The Many Wonders of Birch Bark

It's 2 degrees here in Elmore, VT and to get my woodstove started I used scrap strips of paper birch bark - some of the best fire starter there is.
I also used birch bark to make another pair of moon earrings this morning. My love of birches goes way back, as does their history (read my essay on birches here: http://naomimahalajudd.com/birch_blood.aspx).
Going along with the full moon birch earrings I've made from the light dappled colored outer bark, I have now also made Harvest Moon birch earrings from the thicker inner layers of bark which are a golden peach color.
I'll often go on walks just to look for the right layers of bark to use in jewelry, but when I'm sorting through our box of kindling for scraps of bark to feed the fire, I'll often pause, strip some of the layers apart to see what beauty lies inside and set aside a few sheets that look like earring material. Inspiration sometimes lurks between the loam covered layers of bark, and the nearly fire fed peels of paper.
If you are one of those who has purchased one of my moon earrings, what you wear on your ears, very well might have been destined for ash. It's this spontaneity that I  love about using natural materials, sometimes you don't know you'll use them until the last second.

Harvest Moon Earrings

Full Moon Earrings