Good Morning Starshine, the Earth Says Hello! Desert Finch Hatchlings

Well it's that time of the year again and spring has sprung!  Long story, but there was a little nest above my patio and year after year, the little finch family would visit, the little eggs would appear, hatch and then the little ones would fly away!  I believe these are the local desert finches.  The males can have a bit of a reddish color and the females are a darker tan to brown in color.

There was a previous nest up there and year after year, it got higher and higher and it had become rather messy as well.  I wondered how they would be able to even get in and out of the nest because it had become a high rise?

They have replaced the old nest with some pretty snazzy new construction.  The first photo will show some of the many different types of grass and clovers the mother used to craft her new home.  I believe there is even some chihuahua hair up there!  This photo was taken around March 10th.

I had taken some photos of the little speckled blueish eggs in the nest around March 20th and some last Thursday.  I heard the little, tiny chirps earlier and had a feeling the eggs had hatched.  I was right and they were up there all fuzzy and waiting for mother bird.

I used my i-phone to take the photos and they came out really great.  I didn't have to get too close and the results were pretty clear.  Nature photography is so much fun!

Life happens fast, so enjoy every minute of it!

On the Bench

I milled some oak leaves on a lighter gauge of metal for this project.  Currently working on sawing out several leaves.  These need filing, sanding, shaping and so on...  There are various steps to finishing these to make them look more like real leaves.  The impressions are on both the front and the back of the pieces.  The real natural leaves may not fully align, but you will see detail on both sides.

New Pieces for The Store

I finished up some items and dropped them off at The Store the other night.  There was a great vibe at the arts center with a festival going on and artists doing demos for the visitors.  I walked in right when a lovely person was looking at a necklace I had made.  She took that one home and a bracelet as well.  The weather has been so beautiful and it was just a pretty night!  The photos are of The Store, some of the sterling earrings I dropped off, the stairs down to the museum and the ones up to the metals studio.

Breezy Beauty!

It's a beautiful, breezy day here under the Ponderosa Pine canopy.  It's a good place to relax, recharge, think and dream!

Japanese Maple Leaf in Fine Silver

I gathered a variety of the sweetest Japanese Maple leaves to use for this project.  The detail is so tiny, delicate and beautiful.

I milled a fine silver ingot, then used it for the earrings.  It's almost pure and is softer than sterling, but works well for earrings and pendants.  I made the ear wires of sterling silver.

Turns out, my favorite pair has the San Carlos peridot, followed by the amethyst.  The labradorite pair is already stationed in another location.  Well, those were dropped off at the store today with some necklaces.

Some photos along the way while these were in progress.  Happiness is... a pile of colored gemstones at my fingertips!

Payson Diamond Pendant in Copper

I made this pendant with a piece of quartz found on the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona.  It was so cold the two days we were up there, so it was fitting to call this crystal the ice cube!

The front is really pretty and the back has a healing area with some grooves and areas that stick out further.

The various gauges of copper wire really create a nice form to hold the crystal without drill holes or prongs.  I did patina the copper, remove the excess and lightly polished the piece.

This can be worn on a slider cord and I have also forged some fun clasps for my cord necklaces as well.  So, if you're wondering what I will do with all the crystals I've collected...  I'm going to keep some and make some jewelry!

Payson Diamonds

Here are some photos of what are called Payson Diamonds.  They can be mined or harvested from the earth right here in the Arizona Rim Country.

There are designated dates to dig between October and February and it's limited to hand tools with a max area of a cubic yard.  The forest service requests that all holes and areas be back filled with your till.  Unfortunately, it looks as though some over the months and years have not completely honored this request.

It's also requested that the digging be 6' from any Ponderosa Pines and oak trees.    This is so the root systems are not disturbed.

There are various ways of trying to find the pretty quartz.  I've sifted through some fill dirt where others have already done some digging.  Sometimes they miss the pieces because they can be coated with mud.  The rocks have an entirely different shape, so those get tossed to the side while you keep looking.  I like to use a garden tool and move the soil back and forth.  I have even been walking and seen a big crystal partially out of the ground.  The rain or melted snow give them a nice cleaning.  It's so fun when one makes an appearance!

I was sifting through some soil in an area and decided it was time to move along.  I thought the area was not very good.  I leaned back to gather my tools, turned my head and saw a really large crystal partially uncovered.  I dug it up and there are usually more than one in an area, so I did find another.

They will range from super clear like glass to milky looking ice cubes.  Some will have nicely terminated tips and some will be rough or chipped.  The inclusions vary and I found some that have waves of rainbow colors inside them.  One of the larger ones I found looks like it had little hair like fibers on the inside. It's really great to find a dual terminated one that may more closely resemble the shape of a Herkimer Diamond.  You will see a dual terminated, large one in the center of my photo.

Some have facets and tables like cut gemstones and a good majority will have healing areas on them.  It just depends how much room they had to grow 250 to 500 million years ago.  I guess there is just no way to tell for sure how old they are.  I'm no expert, but a novice here.

They will need a good soaking, scrubbing and cleaning.  I've been experimenting with ways to get some of the dirt out and a firm brush is helpful.  Some of the fractures may take on the stain of iron and almost give some a citrine type tint.

We talked to several people who said they looked, but didn't find any.  It depends if they were walking and looking to collect them off the surface of the forest or if they are willing to dig and spend some time, meaning hours on various visits.

It's important to remember that you are essentially out in the wild looking to harvest natures sweet little gems.  I like to keep obvious gear on and with me at all times.  I'd make sure car keys are secure because you may be up, down, leaning this way and that way.  If you dropped them in the forest, good luck retracing your steps and finding them!

It can be really fun treasure hunting, but I would be aware of time spent and time of the day.  You've hiked in and give yourself time to get back to your vehicle before it gets dark.

Some other things I considered were to listen and be aware of your surroundings.  I warned someone to pay attention to the low hanging branches.  Of course, I was so busy looking at the ground at one point, I walked into some myself.  I came upon a jagged rock pile, my foot wobbled and I dropped some supplies and hand tools.  We also saw an area that looked level, but had been dug down on the other side creating a drop off.  Just be aware of various terrain because it's not a paved path.

I wear gloves and like the extension the hand tools give.  You're out in nature, so I did see various spiders, worms, small centipedes, etc.  I did bring something to sit or kneel on vs. sitting directly on rocks.

So far, I've been out a handful of times and it was a blast.  I try to harvest the crystals carefully, tread with care and leave the surroundings not too much different than how I found them.