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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/ebay-bans-sale-of-ivory/

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.