Fraught.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

More of his work in progress; he didn't get much time to work on it today, because long-postponed errands took up most of it. Those black smudges are oxidation, which gets swabbed on, then buffed off, both to give it a lightly aged look and to make the stampwork pop. The big stone is Koroit opal, which comes from the lands of Koroit, Asutralia, and here it's in brecciated host rock, only little matrix hints of blue fore showing (which you can see on its lower left if you click on the photo here). Also tiger's eye, lapis lazuli, golden rutilated quartz, iolite, citrine, and more iolite. Might be ready as early as tomorrow; my guess is more likely on Sunday.

This weekend is going to be fraught. Today was the Feast of San G, and we didn't go, because pandemic. Bad enough to have to be crushed in with unmasked and infectious rude colonizers at the grocery store; we're not going to subject ourselves to it voluntarily in this context. We also got our notifications today for our bivalent boosters: Next Thursday, which means that we'll be scramblin to work around the rain Sunday through Thrusday, and then recovering from whatever this iteration does to flatten us thereafter.

Meanwhile, there's so much work to be done on every front; so much that lies ahead of us these next three months. And Wings needs to be creating more for holiday inventory, but as I've said, he needs to be able to stock up on silver for for that, and with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we manage it. So I'm doing my usual juggling act, trying to make everything work with too few resources.

I posted five new works by Wings a few nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold), plus another new cuff Monday, here. They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell them all? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                       

Friday Feature: Before the Frost, Leaves Aflame

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a single work shown from multiple angles, its cosmic spirits forging and forming and shaping a new world. It's a reminder to us, too, to appreciate their gifts in these all-too-brief days, for before the frost, leaves aflame deliver inspiration, beauty, medicine, guiding our work toward the Earth's renewal and rebirth.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover, and selling all of these would take care of the tax prepayment), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

Extra work.

Photo ocpyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That was yesterday's job: replacing the wheel on the gate and then hacking away enough of the knot at the base of the old cedar post to make it fit. Extra work, I mean, besides everything else; he had to finish it earlier today. That gate is hardened steel, and it's ridiculously heavy — heavy enough that it's been pulling down on the opposite post where it's bolted in, and so to balance it, he had to add the wheel a long time ago. But gravity's taking its toll, and with the damage to his shoulders (rotator cuff, etc.) and my own joints, it's become too heavy to lift, so he had to replace it with a large enough wheel to rest on the ground. Yes, he tried the chainsaw; it's so hard that it flipped the chain off. That meant breaking out the heavy ax, and I do mean heavy. Sunny, of course, thinks he's helping.

As I said, there's so much work to be done, extra and otherwise, on every front; so much that lies ahead of us these next three months. And Wings needs to be creating more for holiday inventory, but as I've said, he needs to be able to stock up on silver for for that, and with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we manage it. And we can't do anything at all until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. Meanwhile, he's at work in the studio now, and I'm doing my usual juggling act, trying to make everything work with too few resources.

I posted five new works by Wings three nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold), plus another new cuff Monday, here. They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell them all? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

#TBT: The Fire That Is Born of the Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #TBT work that dates back between eleven and fourteen years, one manifest in the most archetypally flame-hued shade of the season. It's a ring wrought of sterling silver and Rosarita, as simple as it gets and yet positively glowing with the fire that is born of the light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work will never be duplicated exactly, but if elements or style speak to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.      

Just hoping it's a good one.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Every once in a while the earth here still surprises us. We had several small showers yesterday, some fairly forceful, none of them in the original forecast (although they appeared in later version). But yesterday evening, earth and sky and water and light combined to present us with something neither of us has ever seen before: not a rainbow, not a fogbow, just an unmistakable hazy glow of red color and light rising from the mountain slope. It was extraordinary. It eventually stretched all the way to the peak and capped it slightly, but the color never varied; just red.

It felt like a sign, but of what, neither of us has any idea. We're just hoping it's a good one.

Spirit knows we need someting good now. There's so much work to be done, on every front; so much that lies ahead of us these next three months. And Wings needs to be creating more for holiday inventory, but as I've said, he needs to be able to stock up on silver for for that, and with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we manage it. And we can't do anything at all until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. Meanwhile, he's at work in the studio now, and I'm doing my usual juggling act, trying to make everything work with too few resources.

I posted five new works by Wings three nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold), plus another new cuff Monday, here. They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell them all? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

A Land Lit By the Fire of the Autumn Sun

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's one of Wings's newest masterworks, all the shades of the sun brought together in a single radiant necklace. Pendant and bead strand capture all the illuminating power and beauty of fall here, in a land lit by the fire of the autumn sun. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Always more work to be done.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Hard at work in the studio yesterday. That's a commission, in a matter of speaking. You'll never guess what it actually is. And because it's a [sort of] commission, it's one that most of you won't see until an appropriate #TBT post, most likely.

It's only one of several such items on his workbench currently; there's always more work to be done, on every front. And he needs to be creating more for holiday inventory, but as I've said, Wings needs to be able to stock up on silver for for that, and with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we manage it. And we can't do anything at all until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. 

I posted five new works by Wings three nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold), plus another new cuff yesterday, here. They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell them all? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

Red Willow Spirit: A Landscape of Fire, of Shadow, Leaf, and Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's an edition of Red Willow Spirit for month's end, for the first days of official autumn, and for a world of magic and mystery and medicine now. It's three images linked by two works of wearable art, all manifest in the beauty of this season: a landscape of fire, of shadow, leaf, and light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.     

An all-new cuff by Wings.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yes, I promised a new work earlier today. I didn't intend for it to be this late, but it's been extremely busy here all day, and this is the first chance I've had to get the description written and so forth. Still, I've managed to get it posted today, so that's a plus: an all-new cuff by Wings.

This one is very simple, classic, slightly vintage-style in its design and execution:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's also less expensive than most of his cuffs, despite the seven stones on its surface. That's because it's a little more lightweight, eighteen-gauge sterling silver instead of heavier 14-, 12-, or 9-gauge, and also because the stones themselves are less costly than most of what he normally uses. It's a beautiful piece, though, manifest as a reminder of an important lesson about perspective. This is The View From the Mountaintop, and the description explains why it's important to keep it in mind.

The cuff is set with a center cabochon of Sleeping Beauty turquosie, flanked on either side by three malachite cabochons (7 stones total). The ends of the band feature gorgeously simple freehand vintage-style stampwork, and the inner band is a marvel: two sets of repeating crescents as borders, with a layered flowering-medicine motif chased all down the center, a little secret for the wearer. You can read the full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And we still badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

Medicine.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Return of a young friend yesterday. The red-tailed hawk mom was NOT happy, and she dive-bombed him relentlessly until he finally flew away. That's a young golden eagle, still young enough to have the white band across its tailfeathers, likely the same one that was here a couple of weeks ago. 

Maybe that's why I feel a little better today. That and four hours of uninterrupted sleep after I finally dropped off hours after going to bed in the first place. I literally cannot remember the last time I slept for four hours straight, without waking up at all; it's been more years than I can count. But I'd really love to see this beautiful being come back today, a little lower in the sky so I can get some better shots. And maybe with a little more whatever medicine it brought that let me sleep for once.

Meanwhile, all the work remains. As I said yesterday, Wings needs to be able to stock up on silver for holiday inventory, but with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we do that. And we can't do anything at all until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. 

I posted five new works by Wings three nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold). I'll have another cuff later on today, too. They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell them all? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

Monday Photo Meditation: Remnant Green Among the Crimson Flames

Photo copyright Wings, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a Monday at month's end, as our small world makes ready for the transition to winter. It's a photo from two years ago, one of resilience and power, an image of remnant green among the crimson flames to remind us our own strength as we travel the path toward winter's rebirth.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, his photos are available in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.        

Might turn into something yet.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Fire maple, demonstrating the truth of its name, albeit a whole month early. Not as much blue sky now, though; in the last half-hour, the puffy white clouds have turned into something different, and that small-percentage chance of rain? Might turn into something yet.

Hopefully we'll be able to say the same for sales; Spirit knows I'm not going to be able to focus on anything else between now and the end of the year.

Particularly not now. As I said yesterday, Wings needs to be able to stock up on silver for holiday inventory, but with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we do that. And we can't do anything until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. Meanwhile, Bezos and Musk don't even pay taxes, but the Tax Man would come after us in a heartbeat if we didn't pay ours to subsidize the bullshit tax breaks the feds give those two evil individuals. Yeah, I'm tired. Tired in every way.

I posted five new works by Wings three nights ago, here, and four remain available (the iolite ring is sold). They're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell all five? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

Leaves Like Flame

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work to embody the shapes and shades and spirit of changing seasons and the particular gifts of fall. It's a necklace strung in a cascading collection of autumnal colors and textures, leaves like flame given wearable form. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

There's a metaphor in there somewhere.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

A couple of late-arriving bumbles arguing over who gets the flower. There's a metaphor in there somewhere, givem how many flowers they're both surrounded by and how much is available to them freely.

Unfortunately, colonialism and its hellspawn, capitalism, have deprived so much of the world of even a single flower while the filthy rich hoard them all in their hothouses.

I'm tired, too exhausted after these last weeks to be polite about it. The first is less than a week away. Wings needs to be able to stock up on silver for holiday inventory, but with it having tripled in cost just this year, I don't know how we do that. And we cann't do anything until I get the quarterly taxes for next year handled, and I'm still a good ways off from that. Meanwhile, Bezos and Musk don't even pay taxes, but the Tax Man would come after us in a heartbeat if we didn't pay ours to subsidize the bullshit tax breaks the feds give those two evil individuals. Yeah, I'm tired and I'm angry and I'm fed up. I can't even get proper medical treatment in this society, we can't even have a public health sector not inverted by their greedy interests, can't have any sense of safety of health, and the stresses just keep coming. So no, I'm not in the mood to pull any punches about them or about y'all's colonizer politicians, either.

I posted five new works by Wings two nights ago, here, and they're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell all five? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

Golden Earth and Evergreen

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work for a season of prosperity and abundance, however counterintuitive that may seem now. It is, however, in fact perfect for fall, especially in a land of golden earth and evergreen in the low-angled medicine of the light. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.    

A little bit of fire.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022;
all rights reserved.

It's today that's actually the first full day of official fall, but as you can see from the trees, both on the peaks and down here at their feet, it's been here for a good long while already. My favorite season, but as early as eerything's turning, we may find that ourown aspens go almost entirely straight to brown, so we better enjoy a little bit of fire on the maples while we can.

Speaking of a little bit of fire, it's getting cold at night now, and about to get a lot colder. Last night was less chilly, because the rain started early and the clouds held the heat in for a while; still, we had a fire going in the woodstove this morning to round the sharp edges off it.

Now, if I could just round the sharp edges off all my pain, but no chance of that. I also apparently aggravated everything so badly yesterday with all the walking, even with my cane, that not only are my hps out of place but neck is, too, leading to a massive migraine this morning. A lot of strong coffee blunted that a little, but not entirely, so you'll probably see more typos even than usual, since it's not just my hands but also my brain and my eyes that are the problem now.

Again, not the best of days (weeks, months, years, whatever), and I still have to cover the quarterly ['22 prepayment] taxes, so we need all the help we can get. I posted five new works by Wings last night, here, and they're all amazing, so go look, share, buy if you're in the market. [If I could sell all five? I could get the taxes off my desk for the rest of the year, and some other stuff, too.] All the other links are here; please, share them too:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

Friday Feature: The Last Green Fire

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with an unsual trio of works that are pulled from two separate gemstone bead collections and the silverwork as well, all to create their own uniquely related series. It's a bead necklace and pair of earrings with a silver-and-stone cuff, all of them newly combined to carry summer into winter by way of fall and the last green fire of the season.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover, and selling all of these would take care of the tax prepayment), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.  

I promised three new works by Wings; here are five instead.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

Yes, I know it's late. It's been a day, and I don't mean that in a particularly good way. But last night I promised three new works by Wings; here are five instead.

Two are cuffs; three are rings. Of the former, one is a classic cuff style, albeit a fairly elaborate one; the other is actually patterned on the series of two-stone rings that he's revived lately (and of which all three of these rings are a part).

First up is the larger cuff, the one shown above:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

He started this one last week, and it happens to be a perfect tribute to Miskwaki, our paint horse who just left us to race among the stars with the members of his old herd who are already there. This is called Flight of the Star Herd, and it's spectacular, forged of 18-gauge sterling silver hand-milled in a mottled eagle-feather pattern, overlaid across the front with three separate pieces that have been stamped and saw-cut freehand out of 20-gauge sterling: two paint horses facing each other, racing ledger-style, with a four-spoked star between them. You can read its full description here. 

The second cuff, as I said, channels the style of the two-stone rings:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

This one, unlike most cuffs, is designed explicitly to be worn with the gap on the top side of the wrist.  This is called Circle of Light, and I love this one beyond all reason, so incredible simple and yet so ethereally beautiful. It's made of heavy-gauge sterling silver half-round wire, layered traditional arrow motifs up and down its convex surface, with those two extraordinary high-domed Labradorite cabochons offset from each other at the top. You can read its full description here.

Now, the rings, beginning with the first, completed yesterday:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

This one is called Weaving the Blanket of Night, and it's slightly higher in price than all the rest of this informal series. That's because the braided sterling silver pattern wire that forms the band is both heavier-gauge and more costly, and those incredible cobalt-blue lapis lazuli ovals are larger, too. It's a spectacular piece, and adjustable, too. You can read its full description here.

The second of the rings is one of the two completed today:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

This one is incredibly simple, and also powerful. It's called (again, simply) Love Is Red, and that's a play on words and concept in multiple ways. Little classic hand-stamped hearts trace the full length of the sterling silver half-round wire band; at either end are two little fiery suns, round carnelian cabochons in deep crimson, opaque and translucent simultaneously. You can read its full description here.

Fifth and finally is the second of today's works, third ring overall:

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

And of the rings, this one is my own personal favorite. This is Rain On the Medicine, and it's positively hauntingly beautiful. Again, the band is sterling silver half-round wire, but instead of a single motif repeated down its length, it consists of three separate designs in a powerful combination. The cabochons offset from each other at either end are slightly larger rounds, and they're spectacularly icy specimens of iolite, neither really blue nor purple, but both and neither at once, and they really do look like raindrops. You can read its full description here.

As always, Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover, and selling all of these would take care of the tax prepayment), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.   

Not the best of days.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That's from yesterday. I got them all uploaded last night and the descriptions written, but didn't have time for any more than that. I'll have them in a separate post later tonight, along with two of the rings.

If, that is, my brain works long enough to get it all done. That's not a given these days.

Neither is anything else. Got shipping done today and a couple of other things, which is why everything is so late, but this stupid society makes every so much harder and meaner than it needs to be. I'm so tired all the time, and days like this are worse yet, when I can't fall asleep from the pain, and then when I finally do, wake up in a panic because my breathing has stopped again. No, not "feels like"; it literally stops. That's why they put me through all that heart-cath nonsense five years ago, because it kept stopping, full-stop, while I was in the hospital, and they assumed, wrongly, that it was my heart. To this day no one knows why, and no, it is NOT sleep apnea; that's been ruled out completely. Whatever it is, it's fucking terrifying. So i've spent the day with exhaustion and the ensuing headache and the nagging worry that always come with one of these episodes about what if? What if next time is the time I don't wake up? And on and on and on.

Not the best of days (weeks, months, years, whatever), and I still have to cover the quarterly ['22 prepayment] taxes, so we need all the help we can get. All the links are here; please, share them:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priority is first and foremost, the other ladder and the wheelbarrow);
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before late next year at the earliest, and this year's tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.                                                      

#ThrowbackThursday: Days of Last Green and Early Fire

Photo copyright Wings, 2022; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a #ThrowbackThursday work that dates back some sixteen years, to an unusual variation on one of Wings's longest-running signature series. It's the Pueblo not as a pin but a barrette, saw-cut to larger size and set with a pair of stones perfect for this season and these days of last green and early fire.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work will never be duplicated exactly, but if elements or style speak to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. We badly need to make consistent sales to make it through the rest of this third year of pandemic and loss (especially now at the end of an outrageously costly couple of weeks, with several expenses yet to cover), so shares of the site links are much appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.