Monday

Medieval Norse Fossil Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

Here's another new item for our Etsy shop! I think Dave is on a nalbinding needle roll!

Dave has carved this nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory and has adorned it with a scrimshawed Celtic motif.  This and other handmade fiber art tools can be found in our Etsy shop.

Carved Tagua Nut Hedgehog Thimble Holder

Dave hand carved this little Hedgehog thimble holder out of a Tagua Nut (South American Palm). Tagua Nut is commonly called “vegetable ivory” because it can be carved and scrimshawed like regular ivory. With time and use it will develop a patina like regular ivory and the relief carvings will become even more pronounced. 

This little hedgehog is approx 2 ¼ inches long by 1 ½ inches wide. Since this auction will end in 2009, Dave has initialed and dated it for the new year. To view more photos of this item, please click here.

Sunday

12 New Nalbinding Needles!

Dave has been busy! He has just completed 12 new nalbinding needles that are now listed in the "Fiber Art Tools" section of our Etsy shop.

Some of our wonderful customers had mentioned that they use their needles during SCA events, so with that in mind, Dave has tried to create needles that look like ancient Medieval Norse relics. No two shards of fossil walrus ivory are alike, so each handcrafted needle is a one of a kind treasure.

Saturday

Ebony and Mother of Pearl Tatting Shuttle

Dave handcrafted this 3 inch tatting shuttle out of black Ebony wood.  He has inlayed a Mother of Pearl diamond on each side.

This shuttle has been initialed by Dave, the maker.

Monday

Personalized Celtic Ogham Scrimshaw on Fossil Ivory Pendant

This Personalized Celtic Ogham Fossil Mammoth Ivory Pendant is a new item for us!

In the pendant photographed above, Dave has scrimshawed the name "Beth" into fossil mammoth ivory. The name "Beth" on this display piece, is written using the Celtic Ogham alphabet.

Our 1 inch long fossil mammoth ivory pendants can be personalized with almost any name. Each pendant hangs from a ball chain and will arrive in a gift box. If you are interested in having a personalized pendant, please visit our Etsy shop for more information.

Friday

We've Been Featured!


What a wonderfully pleasant surprise! Shimbarz, an artist on Etsy, has featured our Fossil Ivory Steampunk pendant in his beautiful treasury!

Thank you, Shimbarz! We really appreciate it :)

Sunday

Handcrafted Lace Bobbin with Turquoise and Bone Spangle

Dave hand crafted this 4 ¼ inch lace bobbin out of joined walnut and stabilized maple wood. JoAnna has made the beaded spangle using an old inlayed Yak bone bead from Tibet , turquoise and carnelian beads. It is initialed by Dave, the maker.  If you would like to view more photos of this item, please click here.

Saturday

Ebony Crochet Picot Hook

Dave hand crafted this picot hook out of ebony and red swirl celluloid with a #14 steel crochet hook inset. It is ideal as a tatting shuttle picot accessory hook for fine thread work. It is approximately 5 inches in length.

Black Widow Ebony Tatting Shuttle

Dave hand crafted this 2 1/2 inch shuttle out of black ebony wood. It has been inlayed with a brass widows web on the top and a red/black swirl celluloid hourglass on the bottom. It was a little difficult to catch the light just right to show the red hourglass inlay in the photo. It has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker. Please click here to view more photos of this shuttle.

Wednesday

Ebony and Imitation Tortoise Shell Crochet Hook Size H 5.00mm

Dave hand crafted this Size H (5.00 mm) hook from Ebony and imitation tortoise shell celluloid. It is approx 6 ¼ inches in length.  This beautiful crochet hook is currently up for auction on Ebay.

Ebony and Black Gold Swirl Crochet Hook Size G 4.00mm

Dave has hand crafted this Size G (4.00 mm) hook from Ebony and Black Gold Swirl celluloid. The amount of gold color changes with the angle of the light.  It is approx 6 ¼ inches in length and is currently up for auction on Ebay.

We've Won an Award!



Rocki, of RockisRocknBeads, has given our blog the "Butterfly Award"!  We are so honored and hope you will all take a little time to go check out her blog :)

Thank you, Rocki!

Monday

Fiddleback Maple Cameo Tatting Shuttle

This type of wood grain pattern is often called "Fiddleback" because it is used in making expensive violins. It is also refered to as Tiger Stripe Maple or Curly Maple.

Dave handcrafted this 2 5/8 inch tatting shuttle out of this beautifully grained maple and inset a resin cameo. It has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker.

Please click here to view more photos of this tatting shuttle.

Saturday

Wood and Celluloid Lace Bobbin Divider Pins

Dave has been busy lately making these gorgeous little gems! These lace bobbin divider pins were handcrafted from either Rosewood or Ebony and various colors of celluloid. All of these little beauties are up for auction on Ebay. Clicking on the photo above should open a larger view on a new page.

Friday

Smith Rock State Park


Our son is home for the Thanksgiving holiday and we thought we'd take a break from the turkey and go for a little sightseeing trip today.
Smith Rock State Park is located in central Oregon near Terrebonne, which is about 9 miles north of Redmond.  It is a very popular rock climbing spot and we were fortunate enough to get to watch as two climbers were making their way up the face of one of the Dihedrals.

Thursday

Ebony and Ruby Red Lace Bobbin Divider Pin




This is a larger bobbin divider pin nearly 3 3/4 inches long (approx 95 mm). Dave made this one from Ebony and a beautiful Ruby Red and Black swirl celluloid. 

Carved Antler Lace Bobbin Divider Pin


This is a larger bobbin divider pin nearly 4 inches long (approx 100 mm).  Dave made this one from dark East Indian Rosewood and deer antler. The little carved wise owl will watch over your lace work. It is initialed by Dave, the maker.

Where do we get our deer antler?

We use shed antlers which naturally fall off the animal each year after the breeding season. They grow back during spring and summer and are fully developed again by the fall breeding season. After that, they are shed and the process repeated again for the next years growth. 

Wednesday

Ivory Doesn't Grow on Holly Trees


Ilex aquifolium (Holly, or European Holly to distinguish it from related species) is a species of holly native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia.

It is an evergreen tree growing to 10-25 m tall and 40-80 cm (rarely 1 m or more) trunk diameter, with smooth grey bark. The leaves are 5-12 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, variable in shape; on young plants and low branches, with three to five sharp spines on each side, pointing alternately upward and downward; on higher branches of older trees with few or no spines except for the leaf tip, often entire.

The wood is heavy, hard and white; one traditional use is (together with ebony) for chess pieces, with holly for the white pieces, and ebony for the black. Other uses include turnery, inlay work and as firewood.

Now that you (you know who you are) know what Holly wood is, let me educate you on what it isn't. Although someone must have told you that ivory comes from Holly trees, it does not. Ivory comes from mammals. The Holly wood bobbin divider pin with the pyrography art work that you keep having removed from Ebay, is not made from ivory--remember, wood and ivory are two completely different materials. If you don't believe me, go read up on Holly wood at Wikipedia.

As we did the last time you maliciously reported our items, we have turned this matter over to Ebay and they are now monitoring your activity. If you plan on continuing to do business there I suggest you spend your time in a more constructive way, like working on your own craft. Of course, if you are hoping for a vacation from Ebay, I guess your activity is a quick way to get one.

Oh, and one more thing, Dave says to tell you that he is flattered that you think his burn etching in Holly wood looks so much like scrimshaw on ivory!

Update!  Dave just received an email from Ebay apologizing for wrongly removing his listing!  They acknowledged that this person reported it maliciously--wonders never cease ;)  

Sunday

Scrimshaw Mammoth Ivory Scissor Fob

Dave made this inspirational scissor fob by scrimshawing (etching with ink) on a ingot of ancient woolly mammoth ivory. I beaded it using 49 strand platinum professional beading wire with Butterfly Swarovski crystal beads and round rose quartz beads. The overall length is about 4 ½ inches long. The scissors in the photo are for display purposes only.

This scissor fob is currently up for auction on Ebay!

Wednesday

Teak Wood "Top Banana" Tatting Shuttle


Why “Top Banana”? Well, this shuttle has spent part of its past life as a banana!! Here’s the story. Dave and I like to browse the local “Neat Repeat” second hand store where donated garage and attic items help support the local senior center. On one trip Dave spied a old dusty carved teak wood banana (you may have seen these carved wooden fruits in a wooden bowel as a table center piece). He noticed the beautiful wood grain pattern and color and said “your coming with me to spend the rest of your life as a tatting shuttle making beautiful lace” (when the opportunity presents itself, he always likes to “re-purpose” items for a useful life as something else).  To accent it, he cut and inlayed a diamond shaped piece of ancient woolly mammoth ivory.  

So, Dave made this 2 5/8 inch shuttle from the wooden banana and dubbed it his “Top Banana” shuttle!  To view more photos of this tatting shuttle, please click any of the links above which will take you to the Ebay auction listing.

Thursday

"Gift from the Sea" Mahogany Tatting Shuttle

Dave carved this 3 ¼ inch flat shuttle from some of his prized mahogany which was a gift from the sea. We found an old ships timber washed up on the beach a few years ago, and after cutting away the barnacles and weathered wood Dave found an extremely hard wood center in the timber. It is the hardest wood he has ever worked with and will last several lifetimes.

As being a gift from the sea, he was inspired to decorate it with a burn etched island native motif. He left one point a little longer and fashioned it into a pick.

Carved Buffalo Bone Yarn Spinners WPI Gauge

Dave carved this Double Wraps Per Inch (WPI) yarn gauge/ruler from Buffalo bone. It has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker.

Wednesday

Rampant Lion Tatting Shuttle


Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

This is a very classicly styled shuttle!  Dave made this 2 3/8  inch tatting shuttle from stabilized Walnut.  Stabilized walnut is hardened by soaking in resin under high pressure making it very hard, dense and moisture resistant.  He has also inset a fine silver Rampant Lion crest.  JoAnna makes these solid silver discs with precious silver metal clay.  She made a push mold of a vintage Rampant Lion button,which she can then press silver clay into.  It is then fired in a kiln at 1600 degrees burning away the organic clay binders and fusing together the silver particles in to 99.99 % pure fine silver.

If you would like to view additional photos of this tatting shuttle, please visit the eBay auction for this item.

Sunday

Ergonomic Overhand Grip Cherry and Mahogany Size G 4.00mm Crochet Hook

This beautiful Cherry and Mahogany hook has been accented with a purple Dymondwood ring. The length of this size G (4.00mm) hook measures about 5 3/4 inches. Dave has burn etched our Grizzly Mountain Arts Cascades logo on one side.

If you would like to see more photos of this hook, please visit our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop!

Fossil Walrus Ivory Tribal Hook Necklace

This is a collaborative piece--Dave has carved the beautiful tribally inspired hook from fossil walrus ivory, and Jo beaded the necklace. The 15 inch ball necklace has been adorned with old bauxite beads and old ostrich shell beads from Africa. The hook hangs from a bone bead and copper wire. A gift box is included!

Etched Sea Heart Pendant

Dave has etched a graceful dragonfly scene on this beautiful sea heart pendant. The sea heart has been cut in half and a gorgeous piece of East Indian Rosewood has been applied to the back. The sea heart hangs from a Hill Tribe silver bail and jump ring. The 16" twisted brown cord is made of nylon. This is truly a unique piece!

~~What are Sea Hearts?~~

Sea Hearts (Entada gigas), also known as Sea Beans or Monkey Ladder pods, are a member of the legume family (Fabaceae).

The enormous monkey ladder pod (Entada gigas) may be three to six feet long (1 to 2 meters) before it breaks apart into 15 or more one-seeded compartments, each bearing a shiny brown sea heart.

Although they are very large, the pods of monkey ladder are rather flimsy and typically break apart into 15 or more one-seeded compartments. In fact, the forest floor is often littered with these sections, several connected to each other by a tough, woody cord. Each section contains a shiny, brown seed resembling a large bean made of polished hardwood. The seeds may be two and one-half inches (6 centimeters) across and often resemble wooden hearts. Because of a hollow cavity adjacent to the seed embryo and a thick, woody covering, the seed is very buoyant and resistant to decay. Torrential rains commonly wash the seeds into streams and rivers where they are carried into the sea. Here the seeds start a new career as "sea hearts" in one of nature's most fascinating stories. Literally millions of sea hearts ride the ocean currents of the world, drifting for months or years--eventually washing ashore on the beaches of distant continents or exotic tropical islands.

Thursday

Fossil Ivory Nalbinding Needle 10


Another new fossil mammoth ivory nalbinding needle has been added to our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop today!

Dave has carved this 2 1/2 inch nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory and has hand polished it to a high gloss.

If you are active in the SCA, this would be a truly unique addition to your period tool collection!

Handmade Birch Crochet Hook Size H 5.00mm


Here is another of the crochet hooks Dave is making especially for our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop!

This size "H" 5.00mm hook features a Walnut finial and a colorful blue celluloid accent ring. The overall length of this hook is 6 inches.

Don't forget, shipping is FREE on nearly all of the items in our GMA Etsy shop and our Good Dirt Jewelry Etsy shop!

Mammoth Ivory and Rosewood Top Whorl Drop Spindle


Dave has just completed another of his gorgeous drop spindles! This one has been carved from a beautiful piece of dark East Indian Rosewood. A graceful leaf motif has been carved into the mammoth ivory accent piece. This spindle has been initialed and dated on the whorl bottom by Dave, the maker.


Type: Top whorl
Whorl: 2 1/4 inches
Length: 10 inches (not including brass top hook).
Wt: 1.3 Oz Lightweight
Materials: Hand carved mammoth ivory and dark East Indian Rosewood
Other: Brass tip/bumper protector

Carved Wood Spirit Nostepinde




A lot of people call their yarn ball winder a “NOSTY” so perhaps a Nosty can also be a wood spirit of the yarn ball winders! Dave hand carved this ole fellow to bring you enjoyment and amusement while you wind your yarn into a center pull ball. This 10 ½ inch nostepinde was made out of joined birch, juniper and walnut.

This piece has been initialed and dated by Dave, the artist/maker.

Wednesday

Fine Silver and Blue Mammoth Ivory Pendant

Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

A handmade cabochon of rare blue fossil mammoth ivory has been set into a fine silver pendant to create this one of a kind piece. We used Precious Metal Clay (PMC), which is .999 fine silver, to create the pendant. We have given the silver pendant a rich patina to give it the appearance of an ancient relic.

This and two other new fossil ivory pendants can be found in our Etsy shop!

Thursday

Crafts on the Coast


Our last show of the season is rapidly approaching! This weekend, we will be participating in the "Crafts on the Coast Annual Harvest and Holidays Art and Craft Fair" in Yachats, Oregon. This is a wonderful venue for a show and there is always a great variety of artists, not to mention the location is fabulous!

You may have noticed some items are missing from our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop and from our Good Dirt Jewelry Etsy shop. These pieces will be available this weekend at the show.

Medieval Norse Nalbinding Needle


Here's another new addition to our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop!

Dave has carved this 3 1/2 inch nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory and has hand polished it to a high gloss. These are truly little gems and feel so nice in your hand.

Wednesday

Oregon Myrtlewood and Walnut Overhand Crochet Hook


This is our newest addition to our Etsy shop! Dave has hand carved this overhand size H crochet hook from Oregon Myrtlewood and Walnut.

This beautiful Myrtlewood and Walnut has been accented with a deep purplish-red celluloid ring. The length of this size H (5.00mm) hook measures 5 3/4 inches . Dave has burn etched our Grizzly Mountain Arts Cascades logo on one side.

Monday

Carved Wood Spirit Overhand Crochet Hooks


It's been quite a while since Dave made his Wood Spirit Crochet Hooks.  Today, he listed four new ones on Ebay!  These unique crochet hooks are made for a easy OVERHAND grip.  

Dave hand carves the wood spirit face so that it faces down when held. The smooth side rests against the palm while working. No two wood spirits come out alike 
since he does them freehand and the wood grain has a lot to do with the outcome of the spirit face also. Now you can enjoy your crocheting 
with a little friend.

Size H, 5 inch (5.00 mm) hook is made from Maple burl and walnut.

Size J, 5 1/4 inch (6.00 
mm) hook is made from Oak and Birch.

Size K, 5 inch (6.50 mm) hook is made from Maple Burl and Birch.

Size L,  is a 5 1/4 inch  (8.00 mm) hook made from light color Purpleheart and Birch. 

Be sure and click on each photo to get a closer look!




Thursday

Victorian Design Top Whorl Drop Spindle


This is Dave's newest drop spindle and it's a beauty! The top whorl drop spindle has a burn etched Victorian motif and a gorgeous brilliant red celluloid accent piece. If you would like to view more photos of this spindle, please click on the link above. This piece has been intialed on the whorl bottom by Dave, the maker.

Type: Top whorl
Whorl: 2 1/4 inches
Length: 10 inches (not including brass top hook).
Wt: 0.8 Oz Lightweight
Materials: Walnut, White Holly Wood and Ruby Red celluloid accents
Other: Brass tip/bumper protector

Blue Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Knitting Needle


This is a beautiful 2 1/2 inch nalbinding needle that Dave carved from rare Blue Mammoth Ivory. It is the little sister to the last blue needle that recently sold on Ebay at auction. One side shows a mix of blue and brown colors. The other side is a solid deep blue, almost black, color. The ivory is at least 10,000 years old. It is initialed by Dave, the maker. Perfect for SCA Ren-Faire!

A Gift of Apples


Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

We made this "A Gift of Apples" cameo needle minder from a gorgeous vintage inspired resin cameo. We inlayed a rare earth magnet with clear resin on the back. Dave encased another rare earth magnet into a piece of faux ivory (resin) that he turned on the lathe. Together, these beauties will "mind" your needle conveniently on your project! Separated, the cameo needle minder and faux ivory back would also make two handy refrigerator magnets!

This and five more new cameo needle minders have been added to the Fiber Art Tool section of our Etsy shop!

Tuesday

Ebay to Stop All Ivory Sales!


Dave learned today that Ebay will stop worldwide sales of ALL ivory items and items with ivory in or on them effective January 2009. You can read more at the following link:

While the ban is intended to stop international trafficking in illegal elephant ivory, Ebay is banning sale of ALL ivory including legal ancient mammoth and fossil walrus ivory because Ebay cannot be sure if any ivory is being properly listed and described so they are "throwing the baby out with the wash water" and banning all ivory products, including heirlooms.
So what does this mean for Dave and the mammoth ivory items he makes?  Well obviously he won’t be selling them at auction on Ebay after January.  He plans on listing some items with mammoth ivory in our ETSY Shop and we are considering posting some items on our website with BUY NOW buttons that link directly to PayPal.  Also, he will continue to fill custom orders for items made with ancient ivory. 
As we have stated many time, we do not use elephant ivory in making any of our items.  Ancient mammoth ivory is considered fossil ivory and is legal to import and export without restrictions. It is a shame that some bad apples in the ivory trade are ruining the Ebay market place for the artist who only use legal ancient fossil ivory in their craft.

Update:  Etsy has joined Ebay in banning the sale of fossil ivory.  We will now be selling our fossil ivory items directly from this blog using PayPal.

Monday

Handmade Walnut and Ivory Spinners 1/8 in Diz Set


Dave hand made this 1/8 inch orifice diz and threading hook set out of walnut and ancient mammoth ivory. The diz is a 2 3/8 x 2 inch walnut oval with a center insert of smooth ivory, so no fiber snags on the wood grain or edges. The orifice threading hook is brass with a walnut handle, ivory and ebony accent rings. Dave has also burn etched the Victorian design on the diz by hand. This piece has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker.

Sunday

Carved Buffalo Bone Yarn Spinners WPI Gauge


Dave carved this Double Wraps Per Inch (WPI) yarn gauge from Buffalo bone. It is 3 inches long by 1 inch wide and has both a ½ inch and a 1 inch WPI gauge. Dave has also hand carved a Rose and Leaf motif on one side. It has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker.

Fiddleback Maple Yarn Ball Winder


This beautiful yarn ball winder, which is also called a nostepinde or nostepinne, is 10 3/4" in length. Dave turned this one-of-a-kind fiber art tool from a gorgeous piece of Fiddleback Maple. We discovered this and other fabulous pieces of unique wood at a specialty wood mill while traveling through the Cascade mountains recently. This nostepinde also features antiqued brass finials and a hand etched pyrography maple leaf motif, also done by Dave. You can find more photos of this nostepinde in the Fiber Art Tool section of our Etsy shop.

What is Fiddleback Maple?

Fiddleback maple, also known as flamed maple, curly maple, or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the grain of the wood; it is more accurately called "figure", as the distortion is perpendicular to the grain direction. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of musical instruments, such as violins, and fine furniture.

During the westward expansion of early settlers and explorers into the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, curly maple was often used for making the stocks used on Kentucky rifles.

Saturday

Fossil Ivory Nalbinding Needles

Made with love on Grizzly Mountain!

Jo has just added 8 new fossil ivory nalbinding needles to our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy Shop! You'll find a variety of sizes and materials, including fossil walrus and mammoth ivory and deer antler.

Dave has carved the 4 inch, 102mm nalbinding needle above, from fossil mammoth ivory and has hand polished it to a high gloss. We have photographed both sides of this needle to show the uniqueness of the ancient ivory. Each nalbinding needle has been initialed by Dave and comes in it's own velour drawstring bag.