Late in the season, ivy is one of the last plants to bloom and provide food for butterflies like the red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) before they set off to the south.
Next up are the berries. They only grow on older ivy. These older branches of ivy are easily recognised by the simpler shape of the leaves:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/250s
These berries provide food for birds all through the winter:
Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/100s
Now, as I mentioned earlier, I have been working on carving a staff from ivy wood.
Ivy has a very nice, strong, and fine-grained wood, but it is hard to find pieces large enough to work with. Still, after the storm we had in The Netherlands I managed to find a few. This is what I made out of one of them:
It is about 180cm (5'11") tall, and carved from a single piece of ivy, originally two branches of ivy that had merged into one solid piece. Here are some details:
The ingredients are ivy wood and beeswax. Tools used are saw, knife, file, and sandpaper. I didn't do much to the shape; I mainly followed the natural lines of the wood.
It looks like a staff fit for a warlock or witch (are you listening, @katharsisdrill? 8-), or somebody who needs to divide waters, or anybody with a Merlin Complex, and I am very happy with the result.
It is also a rare object; you don't see many ivy staffs or canes. I'm not really sure about the demand side of the equation, though.
Here's a photo of a cane I made earlier for my father, also out of ivy wood:
It is, of course, much smaller than the staff I just finished.
Thanks for watching!
too much Ivy here
hahaha
#til about Ivy berries
edit : so .. did the staff get you some magic act?
lol
It does seem to stop traffic at zebra crossings when you threaten to dent cars with it.
I loved what you did with this tree. I have a curiosity for handmade work. I really liked it. also the photos are very nice. I love the bird!
congratulations dear friend
Thank you!
Te quedó muy bien elaborado. se ve resistente. =)
It is very strong, and the beeswax should protect it from the elements.
I will wait for the rest. kreatif
Nice forma wood
I like the bright white color. Will it stay so bright or fad ?
As far as I have been able to tell so far it stays that way (oldest I have is three years), at least when you put some new beeswax on every now and again.
Flagged those spammers for you. Don't mention it.
Not mentioning it, aye.
The staffs look amazing and what a great idea, I love the sleek lines of the ivy wood. Well don @ocrdu
Thank you! I didn't even cut myself 8-).
wow. how beautiful it turned out to be. I have never seen such a tree.
Nice
interesting post......
WHAT A PHOTOGRAPHY,,
NICE ON/
GREAT JOB