Saturday, April 11, 2015

J is for Juniper Wood


   

I am not one to buy a lot of souvenirs anymore.  But on this trip, there were lots of wooden souvenirs and I really had to restrain myself.  Wood and glass are two things I love collecting (which is one of the reasons I was so tempted to buy that Christmas carving in Moscow).


This first souvenir is from Finland and is made of Juniper wood.  (Did I mention how hard it was to find something beginning with 'J'?)

This is a trivet.  It is about eight inches diameter.

In Novgorod we went to a small shop where they teach wood arts.  (no pics allowed)  I purchased this spoon (left) as a souvenir and doubt I will use it for its intended purpose as a spatula.  In the museum we sat and made little trinkets to ward off evil spirits.  Made of birch bark with little peas inside, it is essentially a rattle.  Here is mine on the right:





























Tolkien Bonus:  J is for the Jewels of Feanor.  The three Simarilli jewels created by Feanor shine with the light of the Two Trees.


19 comments:

  1. Novgorod-That is where that church is! The trivet looks good and I think it must be light. Love the scene you show here from Tolkien

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    1. Church? Refresh my memory as I have read so many comments I am getting lost, lol. The trivet is light and is getting a lot of use. As for the clip, I figured jewels are bought on vacation. On this trip I also resisted buying any amber, which is everywhere.

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  2. Love that trivet! And Denise, that was a great J post. 😉

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    1. The trivet is getting a lot of use. Glad you liked the post.

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  3. I never use trivets, but I might well use that one. I find the video clips a bit small when they have wording on like this one does. Have to go to YouTube and see if it's any better.

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    1. I had to watch the video in full screen mode. Otherwise, forget it. I use the trivet on my dining table. I have granite in the kitchen so it is not necessary.

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    2. I, too, think the trivet is lovely. Russian folk artifacts generally are. i love their folk tales painted onto eggs and have a few for my tree at christmas time. anne stenhouse, Novels Now.

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  4. Wow, that trivet is gorgeous!

    Good luck with the 2015 A to Z Challenge!
    A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
    http://pensuasion.blogspot.com

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    1. And useful. The shop in Helsinki had all sorts of wooden crafts. It's probably a good thing that I pack in a small suitcase.

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  5. Love the trivet. Out in Oregon you find a lot of things made of Myrtle wood which is a deeper brown than the Juniper here. I love wooden utensils and use them all the time in the kitchen. Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

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    1. I have a lovely serving tray made of Myrtle wood that I bought in Oregon in 1975. I hate to use it because it is so nice I don't want to ruin it. I do have some lovely wooden spoons I purchased in Nova Scotia. Did I say how much I love wood?

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  6. Are you supposed to wear the rattle to ward off the spirits, like an amulet around your neck?

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    1. Yes, you are supposed to wear it. I let my grandson play with it. No evil spirits here.

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  7. What a great post! I like to use trivets as well.
    http://enchantedfantasies.blogspot.com/

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  8. I just love the trivet!
    http://nilabose.blogspot.com/

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    1. Glad you like it. It is different than my common everyday cloth ones.

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  9. The trivet is beautiful. I bought a wooden bird when I was in Helsinki. I don't know if it's juniper though. It's some type of light wood.

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    1. There were so many beautiful wood items there. I know that many items were made from juniper.

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