Winterchild, Silver Circle Earrings
These circle earrings feature a handmade satin finish 1.2 cm sterling silver disk surrounded by a mirror finish 1.4 cm silver ring. They are suspended from sterling silver elongated ear-wire stud. The sterling silver studs are approximately 16 mm long with a 1.5 mm thickness with a sterling silver backing.
- Aurora Dancing – I named this lovely dancer Aurora, she dances to her own rhythm, and in her wake she leaves beauty. Were I the wise woman of an earlier, less-scientific time, I believe this would have been my explanation of the magical Aurora Borealis.
- Dragonfly – A favourite memory is canoeing lazily in a pond near Mayo, with flashes of iridescent blue and green dragonflies buzzing everywhere. Few performances have captivated me so well. They had my undivided attention.
- Fireweed – The long, graceful fireweed is the Cinderella of the flowers. Where there is only charred wood from a past forest fire, the fireweed, as if by a wave of a wand covers this cheerless scene in a fuchsia blanket and we can then see beauty where before we could not.
- Friends – Isn’t this what we all want for our closest friends, to grant them their dearest wishes, to save them from their sadness, and to bring them deep joy? These young friends playing dress-up and the one granting her friend’s wish captures the meaning of friendship beautifully.
- Grizzly Paw Print – When coming upon a Grizzly Paw Print we are instantly more aware of our surroundings and our senses become heightened, we quickly assess how old the print is and gauge our actions based on this. The Grizzly Bear is one of the most admired as well as the most feared of all the animals. The Grizzly Paw Print symbolizes strength, fearlessness and respect for boundaries.
- Hummingbird – Hummingbirds are spectacularly skilful fliers, both capable of hovering and changing direction in midflight. As well, their wings beat at an incredible 55-75 beats per second, an almost impossibly fast action. Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas and when Spanish explorers first encountered hummingbirds in the New World they called them “Joyas Voladoras”. I believe this is the perfect name for the hummingbird for the translation means “flying jewels”!
- Husky Racing – Every winter, Yukoners avidly follow the progress of the dog teams participating in our world famous Yukon Quest. In the Yukon’s past, however, the people of the north befriended the husky and relied heavily on it for survival. This image shows the oldest of friendships, the one between humans and dogs.
- Inukshuk – The Inukshuk is a well loved symbol of northern Canada. Built to look like humans the Inukshuk had many purposes, to show directions, to pass on messages or to help with hunting. Pictured here, an Inuit father and son are getting their bearings through observing the Inukshuk. This Inuit statue reminds us of how important it is to lend a hand to each other.
- Love – If you blur your eyes by squeezing them nearly closed, you’ll see that the outline of these two embracing friends are actually the shape of a heart. It may be just whimsy, but I love the notion of such an embrace being the origin of the “heart” symbol.
- Midnight Sun – In my Yukon community, on the Summer Solstice, most people never get any sleep. With the near 24-hour sun shining, we run marathons or have parties on a nearby mountain top. Truly, we do anything but sleep. With eyes closed and a smile, this image is my conception of the midnight sun. Always present, he must sneak in a few winks whenever he can!
- Moose in the Moonlight – Moose are an integral part of life in my community. Most conversations will include reference to where a moose has last been sighted. My children are regularly coached on how to do a cow or bull call, as funny as they sound now they will both one day be able to actually call a moose. This image is of a bull moose in the moonlight. His daily views are places most of us can only dream about — un-peopled, pristine northern wilderness.
- Raven – The raven is always present whenever I am outdoors. Sometimes ravens sound like they are having conversations with one another. They are so intelligent that I have no doubt that they actually are! I am pleased to share this space with them.
- Wolf – One winter afternoon I caught sight of a lone wolf while driving. Slowing to a halt, I watched him walking in the snow, he stopped and looked directly at me before going on at the same pace. The pure confidence in his gaze made me fully understand why the wolf is so loved and respected.
Handcrafted by Winterchild Jewellery in Mayo, Yukon, Canada.
