Nicola has a background in theatre as a visual and performing artist and has worked in health care and non-profit management. As a freelance website designer she's worked with elementary schools, small businesses and artisans. An avid genealogist; Nicola's ongoing labour of love is researching and writing stories of family. 'Remember Me' is the story of her Great Uncle Charley Bailey gleaned mostly from his WW1 letters home. She also advocates for Natural Burial Grounds in British Columbia and is a Death Doula with a particular interest in education and death literacy. Nicola runs our websites, social media and email communications.

We live on 48 acres, off grid in the Central Interior of British Columbia. We're responsible for all our own services; roads, power, sewer, water, heat; it's a good life, and not without its challenges. We have excellent satellite internet but no cell service. We have a gravity fed irrigation system. We plow our own roads and keep our solar panels turned toward the sun, we cook on a wood stove; that kind of thing.

We strive to live simply. Our work is a reflection of our values as much as it is a means of supporting ourselves. We believe in 'right livelihood'.

"Right Livelihood embodies the principle that each person should follow an honest occupation which fully respects other people and the natural world. It means being responsible for the consequences of our actions and taking only a fair share of the earth's resources. Right Livelihood is about sustaining a lifestyle that values simplicity and contentment." 

We do our utmost to cause no harm to people or the environment. We have never had any illusions that our wooden rings would change the world, but each wood ring we make means perhaps, that a little less gold or another diamond is not mined. Here's a comment from one of our very first clients: "I cannot tell you how delighted I was to stumble across your beautiful eco-friendly work in the process of looking for the perfect ring and I am excited to share my "discovery" with others. Kudos to you for starting a revolution in the jewelry industry!"   

Ours is a slower lifestyle by necessity and by design. We manage our 48 acres in a sustainable way which means, for the most part, leaving the natural world to do what it does best and encouraging a healthy ecosystem. I began our Homestone Blog in July of 2005 as a way to stay connected with our families and our Touch Wood friends. Please feel welcome to connect with us there and on Social Media.