Wyoming Made, Made In Jackson Hole…

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

Wyoming Made, Made in Jackson Hole…

At a time when “MADE IN THE USA” is practically an anomaly there are still a few small businesses out there trying to create new products and services that can boast the “MADE IN THE USA” title.  Wyoming is a state that actually has quite a large number of small entrepreneurs that craft products from their home or small business and sell them to the public both within the borders of Wyoming and abroad.  One place that highlights these Wyoming based businesses is the Wyoming Business Council and they list many of these businesses on their website www.wyomingfirst.org.

Blaire Jennings

The Wyoming First Program is a way to identify and showcase great products made in Wyoming.  All of the companies listed on this website call Wyoming home and are proud of the quality they represent.  Wyoming First provides you with the opportunity to shop and locate products that are made within this state.  This post today is no exception.  I want to highlight a member of my family that is doing just that – designing and making products for sale right here in Jackson Hole.  Blaire joins others here in Jackson that also make and sell their products though retail outlets and their websites.

Blaire Jennings is a college student in her Junior year at CU Boulder in Colorado and she is studying Digital Art, Studio Art and Communications.  Blaire has always been a creative soul and she loves painting, shaping pottery, photography, pretty much design of any kind.  Over the past year Blaire along with her mother Peyton have created a unique line of hand crafted jewelry all made by hand right here in Jackson Hole.  Her latest creation is a line of wooden feather like earrings featuring very high quality sterling silver findings.  These whimsical feather like earrings are being marketed under the name “307 Wear” and they are gaining in their popularity with locals and others living outside of the state of Wyoming.  ”307 Wear” simply translates into “Wyoming Wear” as the area code of 307 is unique to the state of Wyoming.  In addition to earrings Blaire is adding some of her necklace designs and currently has many new ideas under development.

What started out as an idea has started to blossom into a small business opportunity for Blaire and she is starting to make some headway.  These earrings are truly unique and one of a kind.  They are crafted from woods such as Walnut, Maple, Ironwood, Bubinga and other wood species.  Each pair is hand crafted and no two pairs are exactly a like.  They retail from $39.00 a pair up to $69.00 a pair depending on the wood species and sterling silver findings.  If you would like to find out more about these whimsical feather like earrings check out our website at www.tetonmarketing.com and see what Blaire currently has to offer.  Blaire is looking for potential retail outlets that may want to carry some of her designs.  She especially would like to find retail outlets here in her home state of Wyoming in addition to all other parts of the U.S.A.  If you would like more information about 307 Wear than contact Peyton or Blaire at “sales@tetonmarketing.com” .

Posted in 307 Wear, Jackson Hole, Jewelry, sterling silver necklace, Uncategorized, Wooden Feather Earrings, Wyoming, Wyoming First | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Morning Coffee – Oxbow Bend at -15 Degrees…

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

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This mornings coffee run took me 40 miles north of Jackson into Teton National Park to one of the most photographed places in the United States, Oxbow Bend.  Oxbow is just north of Moran Junction about 4 or 5 miles and on this morning it was -15 degrees as I arrived just before dawn.  In the summer there is always a multitude of photographers waiting for the sun to bathe the mountains with its warmth.  Today I was all alone, with the exception of my father-in-law who made the journey with me.

We arrived as it was still dark and set up for the shots I wanted, some of which I am sharing with you here.  As the sun makes its way over the eastern range it begins to bathe the Teton Range with a warm glow.  This all happens in about 12-15 minutes so you need to be ready with your camera.  Now I am no professional but you would have to try pretty hard to screw this up.  Here are a few pics of the Oxbow Bend with Mount Moran in the back ground all taken within minutes of each other.  You can see the difference in the shots as to how the sun bathes the mountains and the river.  Oh yeh – this is the Snake River for those who do not know this area.  Amazing is all I can say.  Put this on your bucket list for sure.

On the way back I took a detour and found some of my favorite subjects.  I counted over 18 moose this morning all within a few hundred yards of these shots.  I almost got stepped on when this big guy came within a few feet of my Jeep.  A few feet is no exaggeration!  I never tire of seeing these beautiful creatures of nature.  They are so unique and awesome to be this close to.  If you venture out – be careful because they can hurt you.  Enjoy!

Posted in Jackson Hole, Oxbo Bend, Teton National Park, Uncategorized, Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Morning Coffee – December 20th 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

Mountain Sheep & Tourists Are Back In Town…

We grabbed our coffee this morning at Pearl Street Bagels and headed for another morning adventure.  First let me give props to the girls at Pearl Street Bagels as they are so nice to deal with.  They are always friendly, and these girls can crank out the coffee and bagels.  On the east side of the Snake River they are our favorite!

As we left the coffee shop we just found ourselves heading out towards Miller’s Butte to see if the mountain sheep had returned.  And, yes they have, along with the tourists.  It is a very cool thing to be able to travel such a short distance from our home and see so much wildlife.  Miller’s Butte for those of you who are not familiar with our town sits on the east side of the National Elk Refuge and you access the road just north-east of the hospital on Broadway.

This morning the fog was hovering over the valley but not too bad – just cold.  The trees again had a fresh coating of powdery ice crystals on their branches making it a real Christmas like feel.  If you like to take pictures these kinds of mornings make a great background to shoot away.  So many opportunities for beautiful shots of the trees loaded with powder and the rivers with a steamy fog hovering over the water.  The ice and the river flows squeeze through frozen banks making for some really incredible scenery.

On this morning though it was all about the mountain sheep.  The east side of the butte is all rocks and cliffs and the sheep meander around as if they are on flat land.  But on some days you will find them right on the road side and this morning was no exception.  About a dozen or so sheep traveled from their safety high in the rock to the road side in order to access the grass hiding under the snow.  A couple even are so bold as to come right up to your car and they lick the side of the cars for any salts that are deposited from the roads.  Pretty cool for sure.  They are cautious  but not too friendly making sure they keep their distance when someone tries to approach.

On the other side of the road we found dozens of elk just lying around at the base of the pine trees that start about a few hundred yards off the east side of the road.  Although I love the elk we decided to focus on the sheep and just sit and watch them interact with the public.  The tourists are returning for the holidays and this morning some of them got to see something really special.  It never gets old up here as long as you take the time to leave you home and see some of God’s wonders.  Enjoy!

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Morning Coffee – Moose On The Loose…

Posted on December 9, 2011 by

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Today it was absolutely beautiful and cold too – about -2 degrees here in Jackson Hole.  This morning we counted in excess of 25 moose all around the valley.  We saw cows and with their calves, big brutes with full racks on their heads and some younger males trying to keep up with their elders.  This was one of the best mornings for spotting moose in weeks.

The sun was just rising on the ski resort so we took a shot of the slopes from across the valley floor.  This morning there was an inversion in the valley and you can see it in a few of these shots.  Again I wish I had a better camera with a much better lens selection.  I need to get real close to these animals to get even these shots.  A new camera is on my wish list for sure.

Peyton and I are constantly amazed at all we see each morning we take a drive.  We see things that we do not take pictures simply because they are out of the range of our lenses. But today was saw Bald Eagles, beautiful vistas, many animals at a distance and more.  If you come and visit you must take in some of this for your selves.  Truly blessed!

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Old Growth Walnut & Alaskan Yellow Cedar Blanks…

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

In Stock and Ready to Ship…

NAF Flute Blanks For Sale

We have in stock a limited number of Old Growth Walnut and Alaskan Yellow Cedar Blanks for purchase.  These are beautiful blanks cut from rough stock and book ended to keep grain aligned as much as possible.  Most of our blanks already have the flute bore, slow air chamber, and blow-hole pre-cut into the blanks.  In the top we have also pre-cut the focusing channel ready to finish.

The Old Growth Walnut came from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, salvaged from walnut trees brought west in the mid 1800′s.  These are very nice blanks and will build you the best possible flute.  The grains are particularly beautiful and they are suitable for both hand planing the outside of your flute or you can use a round over bit in your router if desired.  Our personal opinion is that you will want to hand plane the final shape of your flutes.

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The Alaskan Yellow Cedar blanks too are book ended blanks cut from rough stock just received this week.  This lot of Alaskan Cedar has a very tight vertical grain perfect for flute making.  You can order these blanks as solid stock blanks and you can do the flute bore and slow air chamber or order them with the bores already pre-cut.  Either way this is nice stuff.

We also just received a new shipment today of Ironwood.  If you are brave enough to make a flute out of Ironwood we have the goods.  This stock has yet to be cut but it is all 5/4 stock and beautiful grain.  Ironwood makes one of the most aesthetically pleasing flute and when tuned to 432Hz (true pitch) they product a beautiful sound.  Making a NAF flute out of Ironwood is a challenge but sooo worth the effort when finished.  People will want your flute when they see it.

Blank Sizes…

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All of our blanks are 30 inches long by 1.75 inches wide and 7/8″ thick.  There is plenty of meat on these flutes for bore sizes from 1/2 inch up to 1.25 inches and more than enough length to make some very long flutes if desired.  We have pre-cut blanks in 3/4″, 7/8″ and 1″ sizes and all of the blow holes are 3/8″ in diameter.  Some of our blanks are available as just solid blanks ready for you to hand craft with your own style.

Pricing…

It is important to note that woods of this quality are hard to find, expensive to purchase and very expensive to ship to our shop.  Having said that the pricing is as follows:

1) Solid blanks (no cuts at all) – $19.00 per set ( 2 halves) plus shipping.

2) Pre-cut blanks – $39.00 per set (2 halves) plus shipping.

How To Order…

Visit our website to order or feel free to call Tim Jennings at (619) 435-6700 for availability or you can email us at “sales@tetonmarketing.com“.  As always we will do our best to answer questions about crafting your flute.

Posted in Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Custom Flutes, Flute Blanks, Flute Building, Flute Makers, Native American Flutes, Old Growth Walnut, Uncategorized, Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grizzly Bear Claw Necklace with Wyoming Jade…

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

One of a Kind Grizzly Bear Claw Necklace $595.00

We just finished a new necklace that is completely hand crafted.  Our new Grizzly Bear Claw necklace features a hand carved grizzly bear claw from Cantlinite stone.  prepositionally correct, the claw hangs from a bison lace necklace.  All findings, beads and clasps are of fine Sterling Silver.  The black beads are hand-made Black Wyoming Jade Beads – very cool.

Although this was designed to be a necklace for a man it can certainly be worn by a woman too.  This is a very nice ONE OF A KIND necklace and it is now available for purchase.  If you have questions or would like more information about this bear claw necklace shoot us an email at “sales@tetonmarketing.com” or call Peyton at (619) 435-8728.  If you are a retail outlet this can be reproduced for your store.

Posted in 307 Wear, Cantlinite Pipestone, Grizzly Bear Claw, Jackson Hole, Jewelry, Pipestone, sterling silver necklace, Uncategorized, Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alaskan Yellow Cedar Has Arrived Flute-makers…

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Craft Your Own NAF Flute with our Pre-cut Flute Blanks

ALASKAN YELLOW CEDAR BLANK OPTIONS…

We have just received our first shipment of beautiful Alaskan Yellow Cedar.  This is beautiful stuff and we can’t wait to cut into it.  We are allowing a few days for the wood to acclimate to our altitude and climate as we are quite a bit dryer here in the Yellowstone basin.

All of our boards are 8/4 stock with a beautiful tight vertical grain.  The color of the wood is  consistent and will make some really nice sounding flutes.  If you are interested in purchasing some blanks for your next flutes are is the skinny on what we offer:

Option One:

If you are looking to build your flute from the ground up order one of our basic blank sets.  Each of these blanks measure 1.75″ wide, 30″ long, 7/8″ thick.  They will be planed smooth prior to shipping ready for you to build your flute.  If you do not have the equipment to cut your blanks from rough stock this is a simple, easy and cost-effective way to start.  If you need help laying out your flute shoot us an email at sales@tetonmarketing.com.  These blanks start at $15.00 plus shipping per set depending on the wood selected.  If you are building a smaller flute then let us know what size blank you would like as we will see if we can accommodate.

Option Two:

The second option is to order a set of blanks that have had the slow air chamber, flute bore and the blow-hole already crafted for you.  These blanks are of the same dimension as Option One above.  The flute bore is available in 3/4″, 7/8″ and 1″ diameters.  The flute bore goes all the way through the bottom of the blanks and you will determine where to trim it depending on the key desired and your design.   This is a great option if you choose not to hand carve your flute and if you do not have a proper jig for your router to create the inside of your flute.  If you need help laying out your flute shoot us an email at sales@tetonmarketing.com.  These blanks start at $39.00 plus shipping per set depending on the wood selected.

Option Three:

The third option is for a set of blanks that will be enhanced from Option Two above in that we can create the basis for the focusing channel and if desired we can also craft the majority of the wind-way for you.   We can also create a channel for you to inlay your splitting edge.  This is a good option for softer woods and the inlay can be of a harder wood such as walnut or ironwood.  However you will still be responsible for the fine tuning of the sound hole itself.  Again, if you need help laying out your flute shoot us an email at sales@tetonmarketing.com.

Weather you are a hobbiest or an accomplished Native American Flute builder, ordering one our flute blank sets can simplify getting started on building you flute right away.  The need for larger equipment is eliminated and you will save time, money and space in your workshop.

Important note: We spend a lot of money and time seeking very nice wood stocks for our flutes. Most of our wood comes direct from smaller mills and specialty suppliers. Because of our specs our wood stock lots come in smaller amounts as many times that is all there is for at any given moment in time.

Posted in Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Brock Jennings Signature Flute, Custom Flutes, Flute Building, Flute Makers, Jackson Hole, Native American Flutes, Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment