What do Survival and Jewelry have in common?

I have to say I love primitive survival. It’s been in my heart before I even knew it was a desire or passion of mine. I’ve always been drawn to nature, the outdoors, clay, and making things from scratch the hard way. I was always up to the challenge. It wasn’t until I started working at Anasazi Foundation that many years ago that helped me figure out what I was missing. Don’t get me wrong, I also did love the kids and what this program does for struggling youth and parents, but that is not my focus right now. It was there that I learned how to work with clay to make coil pots that I would use to cook my food. Flint knapping little arrow heads was also a really fun skill to have learned. I started to learn how to make arrows and self bows. Cordage from natural materials like yucca and dog bane. I worked with gourds to make canteens. I was able to attend Rabbit Stick in Idaho one year and learned a little basketry, tire sandals. I’ve always played with and worked with leather to create quivers and leather clothing. Oh how I loved doing survivals. There was a time I remember at Anasazi that there were around four of us that did a short training of about maybe 5 days with nothing. We found some wild grapes, but were new to this so that was about all the food we had. It was sour too. lol. We tried hunting small game with rocks. Got fire started with materials we found and used rock that we flaked for knives. It was a great experience, but we desperately needed food and we didn’t really know what we were doing so we starved a bit. We found some, what I call “band aide water” which is sitting water on some rock getting old. It was old and nasty so we used clothing to filter out the junk and it was not good. So I now have some experience with survival, but then I got married and life has happened.

An Apache Match used like a tinder bundle that is used to help start the fire after busting a coal.

I have not been able to go out as much as I would have liked to over the years. The reality is that it just costs too much to always drive hours away into the wilderness. Sadly my kids don’t know the outdoors as much as I would have liked them to know it. Through these years I have been able to keep up with all my skills and crafts. I love to make jewelry and to craft up so many different things. I love designing. That is where my mind excels. Lately I have been making 14k gold rings with lab grown diamonds. Just like any craft it is fun, but also challenging.

Recent Engagement Ring I made in 14k yellow gold with lab grown diamonds.

My handy Frost knife with my yucca and leather sheath I made for it.

The challenge and love for these to areas of passions I have are really not that different from one another. I find that in survival I have to be creative and do the hard work of living and with jewelry I have the design challenge on up to the crafting of the piece. I have to keep in mind the design, structure, strength and possibilities of the future wear on the design. Both are challenging and can be satisfying and make you feel good when accomplished. With both skill I have to adapt and figure out the situation and make it work.

I have made some natural necklaces in the past. You can use black walnut twigs or thin branches. They have a hallow middle that can be used to string up your wooden beads cut from these branches. Then use some sinew and make a thin piece of cordage with it. From there you can string up your beads. So much fun to make.

Black Walnut Necklace

Handmade Bow Drill Jewelry - Charm and Pendant

Leather backpack I made from water buffalo hide. The leather I purchased while living in Lao P.D.R. at a tannery. The leather was for cars I think. It’s very strong and the surface is not soft. Good for a rugged environment.

So to be honest my survival skills may have diminished or may have not improved as I have not been able to get out to the outdoors very often anymore, but my skills I have kept up with and this has kept me feeling like I still have a connection to it. This is just how my mind works. Always in survival mode, constantly striving to improve upon my skills and attitude. This is what they have in common and why I love them both so much. As much as I’d love to go out more often to practice survival I am working on my own little survival camp on my property. This way even if I can’t go out to the forest, I can still play at home. lol. I’ll post now and then on my progress. :)

More about me

So I wanted to share a little more about who I am as a person and business. I grew up in Paradise California. It was a great place to grow up. I had a small creek behind my house where I play in a lot. I had friends within walking distance. Hills and trees everywhere making it a beautiful place to be. Early on I was interested in art. I remember going to Johnny apple seed day as a kid. I loved seeing the floats go down Sky Way and seeing vendors with handmade crafted items. I have always made little things out of leather or bracelets out of string. As I grew older I ventured into even more. In college I studied art and loved learning new techniques and new ideas to be more creative. I love camping too. I moved to Arizona to work at Anasazi Foundation which is a wilderness survival treatment program for youth. This is where I learned not only to help youth to see and hopefully find the right path in life, but to grow myself in new amazing ways. I also learned a lot more about primitive survival and crafts as a way of life along with leather working, pottery, bow making, flint napping, and survival.

When I got married to my beautiful wife I moved into jewelry making. I have never looked back. It’s fun and creative. I now design in CAD software where I’m allowed to be free to create anything and have it made into reality. I would love to turn my hobbies into a business, but I have never really had the time to make that work out. Lots of these crafts take up so much time that they really are not valued as they should be.

I have been making jewelry for over 20 years and still love it. For years I’ve wanted to make an about video to explain about me and my business. I’ve always wanted it to be more than just jewelry as I love so many crafts. I hope to share some of what I like and for you to get to know what I like. This way you might be able to understand me better as an artist. I did not include everything, but hopefully it captures a little something interesting about me. Enjoy!

Get to know me - Dana Arts

What are we doing with our time?

Some of us may be very busy working extra hard during these hard times while others are having a little more difficulty losing their work. I feel I’m in the middle. With some extra time that I have on my hands I have taken on many projects. The latest has been my coil cooking pot with clay I gathered from Honey Run Creek in Paradise California. It’s from behind the house I grew up in. So far the pot has taken shape and it seems to be great grey clay. The process is fun. I crush the clay into a powder and then I usually add sand to it, but testing this out I didn’t add anything to it (accept for water). I then mix it and knead it until it feels like the right texture and softness. I start with a base and then start adding coils. As I add each coil and smooth it out the pot starts to take shape. After each layer I analyze it and hit it into shape quite literally. As the bottom part dries I start smoothing it with a knife or smooth piece of wood. Once finished and the pot holds it’s shape, I start smoothing it out all over. When I’m satisfied I set it aside to dry for a few days. The next step would be to fire it in a fire. I like to use a combo of wood and cow dung. It then is hardened in the fire and can then be used to cook with.

In life we are like clay. The situations around us are happening and we choose how to react to those situations. We are getting molded and shaped and smoothed out. I feel as we make righteous choices we are able to progress in ways that help us grow into better people. Each coil is another layer that makes us closer to being whole or the best we can become. Serving others, helping when able, loving your neighbor, working hard in society, and just being kind are all things that will help us on our journey to becoming better. So what are we working on today? Are we improving ourselves? Are we growing in ways that lead us into something whole? Are we building and smoothing and becoming a completed clay vessel that is good and beautiful from within?

I hope to do more projects with more time on my hands. I feel it’s good to keep moving forward and building us and others up in good ways. Let us not stand still and waste our time away, but continue on a course of progression throughout our lives that will make us whole and as complete as we can be.

The making of a fire

Lately I have been thinking a lot about wilderness survival.  I have made a note that isn't quite finished on Facebook.  I will be adding more photos and experiences, but for now I thought I'd share it.  You may need to be a friend of a friend or my friend to see it, but if your interested in it and can't see it then let me know.  I share how to start a fire with the bow drill.  It's very fun and an exciting way to start a fire.  Here  is the link. Note on Making a fire Make sure you are logged into Facebook.