Well, back to wood for two weeks anyways, then onto gourds again. All that’s left of this job s final sanding as I mentioned to Ms Deb, the customer is sending it to be gold gilded which makes carving it out of wood seem pointless, however, I do what I’m told and then cry as it walks out the door and I walk to the bank, LOL.

Any of you who know me, know that this style is certainly not my forte and I must admit, I had many hours of toil.

Take care all of you. I sure miss Mr. Wurm.(Jockmike)

Well I have not let go of my wood and am finding all sorts of applications on the gourds for wood. I am blessed to have found two passions that work together and compliment each other.

-18 in Calgary….cooooold!

Ah ha!!! I’ve finally tapped into the delicate balance between two passions – gourds and wood carvings. At first I was just adding a few tiny wood pieces to to enhance the gourds but it seems these days I’m more enhancing the wood with gourds!

I’ve always wanted to do less than full sized wood carvings but by themselves they seemed pointless and people really thought they should be much less in price despite my realization that sometimes the smaller pieces take longer.

So here I am, on the cusp of the Calgary Stampede and I have finally filled up my meager 10×10 booth with what I think is a lot of variety.

Enjoy friends.

Okay so I don’t feel so bad posting this – the moccasins are wood. LOL.

I have to get at least 6 wood carvings and 6 gourd carvings finished prior to the Stampede and I’ve had a heck of a time getting the wide basswood boards I’m accustomed to so I’m happy to have the gourds to keep me busy while I wait.

BTW, this was the end result of the gourd that I had taken a mold from. The wax-ups are currently at the foundry.

Okay I’m caught and please don’t kick me off of Lumberjocks for showing this carved…uh…gourd.

Honestly, I have been so blown away by the wonderful turnings I have seen here and really wanted to get a lathe and suit up to learn turning – but alas, I’m kind of a lazy sort so I thought I’d try a gourd. It’s kind of like wood.

Sorry guys, I promise from now on to post wood pictures and Martin, if you want to remove this, I’ll understand.

To all of my Lumberjock friends near and far.

I had to rush a pair for the second weekend of the show. I quite like doing them.

Still very little electricity in my garage but we’re hoping to get that remedied before Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my US LJ friends!

I have a Christmas show this weekend, was on a marathon to get this little guy done. Now off to the dentist after clenching my teeth, LOL! Photo stinks, I know, but I was in a hurry, it looks better in the zoom.
As much as it’s hard to tell, the whites are not white rather the natural color of basswood and all the browns are stains not paints.

I’m always torn between staining and leaving the wood natural but unfortunately basswood is too white for very much contrast. But i try to keep the stains subtle.

Well, this is finished as far as the carving part goes but not completely finished as I have yet to stain it. I love them plain but I also think that staining adds to the semi-realism. This is for a customer – thus the T and they like to have carvings for photographs for their Christmas cards. It is 14” long, 9” wide and 8.75” high.

Having loads of fun in my teensy freezing garage!

Hello gang

I apologize for my lack of checking in but I am happy to report that my work is finally starting to catch on in my new home. I do have a tiny little garage to make a mess in now – it’s small but sufficient, light enough and as usual, never warm enough.

I have entered a Christmas show – it cost me quite a bit for a booth and wouldn’t ya know it, I have sold the major pieces meant to display so I am rushing like mad to get something together to hang on the walls.
Oh I’m not complaining, just not used to this many sales.

I still love it friends, so very much and I can’t wait to get up each morning to continue.

I will say that I have discovered that while Dremel says all models have the same speed – I’m curious about that claim as it seems the more expensive models do sound faster and seem to cut better, so I am now using only the 4000. I am not impresed with the Merlin tool at all.

I hope you are all climatizing to your upcoming winters. Fall hasn’t been too bad here at all, but snow is promised for tomorrow.

Sincere regards to all.

By golly, this one seemed to take me forever although it was about the same time as the last. Each time I finish one, I say “never again” but my obsession with creating one that totally satisfies me seems to still be bothering me. But for now, I am sticking with “Never again!”, LOL.The size of it is 38” x 33” x 6” (at it’s highest point.)

Nothing much this time, just a fun little change of pace while we get ready to move into a new little place. It’s actually got a garage!!! Yippee, not big but big enough.
Size of this little guy is 13’ x 6” x 4” (body width.)

Nothing fabulous, just silly things I am doing during my creative slump.
The size of the frame around this is 17” x 13” so I guess the length of the suit would be about 8” – it’s 1/4 scale. I stippled the wording/logo with a burning pen.
I cannot begin to keep up with the new projects and members on Lumberjocks. So many, so great! Keep it up!

I suspect I’m having some type of creative block these days – could be the lack of warm weather in our new home. Or the lack of a sign of a blossom or flower.
So I decided to start a shadowbox collection of miniature and various themed dressing rooms. It’s a good way to use up my old scraps of wood and have some fun while I’m thinking of another large project.
By using only scraps for the pieces and a 2×4 for the frame, it was cheap to make. My only problem was mitering the corners. I have a cheap saw and there’s no way to make the blade perfectly square with the table. But It was a painted frame anyways so I managed to fill it and hide the gaps.
I hope someone, somewhere is enjoying spring. I’m patiently awaiting my outdoor carving days.
Take care all.
PS. Thanks Lightweight, I almost forgot to mention the size – the opening of the frame is 12” x 23” which makes the shirt about 8” long.

You guys are too much!! I have just had the opportunity to see some of the magical projects going on here and am amazed!!! I must continue to thank Andy for inspiring so many to try his boxes and with such fabulous results!

I have been so busy these days and am happy to say that I am selling my pieces as they are completed and Laura and I are getting closer to getting our own home so we can stop living like gypsies! LOL! Throughout the winter, I’ve managed to carve in the tiny area I have but still dream of my own workshop where I’m not tripping over things or having to constantly unplug and plug my tools for lack of outlets.

We survived this new and cold winter and can finally see an end in sight.

Keep up the good work you guys, this site is still amazing and I’m glad I had the chance to see how it’s grown and how the older members have grown within their abilities as well!

Happy New Year fellow Lumberjocks.
Luckily I’ve been managing to keep in touch with some of you on Facebook but lately I’ve been so busy with so many things – carving, of course, painting and my latest venture – competitive inline speed skating and blogging about it to boot!
I just had a birthday and I was feeling old and stale so I had to do something!!!!
After selling all of my carvings before Christmas, I realized I’d never been in a position of having no inventory so I’m working day and night just in case a buyer happens to fall from the sky.
Buy, it’s cold here! I don’t mind the – 12 stuff but at -30, it’s difficult to keep even a heated garage warm! Surprisingly, very little snow.
Take care all of you!!!

It’s craaaazy here in Calgary and I will tell you that I am carving about 14 hours per day non stop.
However, I did want to wish all of my loyal Lumberjock friends a very wonderful Christmas time with your families, your special ones or just your wood.
The best of the new year to you as well and thanks for keeping it so friendly and supportive here.
Laura, Jordan and Bruce

Hello LJ’s!
I am so busy these days with shows and carvings that I’ve rarely had time to spy on you. I mentioned to a few of you that I have sold all but two of my carvings and never before have I not had some type of inventory to sell so I’m burning the candle at both ends trying to whip some up, which, as you know, ain’t quite that easy.
However, I’m having a good time and carving for near sales keeps me more ambitious than carving for potential sales some day down the road.
Boy, did we get hit with a blast of winter! I haven’t felt -40 degrees for about thirty years and I was reminded of why I loved BC so much. But it didn’t last and even -5 feels like spring so now we have been warned what a winter storm advisory means.
I’ve made 5 cast miniatures to go with this bare back rigging and to try some cold cast bronze powder. It works quite well.
I’ve also just completed my 2nd painting – a bit different than the horses but I want to try all styles before I decide what type of painter I am.
Laura and I hope you are all having a happy holiday and keeping warm out there in the shops across the cold states and provinces.

TJ65 writes: This carving course was certainly an experience for me. When it was all over and finished with, I swear it had taken months not just the 2-3 weeks.
Jordan mentioned that he used the paper lengths to measure things. Well I was having trouble with that so I reverted to using metric ruler. As each notch is easy to halve (well that’s what I thought!) With the initial figuring out of correct measurements this certainly was the case. As things eventuated and I had to measure virtually every little bump and crevice it became increasingly harder to do, and my head was starting to explode with having to halve each tiny measurement. Some days I could only work on it for a couple of hours before it became to much. Having said all this, I would do it all again this way but next time write down some of the most commonly used ones.
When it started to resemble a boot I had a little more faith in what I was doing and it sort of flowed a lot easier, as I could “see” the things that had to be done. Now it was just a matter of plodding along and doing them. I think the top of the boot where the laces tie up was the most difficult and this is where I lost my way a little. But once I could ‘see’ again it was much better.
When the carving had finished I still thought ‘oh yea this is ok’, but it really came alive, to me anyway, when I put colour onto it. It then looked like it was supposed to, – A BOOT!!!!! I actually had CARVED a boot!!! and to make things even better it really looks like the one I copied.
Talk about over the moon and dancing all about shouting at every moment- “Look, I actually carved that boot”!!!!!! I really couldn’t believe that it was possible.
But what I have learnt from this experience is don’t underestimate your own capabilities. Just give it a go, you might surprise your self, I know I did!!!

Theresa (TJ65)