317 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
30 comments »
There is an ongoing debate about whether Lumberjocks should be the focus of a marketing plan by professional woodworkers. There are quite a few professionals on this site now, all of us trying to make a living.
I define “professional” as someone that makes all, or most of their income from their woodworking and craft work. Selling something once in a while from your hobby work really has nothing in common with “having” to sell something every day to buy food and s...
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749 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
15 comments »
A Scrimshaw Art Journey: A Lumberjock’s “Short Version” of the Techniques for Decorating a Powder Horn
by: Mark A. DeCouwww.decoustudio.com
(This writing, photos, and artwork are protected by copyright by M.A. DeCou 11-11-2007, all rights reserved, please ask permission before using any part or component.)
Commerical Note: I get quite a few emails about how to buy my scrimshaw work. Most of my scrimshaw art and powder horns are done on commission, and take several...
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1023 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
7 comments »
My wife is gone for a few hours this Saturday morning, and the kids are busy watching a video, so I will update you on what I am working on now. I’m right in the middle of a “fun” project. It is “fun” on many levels, mostly because I have had to stop and scratch my head a lot.
For those of you with kids, or remember having kids, or know someone who has kids, Winnie the Pooh always says, “Think, think, think” while poking his temple when he is try...
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437 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
24 comments »
With all of the “Hoopla” associated with my recent blog, and Quixote's Project posting on the subject, I just about had to submit and build the toy for her.
After all, using the thorough 2-Step plans she provided, how hard could it be?
Well, just count all of the Steps I used, and add up the dollar amount of all of the tools I used in the process, and it’s a pretty daunting little project, for a fact. Sure, buying a plastic ring at the big department store would be ch...
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544 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
9 comments »
My recent lumberjock postings of the walking cane work I have done recently has brought a lot of interest from folks wanting me to build them special, unique, elaborately detailed, walking canes and sticks.
This new blog communicates the design process on one cane as I prepare to start the carving, and get approvals on the final design.
The customer is a Youth Pastor, and needs to use a tall walking cane to support a bad knee. He and I have been designing this project for several weeks...
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94 days ago
by scottb |
13 comments »
I stuck my toe in the Etsy waters some months back… just to see what would come of it. It seemed a better idea to partner with my 30 projects in 30 days ventures than posting in albums on facebook.
I imagined that just having a presence could always leads to possibility… And this month feels like a small, but significant milestone was reached. 3 sales. Yes I know that doesn’t sound like much, but these three sales were to complete strangers. Not even friends of friends. O...
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232 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
20 comments »
This Blog entry has nothing to do with woodworking, other than it involves firewood, my woodshop woodstove, and my thoughts as a woodworker looking for some heat this week, and ultimately expresses a better understanding of another Woodworker’s life.
I guess that counts, so I hope you’ll stick with me to the end, this is a true story, I didn’t make this up.
This week we’ve had some unusually cold weather, and then warm, and then cold again. I was able to put up six pickup truck l...
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360 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
11 comments »
I was tracking back hits to my website this morning, and one of them came from my previous blog. So, I read my own blog again, since I couldn’t remember exactly what I had written.
In that Blog, I talked about two things:1. My lack of communication technology to run my business2. A visit from a commissioned customer
Well, I’m still working on the commissioned project. Might be able to finish it up next week. I’m a little behind on it, but the drop-dead deadline is...
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375 days ago
by danriffle |
2 comments »
The following is an e-mail interview with Brandon Morrison. Brandon is the owner of Whyr’Hymer Furniture in Hollywood, California. This started as friendly banter via e-mail and I thought picking Brandon’s brain might be interesting to other aspiring professionals. So here’s some wisdom from a modern artisan who’s been making it for 4 years.
What do you think differentiates a hobbyist from a professional woodworker?
Preparation, pressure, stress, responsibility, and most importa...
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385 days ago
by Mark A. DeCou |
9 comments »
Dealing with Internet Business:I haven’t had much time to blog this year. Blogging is fine, I like it, but honestly, who has time to read my dribble? I get enough encouragement to continue blogging that I make time for it when I can, but it has been awhile.
Ever since Google started to find my lumberjocks postings in the Spring of this year, I’ve been pretty busy.
Google had always fround my postings, and my website but the ratings were apparently so low on their list that...
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31 entries
