ZIGGYWEAR A Schoebel Design
UNIQUE NATURE INSPIRED JEWELRY
ZIGGYWEAR A Schoebel Design
UNIQUE NATURE INSPIRED JEWELRY
spotlight on nature
Turkey
Often these lovely birds can be seen roaming through our back yard, eating out of our grain bins or holding up traffic. I love how so many different variations can be created with their plumage. The turkey represents autumn/fall, symbolizing harvest and abundance. No wonder it’s one of my favorites.
African crested porcupine
Ziggy (mascot) male porcupine
Ziggy was born in 2017. He was bottle raised in our home for the first 6 mo of his life. He loved to be frisky and nibble on shoes. He is now a family man with a partner and several offspring. He still likes his treats and to be petted but his partner doesn’t like him to have extra attention. Typical lifespan is 20 years. African porcupines are not endangered. Quills are very strong and used for defense and are shed like hair. They do not throw quills but when alarmed they tense up and back into their predator. They make a rattling sound to alert that they are not messing around. His quills were the inspiration to my creative venture.
Birch
A birch has smooth, resinous, varicolored, or white bark, marked by horizontal pores, which usually peel in thin sheets, especially on young trees. There are about 40 species of short lived ornamental and timber trees distributed throughout cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere. I’ve seen many die in the woods around my house. I’m just glad that they can be preserved in beautiful jewelry and art. This is one of my favorite trees and I get to wear it. It is a symbol of rebirth, new beginnings and growth.
Curassow
This is a large pheasant-like bird from the neotropical rainforests. Male birds are black with curly crests and yellow beaks. Females come in three color morphs, barred, rufous and black. The rufous or reddish brown color is one that I find to have the most unique pattern on the larger feathers. These birds forage on fruits as well as arthropods and roost in nests in trees.
Python
Although not everyone’s cup of tea, I’ve met many friendly pythons in my life. They don’t seem to bother me. I’m not going to lie though, a snake in the wild still catches me by surprise from time to time. I also have had jewelry pieces catch me by surprise for their beauty. Snake sheds just turn out so amazing, so thank snakes for offering sheds for our enjoyment.
macaw
Easily one of my most popular subjects. Just look at all the different colors. There are more than 350 types of parrots and macaws. Macaws live an average of around 60 years. Some have been recorded to live to 100! The macaws tongue actually has a bone in it. They use this for tapping into fruits. A colorful macaw symbolizes sun, south, summer, sand and rainbows.
Nile monitor
This is a Nile monitor. I’ve worked with its shed on several occasions now and love how they’ve turned out. The shed looks like pebbles in water when combined with resin. It’s also a fact that these large lizards are good swimmers. They are grayish brown, olive or black and the scales have a bead like texture.
Ringneck Pheasant
These beautiful birds live about 3 years in the wild. They are shy and rarely seen. I’ve had the fortune of being given feathers from a local business. I absolutely love this bird. So many different decorations that involve jewelry and feather arrangements have come from these birds.
guinea fowl
I love that most of our birds came from a good friend of mine. These birds eat a lot of ticks in our neck of the woods and provide excellent bug control. They are loud and let you know when they are alarmed. They are excellent free-range birds and make up 90% of their food free ranging. I will always enjoy making spotted jewelry out of this feisty bird’s feathers!
flamingo
Did you know that a flock of flamingos is called a flamboyance? Seems most fitting for a large group of flamboyant-looking birds. The jewelry I have made with their feathers is so pretty and simple. No matter what your style is flamingo symbolizes beauty, balance and romance.
Elliot's pheasant
“Elliot's Pheasants are a beautiful and rare breed of ornamental pheasant. They are easy to tame and can be very friendly. Elliot's Pheasants are named after a famous ornithologist, Daniel Elliot, who died in 1915, and was one of the founders of the American Ornithologists Union.”
Seriema
A cranelike bird found in the grasslands in Argentina and Brazil. They aren’t very good fliers, but they are great runners. They have an unusual call that can be heard for miles. It sounds like a yelping puppy. They are gray and brown with white bellies and I love that their tailfeathers look very similar to a speckled cow hide.