Woodsies of the Forest

There is a brand new category at Inklings Designs. "Woodsies" of the Forest.

My Husband brought back some petrified wood from the Petrified Forest of Arizona on one of his trips out West. Being a lover of "old things", AKA Fossils, I found them pretty awesome. In doing some research on petrified wood I found that unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions of compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. I guess that is why there is so much texture to it which really appeals to me.

I have paired the wood with gemstones like Carnelian and Agate to make these whimsical forest warriors. Joined together along with mixed metals they take on their different personalities. You can find them hanging out at: www.inklingsdesigns.com . They are pendants or brooches. You decide how you want to wear them.

Starfish Love

I have been on a Starfish kick lately. For some reason these simple yet complex creatures fascinate me. I can't help think of the story of "The Star Thrower" by Loren C. Eisele.

It goes like this:

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, so he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

As if he hadn't heard, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he turned, smiled and said, "It made a difference to that one!"

 I hope these creations of mine will remind you of that story and bring a smile to your face. Of course you can find them on my website: www.inklingsdesigns.com