Another gift given

I have another project to show.  Since it has been given I can put up pictures because it won't ruin the surprise.  Since about mid-September I've been working on my most intricate project yet.  An incense burner made of four different types of wood and with inlays of semi-precious stones and mammoth ivory.  

From left to right, Red Cedar, Satine, Purpleheart, and Redheart

I purchased the three hard woods (not the cedar) at Exotic Wood Group. They have a large selection of woods, and they are fairly close by.  I could actually go visit their warehouse as an easy day trip!

 

First I carved the catch that the incense burns over from part of a stump of red cedar I found at Hillcroft.  I thought it was neat that even after I finished the part, it still fit almost perfectly into the space I had cut it from. 

The catch

lined up

back in the stump

The next section made was the stem, carved from satine and with 6 peices of flourine inlayed around it

The most difficult and time consuming part of the project was making the rose.  Purpleheart is a much more dense wood than I expected it to be, so in addition to my chisels I made liberal use of the dremel tool.  I have some pictures of it shortly before its completion as well as some closeups of after I attached the flower to the stem. 

The strip was a scrap that I polished so I could see what the finished wood would look like

The dew drop is a moonstone

The last part was the base which I cut from a peice of Redheart.  Once it was cut, polished and branded, I put it all together.  It came out exactly as I envisioned it would and was worth every cut, burn and scar I got from making it.  

Now the only question that remains is, what should I make next?