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Description: |
The
sound of Spring begins with what is called "breakup". The
ice is breaking up in the inlet, the snow is showing signs
of dissipating, with little puddles here and there, and the
days are getting longer by about 7 minutes a day. Being one
of the shortest seasons, Spring, comes on slow but sure. The
snow berms gradually disappear and the walkers are bundled
up and ready to spend time out of doors. The long winter
months have been hard on the wild animals and they, too,
welcome the change. A new season is here and it means a
great bounty for all.
Peaking
out of the last remaining layers of snow, the first green
growth begins and it is the brightest green that you can
imagine. Small vines, new leaves, and flower buds work their
way to the surface and burst out of the ground in riotous
color. They know that this glorious moment is fleeting, but
for now, they have up to 13 hours of daylight each day to
grow. Spring is here!
Alaskan Spring Collar is a small sampling of the amazing
flora of a spring in Alaska. Our backpacking trips to Alaska
have taken us on so many wonderful adventures, each one
filling our days with amazing views: The Wrangell St.-Elias
mountain range; stark scenery mixed with carpets of flowers
in Polychrome Pass, in Denali National Park; and also in
myriad flower beds and baskets in frontier towns like Chitna
and McCarthy. Anchorage is no exception, as it is called the
"City of Flowers".
A
three dimensional trumpet flower and Bull thistle take
center stage on two vines of tubular Peyote stitch, ending
in beaded cones and a flower bud clasp. Vines and leaves
wander the surface of the main vines, intertwined with thin
wire mesh. The trumpet flower is created using unusual
lacing techniques to create a delicate look. The Bull
thistle begins with a Peyote stitch body that gets a topknot
of riotous fringes and an encrusted base. The thistle bud is
shaped using Peyote Stitch and embellishing techniques.
Leaves are sprouting, twisting and turning, made using
Peyote stitch and fringing techniques. |
