Twigology

After a little while the commercially available jewelry display items all begin to look the same. While that may not be disturbing to large chain jewelry stores. It should be to artist craftsman. We make unique hand crafted, one of a kind or limited edition items. Creativity and the unusual are our forte. Our displays should represent that freedom of expression. The object is to present the jewelry in a favorable manner, that should be our main goal. With that in mind, let's set the plastic busts, those trays for pendants and those expensive risers aside, for a moment. We can always pick up the phone and have the little brown truck bring us more, if the muse fails.
Let's go for a walk in the woods for a while. The wild flowers are blooming. Trees are coming into bud. There are turtles and frogs to watch. Let's get Daniel Mack like on this display problem. What if we celebrated that rustic feeling, particularly with willow. Find a willow tree, or a whole low marshy area full of small willow. This material is wonderful to work with. The possibilities for bent willow are endless. Plus the material offers great color and interesting textures. Almost every area of the country has willow. I say that and I have to tell you that right here in St Pete, I'd bethat hard pressed to find a willow. I haven't seen one here. Here I find bamboo. Cool stuff to work with also. These materials have another advantage over buying finished displays. In some cases I've had people pay me to remove willow from areas near fields and pay me to remove bamboo from their yards. Amazing! Check out willow furniture and stick furniture on line. Daniel Mack is one of the artists-craftsman behind rustic. A site called twigfactory.com will be great for inspiration. Who knows you might even find a great chair to think in. For those of you that would really enjoy more thinking time, here's a hint to working with willow. If you wrap green willow branches around a cylinder and let them dry out they will remember that shape. These dry coils of willow can easily become circles. Enjoy