Saturday, February 28, 2009

Ceramic Antique Button Pendant

Ceramic Antique Button Pendant


I found the most amazing antique brass button, and from that button I made the mold used to create this unique earthenware pendant. This was one of the most challenging pieces I've made yet! This 1 inch diameter ceramic pendant has been glazed with a fun kiwi green glaze and it hangs on an 18 inch ball chain which can be easily removed should you have a favorite chain you prefer to use.


If you would like to view more photos of this pendant, please visit the listing in my Etsy shop.

A Regal Ring

Celtic Ceramic Adjustable Ring


An antique button was used to make the mold for this piece. Earthenware clay glazed with a rich baroque gold gives this adjustable ring a regal feel. You can view more photos of this unique piece at my 1000markets.com shop.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sweet, Sweet Spring....in Blue!

Sweet, Sweet Spring....in Blue!

The cheery blue glaze of this earthenware ceramic pendant and earrings set makes me think of the spring sky in Oregon!

Like the kiwi "Sweet, Sweet Spring" set currently for sale in my Etsy shop, the pendant and earrings of this set were also created from molds made from some beautiful antique buttons. While I used two different buttons, I thought they made a perfect set :)

The 3/4 inch pendant hangs from an 18 inch ball chain. The sweet little sterling silver post earrings measure nearly a half an inch in diameter and come with two sets of backs. More photos of this set can be found here in my 1000markets.com shop.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ceramic Spiral Post Earrings


The unique spiral pattern found on these earrings comes from an antique button that I used to create my mold. The delicate spiral reminds me of plant tendrils. The 1/2 inch diameter sterling silver post earrings have been glazed in a rich, earthy blue glaze. If you'd like to view more photos of these earrings, please click here to visit my 1000markets.com shop.


Monday, February 23, 2009

Sweet, Sweet Spring Ceramic Pendant and Earring Set


The bright light Kiwi green glaze of this earthenware ceramic pendant and earrings set makes me think of spring!

The pendant and earrings were created from a mold made from some beautiful antique buttons I recently acquired. While I used two different buttons, I thought they made a perfect set :)

The 3/4 inch pendant hangs from an 18 inch ball chain. The sweet little sterling silver post earrings measure nearly a half an inch in diameter and come with two sets of backs as shown in the photo.

This set is available in my 1000markets.com shop!

Introducing.....The Swallowtail Tatting Shuttle

The Swallowtail Tatting Shuttle


Here in central Oregon winter is still in full force, but that doesn't prevent us from dreaming of spring. Dave's newest line of tatting shuttles, the Swallowtails, makes us think of spring!
Sometime back we fitted new wooden blinds in our house and we ended up with slats left over. Since we often like to “re-purpose” things we find, Dave made some lightweight tatting shuttles out of the extra blinds.

These shuttles are 3 1/4 inches long by 1 1/8 inch wide and 1/8 inch thick. Each has been adorned with a graceful swallotail using pyrography (burn etching) and has been initialed and dated by Dave, the maker. Beeswax was used to finish each shuttle.
You can find four of our new Swallowtail Tatting Shuttles in our Etsy shop.

Three Muses Ceramic Cameo Adjustable Ring

The Three Muses Ceramic Cameo Adjustable Ring


The "Three Muses" ceramic cameo in this ring was made from a mold I created using a vintage cameo. I have glazed this piece with an earthy green glaze that has rust highlights.

I set this ceramic cameo in a vintage brass adjustable ring base, which in itself is very unique. Together, they create a very beautiful, ancient looking piece.


This piece is currently available in my Etsy shop!

Celtic Ceramic Coat of Arms Ring

Celtic Ceramic Coat of Arms Ring


I've been on a bit of an antique* button buying kick lately, and this unique ceramic ring is a result!

I made the mold for this ring using an antique coat of arms button that features a Victoria's crown, rampant horse on the dexter (right) side, and an uncrowned rampant lion on the sinister (left) side. I believe this antique button must have been fashioned after a Victorian military button which has basically the same elements, with the exception being a rampant unicorn instead of a rampant horse, and the rampant lion wears a crown.

The glaze on this piece is an earthy golden color and the ring itself is adjustable.

There are only two of these rings available--one is in my Etsy shop and the other is in my 1000marktets.com shop. Both have FREE shipping and are priced at $15!

*No antique buttons were harmed in the mold making process* :)

Monday, February 16, 2009

Old Irish Pictish Love Ogham Stone Ceramic Pendant


This "Pictish Ogham Stone" earthenware pendant is another collaborative effort between my husband, Grizzly Mountain Arts, and myself. I am so lucky to have a master carver with a studio right next to mine! Dave carved the original Pictish standing stone ogham, then made me a wonderful mold from that piece.

This pendant, which spells out the word "Love" in ogham writing, measures about 2 inches in length and about 1 1/2 inches in width. It has been glazed with an earthy bluish-brown glaze and hangs from a sturdy cotton cord with copper clasp. The cord could easily be removed if you have a favorite chain or cord you prefer. A gift box is included with your purchase!

**What are Pictish Ogham Stones?**

Ogham, is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to represent the Old Irish language (and, occasionally, the Brythonic ancestor of Welsh). Ogham is sometimes referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.

There are roughly 400 surviving ogham inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and Britain, the bulk of them stretching in arc from County Kerry in the south of Ireland across to Dyfed in south Wales. The remainder are mostly in south-eastern Ireland, western Scotland, the Isle of Man, and England around the Devon/Cornwall border. The vast majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names.

Monumental ogham inscriptions are found in Ireland and Wales, with a few additional specimens found in England, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Shetland. They were mainly employed as territorial markers and memorials (grave stones). The stone commemorating Vortiporius, a 6th century king of Dyfed (originally located in Clynderwen), is the only ogham stone inscription that bears the name of an identifiable individual. The language of the inscriptions is predominantly Primitive Irish and Old Irish, apart from the few examples in Scotland, such as the Lunnasting stone, which record fragments of what is probably the Pictish language.

The more ancient examples are standing stones, where the script was carved into the edge (droim or faobhar) of the stone, which formed the stemline against which individual characters are cut. The text of these "Orthodox Ogham" inscriptions is read beginning from the bottom left-hand side of a stone, continuing upward along the edge, across the top and down the right-hand side (in the case of long inscriptions). Roughly 380 inscriptions are known in total (a number, incidentally, very close to the number of known inscriptions in the contemporary Elder Futhark), of which the highest concentration by far is found in the southwestern Irish province of Munster. One third of the total are found in Co Kerry alone.

Thanks for looking at my item! Don't forget--Shipping is always FREE!

The Druid's Egg

Earthenware Druid's Egg Pendants

I have a new line of earthenware pendants that will be available in both my 1000markets.com shop and my Etsy shop! Good Dirt Jewelry's line of Druid's Egg pendants, is another collaborative effort between my husband, Grizzly Mountain Arts, and myself. I am so lucky to have a master carver with a studio right next to mine! Dave carved the original Druid's Egg, then made me a wonderful mold from that piece. All of the Druid's Eggs above are the result!

**What Are Druid's Eggs?**

The Druid's Egg (also “glain,” “serpent's egg,” or “snake stone”) was a talismanic object sacred to the Druids. Tales about it resemble those of the Philosopher's Stone sought by the alchemists. Its myths may also be related to those of the Omphalos, a meteoritic stone which was kept at Delphi and was thought to be the egg of the serpent-monster Python. In legends, the Druid’s Egg is credited with endowing its possessor with the ability to obtain almost all he might desire. The Druid's Egg was also believed to create a favorable outcome in courts of law, so much that the Romans outlawed carrying one into any courtroom.

In truth, the Druid’s Egg was an egg-shaped talisman made of stone. This consecrated object served as a tool for meditation and magickal focus, and symbolized the promise of renewal and rebirth. They could be made from any stone, and were generally small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand (about the size of a chicken's egg).

In lore, the Druid's Egg was a magickal egg produced by serpents. It could be obtained only on St. Johns Eve, when snakes were supposed to gather in a ball and form an egg from their spittle. As the snakes twisted and writhed, the egg emerged from the mass of vipers and would then float upward into the air.

Many species of snake do form such a ball in the cold months, but the few species of snake native to Britain are not egg-layers. A snake which does lay eggs is the python, not found in Britain, but which was kept in the goddess temples of the Aegean; this may be taken as further evidence of an association between the Druids (or their predecessors) and the Delphic cult which kept the sacred Omphalos stone.

In legends, the Druid who caught the Druid’s Egg after its creation was advised to take instant measures to prevent being robbed of it: as soon as the egg had been obtained he was to throw himself upon a horse that was kept waiting for him, as he would be pursued by the snakes; he was further instructed not to halt until he had gotten to the other side of the first running water to which his flight brought him, across which the serpents would be unable to follow.

The Druid’s Egg appears to have been an object of interest to the ancients, some of whom describe having actually seen and handled it. Among those who have specially described it is the Roman historian Pliny, who claimed he was shown one of these by a Druid from Gaul and called it an "anguinum."

"There is also another kind of egg, of much renown in the Gallic provinces, but ignored by the Greeks. In the summer, numberless snakes entwine themselves into a ball, held together by a secretion from their bodies and by their spittle. this is called anguinum. The Druids say that hissing serpents throw this up into the air, and that it must be caught in a cloak, and not allowed to touch the ground; and that one must instantly take flight on horse-back, as the serpents will pursue until some stream cuts them out. It may be tested, they say, by seeing if it floats against the current of a river, even though it be set in gold. But as it is the way of magicians to cast a cunning veil about their frauds, they pretend that these eggs can only be taken on a certain day of the moon, as though it rested with mankind to make the moon and the serpents accord as to the moment of the operation. I myself, however, have seen one of these eggs; it was round, and about as large as a smallish apple; the shell was cartalaginous, and pocked like the arms of a polypus."

Of all the historic sources who have testified to seeing this legendary egg, none claim to have witnessed its creation.

While the Druid's Egg is not a widespread tool in modern Druidism, it is used by some as a ritual implement for grounding and to protect its owner from manipulative magick or other harmful intents by acting as a magickal “shell,” absorbing and transforming any destructive energy.

In Wales, there is still some belief in the objects; they call them mân macal ("snare stones") and glain y nidir ("the snake's jewel").

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Fossil Mammoth Ivory and Ceramic Pendant


This is a collaborative piece between my husband Dave, Grizzly Mountain Arts, and myself!

Dave has carved a stunning piece of fossil mammoth ivory that's at least 10,000 years old. I have inlayed it into an earthenware base that has been glazed with a malachite green glaze. The cord is a wonderful faux suede material that can easily be tied to accommodate many necklines, or you can easily remove it if you have a favorite chain you prefer to use. This piece can be found in my 1000markets.com collection.


**What is fossil ivory?**

Fossil ivory is ancient ivory whose composition has changed from ivory to mineral. Care should be taken to distinguish fossil ivory from recent ivory which has yellowed or discolored. Fossil ivory (including walrus, mammoth and mastodon) and other archaeological and paleontological materials are regulated by an array of Federal and State laws. These items may not be collected on any Federal or State lands. Fossil ivory may be collected on private lands with the permission of the land owner, and is not regulated under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Fossil ivory does not have to be tagged or registered. Anyone may sell fossil ivory without first handcrafting it.

**Where do we get our fossil ivory?**

Ancient walrus and mammoth tusks are dug out of the permafrost or bone mounds by Alaskan and Siberian natives annually during the summer thaw and sold to subsidize their family or village income. We buy our ancient walrus ivory shards from ivory buyers that travel to the St. Lawrence Island area to buy from the ivory co-ops.

**Learn more about fossil ivory**

If you would like to learn more about fossil ivory, please visit the link below:

http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/qa.htm

"Fresh" ivory and elephant ivory will never be used in any of the artwork created by Good Dirt Jewelry.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Tribal Toad Ceramic Pendant


This unique "Tribal Toad" is crawling his way up this earthenware pendant! The pendant measures 2 inches in length and 1 1/2" in width, and has been glazed with a sage green glaze to have an aged look. I have used a brass bead and an old wooden bead that I found at a powwow this summer to compliment the pendant.

If you would like to view more photos of this pendant, please visit my 1000markets.com shop!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Celtic "Love" Ogham Ceramic Pendant


This "Love" Ogham has been glazed with a clear crackle glaze to give it an aged look. Each piece comes out of the kiln with it's own unique characteristics! The Ogham writing on this pendant has been glazed with a brown glaze, and the pendant hangs from a faux suede cord that can be tied to accommodate many necklines. This material is also great because it doesn't shed all over your clothes like real suede can. The bead is an old Tibetan yak bone bead that has been inlayed with turquoise and coral.

This ogham, and others, can be found at my 1000markets.com shop!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Earthenware "Wood" Earrings


These unique "wooden" plank earrings were created with earthenware clay. Each plank measures about an inch in length and a little less than one half inch in width. The "wood" has been glazed with a dark earthy greenish-brown glaze. The planks dangle from two vintage brass rings and the ear wires are hypo-allergenic.