Wild Earth Integration

Felt like a great day for some Whitman. Or, Whitman Wednesday, if you will. I read this last night, and was inspired. I think you will be too.

“I believe that a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars,

And the ant is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of a wren,

And the tree-toad of a chef-d’oeuvre for the highest,

And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven…

And the cow crunching with depress’d head surpasses any statue,

And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels.

Do you think a mouse is miracle enough? I sure do.

Keep it wild!

Happy Friday!

I’ve had a few people ask me if I’m planning on doing some hanging sculptures. I’m really excited to do more of these – I love taking pieces from nature (in this case, dried bark) and adding polymer details. This iridescent Blue Morpho piece is roughly 7 inches long and hangs flush from the wall. A flower made of amethyst sits below, along with some ‘viney’ detailing. For up close shots, feel free to click the pics!

Feel free to contact me if you’d like a personalized piece – I’m working on a few more in the next week or so, so stay tuned! Next up — lizards! To purchase this one, you can catch me at wildearthintegration (at) gmail (dot) com.

Have a great weekend!

PS – If Facebook is your thing, why not join up with Wild Earth Artifacts here – for the latest news and updates!

Just a quickie post to let you know that the WWF Holiday Gift Catalog is now available, but to get one you need to request it!

WWF gifts are one of my holiday favorites to give – you can choose from symbolic adoptions (where your purchase helps with the conservation of a species), or many other goodies for the Earth lovers in your life. The catalog also outlines their latest conservation efforts and provides ideas for the rest of the year.

Plus, kids seem to love the idea that they, in fact, own a tiger and get a stuffed animal to fawn upon!

If this is your thing, you can drop by here to request your catalog!

Today I have two pieces for you, based on the good ‘ol Giant Panda. The first is a pendant, suitable for any bear lover. The second is a ‘bamboo’ bangle, which I have named a bambangle. (Because I *can*). For more info and prices, click on the pics!

Bambamgles are available in child and adult sizes, based on your preference. Email me with your specifications, as well as your choice in darker or lighter ‘bamboo’!

Of course, no post about pandas is complete with some facts. Here’s your Wild 5: Panda Edition!

• Despite being one of the most recognizable bears (except perhaps Winnie?), pandas are the world’s rarest bear. There are only about 1000 wild pandas left and they are listed as endangered.

• Pandas have a ‘pseudo-thumb’, which is an elongated wrist bone. This helps them grip onto bamboo like nobody’s business. It also helps them give a thumbs up to panda conservation… HEY-O!

• Instead of noshing on meat, fish and berries like their cousins, pandas eat 99% bamboo. That is, except the ones that are on Atkins. But, a panda’s stomach is still built like a carnivore, so they have to eat 20-40 pounds of bamboo a day to get all the nutrients they need.

• Pandas don’t hibernate. Which gives them much more time to be adorable.

• Pandas are vocal, but sound nothing like their bear cousins. Instead of grunting and roaring, pandas are more apt to chirp, bleat and squeal. Here, have a listen.

Keep it wild!

Note: A portion of proceeds from this post will go towards Giant Panda conservation.

Welcome to the first line of products from Wild Earth Artifacts!

Each of these pieces are hand crafted, roughly 3/4” – 1” in length. Perfect for stringing onto a necklace as a focal bead, using along with ribbon as a gift tag, or hanging as an ornament.

For a closer look at each piece and more information – just click the image you like! There you will find details about the piece, along with price. (Each is between $8-$13)

To order, just contact me at wildearthintegration (at) gmail (dot) com! I will be happy to personalize for you – so let me know if you’d like ribbon or an Artifact gift tag along with your order!

There will be many other pieces in the ‘Love the Earth’ theme, so to see your favorites added, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments! What would *you* like to see?

Some of you might remember my last post, wherein I teased you about something big and bad coming to this site. I know, shame on me for being a tease.

BUT, the day is finally here and I’m so excited to finally get the news to you!

Not only have I given the place a bit of a face lift (you like?), I’ve decided to branch out. Branch out big time.

Those of you who follow my ramblings here know I’m a bit of a clay fiend. I’ve sculpted for years, but stuck mainly with plasticine because it was what I started with. But, after a lot of soul searching (which mainly involved mucking about with tools and getting clay under my fingernails), I’ve made the leap to polymer clay.

Which, dear friends, means I can now offer some clay goodies out to the world.

The beauty of this sort of clay (unlike plasticine), is that once it is baked, it’s strong and flexible. It can be made into anything your heart desires, including jewelery, wall sculptures, clocks, napkin rings, lamps, vases – the list is endless!

I’m really excited to offer some of these pieces to you – I’m already amazed at the eager response I’ve had, and can’t wait to bring this whole new avenue to the table here at Wild Earth.

So, what can you expect with this new change?

• My main goal on Wild Earth has always been to bring people closer to nature. For that reason, all of my Artifacts will relate to nature, science & animals – just like always. As often as I can, I’ll be integrating clay with natural pieces, including rocks, bark, feathers, etc.

• I’ll be posting a bit more frequently, but it will be similar material. I’ll still be telling you all about the Earth and how awesome it is, only now there will be art associated with it as well. It’s a two-fer! For instance, as I tell you about sharks, you’ll be able to check out any shark-related goodies I’m working on. (Stay tuned for that!)

• Each piece will be handcrafted, unique and available to my readers. I have many ideas sketched out for upcoming themes – but am always open to your suggestions about what you would like to see. If you would like to see your favorite part of nature immortalized for you, shoot me an email or find me on Twitter and I’ll make it happen. This will get easier as we go and you can see just what is possible!

• A portion of sales will always go to a worthy cause. And typically, it will be a cause related to the item purchased. Because that’s only right.

• I want to keep it personal. For now as we get rolling, anybody interested in anything on the site need only email me with their favorites and I’ll get back to them immediately. This will help me tailor shipping costs for each item (which will vary immensely based on the size of the piece obviously) and also give you the opportunity to personalize it for a gift. Payment can be made through Paypal, which is nice and simple these days.

• Last but not least, I wanted you to know that despite the leap towards handcrafted sales, you will not see this place turn into an ad-infested, money-hungry site. It’s still me – there will never be any ads on here, and I want any business I do with my readers to have integrity. If I don’t feel my piece offers value to the world, it won’t be up here!

As I said, I can’t wait to show you more, so stay tuned in the upcoming days for some Wild Earth Artifacts!

Want a(nother) teaser? Here’s a piece from the upcoming ‘Love the Earth’ theme!

Keep it wild!