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My husband and I purchased our forty, a few miles northwest of Tucson, with dreams of becoming the great western cattle ranchers; even this small acreage seemed boundless to two who were eastern born. We saw white faced Herefords roaming from fence to fence, ourselves, resplendent in western duds, driving into town in a station wagon with the age old cattle skull emblem on its door. We planned a small stable of horses to enjoy during the cool evenings and to give us the very tops in atmosphere.

A lack of funds for these dreams turned us toward a more practical use of what our land had to offer. We faced the fact that we had purchased desert land abounding with cactus, especially cholla (pronounced chaw-yah). Cholla is commonly known as the "jumping cactus" due to its extreme ability to thrust shiny white needles into your flesh with such aggressiveness that one declares it has deliberately jumped at him. These needles are extremely painful until removed by a sharp tug. Nevertheless, this unruly cactus has an inner wood graced with such hole-like perforations that a harmonious design is created regardless of sectional cleavage.

CHOLLA HAS been a natural hobbycraft material for southwestern hobbyists for many years. Beautiful lamps, bookends, canes, clocks and other items too numerous to mention, have been and are being made today. For this reason we strove to create something from cholla that would be a new hobby product in an old field.

Our aim was not fulfilled at once. We took nightly walks, discussing and looking over our domain, yet no fabulous idea thrust itself upon us. Then one evening during dinner my husband held up a small piece of cholla, not too highly polished, which resembled a bird. I muttered "how nice," and continued eating. The cholla chunk was not discussed again until our return from the evening walk. While walking, the spouse had been polishing his piece of cholla continuously with a small piece of concealed sandpaper and now held in his hand a bird so smooth and graceful that it became our "cholla bird" and remains today the emblem of our entrance into the jewelry world. It graces many of our pins and pendants and other pieces that make an appropriate setting.

The following day, after the birth of our "cholla bird," I picked up a rough piece of cactus and proceeded to design a pair of earrings. Having no findings (any basic metal piece designed for use in making jewelry) to work with and no idea as to what a pair of cactus earrings would look like, I kept my imagination active. I am a natural lover of sport clothes; therefore, it was not difficult for me to visualize myself in my favorite tweed wearing just this or that certain pair of earrings to go with it. Not so my husband; he had to be convinced (or was just getting even with me for doubting his cholla bird). However, after I had bedecked my eardrop with a couple of coats of varnish, giving the cactus a soft burnished lustre, he too was every bit as enthusiastic as myself.

We immediately got in touch with hobbycraft dealers specializing in jewelry findings and could hardly wait until our first supplies arrived. Then, and only then, could we actually assemble and see the finished product. New designs and creations kept crowding into our minds and we now knew we would have to have a complete line, not just eardrops. In the meantime, we worked at the finishing of the cactus pieces, readying them for the final assembly. Within a few days our first findings arrived and within a matter of minutes after receiving them, our mental visions became a reality and we now had before us our small wooden gems adorned and twinkling with gold and silver.

THE ORIGINAL attack on the cholla must be done with a machete (we use this method) or similar instrument as no hand dares touch it. Once the outside, dangerous bark, has been removed, it is possible to cut a limb and prepare it for immediate use. It is not necessary to allow a drying period as green cholla is the most suitable to work with. There are many varieties, allowing a wide range of size to choose from. We had to learn from experience which type was the best suited for each individual item.

To make a pair of earrings (all other items are made basically the same way with the exception of the final assembly), we cut a piece of cholla, choosing a hole or group of holes, that seems pleasing to the eye. It is best to cut from a section where the thickness is about a quarter of an inch. Then we hunt further along the section to find a reasonably matching piece and cut this out. Almost any small saw is suitable and the cutting is entirely freehand—our eye is our only guide. It is impossible to find any two holes or two groups of holes exactly alike; however, for a matched pair of earrings this can be remedied by filing one more than the other, or perhaps, enlarging a hole slightly. If you will take a piece of Swiss cheese and bend it to form a column, or imagine yourself doing so, you will get a good idea of the appearance of cholla. Cut around a hole, or around a group of holes, and the general shape of our jewelry pieces can be visualized. A leaf-like shape is usually the outcome.

I work with four files, starting with a fairly rough one ¾ inch in width. I then use a ½-inch one somewhat smoother, and finish with a round or triangular one for the holes; whichever fits best. The final finish is obtained with the smoothest grade of sandpaper obtainable.

If the screweye is now inserted, instead of waiting until the piece is stained and varnished, it prevents the finish from being blemished by the heat from the drill. I use an eye about ¹/16 inch in diameter. These may be ordered from most hobbycraft supply houses which advertise jewelry findings. A small electric drill is used to make a hole to aid in the insertion of this screweye. If the eye fits too loosely, jeweler's cement may be used also, just dabbing some on the screw before placing it in the hole.

THE "GEMS" are now ready to be stained and varnished. Staining is by no means necessary—two coats of clear spar varnish will give a lovely lustrous finish—but by just varnishing some and using a variety of stains on others, a better selection is offered the customer. I use an oil stain and apply it with a small artist brush, not rubbing it in at all. Walnut, redwood, driftwood and green have proved to be the most popular. Blue and such colors that are difficult to obtain may be made by using an artist oil tube and mixing this oil with turpentine. I apply one coat only and after twenty-four hours, varnish these pieces also, using two coats with a twenty-four-hour drying period between these coats. A drying rack can be made by stretching rows of wire across the top of a wooden box. Short pieces of wire, bent at both ends, serve as good hooks and aid in holding the gems while staining or varnishing.

Here I would like to mention a step that, we have found from experience, has a tendency to create a more beautifully finished earring. We had to decide from what type of earwire it would be best to hang our drops. Most earwires, whether screw-on, clip-on or pierced, have a small cut meant for the insertion of a stone. However, the three types can also be had with a gold or silver ball replacing the cup. To use the latter type presents an easy way out and we were tempted. To use the earwire with the cup, necessitates the cutting and finishing of a small piece of cholla suitable for cementing onto the cup. I say onto and not in, as we use a flat bottom and cover the cup with it. Our friends decided the issue—we had to use the cup with the cholla. The problem of how to make these small pieces was solved by cementing rough pieces of cholla onto the top of wooden dowels of the finished desired diameter. The cholla can then be rounded and made to simulate a stone. When polished they can be freed from the dowel by a knife blade. I generally cement these over the cup on the earwire before staining and varnishing.

The final assembly takes but a few minutes. The only step remaining is to connect the drop to the earwire by using a jump ring. If the screweye has been inserted so that the eye is sideways to the front of the gem, only one jump ring is needed. It is best to use two pairs of small pliers, opening and closing the ring as carefully as possible. Some earwires have an extra hole for this ring and create a more attractive appearance.

Mounting cards, which may also be obtained from hobbycraft dealers or printing concerns, are an aid. We are now having ours printed with our name, but a sticker bearing your name and plated on the card will do nicely.

I HAVE purposely described, in detail, the making of a pair of earrings for they do outsell our other items. The only pieces of jewelry that differ from a natural leaf-like shape are some of the pins and one of the link bracelets. For this particular bracelet, we cut oblong pieces about one inch by one and a half inches. These are finished and joined together by inserting two screweyes on the longer side—four screweyes to each piece. Jump rings connect the sections of all but the two where the clasp is to be. It is advisable to use larger eyes here, if possible, to withstand any strain given them. I have also found that sister hooks are a more practical catch in this case than a spring ring. The bracelet, because of its width, requires two hooks. About five joined sections will be correct in size for the average adult.

We have no rules for a necklace. Basically, the leaf-like pieces are hinged to any desired length of chain. We attach these directly through a link in the chain by using a jump ring as this method will hold the pieces in one place. We often use a large leaf for the center, grading up with smaller ones. Usually we use about five pieces to a necklace although have used as many as eleven.

Since cholla is an extremely light wood, plastic pin backs have proved to be very satisfactory. A pin may be made from almost any section; however, we have made our most successful ones from a section of the cactus taken from the lower main trunk. Here it is possible to obtain an almost solid piece with a flat surface which facilitates the cementing of the pin back on. Also, this particular section of cholla will remain very light in color even after varnishing; thus it is possible to cement a darker piece onto this background, offering no end of fun in experimentation.

All of our jewelry findings are purchased through hobbycraft supply houses, which we have found very cooperative. The beginner need not be afraid of the expense of the findings. All items may be purchased a few at a time if need be. In fact, until one is sure of exactly what is best suited to his jewelry, I believe this is the best method. Then, if the jewelry proves saleable and workable with the chosen findings, money will be saved if they are ordered by the dozen or gross. For the hobbyist, jewelry findings will always be a matter of personal taste probably somewhat controlled by what proves to be the most popular in his own locale. For example, here in our vicinity, pierced earrings outsell all others; however, my mother, who sells our cholla jewelry in Florida, has found that the screw-on and clip-on type do the best.

NOW THAT we are "in the business" we try to adhere to a routine. Upon my husband's return from work, he laboriously sets about cutting as many pieces as possible. These he puts aside for me to continue finishing the following day. At dawn, I begin the three-day process that is required to completely finish and assemble each group. A couple of hours on each of these days is sometimes sufficient to turn out a good many items. A good deal of this three-day period must be given over to drying time. We are often asked why we do not use more of our small electrical drill gadgets. We have found that the pieces. are simply too delicate and that a softer and smoother texture can be obtained by hand tools. Grim determination with files and sandpaper brings out the highest degree of the hidden, velvety appearance of this wood.

We started with a basic eardrop consisting of only one framed hole, matching this with a similar group of such dangles for a bracelet and necklace. We soon discovered that it is hard to confine yourself to one design when the scope of cholla offers so many possibilities. There is no rule judging how large or small a section of the cactus can be cut; consequently our creations now include earrings so large that they are practical for festival purposes only and those small and conservative enough for any business girl. Necklaces, too, range from the small, simple-single hole dangle to bib-like groups of the leaf-like shaped gems. As well as the chunky link bracelet that has been previously described, we make some of the dangle type, attaching about five dangles to a length of chain approximately seven inches long. In this case a spring ring proves a most satisfactory catch.

The staining, which has been previously described, was not a part of the procedure at the time our jewelry was first introduced to our friends. We had been selling our jewelry for some time before the urge to experiment with color caught up with me. Much more versatility could be obtained and the "for sport clothes only" effect eliminated. I worked one entire day finishing some of the pieces in shades ranging from the light driftwood to the deep walnut. That night, I proudly displayed these stained pieces—dry but unvarnished—before my husband. His only remark was: "I do not like them." I put his disapproval down to his being an unimaginative male and proceeded to varnish them anyway. The next evening the cause was won and we both shared a new enthusiasm over the unlimited possibilities of tints. We now have a dusky blue to harmonize with any gray ensemble and even a black pearl with an almost sophisticated air.

ONE PROBLEM which faced us was the fact that our home is located about twenty miles from Tucson. We did not wish to sell wholesale until we gave retail selling a try. We wondered if all of our labor would be useless because of a lack of ability to contact customers. Mail order selling was discussed and we still believe this to be an excellent method. However, a mental picture of our jewelry is not enough; an actual picture would have to be included to make a worth while advertisement. This would be expensive to start with so this idea was put in the future file.

We had traveled a great deal before settling near Tucson and were fortunate enough to have friends in many states. We communicated with them, offering a percentage of each retail sale, if they were interested in selling our hobbycraft. Their response was wonderful and we had a partial solution.

I display my jewelry on shopping trips and have received numerous orders from total strangers just coming up and inquiring about my earrings or other piece of jewelry. This has created an excellent word-of-mouth campaign, resulting in many special orders. One of our steady customers, has, during the short time we have been selling, already purchased five pairs of earrings and given us a special order for a bracelet. We are especially proud of such sales for this means our jewelry is being given as gifts and we feel that a customer would not give our product unless he, himself, was more than pleased with it.

Another problem was how to set a selling price on our cholla. When lengthy hand labor is involved, it is difficult to decide on a value which will bring a fair return for your hand work, yet remain reasonable enough to be accepted by the general public. Finally, the general public came to our rescue. When people originally inquired about the price of the earrings, I quoted one that, to them, seemed too low. They would always remark that the price should be higher. This was a rewarding fact as it proved that the average person does appreciate the individuality of a product. We waited until a good many of these remarks had been mentally filed, then set upon a happy medium. To date, we have never been told that any of our prices seem unfair. Our earrings range from $1 to $2.25; necklaces from $2.75 to $7; bracelets from $2.25 to $3, and pins are $1 and $1.50. These prices allow us to use sterling findings wherever practical.

OUR UTILIZATION of a local wood has proved successful and every day we discover new ways to use it. Cholla is available to any hobbyist—we, ourselves, will mail it anywhere within the country in workable lengths. Also, a good many florist shops and hobby shops in this part of the country deal in this wood.

We love to work with cholla—it is one of the most workable woods and its uniqueness in a new field creates attention. No two items turn out exactly alike, giving the customer a real conversation piece. However, we have no intention of forfeiting our hobby if fortune should, at some future time, call us elsewhere. We have often discussed the possibilities of finding new material to work with if faced with this situation.

For anyone interested in emulating our hobby, it should be fun to look around and see just what may be at your doorstep (outside of chopping down the family elm tree). Mass destruction is not necessary—a small limb taken from a tree during pruning would make many pair of earrings if the wood were workable at all. Cedar and ironwood have wonderful possibilities. It is safe to say that there are many more workable woods than unusable ones. In many cases it is best to use the cross cut of the limb or trunk, whereas with cholla a lengthwise cut is used. Experimentation might produce such happy results that you would wonder why you had been overlooking such a good opportunity. We know from experience how true this can be. In clearing enough space for our home, we raked together and burned piles of cholla before realizing that we could turn these piles of debris into hundreds of pieces of jewelry.