ~

Black Walnut Wood Rings with turquoise and greyed maple inlays

2014 was a good year!   Much love and many thanks to all our old friends ~ we look forward to hearing from you from time to time.

And on to the new year, 2015... If you're visiting our blog for the first time, or wandering through again for inspiration; welcome here.  We'd like to share the beauty and the changing seasons on our 48 acre off-grid homestead with you too. 

We have two blogs; this Wood Ring blog and our Homestone blog.  There's our Touch Wood Rings primary website ~ which is a bit of a dinosaur ~ but still very active and chock full of good information.  We have a fledgling Facebook page.  You'll find some Touch Wood Ring pins on Pinterest, and we have a Google+ page as well.  I've been offering David's work online for almost 15 years but I've come late to the picnic of social media. If you're on Facebook, I'd be delighted if you 'Liked' our page.

No matter where you find us ~ we love to hear from you!    Thanks so much for stopping by!  I look forward to talking with you, and David and I look forward to working with you.  Wishing you all good things in 2015!

New Year coming. New Beginnings

Birch
First month of the Celtic Tree calendar: December 24th - January 20th. First consonant of the Ogham alphabet - Beith  Birch gives the essence of truth. It is considered the 'giving tree'.
Since the dawn of human kind, birch bark has been highly valued and utilized for all manner of things to benefit us 'two legged's'. It is after all, the bark of the giving tree. The birch bark David uses to create his braided inlays is lovingly collected from the ground around the birch trees where we live. Because of the remarkable preservative properties of birch bark, it is possible to use the bark from dead or fallen trees to make all sorts of things.  
Birch wood is a good hard wood which David jokingly calls hammer handle material.  It's serviceable wood but not especially pretty being without any remarkable grain or figure. Having said that, David can create a beautiful ring from almost any wood and there are lots of ways to include a particular wood without having it be the primary focus of a ring.

Birch trees prefer cool, moist areas, including peat bogs, river banks and lake shores. Birch can be found in larger numbers in cool damp woods and forests were the ground does not dry out for most of the year.

Birch wood is often used for fire wood because it burns well without popping, even when frozen. Birch bark can be easily used to start fires and the bark can also be peeled into thin sheets to make a paper like kindling that can be ignited even with sparks. We don't burn birch or the precious bark.

LESSON OF THE BIRCH
The birch tree symbolizes a fresh start and can bring courage and determination to those of us who are treading the path of spiritual growth and development for the first time.
Although the birch does appear fragile, it is in fact extremely hardy. This teaches us that in apparent weakness there is often to be found great strength.
The birch also promises new life and love, and is a potent symbol of purification and renewal, which focuses our attention on our potential for the change and on the consideration of new directions and goals to be experienced in our lives.
It teaches the lesson of unselfishness and of caring for the needs of others in ways that help them to flourish of their own accord.

 

BEGINNINGS are always important, as are the ways we approach any new task. Good preparation and a willingness to lay the ground on which we will build are every bit as valuable as the eventual outcome. The Green Man's wisdom here is specific: make a good start and whatever you are undertaking will end well.  This means paying attention to the moment of inspiration (which the Celts called 'awen') and following this to a satisfactory conclusion.
 
Traditionally birch was used to drive out evil spirits and return to sanity those who had become mad. Its calendrical association is with the beginnings of the year, and with the sacred festival of Samhain, hence its connection with making a fresh start. The birch is also one of the first trees to flower in the spring.

Wishing our new friends and old friends alike a wonderful new beginning this year!
_
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Sources / Thanks to
www.treenames.net 
www.thegoddesstree.com
Lesson of the Birch. The Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford 
Beginnings. The Green Man Oracle by John Matthews and Will Worthington

Winter Solstice and Trees and Rings

In our neck of the woods, Winter Solstice falls on December 21st at 3:04pm.
Solstice celebrates the rebirth of light after the darkest period of the year.

In honour of the Winter Solstice I thought it would be apropos to share some rings David has made that incorporate woods with Solstice connections.

Trees and botanicals have always been central to the winter Solstice celebration. 

Evergreens are symbols of rebirth. 

The oak tree is sacred to Druids and Mistletoe found on oaks is especially sacred. In the Celtic language, Mistletoe means “All heal”. Mistletoe is a token of good will and peace. 

Holly’s evergreen nature gives it a special place.

The cutting and burning of a Yule log is perhaps the best known tradition of the Winter Solstice. In pagan times different woods were chosen to produce different effects. 

Aspen invokes the understanding of the grand design.

This is a Juniper heartwood ring with an Aspen interior liner

Birch signifies new beginnings. Holly inspires visions and reveals past lives.

A Birch wood ring with an inlay of river rock

Oak brings healing, strength, and wisdom.

These are Maple Wood Rings with inlays of natural Oak knots

Pine signifies prosperity and growth and Willow invokes the Goddess to achieve desires.

This ring is Shortleaf, Loblolly and Eastern White Pine

How ever you celebrate this season of light and renewal ~

We wish you and yours a bright and blessed Solstice. 

With much love, as ever

Nicola and David 

 

A Wooden Wedding Ring for Tim

It was Spring.  The birds were just returning to the meadow. . .

Working with Tim; a self described '60 year old semi-retiring medical guy', was a lovely experience. Tim was looking to replace his gold wedding band which he explained had outlived it's wear-ability years ago. He was also looking to set a good environmental example for his grand kids. Tim gave David excellent information in terms of sizing and fit, and he was drawn to Juniper heartwood.  Beyond that he gave David artistic license to create something beautiful.

Just the other day we received this lovely warm letter from Tim ~ and a photo of Tim and Ingrid's hands taken at their daughter's wedding.

"Greetings David and Nicola.

I commissioned a Juniper Heartwood Wedding band from you last year. After I received it in the Spring I started to wear it sparingly because we were prepping the old house to sell, then proceeding with the renovations on the retirement home we moved to. With all that work, I didn't want to risk it harm. I now have the opportunity wear it out to community and events and at Church. The two of us are well worn and inseparable now.

I'm always delighted to wear it (a perfect fit) and Ingrid is joyed with it too. It is truly a work of art, unique in composition, and announces it's presence in a way that jewelry never can. It's subtle, and reflects light with a warmth that only finely polished wood can. The grain flow and contrast suits my heartwood. So a truly grand and sincere thank you for your composition David.  Kindest regards, Tim."