These super, lightweight earrings were created using natural porcupine quills and birch bark

I love to gather materials and inspiration from the world around me and mother earth surrounds me.  I, along with my supportive (yea, art supporters!!) partner live in a beautiful area in northern Wisconsin.  The forest is a bountiful supply store.  My “waste not, want not” philosophy lead me to create these earrings.  The larger pieces of bark are used to make vessels and woven baskets, the smaller pieces are used to create embroidered greeting cards, the even smaller pieces are used for earrings and pendants (see photo) and the remainder is used to start fires.  The materials I use give their energy through warmth.  I am warmed by the activity of gathering, the fires of creativity using the materials and then by the fire created by the materials.