Tree of Life

 

Tree of Life

     The idea of a Tree of Life exists in nearly every culture, religion, and tradition from ancient times to the present.  The Tree appears from the beginning in the Garden of Eden described in Genesis, and its bark plays a major role in the Iroquois creation.  Scientists, poets and artists all find something fascinating about the Tree.  Charles Darwin discussed the concept of a Tree of Life in his book, The Origin of Species (1872), and trees in general were described beautifully (and famously) by poet Joyce Kilmer.   The PBS program “Nature” features a wide tree in Africa in its opening, and the movie “Avatar” gave the Tree a starring role.    

     So it’s not surprising that artists (including jewelry makers) have added their ideas and interpretations to the Tree of Life.  A quick web search on Tree of Life images will show you a dazzling variety of Tree of Life paintings, photographs, and interpretations, like the one pictured above.

      One of my favorite companies, TierraCast, makes Tree of Life charms, clasps, and links. I've used them in my jewelry for a long time.  

 

  

1.       My latest Tree of Life pendants have been made out of wire and gemstone chips.

  I've been working on my own little forest:

    If you've made a Tree of Life pendant or other item, let me know. I'd love to see it.  If you'd like to learn to make one, check out YouTube for great tutorials and ideas.
   

Three Books on Rocks, Gems and Crystals

      I've been looking for a couple of new books to add to my collection on rocks and gem stones.  The first one I found, Collecting Rocks, Gems and Minerals, is written by a Quartzsite resident, Patti Polk.  I bought the book on Amazon right before Thanksgiving and have been looking at it ever since.  It is jam packed with beautiful photos of the rocks and more geological information than I will ever need. It's a great buy, with over 330 pages of information, plus two pages of additional resources and an excellent index.    

     Every entry includes a colored box with the Hardness factor plus a few other details such as rock group, locations where it is found, or current prices.  This makes it easy to see this limited information without having to read through the description.  

     The descriptions are generally one paragraph and give different information that varies with each rock. For some the historical uses are listed. Others include information on the ranges of colors or designs available, it's current uses, chemical composition, etc.  There's no set pattern.

      My favorite part of the book is it's extensive information on agates. Over 40 pages with great pictures! I had been confused about the difference between agate and jasper.  Now I know that agates are translucent and can include bands, "eyes" and other patterns.  Jasper is opaque and more dense and filled with inclusions.      

       I buy my rocks and stones at shows and stores. However, for those who want to hunt and collect their own rocks, the book has sections on the equipment you'll need and how to find them. 

        For a non-geological view of rocks and minerals I found two books in my local library.  The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall and Gem Stones A to Z by Diane Stein.  I plan to purchase my own copy of The Crystal Bible, which is available on Amazon, along with Volumes 2 and 3. 

 
       The Crystal Bible is also filled with great photographs and colorful pop out boxes of information that makes it quick and easy to look up information.  More details are found below the boxes and include the attributes and healing uses for each stone.  While I would never substitute stones and gems for my doctor's prescriptions, I do find the information fascinating to read. I know some people put more emphasis on this than I do. I'm just starting to read this book, so maybe I'll become more of a believer by the end. (Probably not.)
       I like that the book has  a Quick Reference section so you can find limited info very quickly. There is a section on crystals and the zodiac that gives a number of different stones associated with each sign. My favorite quick section is the one on meanings. Turquoise, one of my favorite stones, means a journey is imminent.  Maybe there is a connection since I love to travel.
       I was especially happy to see that The Crystal Bible is filled with information about stones I use in my jewelry.  Whenever I list an item for sale in my Etsy shop I like to include something interesting. Something that goes beyond the price and what I used to make it.  This book will be another great resource I can use for that. I hope to go through my listings soon to add to them.

        So if you're looking for a new reference book on rocks take a look at these three. If your library has one or more of them, check them out first there. For a scientific book, Collecting Rocks, Gems, and Minerals is great. Easy to read and interesting. The beautiful pictures and wide range of information made it my favorite book.
       For a metaphysical approach, The Crystal Bible is tops. I was hesitant about buying it, even though it had been recommended to me by a few people.  Now, after seeing it, I plan to buy it soon.  

Wednesday Surprise

    My 2017 is starting off nicely. I was one of the 4 Etsy shops featured in today's  "Wednesday Surprise" from The Vintage Addiction Lifestyle Team.  The featured items were all copper, one of my favorite things. You can see the post and items at TVAT Wednesday Surprise.

     One of the fun things about Etsy is its sense of community.  Teams are a way to connect with people who share your same interests or who are simply great people.  Over 350 people belong to TVAT. Their shops are located all over the U.S., and Canada.  Plus they have some active members in England, France, and a few other countries.

     Although I don't sell vintage items, I like them. A few of my jewelry pieces have a vintage look, and of course, I'm vintage myself.  So its no surprise that TVAT is one of my favorite teams.    

       What a great start to the new year!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

Night Visitor

We've had a young coyote visiting us the last few nights.  Last night he paused long enough in front of the camera to smile.  

These pictures are from the night before when he stopped long enough to get a drink.  

   About an hour before he showed up one of the rabbits had been right where he's walking. They stay under the big bush to the right a lot of the time.

    On my walk Friday morning I saw a young coyote on the golf course near us. Probably the same one. He looked like he was limping. They have access to plenty of water here, but the rabbit population seems low to me here at our house.  However, on the walking trail I've seen a lot of young ones. I'm sure the coyote is finding enough to eat as long as he stays healthy enough to catch them.

     

     It's always nice to have visitors, even if only for a minute.

     

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary

      Located at an altitude of 7500' and surrounded by Navajo and Zuni reservations is Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary -- a magical place.  We visited here earlier this month. They rescue wolves that people have tried to keep as pets, only to discover that wolves are not meant to be pets.

      I had heard about the Sanctuary and "adopted" Teton, an Arctic wolf, last Christmas. As soon as I found out they had a cabin you could rent I began planning a visit.

The Gift Shop

    You check in at the Gift Shop for tours and to pick up the key to the cabin.  Across the dirt road is the Candy Kitchen country store where we bought lunch before beginning our visit.  They make a great turkey sub. 

        After lunch we were ready for our first event, a standard tour of all of the wolves and other rescued animals.  Although most of the animals are wolves or hybrid wolves,  they have a couple of coyotes, an aging red fox, and some Australian Singing Dogs. They even have some feral dog survivors of hurricane Katrina that were misidentified as wolves.  The one thing all of the animals had in common was their need for a safe and permanent home. 

Off the Grid Cabin

The cabin is solar powered and beautifully decorated inside. But the best thing about it is that a wolf might visit you here!

Storm

Leyton, the Director, with Storm

       I was so excited when Leyton brought Storm to the cabin. You can read about Storm's interesting family story on their web site.  His wolf mother was a rescue, but he and his siblings ended up being raised by Leyton.
       Storm and his brother Flurry are very sociable.   I was able to rub their ears and pet them.  Storm even leaned against me. Their other brother, Teton, is not sociable.  I could only see him at a distance since he stayed high up the hill that's in his enclosure.  But that's the way of wolves. You take them as they are.
        The next day, however, I got to visit with Flurry and hear him howl.  He has a beautiful voice!      

Flurry

I asked Leyton if I could have some wolf fur to use in my jewelry, and he said I could. I brought home a handful and added a bit to my wolf necklace.  

 On the back is a secret paw pocket that I made from ultra suede.  I tucked a bit of wolf fur into it. Near to my heart until I can return to Wild Spirit.

On the Road to Santa Fe

      We took a road trip to New Mexico last week and made a stop in Santa Fe. It's the home of Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps. I had been to their store a few years ago, but now they've moved into a bigger location on Don Gaspar Avenue near the Plaza.

     I found some great southwest stamps and a new (to me anyway) spray ink from Ranger. I'm still learning its properties. In the meantime I couldn't resist using one of the new scenic stamps to make a quick page for my journal.

     Guadalupe's has a large selection of southwest stamps. This one is from B & J's Art Stamps, which is also based in New Mexico. I stamped on a half sheet of Bitty Scrap Pads Backgrounds paper then used a couple of Copic markers and a few colored pencils to add a touch of tint to the building and mountain tops.

     The wolf stamp is one I've had for a while and love. The maker's name has worn off from use.  I should have fussy cut out the turquoise by their legs, but I was in a hurry. If I make another one for a card, I'll definitely do that.  I stamped them in turquoise ink to remind me of the Turquoise Trail, the name given to the scenic drive between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.  If you get a chance to drive it, I heartily recommend you do.

      The significance of the wolves is that they were the primary reason for the trip. We first went to Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary to see the rescued wolves.  I hope to have more information and a few pictures posted about them soon.  The trip to the Sanctuary and to Santa Fe was great. One I hope to repeat again next year.