Being a long time crafter, I spent many years working on all sorts of projects, bouncing from one thing to another as it suited my mood and interest. Jewelry was always in the mix though and with the support of people close to me, I was encouraged to start selling some of my pieces.
Since I took the leap July 2013 to start following my passion, my path has changed significantly along the way. It's gone from "one day I'd like to..." to actually living it! And it all started with a burl, a burl for a girl :)
Now many of you may be wondering exactly what the heck a burl is! Well let me tell you, they are beautiful! They're not much to look at from the outside, but the treasure found within is truly one of nature's masterpieces (to me anyway). The grain of burl wood is so random, created by the tree to protect itself from an injury, infestation or a number of other hardships. They kind of remind me of us, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger - more beautiful and unique I suppose.
From there I started sustainably harvesting local wood, mostly birch as it has its own unique characteristics. I learned about spalting and how it creates patterns and designs as the wood starts its decomposing process. I've also started including pieces from exotic woods into the mix, ensuring that they also come from sustainably managed forests.
And I can't forget about the stones! In addition to their beauty, it's said that they each have their own healing property, used for spiritual, emotional and physical healing. I'm still learning, but this fascinates me, the idea of positive energy being a healing power in itself.
There is so much more I want to learn and do, so many more lines I'm working on creating so stay tuned!
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You can find Birch on Instagram: @birch_artisan_studio and on Etsy.
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