Thursday, March 19, 2009

Birches and serendipity

When I'm working at my bench, a giant birch tree is my constant companion. All I have to do is look out the window, and there it stands, a gorgeous guardian spirit.

Most of our property is covered in black spruce, so the bright white bark of this birchtree stands out. When I'm daydreaming or trying to figure something out, my eyes rest there.

Here's my companion birch in early summertime.


Decked with a rainbow in the golden light of a late summer rainstorm.


And here is a close-up of her bark.


No wonder, then, that one of my favorite jewelry patterns is called "Birches." Inspired by my faithful birch tree, it's also a lot of fun to make, as I enjoy hammering the bark pattern.

Here I've added a tiny, pale citrine to the pendant. It reminds me of birch syrup, which I keep promising myself I will learn to make. These earrings and pendant are polished to a high shine; unfortunately, the shiny part shows up as grey in my photos. But I can promise that you will stand out as brightly as my birchtree when you're wearing them.

Serendipity is one of my favorite words, and it's a concept I embrace wholeheartedly: That so often when we're looking for something, we accidentally find something else that's even better. So I should not have been surprised to find an email waiting for me after my last blog post asking if anyone would be interested in bartering a bit of web design for jewelry.

But here's the fun part: The person who emailed me is substitute teaching in Fairbanks. She had picked up a copy of an Ikea catalog at the school (on her first day working there), and my business card fell out. She liked the design, was surprised that I'm in the Fairbanks area, and so she looked me up on the Internet. Ta daaa: There I was, asking for help with something she loves to do.

So we've talked, and it sounds like we've got a deal. Don't you just love it when the Universe gives you exactly what you need? And makes you laugh and shake your head at the same time?

Serendipity.

6 comments:

  1. Do you sell just the birch earrings anywhere in town? And do they come in different sizes? Like small?

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  2. I can sell you these if you are interested, or I can make a different size for you. Just email me or give me a call.

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  3. The set looks beautiful, Kristin! I am about to send some cyber visitors your way - I have tagged you in my blog which will be posted tomorrow. Please come and check it out so that you, too, can "play".
    http/:thistledown-arts.blogspot.com

    How is your weather behaving up there? Any signs of spring yet? We have had so much snow in the last week that all the ground is again covered! *sigh* I have bought my seeds, though, and am dreaming of a time when I can plant them. :-)

    I'll be checking back, so I'll "talk" to you again!

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  4. Ohhh that is the one thing I love about here and that is the Birch Trees. I am very grateful that my master bedroom looks out to a lot of trees out back and Birch Hill. I love how you incorporated your love for nature into your works.

    Your jewelry is beautiful and I enjoy the pieces I have from you.

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  5. Hi, Joanne! Loved your elephant and sunflowers. No, no spring here for weeks yet. But it is warmer, tho they're predicting more snow. I'm just happy to have the light back again! Thanks for sending folks my way -- and I'm now "following" you. ;)

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  6. Hi, Abby! I'm so glad to be back in touch again. I wish there were more birches here, but alas, I must discover a way to love the scraggly black spruce that dominate the property.

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