…but something that pleases me more than ancient, compressed rock. (But that doesn’t mean I would not say thankyou for a little bling!)
Last night, The Man returned from his trip to the mines and he brought me some treasures. The first treasure is, geologically speaking, probably closer to “bling” than anything else I’m likely to get.
A piece of petrified wood!
And the second offering is, to me, a treasure. It would be stunning as a necklace or brooch. Damn! I wish I could make jewellery!
I’m guessing this was a glasswing, but if anyone can be more positive, please leave the answer in the comments. Thanks.
UPDATE…Ididn’t think to tell you the size, but Ziggi asked so I measured it: wingspan 8cm and nose tip to lower wingtip 3.5cm
I am still rushing about at speeds to give Asafa Powell 
something to think about, so I’llkeep this short.
Hopefully, I’ll get the Mystery Moth on FlickR today…
Moreidlethoughts Weblog 
gifts that don’t cost anything are sometimes the most thoughtful. i especially love the coloration on that moth/butterfly. it has a bit of “natural bling” to it, heehee. you’re right though, it would make a lovely brooch with some rubies for the red spots!
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m…gosh! you were quick! I’ve just posted this. And, yes, it’s a beautiful and fragile thing. Dashing out now, but hope to page through some photos later and see what it is. (I bet Kate could do some stunning stained glass based on this!)
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What a beauty! Looks a little like this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/didrooglie/2613926781/in/set-72157605774969973/ And I had a big grin imaginign you keeping pace with Asafa Powell. You go woman!
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Ooh, its so pretty!
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andrea…you have a vivid imagination alright!!! I think his record’s safe.For now.
Funny, but I thought of your “seasons” butterfly when I looked at my treasure.
denise…You should see the real thing.The wing membranes are delicately-veined and those red spots (from the underside) are like flowers.
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A boyfriend once gave me petrified wood earrings that were lovely–we never remained together, but I’ve kept them for over 40 years and I do think of him every time I wear them. Your post made me think of him again!
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I’m not a bling girl so I love that petrified wood. And how weird is that I just spent the last few days researching moths like crazy for a painting. But I stuck to the Americas, never came across that beauty.
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suzanne…those earrings sound lovely. I really prefer wooden beads and shells to man-wrought things.
ellen…the wood is up on a shelf with some “alphabet” stones and a pebble from The Hope (B.C.) Slide!
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You are very lucky to recieve such lovely gifts. Yes, the moth would be wonderful in stained glass. I used to make large (8″) butterflies, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. The wood is cool, too. I picked up some petrified wood on our last trip to the Atlantic coast and keep it on my computer table for good luck. Great post.
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that is a beautiful moth – how big is he?
apparently rushing about keeps you young!
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kate…I am wondering what I could “do”with this.
ziggi…size is important, huh? Well, for you, I measured 8cm wingspan, 3.5cm nose-to-tail.
And if rushing about keeps us young how do we account for the grey hair, wrinkles and cellulite?
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Wow Dinah that IS a beauty of a moth…or are you sure it’s not a butterfly? Spent the last 20 minutes trying to find this on several websites, but no exact matches.
The other thing is, the pic is taken as it’s lying on its back, right? Are the colourings on its top the same?
Here’s a photo gallery of Aussie moths and butterflies I found with some similar insects, though apparently no exact matches.
I’d guess it’s a female swallowtail of some sort. Anyway, here’s the link on Google Images:
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://k43.pbase.com/g3/07/621007/2/53574652.08cabw9991.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pbase.com/conroy11/image/53574652&h=800&w=783&sz=75&hl=en&start=183&um=1&usg=__ycnpvb5_mP66Ap8T23crV0Z_wQA=&tbnid=s80SgSmTwsFLDM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAustralian%2Bmoths%26start%3D180%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
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ww … thanks for doing all that legwork! Actually, I’ve looked around several sites with no positive result.Yet. Qld. Museum is my next shot…when I have time!
Yes, this picture is an underside view.Over on my Flickr page I have a topside photo, which is very like this, but with less red showing.
The moth has been in a plastic (but “breathing”) sleeve since last week and shows no sign of detorioration so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to make a little box for it.
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i had a lovely wood moth that i kept for years before it finally fell apart; same with a few dragonflies. nothing compares with nature for beautiful.
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…now tell me all about this travelling notebook with the gorgeous pictures!
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fn…yes, insects often keep well, but I’m not sure how this will cope with tropical humidity.
And the sketchbook exchange is a bit of fun between 8 of us.4 in Australia, 3 in USA and one in Canada.We each start a book and mail it to one of the others.When we receive a book, we add a page and send it on; like a Round Robin. Eventually, we’ll all get our own books back with contributions from the other 7 artists. Lots of fun!
There are quite a few similar projects; for ours, we did not buy ready-made books, but are making our own, adding our chosen substrate as we go.
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