Birch Bark Beauties

It has been a long time since I saw bark curling from a birch tree. I was delighted to see birch bark creations at WowWeeCreations. Ken and Donna Wooten share their love of art and creating beautiful, useful treasures in this interesting etsy shop. Here you will find wooden ornaments, bowls, and boxes, along with unique jewelry and crocheted items.

Ken is skilled at bending willow and birch bark to his artistic vision. Working with a scroll saw, he cuts out a variety of pleasing designs as ornaments and focal points for his baskets. Wood burning, or pyrography, enhances the beauty of these pieces. His wood working talents produce one of a kind art pieces that can take days to finish, and are sure to be cherished additions to any room decor.

This crafty team comes to you from Idaho, and ships internationally. Donna takes care of the business side of etsy and is inspired by her love of crochet to hook a wide range of fun and useful items. Her big blue fish reminds me of Jonah and the whale, and would make a great gift with the book for a very engaging story time.

Box it Up

I have a wooden treasure box I picked up in Calgary many, many years ago, and it still smells of cedar. Beautiful keepsake boxes to last several lifetimes are found at BoxTower on ArtFire. Alexandra has a love of huskies and an eye for the intrigue of Celtic knots, incorporating them in many of her works of art. She uses wood burning (pyrography) skills to create amazing designs then expertly colors them in with oil pencils and wood stains. Her unique boxes are then sealed for an enduring finish, protecting the color and design.

Alexandra's delightful boxes come in a range of shapes and sizes; hearts, flowers, triangles, and stars among the traditional squares and rectangles. More shapes will be coming soon. She recently introduced a line of bookmarks, which are the perfectly affordable way to own a little piece of her incredible talent. The Siberian Husky is charmingly simple in its design and sure to delight any lover of the breed.

Alexandra heats it up in Illinois, sends internationally, and can be found on Facebook. If you have a shape, color, and design in mind, be sure to contact her. An elegant wedding day, anniversary, or precious memories box for a newborn will be treasured a lifetime. Surprise dad this Father's Day with an exceptional box for his deck of cards or checkers!

The Artful Gourd

Amazing – Simply amazing! Pyroengraved gourds are found at JRAGourdArt, a museum quality gourd art shop on etsy. I know pyrography or pyroengraving as wood burning. Jennifer has chosen to enhance the simple beauty and natural wonder of ordinary gourds with her intricate freehand designs, many of which feature Celtic symbols. She works with several gourd varieties transforming them into one-of-a-kind works of art. I had never seen canteen gourds before, from which she fashions exquisite hard shell purses.

When I showed this incredible artist to a daughter, she commented on how erasing must be difficult. Jenn’s Tree of Life bowl featuring her backyard friends, a squirrel and a number of birds, in a tree framed with beautiful Celtic weaves is a pyrography must see. She labored on this treasure for months.








The process of growing a gourd and preparing it as a usable canvas takes over a year. When properly dried, gourds can be worked on just like wood. Smaller artworks are available as precious Christmas tree ornaments made from egg gourds. If you shake one of these, you will hear the seeds inside!

Jenn patiently burns her wonders in Pennsylvania and ships internationally if possible. Find more of her unique work on her website. She is glad to take custom orders and will personalize a prized family heirloom just for you. If you live nearby, consider taking one of her gourd classes!