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My Journey As A Creative Designer - Woodworking and Beyond

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7M views 13K replies 477 participants last post by  teaklight12 
#1 ·
Beginning this Blog

I recently was referred to this site by Steve Good, who has a wonderful, comprehensive scroll saw forum and blog page. Although I have been doing woodworking for almost fifteen years, I have finally reached a point in my life where I am able to make it the main focus of my activities. Since my life revolves around my woodworking and business, I believe that this blog will reflect that very clearly, although it will also be somewhat personal. But I think that woodworking is very personal anyway.

It has been a long journey to get to this point. There have been many good times and some not-so-good ones, but I appreciate every single step because I think that if even one thing was different, I would not be where I am today or who I am inside. It isn't only the positive events in our lives that make us what we are. Many times it is the negative things that mold and shape us and teach us to look at things in a certain way. I try to remember that when things are tough and move ahead.

I have learned that there is only one thing we can be certain of in life: change. Whether things are good or bad, we need to hold on and appreciate the moment, as we can be certain that things will be different before long. This helps us to not only appreciate the good days and things we have now, but also hang on when things are not so good, as we know that they will be different soon. I like this philosophy.

I liked reading about the new contest offered by this site in the newsletter. Fluidity. It is a perfect theme for projects because our existence itself is fluid. I am anxious to see what interpretations are going to be, as I am sure everyone else is. It will be an adventure for all of us for sure.

So why am I starting this blog? The other day I received a call from a customer who had a question for me. He kept saying how surprised he was that I answered my own phone. I have worked as a Contributing Editor for Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine for the past 13+ years and I guess in the scroll saw community, many people have heard of me. It seemed so odd to me that he would think I would have a secretary or staff. We kind of laughed about it, but it really got me thinking about his interpretation of my life. We all tend to form opinions of others from very limited information. We see the outside of a person as they are presented to us and many times are very quick to categorize that person in our minds. I do it myself.

But in my years of talking with and dealing with many people from many different places, I have come to realize that people are like icebergs. We only see the tip of them and below the surface is a vast, complex side of them that is the basis of their actions and thinking.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has traveled a journey. No two people have traveled identical paths. Thus, we are all unique in our thoughts, actions and creative processes. I enjoy hearing others stories. I think that listening to others and hearing their experiences helps us to understand each other. With that understanding, we learn.

I have used the phrase "Knowledge Is Power" in my signature since I have been on the web. Once someone told me that they thought it was quite arrogant of me to say that. He thought that I was implying that I knew more than anyone else and he found that offensive. I told him he couldn't be more wrong. My interpretation of the phrase is that our QUEST for knowledge EMPOWERS us to make better decisions about things in our lives. We are never finished learning. I learn every single day from my friends, colleagues, fellow woodworkers and students. We never know when we will learn something new. Sometimes you can learn from even a seemingly insignificant event. I feel the key is that we need to be open to learning.

Everyone has a story.

So I will close today with those thoughts. I don't know how often I will post here, but I hope to make it a habit. I don't know if anyone will even read this, but somehow it doesn't matter. Writing is a key in self-awareness. By writing things down we categorize our actions and it helps (me anyway) to keep my life organized. Organization leads to peace as far as I am concerned.

I am quite overwhelmed with the scope of the site here. I am still getting my footings and lurking around. I think for the first several days or maybe even weeks I will be more of a passive observer while I find my comfortable position among the others here. I want to upload the new things I am working on here. Like everyone else, I am anxious to see the response they get. I love seeing others projects and could spend my days just looking.

Although it is quite intimidating, the forum looks like it is full of friendly, knowledgeable and wonderfully creative people.

I think I am going to like it here.
 
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#10,249 ·
New Projects on our Site

It was a very tumultuous night here in Nova Scotia. I don't think I heard wind like that in all the years that I had been living here. At least it was warm though, as we heard that nearly everyone located west of us was once again experiencing snow. I fully expected to wake up to more snow on the ground, but it is still very warm and raining.

The wind gusts were fierce. They awoke me several times, as the house was actually shaking. At about 3:30 in the morning, we heard our recycle bin blowing from the front of the house to the rear, and Keith gallantly went outside with a flashlight to retrieve it, finding it right on the brink of the woods behind us.

Needless to say, I didn't get much rest. I awoke while it was still dark and knew that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. But with my second cup of coffee almost finished, I almost feel human now. Thank goodness for caffeine.

Today we are completing the latest site update at Sheila Landry Designs. Besides my two new patterns, Keith also has three new napkin holders for our customers to cut. I think they came out pretty nice:

Rectangle Jaw Roar Art Carnivore


SLDK369 Largemouth Bass Napkin Holder and Plaque Pattern

What is nice about his napkin holder designs is that they each include a mini-plaque pattern so you can make a matching trivet or make a nice little set. He also has a special where you can purchase any three napkin holders of your choice.

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/product/SLDKNHSET1

They are all pretty cool, I think.

My contribution this time around are the "Paris" plaque, as well as the Decoupage Bunny Silhouettes:

White Black Textile Sleeve Organism


SLD455 - 12 Decoupage Bunny Silhouettes

Not only will these little bunnies be fun for Easter, but I can think of so many applications to crafts and projects all through the summer months. They are so pretty and fun!

I will be writing our newsletter today and sending it out this afternoon. If you subscribe already, be sure to watch for it. If you don't and wish to join our mailing list, you can do so at this page on our site:

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/mailing-list

Our list of subscribers continues to grow (thank you!) and we truly appreciate it.

I hope we can avoid having another falling of snow. Even though I love the winter, I have had my fill of it for this year. I also enjoy the nicer weather and I hope that eventually we will have some warmer and sunny days. I can't wait for my first trip to the beach.

Whatever the day brings, I know I will have a good one. I am anxious to finish up the newsletter and then get started on my next designs. There are so many fun things that I want to do!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
 

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#10,250 ·
New Projects on our Site

It was a very tumultuous night here in Nova Scotia. I don't think I heard wind like that in all the years that I had been living here. At least it was warm though, as we heard that nearly everyone located west of us was once again experiencing snow. I fully expected to wake up to more snow on the ground, but it is still very warm and raining.

The wind gusts were fierce. They awoke me several times, as the house was actually shaking. At about 3:30 in the morning, we heard our recycle bin blowing from the front of the house to the rear, and Keith gallantly went outside with a flashlight to retrieve it, finding it right on the brink of the woods behind us.

Needless to say, I didn't get much rest. I awoke while it was still dark and knew that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. But with my second cup of coffee almost finished, I almost feel human now. Thank goodness for caffeine.

Today we are completing the latest site update at Sheila Landry Designs. Besides my two new patterns, Keith also has three new napkin holders for our customers to cut. I think they came out pretty nice:

Rectangle Jaw Roar Art Carnivore


SLDK369 Largemouth Bass Napkin Holder and Plaque Pattern

What is nice about his napkin holder designs is that they each include a mini-plaque pattern so you can make a matching trivet or make a nice little set. He also has a special where you can purchase any three napkin holders of your choice.

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/product/SLDKNHSET1

They are all pretty cool, I think.

My contribution this time around are the "Paris" plaque, as well as the Decoupage Bunny Silhouettes:

White Black Textile Sleeve Organism


SLD455 - 12 Decoupage Bunny Silhouettes

Not only will these little bunnies be fun for Easter, but I can think of so many applications to crafts and projects all through the summer months. They are so pretty and fun!

I will be writing our newsletter today and sending it out this afternoon. If you subscribe already, be sure to watch for it. If you don't and wish to join our mailing list, you can do so at this page on our site:

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/mailing-list

Our list of subscribers continues to grow (thank you!) and we truly appreciate it.

I hope we can avoid having another falling of snow. Even though I love the winter, I have had my fill of it for this year. I also enjoy the nicer weather and I hope that eventually we will have some warmer and sunny days. I can't wait for my first trip to the beach.

Whatever the day brings, I know I will have a good one. I am anxious to finish up the newsletter and then get started on my next designs. There are so many fun things that I want to do!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Superb napkin holder! Keith is certainly a very crafty person. As we use cloth napkins all the time, even for every day use, three meals a day; it's an important item on our tables. Over the passed some 30 years I've constructed many as gifts with only the initial of the last name of the recipient routed into them. A great use of off cuts. Thanks for the entry today, I must try some scrolling for such patterns. Did he dye the finish for the high lights?
 

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#10,254 ·
Website Updated

Yesterday I spent the day writing our bi-monthly newsletter and sending it out to our customers. We have been doing pretty well with gaining new subscribers as out business continues to grow. We are also happy that we seem to be figuring out how to send a proper newsletter so that the mail servers don't view it as SPAM and block it. For a while, we were getting several hundred emails bounced back to us whenever we sent out an issue. This was annoying because not only did it clog up my own email, but it meant that customers who signed up and WANTED to receive our newsletter were not getting it. It took a bit of research and homework on Keith's part to figure out what was going on and modify the way we did things as to minimize bounce back. It is always a learning process.

But it seems that most of our customers do receive out letters, which is good for everyone involved. We know everyone doesn't follow the blog here every day and people find having all our new items and sales announced in one place a couple of times a month was convenient.

Updating our site this frequently is helpful in many ways. We find that doing updates about every two weeks is good, as we usually have at least four to five new patterns to show, as well as some new articles from time to time. We like to change our sales items as well, and while we don't change them with every update, we probably do every other one, which keeps our site fresh and people interested.

It motivates us as well, as we strive a bit harder to make our own deadlines for updates in addition to the other deadlines we have.

Keith and I both believe that a combination of all of these factors is what helps our business grow and be successful.

I mention this all because I receive many questions as to how to succeed in having your own business. I want people to understand that things don't just 'happen' and that there is quite a bit of maintenance involved that goes hand in hand with the creation process. That is also why I believe that having a partner is really beneficial. It would really be difficult to do things alone and still have time to create.

As I always say, I am very happy to have a great partner in Keith. Not only is he a talented designer, but one who does much of the behind the scenes work to make our site look great and function properly. I know without him by my side, things would be very different.

I showed some of the new items that we just added in yesterday's post, and I wanted to show you the others today.

Besides the Bass Napkin Holder/Plaque pattern, Keith added two additional patterns to the series.

He added this pretty Hummingbird Napkin Holder/Plaque patterns (SLDK 370)

Bird Rectangle Wood Beak Feather


And also this SLDK371 Monarch Butterfly Napkin Holder/Plaque pattern:

Pollinator Insect Butterfly Rectangle Arthropod


He also made up a Napkin Holder Set Pattern where our customer can choose their favorite three Napkin Holders for a reduced price.

My other new project was the Paris! Self-Framing Plaque Pattern:

Font Ornament Symbol Jewellery Magenta


Font Wood Triangle Circle Metal


I have had several people ask if the pattern was available and I am happy to say it is.

We also changed our sale patterns. This time Keith and I each picked five of our favorite patterns that each other made and put them on sale. We call this "Our Designers Favorite" Sale and you can see it on our Pattern Specials Page.

And don't forget, we have our new booklet - Getting Started With the Scroll Saw - that is available as both a paper copy and a downloadable copy. It is great for those just starting out.

So that means today I get to start on some new things. I have some ideas about some new patterns that I hope everyone will like. I also have some new deadlines coming up for the magazine that I need to get busy with. There is always something nice to do.

I hope you all have a great day. Thanks to you all for your continued support. We both appreciate it very much.
 

Attachments

#10,255 ·
Website Updated

Yesterday I spent the day writing our bi-monthly newsletter and sending it out to our customers. We have been doing pretty well with gaining new subscribers as out business continues to grow. We are also happy that we seem to be figuring out how to send a proper newsletter so that the mail servers don't view it as SPAM and block it. For a while, we were getting several hundred emails bounced back to us whenever we sent out an issue. This was annoying because not only did it clog up my own email, but it meant that customers who signed up and WANTED to receive our newsletter were not getting it. It took a bit of research and homework on Keith's part to figure out what was going on and modify the way we did things as to minimize bounce back. It is always a learning process.

But it seems that most of our customers do receive out letters, which is good for everyone involved. We know everyone doesn't follow the blog here every day and people find having all our new items and sales announced in one place a couple of times a month was convenient.

Updating our site this frequently is helpful in many ways. We find that doing updates about every two weeks is good, as we usually have at least four to five new patterns to show, as well as some new articles from time to time. We like to change our sales items as well, and while we don't change them with every update, we probably do every other one, which keeps our site fresh and people interested.

It motivates us as well, as we strive a bit harder to make our own deadlines for updates in addition to the other deadlines we have.

Keith and I both believe that a combination of all of these factors is what helps our business grow and be successful.

I mention this all because I receive many questions as to how to succeed in having your own business. I want people to understand that things don't just 'happen' and that there is quite a bit of maintenance involved that goes hand in hand with the creation process. That is also why I believe that having a partner is really beneficial. It would really be difficult to do things alone and still have time to create.

As I always say, I am very happy to have a great partner in Keith. Not only is he a talented designer, but one who does much of the behind the scenes work to make our site look great and function properly. I know without him by my side, things would be very different.

I showed some of the new items that we just added in yesterday's post, and I wanted to show you the others today.

Besides the Bass Napkin Holder/Plaque pattern, Keith added two additional patterns to the series.

He added this pretty Hummingbird Napkin Holder/Plaque patterns (SLDK 370)

Bird Rectangle Wood Beak Feather


And also this SLDK371 Monarch Butterfly Napkin Holder/Plaque pattern:

Pollinator Insect Butterfly Rectangle Arthropod


He also made up a Napkin Holder Set Pattern where our customer can choose their favorite three Napkin Holders for a reduced price.

My other new project was the Paris! Self-Framing Plaque Pattern:

Font Ornament Symbol Jewellery Magenta


Font Wood Triangle Circle Metal


I have had several people ask if the pattern was available and I am happy to say it is.

We also changed our sale patterns. This time Keith and I each picked five of our favorite patterns that each other made and put them on sale. We call this "Our Designers Favorite" Sale and you can see it on our Pattern Specials Page.

And don't forget, we have our new booklet - Getting Started With the Scroll Saw - that is available as both a paper copy and a downloadable copy. It is great for those just starting out.

So that means today I get to start on some new things. I have some ideas about some new patterns that I hope everyone will like. I also have some new deadlines coming up for the magazine that I need to get busy with. There is always something nice to do.

I hope you all have a great day. Thanks to you all for your continued support. We both appreciate it very much.
I'll say it again, you & Keith make a beautiful pair o scrollers. Always enjoy the delicateness of all your projects.
 

Attachments

#10,257 ·
Walking Before Running

It has now been over twenty years since I first began scroll sawing. (I know! I don't really FEEL like I am THAT OLD!) Even as I sat here to write that number down, I had to count a couple of times to make sure my number was correct. It seems like only yesterday when I hit the fifteen year mark, and now that the years have climbed into the twenties, it amazes me even more.

I remember those first days of cutting so well. My friend Cari had a wonderful father who was an engineer and he believed in teaching his children whatever they wanted to learn. Being with Cari nearly every day when our children were growing up, I was fortunate to learn from her dad as well. He loved to encourage us both and always made sure we had all the tools, etc. that we needed at our disposal, as well as his shop.

He was a great teacher because he gave us the means to learn, yet didn't interfere. After showing us the basic functions and safety procedures, he stepped into the background and allowed us to experiment, explore and learn on our own. He was always nearby if we needed him, but for the most part, he encouraged us to do what we wanted and was a huge believer that experience was the best of teachers. Since Cari and I were both adventurous and creative, we often went in different directions using the same materials and tools, and not only did we learn for ourselves, but we also learned from each other. It was a great time in my life.

Having all those years of scrolling and woodworking under my belt has served me well. While Cari used her skills to create lovely things to sell at shops and through sales at her workplace and give as gifts, I more or less headed towards designing. To me, it never seemed that the available patterns suited my own taste. I found myself early on modifying patterns and making them more to my own taste and liking.

Soon I was using very little of the original designs and doing most of the drawing myself. Then in 1996 when Cari and I attended a craft trade show in the Chicago area, we met up with the folks at Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. The rest (as they say) is history.

Over the years with working for the magazine my skilled have improved a great deal. One thing about doing articles for the magazine is that you always want to put your absolute best foot forward. After all - you are reaching a number of people that is far greater than previously and it is natural that you want to show off your best skills.

As a designer, I tend to do the same. I always try to 'outdo' my previous designs and do my best there as well.

But there is a slight flaw in that way of thinking. While I want to do my best, I sometimes find that MY best is much too difficult for some of my customers. Especially those who are newer to scroll sawing.

My first realization of this came a couple of years ago when I was teaching. It had been several years since I directly taught students, as up until then, I had mainly been creating patterns for my site and the magazine. I realized that some of the skills that came second nature to me were a bit more difficult for someone who was newer to using the scroll saw. It was then that I also realized that in order to make some patterns that a newer sawyer could use, I needed to 'tone down' things, just a tad.

While that sounds like it would be something easy to do, that really isn't the case. My competitive nature has me continually striving for perfection, and when I do something that I would consider 'easy', I sometimes feel as if I am slacking off. Keith understands this as well. His recent napkin holders were a bit easier to make than his filigree patterns, for instance. He expressed his concern to me when he was drawing them that they were 'too plain' and was worried that people wouldn't like them.

But he cut them out and they looked beautiful, and since we introduced them, there has been a fantastic response. It taught us BOTH that people need a broader level of designs to work on. They need to walk before they can run.

It only makes sense.

So with that in mind, I am in the process of developing some easier patterns that will be geared for those newer to scroll sawing.

Both Keith and I have noticed that there is a good influx of new people, and we receive many questions from them on a daily basis. I also noticed that many times these people mention that some of our patterns are 'just too hard' for them to attempt, and while they liked the designs, they felt overwhelmed and intimidated by them. While they aspire to try them in the future, they just didn't feel that their ability was at that point yet.

We do understand that.

I have decided to make the next several projects geared to this way of thinking. Yesterday, I began working on a new series of simple, yet (I think!) attractive patterns that will look awesome when finished, yet not be out of reach for a newer scroll sawyer. I haven't thought of what I was going to call the series yet, but I am sure I will come up with a name in the next day or so. Below is a sample of one of the designs:

Nose Hand Arm Eye Leg


With these patterns, I want to introduce some basic skills that one can easily accomplish for this piece and also apply to other pieces they want to make as well. I hope that these patterns will be a bridge between what we consider "basic" cutting and elaborate fretwork. I hope they will close the gap between the two levels and help people transition from the 'beginner' to the 'intermediate' label in an enjoyable and satisfying way.

Why didn't I think of this before?

I look at this type of designing to have its own type of challenge. In drawing the patterns, I need to step back and really think about what I am doing. I am not good at 'holding back' and my goal with the patterns is to make them look wonderful and attractive, yet be easy to accomplish and teach new skills in the process. I think I am up for it though.

So today will be a day of drawing and redrawing. I think that it will be a fun way to expand our line of work so that it reaches a larger audience and teaches others as well. I will certainly keep you all updated on my progress, and I welcome your comments and suggestions. It will be good to hear what others think as well.

Have a wonderful day today. I can't believe that Friday is already upon us. It is calm and sunny and while it is still a bit cool, at least it not grey and snowy. Certainly it is a day to enjoy.

Have a great one!

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. - Leonardo da Vinci
 

Attachments

#10,258 ·
Walking Before Running

It has now been over twenty years since I first began scroll sawing. (I know! I don't really FEEL like I am THAT OLD!) Even as I sat here to write that number down, I had to count a couple of times to make sure my number was correct. It seems like only yesterday when I hit the fifteen year mark, and now that the years have climbed into the twenties, it amazes me even more.

I remember those first days of cutting so well. My friend Cari had a wonderful father who was an engineer and he believed in teaching his children whatever they wanted to learn. Being with Cari nearly every day when our children were growing up, I was fortunate to learn from her dad as well. He loved to encourage us both and always made sure we had all the tools, etc. that we needed at our disposal, as well as his shop.

He was a great teacher because he gave us the means to learn, yet didn't interfere. After showing us the basic functions and safety procedures, he stepped into the background and allowed us to experiment, explore and learn on our own. He was always nearby if we needed him, but for the most part, he encouraged us to do what we wanted and was a huge believer that experience was the best of teachers. Since Cari and I were both adventurous and creative, we often went in different directions using the same materials and tools, and not only did we learn for ourselves, but we also learned from each other. It was a great time in my life.

Having all those years of scrolling and woodworking under my belt has served me well. While Cari used her skills to create lovely things to sell at shops and through sales at her workplace and give as gifts, I more or less headed towards designing. To me, it never seemed that the available patterns suited my own taste. I found myself early on modifying patterns and making them more to my own taste and liking.

Soon I was using very little of the original designs and doing most of the drawing myself. Then in 1996 when Cari and I attended a craft trade show in the Chicago area, we met up with the folks at Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. The rest (as they say) is history.

Over the years with working for the magazine my skilled have improved a great deal. One thing about doing articles for the magazine is that you always want to put your absolute best foot forward. After all - you are reaching a number of people that is far greater than previously and it is natural that you want to show off your best skills.

As a designer, I tend to do the same. I always try to 'outdo' my previous designs and do my best there as well.

But there is a slight flaw in that way of thinking. While I want to do my best, I sometimes find that MY best is much too difficult for some of my customers. Especially those who are newer to scroll sawing.

My first realization of this came a couple of years ago when I was teaching. It had been several years since I directly taught students, as up until then, I had mainly been creating patterns for my site and the magazine. I realized that some of the skills that came second nature to me were a bit more difficult for someone who was newer to using the scroll saw. It was then that I also realized that in order to make some patterns that a newer sawyer could use, I needed to 'tone down' things, just a tad.

While that sounds like it would be something easy to do, that really isn't the case. My competitive nature has me continually striving for perfection, and when I do something that I would consider 'easy', I sometimes feel as if I am slacking off. Keith understands this as well. His recent napkin holders were a bit easier to make than his filigree patterns, for instance. He expressed his concern to me when he was drawing them that they were 'too plain' and was worried that people wouldn't like them.

But he cut them out and they looked beautiful, and since we introduced them, there has been a fantastic response. It taught us BOTH that people need a broader level of designs to work on. They need to walk before they can run.

It only makes sense.

So with that in mind, I am in the process of developing some easier patterns that will be geared for those newer to scroll sawing.

Both Keith and I have noticed that there is a good influx of new people, and we receive many questions from them on a daily basis. I also noticed that many times these people mention that some of our patterns are 'just too hard' for them to attempt, and while they liked the designs, they felt overwhelmed and intimidated by them. While they aspire to try them in the future, they just didn't feel that their ability was at that point yet.

We do understand that.

I have decided to make the next several projects geared to this way of thinking. Yesterday, I began working on a new series of simple, yet (I think!) attractive patterns that will look awesome when finished, yet not be out of reach for a newer scroll sawyer. I haven't thought of what I was going to call the series yet, but I am sure I will come up with a name in the next day or so. Below is a sample of one of the designs:

Nose Hand Arm Eye Leg


With these patterns, I want to introduce some basic skills that one can easily accomplish for this piece and also apply to other pieces they want to make as well. I hope that these patterns will be a bridge between what we consider "basic" cutting and elaborate fretwork. I hope they will close the gap between the two levels and help people transition from the 'beginner' to the 'intermediate' label in an enjoyable and satisfying way.

Why didn't I think of this before?

I look at this type of designing to have its own type of challenge. In drawing the patterns, I need to step back and really think about what I am doing. I am not good at 'holding back' and my goal with the patterns is to make them look wonderful and attractive, yet be easy to accomplish and teach new skills in the process. I think I am up for it though.

So today will be a day of drawing and redrawing. I think that it will be a fun way to expand our line of work so that it reaches a larger audience and teaches others as well. I will certainly keep you all updated on my progress, and I welcome your comments and suggestions. It will be good to hear what others think as well.

Have a wonderful day today. I can't believe that Friday is already upon us. It is calm and sunny and while it is still a bit cool, at least it not grey and snowy. Certainly it is a day to enjoy.

Have a great one!

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. - Leonardo da Vinci
You really make me feel older today. I was introduced to scrolling in the late 60's in my Grandfathers shop, then obtained my first saw in the 70's. Didn't know of any available patterns so I did some simple ones of my own and every year would do ornaments that were dated instead of cards for family and friends. Don't think I was meant to be a designer as I would rather do the cutting so I really appreciate designers like you and Keith.
 

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#10,262 ·
Early Inspirations

I took the day off of writing yesterday because I wanted to really make a dent in the new projects that I have been working on. Sometimes I find myself getting lost in the 'social media' part of the day and it leads me down a path that sometimes may not be very productive. I don't worry much about this, as I feel that I do make up for my time spent fooling around with my friends and customers on the computer. Besides, there usually isn't a day that goes by when I am not working on something for my business, so I feel little guilt when enjoying myself with my fellow creative friends and family.

I did however want to dive into the new project that I mentioned in my last post. For those who may have missed it - I want to do a series of patterns geared for those who may be newer to the scroll saw and just learning. It had recently dawned on me that as my own skills have been improving, many of my projects have increased in difficulty as well. While there is nothing wrong with this at all, I did begin to see the need to balance what we had to offer our customers with some designs that were technically a bit simpler so that even new people could accomplish them, as well as learn from them.

I was amazed at the responses that I received from that blog - both publicly on the many places where I post this blog and privately through emails. It seems that I hit a nerve here and that there is a bit of a demand for these types of patterns. Now the challenge for me was to make patterns that were not particularly difficult, but also attractive and desirable.

I also wanted to come up with a unique name for these types of projects so that customers can easily find them among our many patterns that we offer. We have so many patterns on our site that they could easily get lost in the shuffle of things, as many of our nice patterns tend to do.

After much consideration, I settled on the name of "Early Inspirations".

I didn't want to use the word "beginner", because some of what I plan to include will have skill levels that will fall into what I would categorize as "upper beginner to intermediate". I want these patterns to be somewhat like stepping stones which a newer woodworker would be able to accomplish and will help them advance their craft and ability. In order to advance, we need to push the envelope a bit and while these patterns aren't going to be difficult, they are hopefully going to be a step beyond what is typically thought of as "beginning" scroll sawing and they will encourage the sawyer to try some new things and learn new techniques - one small step at a time.

What will also make these patterns unique is that I am going to be very explicit on my instructions. Those of you who use and purchase my patterns already know that I take great care to write my instructions so that even a beginner scroll sawyer can accomplish the pattern. This has been a practice that I have followed from the beginning of my design career. However, the patterns in this series will be even more specific on their instructions and really focus on explaining things fully so that those newer to sawing can be guided through the process. Of course, those with more experience can still enjoy the designs, and may only need to skim over the instructions, but I want the information there for the newer people, and perhaps the more seasoned woodworker will learn something new as well. I see it as a win/win for everyone.

That being said, below is a sample of the drawings that I worked on yesterday:

Organism Font Rectangle Pattern Line art


They are samples from each of the eight new patterns that I am introducing. As you can see, I decided to focus on wildlife for the most part. I think it offers a great variety of subjects which will appeal to many.

These are only half the drawings, as each pattern will contain two complementary designs. They will offer them in two sizes (8" x 10" and 5" x 7") so they can fit in standard, pre-purchased frames. I think that the larger pattern will be the best to begin with, as it will be a bit easier to cut and the smaller version will be the next step in one challenging themselves. The patterns will offer a variety of options.

I think I am going to take the day off today for the most part. At least take a short rest from these. I have some other loose ends of projects that I want to work on for myself personally, and I think I need a day. Tomorrow we are heading to my dear friend's house in Digby for an Easter dinner and celebration. Here in Canada, we also celebrate "Easter Monday" and most businesses are closed. I look forward to getting out and having a nice visit.

I hope you all have a great Sunday. For those of you who celebrate Easter - I wish you a Happy Easter. May you all have a wonderful day!
 

Attachments

#10,263 ·
Early Inspirations

I took the day off of writing yesterday because I wanted to really make a dent in the new projects that I have been working on. Sometimes I find myself getting lost in the 'social media' part of the day and it leads me down a path that sometimes may not be very productive. I don't worry much about this, as I feel that I do make up for my time spent fooling around with my friends and customers on the computer. Besides, there usually isn't a day that goes by when I am not working on something for my business, so I feel little guilt when enjoying myself with my fellow creative friends and family.

I did however want to dive into the new project that I mentioned in my last post. For those who may have missed it - I want to do a series of patterns geared for those who may be newer to the scroll saw and just learning. It had recently dawned on me that as my own skills have been improving, many of my projects have increased in difficulty as well. While there is nothing wrong with this at all, I did begin to see the need to balance what we had to offer our customers with some designs that were technically a bit simpler so that even new people could accomplish them, as well as learn from them.

I was amazed at the responses that I received from that blog - both publicly on the many places where I post this blog and privately through emails. It seems that I hit a nerve here and that there is a bit of a demand for these types of patterns. Now the challenge for me was to make patterns that were not particularly difficult, but also attractive and desirable.

I also wanted to come up with a unique name for these types of projects so that customers can easily find them among our many patterns that we offer. We have so many patterns on our site that they could easily get lost in the shuffle of things, as many of our nice patterns tend to do.

After much consideration, I settled on the name of "Early Inspirations".

I didn't want to use the word "beginner", because some of what I plan to include will have skill levels that will fall into what I would categorize as "upper beginner to intermediate". I want these patterns to be somewhat like stepping stones which a newer woodworker would be able to accomplish and will help them advance their craft and ability. In order to advance, we need to push the envelope a bit and while these patterns aren't going to be difficult, they are hopefully going to be a step beyond what is typically thought of as "beginning" scroll sawing and they will encourage the sawyer to try some new things and learn new techniques - one small step at a time.

What will also make these patterns unique is that I am going to be very explicit on my instructions. Those of you who use and purchase my patterns already know that I take great care to write my instructions so that even a beginner scroll sawyer can accomplish the pattern. This has been a practice that I have followed from the beginning of my design career. However, the patterns in this series will be even more specific on their instructions and really focus on explaining things fully so that those newer to sawing can be guided through the process. Of course, those with more experience can still enjoy the designs, and may only need to skim over the instructions, but I want the information there for the newer people, and perhaps the more seasoned woodworker will learn something new as well. I see it as a win/win for everyone.

That being said, below is a sample of the drawings that I worked on yesterday:

Organism Font Rectangle Pattern Line art


They are samples from each of the eight new patterns that I am introducing. As you can see, I decided to focus on wildlife for the most part. I think it offers a great variety of subjects which will appeal to many.

These are only half the drawings, as each pattern will contain two complementary designs. They will offer them in two sizes (8" x 10" and 5" x 7") so they can fit in standard, pre-purchased frames. I think that the larger pattern will be the best to begin with, as it will be a bit easier to cut and the smaller version will be the next step in one challenging themselves. The patterns will offer a variety of options.

I think I am going to take the day off today for the most part. At least take a short rest from these. I have some other loose ends of projects that I want to work on for myself personally, and I think I need a day. Tomorrow we are heading to my dear friend's house in Digby for an Easter dinner and celebration. Here in Canada, we also celebrate "Easter Monday" and most businesses are closed. I look forward to getting out and having a nice visit.

I hope you all have a great Sunday. For those of you who celebrate Easter - I wish you a Happy Easter. May you all have a wonderful day!
Hope you two have a Happy Easter.
Rick
 

Attachments

#10,269 ·
A Milestone for Me

A couple of months back, I began working on something that kind of got side tracked.

We all have projects like that. We start out like a ball of fire and then something gets in the way and deadlines come up and holidays come and before we know it, our project is tucked neatly (or sometimes not so neatly) into a corner.

While I know that there are some people who won't start another project until one is finished, I am not like that. I usually have a couple of things on the go at once. My friend Cari's dad used to say that we were both like fighter pilots. We could do six things at once. I suppose part of it is having small children and still being curious and creative and filling each day with as much as we could cram into it.

I am still like that.

Even though the kids are grown and on their own, it only means that I can allow myself to do more things. With huge amounts of opportunities available - even more so with the internet and online classes - I find that sleeping should be an option so that I can have more hours in the day to create.

In any case, back in November I began a painting project that was quite an undertaking. When I visited my kids in Chicago in October, I had also visited one of my favorite places - Brookfield Zoo. And at the zoo, I was able to see the new young snow leopard that was born over the summer (Everett) and his mom. I love Brookfield Zoo because the way it is set up you are able to see the animals very close. Especially the snow leopards which are my favorite of all the big cats. They love to sleep on a rock shelf right up against the glass wall so they are actually within a foot of you. It is amazing to be that close to them.

I was able to snap a nice photo of them, and when I got home, I decided to make a painting of it. I had recently received my set of DecoArt Traditions paint from Art Apprentice Online (a wonderful online learning community for painters) and I was waiting for the perfect project to try them out.

Tackling a painting such as this is quite intimidating. While I have several of my own original paintings that I have done over the years, it has been quite a long time (many years) since I have had the time or ambition to create another one. (You can see my other original artwork on my Gallery page of my site)

However, with me keeping as busy as I do, I find it very difficult to make time to do this type of painting. Many ask me if I offer patterns for these paintings, but they are far too complicated for me to ever sort through and make instructions for them. Truth be told, when painting them, I very much "wing it" and there are many times - as with this painting - that I wind up completely painting over portions and changing things. It is something that I do for myself to grow personally as an artist and a designer, and while I sometimes make note cards and prints to sell from these pieces, I keep the original paintings for myself, or give them to friends and family.

So with that said, below is a photo of the finished painting:

Head Eye Human body Felidae Carnivore


I am very happy with the outcome, although - me being me I still want to pick away at it. It is funny, but once I had it on the computer screen, I see different things that I want to refine and I feel as if I could keep painting on it forever. Is anything really "done"???

I am going to set up an album for the step-by-steps, as there are many photos which show the process that my painting followers may be interested in seeing.

It isn't perfect, but it is nice and I am proud of it. I need to let go and move on to other things.

Sometimes I think being side tracked and stepping away from a project for a while can be a good thing. I think by me leaving it for these few months and then coming back to it, I was able to look at it more objectively and see it with new eyes. I am sure when I look at it months from now, I will be thinking of other refinements that I can do to it. But I will refrain from that. There comes a point when we need to call our work "finished."

Easier said than done.

Thank you to all my friends for your encouragement on this and all of my work. Your kind words motivate me to always do my best and try to improve. I think this bleeds into all the creative areas of my life. I appreciate you all.

Have a wonderful Monday!
 

Attachments

#10,270 ·
A Milestone for Me

A couple of months back, I began working on something that kind of got side tracked.

We all have projects like that. We start out like a ball of fire and then something gets in the way and deadlines come up and holidays come and before we know it, our project is tucked neatly (or sometimes not so neatly) into a corner.

While I know that there are some people who won't start another project until one is finished, I am not like that. I usually have a couple of things on the go at once. My friend Cari's dad used to say that we were both like fighter pilots. We could do six things at once. I suppose part of it is having small children and still being curious and creative and filling each day with as much as we could cram into it.

I am still like that.

Even though the kids are grown and on their own, it only means that I can allow myself to do more things. With huge amounts of opportunities available - even more so with the internet and online classes - I find that sleeping should be an option so that I can have more hours in the day to create.

In any case, back in November I began a painting project that was quite an undertaking. When I visited my kids in Chicago in October, I had also visited one of my favorite places - Brookfield Zoo. And at the zoo, I was able to see the new young snow leopard that was born over the summer (Everett) and his mom. I love Brookfield Zoo because the way it is set up you are able to see the animals very close. Especially the snow leopards which are my favorite of all the big cats. They love to sleep on a rock shelf right up against the glass wall so they are actually within a foot of you. It is amazing to be that close to them.

I was able to snap a nice photo of them, and when I got home, I decided to make a painting of it. I had recently received my set of DecoArt Traditions paint from Art Apprentice Online (a wonderful online learning community for painters) and I was waiting for the perfect project to try them out.

Tackling a painting such as this is quite intimidating. While I have several of my own original paintings that I have done over the years, it has been quite a long time (many years) since I have had the time or ambition to create another one. (You can see my other original artwork on my Gallery page of my site)

However, with me keeping as busy as I do, I find it very difficult to make time to do this type of painting. Many ask me if I offer patterns for these paintings, but they are far too complicated for me to ever sort through and make instructions for them. Truth be told, when painting them, I very much "wing it" and there are many times - as with this painting - that I wind up completely painting over portions and changing things. It is something that I do for myself to grow personally as an artist and a designer, and while I sometimes make note cards and prints to sell from these pieces, I keep the original paintings for myself, or give them to friends and family.

So with that said, below is a photo of the finished painting:

Head Eye Human body Felidae Carnivore


I am very happy with the outcome, although - me being me I still want to pick away at it. It is funny, but once I had it on the computer screen, I see different things that I want to refine and I feel as if I could keep painting on it forever. Is anything really "done"???

I am going to set up an album for the step-by-steps, as there are many photos which show the process that my painting followers may be interested in seeing.

It isn't perfect, but it is nice and I am proud of it. I need to let go and move on to other things.

Sometimes I think being side tracked and stepping away from a project for a while can be a good thing. I think by me leaving it for these few months and then coming back to it, I was able to look at it more objectively and see it with new eyes. I am sure when I look at it months from now, I will be thinking of other refinements that I can do to it. But I will refrain from that. There comes a point when we need to call our work "finished."

Easier said than done.

Thank you to all my friends for your encouragement on this and all of my work. Your kind words motivate me to always do my best and try to improve. I think this bleeds into all the creative areas of my life. I appreciate you all.

Have a wonderful Monday!
It looks great the way it is! I believe that everyone is their own best (worst) critic and you are no exception to that rule! Just be careful that you don't put one too many strokes and ruin the picture! Take pride that you did a super fine job!
 

Attachments

#10,277 ·
A Contest

Many of you may have already heard about Steve Good's blog. For several years now, Steve puts out a blog nearly every day to promote scroll sawing. In fact, it is because of Steve that I began my own blog on the Lumberjocks.com site and now have nearly 1300 entries. He has become a friend and a mentor of mine, and he was the one who introduced me to Lumberjocks.com.

Steve's blog and website is great. Not only does it have the blog, but it also has a wonderful and active forum where you can learn all about scrollsawing and woodworking and make new friends. In the four plus years I have belonged, I have never seen arguments or issues with members and it is always a fun and friendly place to visit. The people there are amazing!

In Steve's daily blog posts, he usually offers a free pattern or a new video or inspirational story about other woodworkers. He works incredibly hard to help the scroll sawing community and woodworking in general, and only asks for small donations from those who wish to do so in return. This is not mandatory, as his main objective is to help people discover the joy of using the scroll saw and woodworking in general. His selflessness and passion for scroll sawing has truly helped it grow.

From time to time I donate a pattern to Steve so he can share it with his readers. (He now has over 17,000 of them!) I find that many new customers that come to my site have learned about it through Steve's forum and site, and I greatly appreciate his efforts to support designers such as Keith and I and other pattern designers in the industry.

When Keith and I finished our "Getting Started With the Scrollsaw" book,

Organism Font Recipe Art Rock


we wanted to be sure to get a copy to Steve. Since this was a wonderful book for someone beginning to use the scroll saw, we thought that it would be a great value to those people. We offered to give away a couple of copies to some of Steve's readers, and he came up with a contest in order to do so.

You can read the details of the contest here:

http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.ca/2014/04/contest.html

Just scroll down the page a little to read about it in today's daily post. And while you are there, I encourage you to check out his site and sign up to receive the daily newsletter. Besides the wonderful videos, tutorials, and free patterns, you will love the friendly and informative forum.

I am always grateful to Steve. Not only because he has helped me so much, but also because he give so much back to woodworking and scroll sawing. He is a great asset to the industry and I enjoy supporting him in any way I can.

Have a great Tuesday!
 

Attachments

#10,278 ·
A Contest

Many of you may have already heard about Steve Good's blog. For several years now, Steve puts out a blog nearly every day to promote scroll sawing. In fact, it is because of Steve that I began my own blog on the Lumberjocks.com site and now have nearly 1300 entries. He has become a friend and a mentor of mine, and he was the one who introduced me to Lumberjocks.com.

Steve's blog and website is great. Not only does it have the blog, but it also has a wonderful and active forum where you can learn all about scrollsawing and woodworking and make new friends. In the four plus years I have belonged, I have never seen arguments or issues with members and it is always a fun and friendly place to visit. The people there are amazing!

In Steve's daily blog posts, he usually offers a free pattern or a new video or inspirational story about other woodworkers. He works incredibly hard to help the scroll sawing community and woodworking in general, and only asks for small donations from those who wish to do so in return. This is not mandatory, as his main objective is to help people discover the joy of using the scroll saw and woodworking in general. His selflessness and passion for scroll sawing has truly helped it grow.

From time to time I donate a pattern to Steve so he can share it with his readers. (He now has over 17,000 of them!) I find that many new customers that come to my site have learned about it through Steve's forum and site, and I greatly appreciate his efforts to support designers such as Keith and I and other pattern designers in the industry.

When Keith and I finished our "Getting Started With the Scrollsaw" book,

Organism Font Recipe Art Rock


we wanted to be sure to get a copy to Steve. Since this was a wonderful book for someone beginning to use the scroll saw, we thought that it would be a great value to those people. We offered to give away a couple of copies to some of Steve's readers, and he came up with a contest in order to do so.

You can read the details of the contest here:

http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.ca/2014/04/contest.html

Just scroll down the page a little to read about it in today's daily post. And while you are there, I encourage you to check out his site and sign up to receive the daily newsletter. Besides the wonderful videos, tutorials, and free patterns, you will love the friendly and informative forum.

I am always grateful to Steve. Not only because he has helped me so much, but also because he give so much back to woodworking and scroll sawing. He is a great asset to the industry and I enjoy supporting him in any way I can.

Have a great Tuesday!
I've had his daily hit my e-mail every day since I found his site. I used his pattern for chess pieces, and I've done a few other things he has shown on his site…. The Flying Dutchman blades that he recommends are best I've every used. While I'm thinking of it I should probably send Steve another donation. We need to keep people like Steve on the net… Thanks Sheila
 

Attachments

#10,284 ·
A Perfect World - Panel 6

What a whirl wind day yesterday was! I honestly didn't stop moving until about 9:30pm, after beginning my day at about 6. With many thanks for Steve Good who posted about his contest for two people to win a copy of Keith's and my new booklet - Getting Started With a Scroll Saw. It was a crazy, crazy day!

I had intended to finish the last drawing of my new pattern series entitled "Early Inspirations" that is going to be geared for newer sawyers. In the first group, there are going to be eight pattern packets with two complimentary designs included in each. The designs are going to be somewhat easier than our usual patterns, yet hopefully people will feel that they are just as attractive and they will be able to be accomplished by a newer scroll sawyer.

I had finished up 15 of the 16 drawings with one to go. I had intended to get it done yesterday, but I (happily!) spent the day filling orders and answering emails. It was our busiest day on record for our little (yet growing!) business and I didn't stop for a second! I can't tell you how exciting it was for us to see how well-received our new booklet is. We truly hope that it helps answer lots of questions that not only newer scroll sawyers have, but also those who have had more experience. I always feel that having several perspectives is the best way to learn and in our booklet we tried to give our readers different options on how to do things so that they can find what is comfortable to them.

Thank you all for your wonderful responses! It really shows us that we are on the right track with things and motivates us to do even better things! :)

It was after 9 when things quieted down, and even though I was tired, I thought I would unwind a bit by finishing my next embroidery panel on my "A Perfect World" project. I am done with panel six now, and moving right along. I learn more with each newly finished element and although I am taking my time and going very slowly, I am thoroughly enjoying the entire process. I try to get an hour or so each night after I am done with "work" to embroider, and I find that it is very satisfying and fun.

Anyway, here is the entire panel completed (it is very overcast outside this morning - thus the 'blue' cast on the photos. If I tried to remove the blue, I wound up washing the color out of the blue threads, so please excuse this. when I am completely done, I will post pictures of the entire project with true lighting and the colors will be much better.):

Flower Plant Petal Leaf Botany


The first flower on this panel was the Restio. It was created using creme colored silk ribbon and gold metallic glass seed beads:

Blue Leaf Textile Creative arts Body jewelry


Then came the Felicia. I loved the purple/pink hand-dyed silk ribbon that I used for these pretty delicate flowers!

Purple Botany Blue Azure Textile


Then came the very labor intensive Strelitzia. This flower consisted of nine separate parts of leaves and stems that I embroidered separately and then cut out and applied to the main project. They were all hand embroidered using pretty silk threads by Chameleon. They are done using a single, thin strand. While this took a great many evenings to finish, it was very relaxing and therapeutic. The method of doing the petals and stem separately really made this piece come alive! I wish you could see the beautiful dimension, as you only partially attach some of the petals so that they can curl up and be free from the background.

Flower Petal Purple Leaf Botany


And finally - the little blue butterfly:

Pollinator Insect Arthropod Purple Textile


Again, his wings are done as stumpwork, being worked separately, cut out and then applied to the main piece. The front of the wings are embroidered around a tiny wire, so that they can be shaped at will. Only the lower half of the wings are stitched to the base piece. The body is made of many tiny little French knots. All silk threads are used.

I hope you enjoy this series that I am sharing with you. I think it is nice to do different types of art, and I do think that it all relates. One can ask how embroidery relates to say - woodworking, but I do believe it does, as it reinforces line and shape and depth and perspective and all the basic artistic elements that are needed when designing.

That's my story and I sticking to it! ;)

It's mid-week already. Fortunately, we are getting our first taste of truly "spring-like" weather here in Nova Scotia. I find myself longing for the beach.

Soon . . . Soon . . .

I wish you all a "perfect" day!

Pollinator Azure Purple Textile Insect
 

Attachments

#10,285 ·
A Perfect World - Panel 6

What a whirl wind day yesterday was! I honestly didn't stop moving until about 9:30pm, after beginning my day at about 6. With many thanks for Steve Good who posted about his contest for two people to win a copy of Keith's and my new booklet - Getting Started With a Scroll Saw. It was a crazy, crazy day!

I had intended to finish the last drawing of my new pattern series entitled "Early Inspirations" that is going to be geared for newer sawyers. In the first group, there are going to be eight pattern packets with two complimentary designs included in each. The designs are going to be somewhat easier than our usual patterns, yet hopefully people will feel that they are just as attractive and they will be able to be accomplished by a newer scroll sawyer.

I had finished up 15 of the 16 drawings with one to go. I had intended to get it done yesterday, but I (happily!) spent the day filling orders and answering emails. It was our busiest day on record for our little (yet growing!) business and I didn't stop for a second! I can't tell you how exciting it was for us to see how well-received our new booklet is. We truly hope that it helps answer lots of questions that not only newer scroll sawyers have, but also those who have had more experience. I always feel that having several perspectives is the best way to learn and in our booklet we tried to give our readers different options on how to do things so that they can find what is comfortable to them.

Thank you all for your wonderful responses! It really shows us that we are on the right track with things and motivates us to do even better things! :)

It was after 9 when things quieted down, and even though I was tired, I thought I would unwind a bit by finishing my next embroidery panel on my "A Perfect World" project. I am done with panel six now, and moving right along. I learn more with each newly finished element and although I am taking my time and going very slowly, I am thoroughly enjoying the entire process. I try to get an hour or so each night after I am done with "work" to embroider, and I find that it is very satisfying and fun.

Anyway, here is the entire panel completed (it is very overcast outside this morning - thus the 'blue' cast on the photos. If I tried to remove the blue, I wound up washing the color out of the blue threads, so please excuse this. when I am completely done, I will post pictures of the entire project with true lighting and the colors will be much better.):

Flower Plant Petal Leaf Botany


The first flower on this panel was the Restio. It was created using creme colored silk ribbon and gold metallic glass seed beads:

Blue Leaf Textile Creative arts Body jewelry


Then came the Felicia. I loved the purple/pink hand-dyed silk ribbon that I used for these pretty delicate flowers!

Purple Botany Blue Azure Textile


Then came the very labor intensive Strelitzia. This flower consisted of nine separate parts of leaves and stems that I embroidered separately and then cut out and applied to the main project. They were all hand embroidered using pretty silk threads by Chameleon. They are done using a single, thin strand. While this took a great many evenings to finish, it was very relaxing and therapeutic. The method of doing the petals and stem separately really made this piece come alive! I wish you could see the beautiful dimension, as you only partially attach some of the petals so that they can curl up and be free from the background.

Flower Petal Purple Leaf Botany


And finally - the little blue butterfly:

Pollinator Insect Arthropod Purple Textile


Again, his wings are done as stumpwork, being worked separately, cut out and then applied to the main piece. The front of the wings are embroidered around a tiny wire, so that they can be shaped at will. Only the lower half of the wings are stitched to the base piece. The body is made of many tiny little French knots. All silk threads are used.

I hope you enjoy this series that I am sharing with you. I think it is nice to do different types of art, and I do think that it all relates. One can ask how embroidery relates to say - woodworking, but I do believe it does, as it reinforces line and shape and depth and perspective and all the basic artistic elements that are needed when designing.

That's my story and I sticking to it! ;)

It's mid-week already. Fortunately, we are getting our first taste of truly "spring-like" weather here in Nova Scotia. I find myself longing for the beach.

Soon . . . Soon . . .

I wish you all a "perfect" day!

Pollinator Azure Purple Textile Insect
Wow! How beautiful. I can see how the Strelitzia would take many hours to complete. I like the way the butterfly sits up from the background as though he is about to fly away. Thanks for sharing this embroidery journey. A beautiful art form.
 

Attachments

#10,287 ·
A Quick Blog

Today's post will be pretty short. I spent yesterday and plan on spending today finishing up my drawings for my eight new patterns, as well as working on some new stuff for my next magazine project. Since most of it is writing, I don't have very much to show you without just putting line work up here. I would rather you see things when they are further along.

We had another good and busy day yesterday. I can honestly say that I did more "office" work than anything. But that isn't a bad thing, as it is what is expected when a business is growing. Both Keith and I are thrilled that we have so many new people visiting our site. We truly appreciate all of you who support us and help promote us and get word out that we are here. We continually try to do better every day and we truly enjoy what we do. Thank you again for your support and for the many friendships we have made with you. You make our life good!

With that said, I won't labor on a rambling post today. I will mention that there is still time to enter the contest that Steve Good is holding on his blog. You can find all the details at the link below:

http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.ca/

It is open until midnight tomorrow (Friday) EST and Steve will be picking two names of people who will receive a copy of our recent book:

Organism Font Recipe Art Rock


If you don't like contests and would like to purchase the book, you can do so here:

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/product/CAT300

We think it is a great source of information for those just starting out on the scroll saw, as well as those who have been scrolling a while. There are always several correct ways to do things and we hope that our booklet introduced some new and helpful techniques.

We have it available as a paper copy or it can be sent in PDF format to avoid waiting and shipping fees.

That's about all for today. I have a day of writing ahead and I hope to have more to show tomorrow. Have a great Thursday.
 

Attachments

#10,288 ·
Overcoming "Blocks"

I awoke this morning right before 6 am. I was surprised because it was already beginning to get light out and I thought I had slept quite late. I realize that at this time of year, it is typical for the sun to come up early, but somehow it doesn't seem to fit because it is still so cold outside.

Yesterday, in the late morning it began to snow. Not a lot, mind you, but flurries nonetheless. Later on in the day I saw a friend was on her way home from Halifax and encountered snow as well. One would think that would be normal weather for Nova Scotia, but since we are at April 26th, it is a bit of a stretch even for us. It is definitely strange.

We went for a walk yesterday along the road beside the river. I still needed my wool coat and ear wraps, as my ears are very sensitive to cold weather. Those of you who read know that I am one who enjoys winter, but I have to admit that I am ready for some warmth. I hope that soon I can head to the beach and take some time there. Whether it be to write, draw, or just take some time and think. I have been inside much too long.

Lately I feel that I have been having a bit of a 'block'. I don't know if that is the proper phrase for it, as it isn't that I don't have ideas, but rather I have too many things that I want to do and they seem to be forming a bottle neck in my creating and I find that I am accomplishing little as a result. This is particularly frustrating for me because I WANT to accomplish so much. I have been waking up each day with good intentions only to find that I am getting distracted very easily and it is hard to get back to things and concentrate on the task at hand. My mind is all over the place.

I have an approaching deadline for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. I need to have both an article and project completed by Monday. I have known (in a vague sense) what I intended to do for quite some time - well over a month - and because of one thing or another, have put the actual completion of the article and project on hold in order to do other things which were more pressing. But now it is 'crunch time' and as I sat down yesterday to write the article (which I feel needs to be done first) I found myself labored and struggling. Who would have thought?

I sit here each morning in my quiet with my coffee and my cats and I have managed to spit out no less than 1300 blog posts in the past four years. When I think about that, it boggles my mind, even though I am the one who pressed the keys and wrote the words. I have always said to myself that I write best when I am just "thinking" and not writing to any audience in particular. But lately I have even found it a bit of a struggle to write here. Am I going through what others refer to as "writer's block?"

Our business is growing by leaps and bounds. As it continues to do so, it naturally requires more 'office' type work and administrative duties. Since Keith and I are the entire company (we don't consider the cats because they don't have thumbs) these duties consequently fall on us. Of course, it takes time out of our day that was previously spent doing other things.

We are not at the point of hiring anyone to assist, as there are many reasons that this would be impossible. The most obvious reason is that we are not able to afford it. We are finally getting to the point where the business is doing just a small amount better than losing money and it is unable to support anyone else. Perhaps some day. . .

But we are growing and we are thrilled about that. Perhaps what I am feeling are the growing pains that come from achieving some success after struggling so long. If that is the case, I hope to adjust quickly and get on with things.

I post my blog in several places now. Not only is it on Lumberjocks.com (where it originated) and my own site, but I also post it to Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Woodworking Web, Networked Blogs (which I haven't quite figured out yet) and both my personal and professional Facebook Pages. It reaches quite a variety of people and I find that I receive correspondence from just about every venue mentioned. I do find myself thinking a bit much though about the particular audiences that I will reach and as you can imagine when looking at the above list, there are many different types of readers with different goals and interests. It dawned on me this morning that perhaps I was trying to write to a particular audience - or ALL of them - and that was what was inhibiting me. With such a variety of readers from so many areas I am finding it impossible to please everyone and be "on topic" for them all at once in every post. It just can't be done.

So I am going to try this . . .

I am going to try to get back to the original style of writing that I began with. I realize that every day won't interest every person in every group of readers, and I need to be alright with that. After all - it is quite easy to push a button and move from my blog page and choose not to read a particular post if one decides it isn't in their interest, isn't it?

Hopefully there will be enough discussed here about different types of creativity and business and life that will bring you back looking for more. I honestly hope that. In the past I have had hundreds of emails and letters from readers who said they felt inspired by something I said or blogged about. That is my goal here. Trying to tailor each blog post to hundreds, if not thousands of readers is somewhat of an impossible task. It takes the excitement out of my posts here if I feel I have to filter things to a particular group. I don't think that I realized that until just now.

I understand that all creative people go through similar experiences. They work from their hearts, find some success, and then that success can sometimes pull them in a direction that may feel a bit unnatural to them. As a result, they are no longer creating in the same manner and it can slow them down a great deal. I believe that may be the culprit here.

I plan to begin going for walks again. I haven't done that all winter long, as both Keith and I have been "too busy." But perhaps we forgot the importance of having that time to get away and contemplate. That time when we not only took care of our bodies, but also cleared our minds and fed our souls. It has been a long, busy winter and it apparently has taken its toll.

Thank you all for allowing me to ramble on here. As fellow creative souls, I know that on some level you all understand. I receive many notes and comments from others who admire my stamina and ability to keep making things and creating and coming up with ideas. You all see that part of me because every day I come here to discuss it with you. What you may not see are some of the struggles that I have as well. Not so much a struggle for ideas, but a struggle for choosing which ideas to develop and how to develop them. Sometimes it just all gets mixed up in my head and I don't know where to start. A bottle neck, if you will.

I noticed that today's entry is #1301. That's a lot of writing. This blog has not only served me and helped me organize my thinking each morning before I begin my day, but your support and comments have also inspired me to do my best. If someone were to tell me four years ago that I would be writing 1300+ blog entries I would have thought them crazy. Now who is the crazy one?

It's time to start my day. The sun is bright and although it is chilly out, it is calm and pretty. It looks like a perfect day for a walk to clear my head and ready me for my task of writing. It is going to be a good day.

Thank you for reading.

Today's Featured Product


Candle Wax Cup Drinkware Serveware


Nothing says 'Spring' like this Strawberry Fields Forever Candle Tray. It is a fun and pretty project to create!
 

Attachments

#10,289 ·
Overcoming "Blocks"

I awoke this morning right before 6 am. I was surprised because it was already beginning to get light out and I thought I had slept quite late. I realize that at this time of year, it is typical for the sun to come up early, but somehow it doesn't seem to fit because it is still so cold outside.

Yesterday, in the late morning it began to snow. Not a lot, mind you, but flurries nonetheless. Later on in the day I saw a friend was on her way home from Halifax and encountered snow as well. One would think that would be normal weather for Nova Scotia, but since we are at April 26th, it is a bit of a stretch even for us. It is definitely strange.

We went for a walk yesterday along the road beside the river. I still needed my wool coat and ear wraps, as my ears are very sensitive to cold weather. Those of you who read know that I am one who enjoys winter, but I have to admit that I am ready for some warmth. I hope that soon I can head to the beach and take some time there. Whether it be to write, draw, or just take some time and think. I have been inside much too long.

Lately I feel that I have been having a bit of a 'block'. I don't know if that is the proper phrase for it, as it isn't that I don't have ideas, but rather I have too many things that I want to do and they seem to be forming a bottle neck in my creating and I find that I am accomplishing little as a result. This is particularly frustrating for me because I WANT to accomplish so much. I have been waking up each day with good intentions only to find that I am getting distracted very easily and it is hard to get back to things and concentrate on the task at hand. My mind is all over the place.

I have an approaching deadline for Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. I need to have both an article and project completed by Monday. I have known (in a vague sense) what I intended to do for quite some time - well over a month - and because of one thing or another, have put the actual completion of the article and project on hold in order to do other things which were more pressing. But now it is 'crunch time' and as I sat down yesterday to write the article (which I feel needs to be done first) I found myself labored and struggling. Who would have thought?

I sit here each morning in my quiet with my coffee and my cats and I have managed to spit out no less than 1300 blog posts in the past four years. When I think about that, it boggles my mind, even though I am the one who pressed the keys and wrote the words. I have always said to myself that I write best when I am just "thinking" and not writing to any audience in particular. But lately I have even found it a bit of a struggle to write here. Am I going through what others refer to as "writer's block?"

Our business is growing by leaps and bounds. As it continues to do so, it naturally requires more 'office' type work and administrative duties. Since Keith and I are the entire company (we don't consider the cats because they don't have thumbs) these duties consequently fall on us. Of course, it takes time out of our day that was previously spent doing other things.

We are not at the point of hiring anyone to assist, as there are many reasons that this would be impossible. The most obvious reason is that we are not able to afford it. We are finally getting to the point where the business is doing just a small amount better than losing money and it is unable to support anyone else. Perhaps some day. . .

But we are growing and we are thrilled about that. Perhaps what I am feeling are the growing pains that come from achieving some success after struggling so long. If that is the case, I hope to adjust quickly and get on with things.

I post my blog in several places now. Not only is it on Lumberjocks.com (where it originated) and my own site, but I also post it to Twitter, Pinterest, Google, Woodworking Web, Networked Blogs (which I haven't quite figured out yet) and both my personal and professional Facebook Pages. It reaches quite a variety of people and I find that I receive correspondence from just about every venue mentioned. I do find myself thinking a bit much though about the particular audiences that I will reach and as you can imagine when looking at the above list, there are many different types of readers with different goals and interests. It dawned on me this morning that perhaps I was trying to write to a particular audience - or ALL of them - and that was what was inhibiting me. With such a variety of readers from so many areas I am finding it impossible to please everyone and be "on topic" for them all at once in every post. It just can't be done.

So I am going to try this . . .

I am going to try to get back to the original style of writing that I began with. I realize that every day won't interest every person in every group of readers, and I need to be alright with that. After all - it is quite easy to push a button and move from my blog page and choose not to read a particular post if one decides it isn't in their interest, isn't it?

Hopefully there will be enough discussed here about different types of creativity and business and life that will bring you back looking for more. I honestly hope that. In the past I have had hundreds of emails and letters from readers who said they felt inspired by something I said or blogged about. That is my goal here. Trying to tailor each blog post to hundreds, if not thousands of readers is somewhat of an impossible task. It takes the excitement out of my posts here if I feel I have to filter things to a particular group. I don't think that I realized that until just now.

I understand that all creative people go through similar experiences. They work from their hearts, find some success, and then that success can sometimes pull them in a direction that may feel a bit unnatural to them. As a result, they are no longer creating in the same manner and it can slow them down a great deal. I believe that may be the culprit here.

I plan to begin going for walks again. I haven't done that all winter long, as both Keith and I have been "too busy." But perhaps we forgot the importance of having that time to get away and contemplate. That time when we not only took care of our bodies, but also cleared our minds and fed our souls. It has been a long, busy winter and it apparently has taken its toll.

Thank you all for allowing me to ramble on here. As fellow creative souls, I know that on some level you all understand. I receive many notes and comments from others who admire my stamina and ability to keep making things and creating and coming up with ideas. You all see that part of me because every day I come here to discuss it with you. What you may not see are some of the struggles that I have as well. Not so much a struggle for ideas, but a struggle for choosing which ideas to develop and how to develop them. Sometimes it just all gets mixed up in my head and I don't know where to start. A bottle neck, if you will.

I noticed that today's entry is #1301. That's a lot of writing. This blog has not only served me and helped me organize my thinking each morning before I begin my day, but your support and comments have also inspired me to do my best. If someone were to tell me four years ago that I would be writing 1300+ blog entries I would have thought them crazy. Now who is the crazy one?

It's time to start my day. The sun is bright and although it is chilly out, it is calm and pretty. It looks like a perfect day for a walk to clear my head and ready me for my task of writing. It is going to be a good day.

Thank you for reading.

Today's Featured Product


Candle Wax Cup Drinkware Serveware


Nothing says 'Spring' like this Strawberry Fields Forever Candle Tray. It is a fun and pretty project to create!
I HAVE THE ANSWER….OFFICE MANAGER..yea im applying, we will communicate via phone or just email, we will organize all of your ideas and you will list them per what you want to do first, my job will be to keep you focused on the one your suppose to be doing, and once its done then move on to either the next one, or use artist privilege and do a different one, but i will keep you on track…lol…have a great day, i really love the leopard…love it
 

Attachments

#10,299 ·
Back on Track

I am feeling a bit better about things today than I was yesterday. It helped to write about it in the morning and it put me on a path that was positive and productive. Sometimes just 'talking' about things - whether it be in written form or spoken - helps us more than we know.

When I sat down to work on my project and article, I still felt a little overwhelmed, as there were many ideas swimming around my head at once. Far too many to apply to the task at hand. It came to a point where I just had to choose one idea and begin my focus on it, and go from there. This is usually a method that works well for me, although I don't know why but when I am caught up in things I tend to forget it.

As I worked on that one portion of the design, things began to fall into place. I started sorting through things in my head and filtering out which ideas I would run with and which would be put back on the shelf for another day and project.

I don't like the idea of 'shelving' thoughts. I find that when I store ideas for a later day - more times than not they never reach realization. It is as if I have this entire warehouse of thoughts and projects and ideas that are waiting to be developed and just collecting dust. The warehouse is at this point enormous and I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to empty the shelves again.

I think not.

But that isn't a bad thing, is it? I will need to remember to return there on the days when I am looking for something to do and the creative part of me is not cooperating. I will consider it somewhat of a security blanket of designs and project ideas and it allows me to be at peace with myself and not clutter up my mind with worry that I will run out of ideas. And like a savings account at a bank, I won't feel anguish as I see it fill, but contentment and security.

It is all a matter of how we perceive things.

So I began with a single thought and things progressed from there.

Head White Plant Gesture Ear


What, oh what could it be??

I think even my usual 'guessers' will have trouble with this one! ;)

In between drawing I got distracted and wound up tidying up the large cabinet that we stored our supplies in.

Funny how that happens. . .

It began with me looking for something and then straightening up one shelf and then moving to the next and before I knew it, every drawer and shelf in the cabinet were neat and organized. I filled up half the paper recycle bin as well as some of the trash can with a big pile of things I didn't need. It felt wonderful and took just over an hour.

During the time I was cleaning, I was busy thinking about the next step. Perhaps the cleaning part was necessary to clear the path for me to move ahead. I love being organized and this was all part of the process, I believe.

When I was done I had more ideas:

Hand Facial expression Vertebrate White Organ


Yes - they were coming at a good pace now. One by one they began to step up to the front of my thoughts. No longer were they all mingled in a tangle of mediocrity in my mind, fighting for recognition. The leaders were evident and the decision of which way to move suddenly became much easier. I was able to move ahead with confidence. The chaos was calming.

I am finding that my process of creating is like the tide of the ocean. There are times when the ideas rush in and fill me to my limits, and there are other times when things recede and gently pull back. If I am patient with myself, I realize that there is no reason to worry when the tide is low, for it always makes a triumphant return.

I need to remind myself of this from time to time, as foolish as it may seem - I sometimes forget.

I also need to use the time when the tide may be low to do other things and prepare for those busy times. Or maybe just rest so that when they arrive, I am refreshed and ready.

It is all very easy when put so simply. I need to remember that.

Have a wonderful Sunday. :)
 

Attachments

#10,300 ·
Back on Track

I am feeling a bit better about things today than I was yesterday. It helped to write about it in the morning and it put me on a path that was positive and productive. Sometimes just 'talking' about things - whether it be in written form or spoken - helps us more than we know.

When I sat down to work on my project and article, I still felt a little overwhelmed, as there were many ideas swimming around my head at once. Far too many to apply to the task at hand. It came to a point where I just had to choose one idea and begin my focus on it, and go from there. This is usually a method that works well for me, although I don't know why but when I am caught up in things I tend to forget it.

As I worked on that one portion of the design, things began to fall into place. I started sorting through things in my head and filtering out which ideas I would run with and which would be put back on the shelf for another day and project.

I don't like the idea of 'shelving' thoughts. I find that when I store ideas for a later day - more times than not they never reach realization. It is as if I have this entire warehouse of thoughts and projects and ideas that are waiting to be developed and just collecting dust. The warehouse is at this point enormous and I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be able to empty the shelves again.

I think not.

But that isn't a bad thing, is it? I will need to remember to return there on the days when I am looking for something to do and the creative part of me is not cooperating. I will consider it somewhat of a security blanket of designs and project ideas and it allows me to be at peace with myself and not clutter up my mind with worry that I will run out of ideas. And like a savings account at a bank, I won't feel anguish as I see it fill, but contentment and security.

It is all a matter of how we perceive things.

So I began with a single thought and things progressed from there.

Head White Plant Gesture Ear


What, oh what could it be??

I think even my usual 'guessers' will have trouble with this one! ;)

In between drawing I got distracted and wound up tidying up the large cabinet that we stored our supplies in.

Funny how that happens. . .

It began with me looking for something and then straightening up one shelf and then moving to the next and before I knew it, every drawer and shelf in the cabinet were neat and organized. I filled up half the paper recycle bin as well as some of the trash can with a big pile of things I didn't need. It felt wonderful and took just over an hour.

During the time I was cleaning, I was busy thinking about the next step. Perhaps the cleaning part was necessary to clear the path for me to move ahead. I love being organized and this was all part of the process, I believe.

When I was done I had more ideas:

Hand Facial expression Vertebrate White Organ


Yes - they were coming at a good pace now. One by one they began to step up to the front of my thoughts. No longer were they all mingled in a tangle of mediocrity in my mind, fighting for recognition. The leaders were evident and the decision of which way to move suddenly became much easier. I was able to move ahead with confidence. The chaos was calming.

I am finding that my process of creating is like the tide of the ocean. There are times when the ideas rush in and fill me to my limits, and there are other times when things recede and gently pull back. If I am patient with myself, I realize that there is no reason to worry when the tide is low, for it always makes a triumphant return.

I need to remind myself of this from time to time, as foolish as it may seem - I sometimes forget.

I also need to use the time when the tide may be low to do other things and prepare for those busy times. Or maybe just rest so that when they arrive, I am refreshed and ready.

It is all very easy when put so simply. I need to remember that.

Have a wonderful Sunday. :)
Not a clue what the new design could be! :) You have got me very curious. I was out in my workshop yesterday finishing up a project and was going to start what I thought might end up as a box. I was looking through my patterns and got totally side tracked so the box will go back on the list for the future and a new idea is unfolding!
Sunny and warm here today. We are in for a wonderful week.
 

Attachments

#10,302 ·
Paper Roses

The weekend turned out to be incredibly productive. I love when that happens. What started out as a bottleneck of cluttered ideas that had me in a muddle soon began to flow in a good direction. By taking some time and sorting through them and considering them one at a time, I was able to move things forward in an orderly manner. And I am very happy with the results.

Sometimes, I have to stop looking at the entire forest at once. It is utterly confusing to me and tends to stop me in my tracks. What worked this time was just picking one thought of the many that were involved in this project and use it as a starting point and go from there. I have found a great deal of success when using this approach. (Once I think of it, that is!) and usually once the ideas are once again flowing, I know which step to take next. As long as I don't look too far in the distance, that is.

I started with a flower. A rose.

Flower Plant Hand Petal Orange


Even thought I had ideas for at least ten flowers in my head, it seemed like as good as any place to begin so I chose that. I had already shown you the odd shape that I had drawn of it in yesterdays' post. While the idea was there, I still wasn't sure that it would work out like I wanted it to. I was anxious to get it cut on the saw and try.

This project and related article that I am writing for the magazine involves cutting paper on the scroll saw.

I can almost see your eyebrows raising as you read that.

"Why" you may ask "would one want to do such a thing?" "What purpose would it serve?"

(Well - it may not have been YOU that asked that question. More likely it was Keith. It delights me that he still doubts my ideas and writes me off as 'crazy' after all of these years. I have long since given up trying to explain an idea to him before I implement it, as he just doesn't understand it sometimes and it is during that time when things are developing in my mind that I find my ideas quite fragile. Any negative thoughts or questioning at that point could very well cause me to abandon them completely. Usually, I have learned not to risk it. And also through these years I believe that he has learned not to ask, as my usual response to him is a quietly detached "you'll see." That is just the way it is.)

Long story short(er), I find this is a direct result from my recent discovery of beautiful paper. Whether digital or pre-purchased, I look at paper as an exciting 'new' material to work with on the scroll saw. I realize that the paper craze has been around a long time, and I may even be catching a ride on this train a bit late. But I do feel that there is still some life to this area yet and frankly, I am a bit surprised that no one has really taken time to explore this relationship of paper and scroll saw in depth previously. It seems like such a natural thing.

This past Christmas, I received a wonderful card from my friend Anna who comments here on my posts often. Keith and I met Anna and her husband last summer as they came to visit Nova Scotia and I thoroughly enjoy her friendship. One of the things that I enjoy most about her is her willingness to try new things and stretch out of her comfort zone in pursuit of creativity. She is willing to give just about any idea a try and as a result, her work is beautifully diverse and exciting to see.

When I received the card from her, I fell in love with it - not only because it was from her, but because she had taken one of Keith's Filigree Bells and had scrolled it out of paper and used it to embellish the card.

Brown Textile Sleeve Gold Beige


Back when I was just starting out in scroll sawing, I worked with Scott who used to own Scroller, Ltd. and we co-authored a book about scroll sawing different types of materials, including paper. While I thought this was interesting at the time, I suppose I was caught up in so many other things in my life that I never really gave it another though. But receiving Anna's card, along with my recent exposure to all the beautiful paper available made me think that there could be a need for some interesting new ideas in scrolling paper and wood veneer (most of what I am doing could easily be done with veneer as well for those who are wood purists.) I thought I would give it a go.

My editor was up for it as well, as she commissioned me to do an article as well as some projects using this technique. So for the past month or so my head has been filled with thoughts as to which direction to head with this, as the possibilities are many. I finally decided to just choose one and go from there. That helped get things flowing and I am once again in a good place.

So now the mystery is revealed. That odd shaped drawing that I showed you yesterday was what I used to create these pretty (and EASY) paper roses:

Flower Petal Finger Font Hybrid tea rose


But I didn't stop there! I wound up cutting all day yesterday and didn't crawl out from under the saw until after 9pm last night. Here is the results of my efforts:

Botany Organism Art Font Creative arts


When I see that picture of things, knowing that is only the tip of the iceberg as to what I am thinking, it is clear to me how my ideas were blocked. There is just so many things to do!

Today, I am going to have the fun of making sense of these pieces. Of course there are multiples of everything. That's what makes cutting paper really cool! You can cut 5, 10 or even 20 layers at a time and have wonderful results. It really helps you use your time efficiently.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see the results of my efforts. I also hope that it helps you look at your scroll saw in a new light. One of the reasons it is and always will be one of my favorite tools is the vast diversity of materials you can cut with it. It is all so much fun!

I want to thank my friend Anna as well, for her wonderful inspiration!

What a great way to start the week! It is still overcast here, but at least it is mild and not snowing. I am getting to the point where I am grateful for that.

Have a beautiful and creative Monday!
 

Attachments

#10,303 ·
Paper Roses

The weekend turned out to be incredibly productive. I love when that happens. What started out as a bottleneck of cluttered ideas that had me in a muddle soon began to flow in a good direction. By taking some time and sorting through them and considering them one at a time, I was able to move things forward in an orderly manner. And I am very happy with the results.

Sometimes, I have to stop looking at the entire forest at once. It is utterly confusing to me and tends to stop me in my tracks. What worked this time was just picking one thought of the many that were involved in this project and use it as a starting point and go from there. I have found a great deal of success when using this approach. (Once I think of it, that is!) and usually once the ideas are once again flowing, I know which step to take next. As long as I don't look too far in the distance, that is.

I started with a flower. A rose.

Flower Plant Hand Petal Orange


Even thought I had ideas for at least ten flowers in my head, it seemed like as good as any place to begin so I chose that. I had already shown you the odd shape that I had drawn of it in yesterdays' post. While the idea was there, I still wasn't sure that it would work out like I wanted it to. I was anxious to get it cut on the saw and try.

This project and related article that I am writing for the magazine involves cutting paper on the scroll saw.

I can almost see your eyebrows raising as you read that.

"Why" you may ask "would one want to do such a thing?" "What purpose would it serve?"

(Well - it may not have been YOU that asked that question. More likely it was Keith. It delights me that he still doubts my ideas and writes me off as 'crazy' after all of these years. I have long since given up trying to explain an idea to him before I implement it, as he just doesn't understand it sometimes and it is during that time when things are developing in my mind that I find my ideas quite fragile. Any negative thoughts or questioning at that point could very well cause me to abandon them completely. Usually, I have learned not to risk it. And also through these years I believe that he has learned not to ask, as my usual response to him is a quietly detached "you'll see." That is just the way it is.)

Long story short(er), I find this is a direct result from my recent discovery of beautiful paper. Whether digital or pre-purchased, I look at paper as an exciting 'new' material to work with on the scroll saw. I realize that the paper craze has been around a long time, and I may even be catching a ride on this train a bit late. But I do feel that there is still some life to this area yet and frankly, I am a bit surprised that no one has really taken time to explore this relationship of paper and scroll saw in depth previously. It seems like such a natural thing.

This past Christmas, I received a wonderful card from my friend Anna who comments here on my posts often. Keith and I met Anna and her husband last summer as they came to visit Nova Scotia and I thoroughly enjoy her friendship. One of the things that I enjoy most about her is her willingness to try new things and stretch out of her comfort zone in pursuit of creativity. She is willing to give just about any idea a try and as a result, her work is beautifully diverse and exciting to see.

When I received the card from her, I fell in love with it - not only because it was from her, but because she had taken one of Keith's Filigree Bells and had scrolled it out of paper and used it to embellish the card.

Brown Textile Sleeve Gold Beige


Back when I was just starting out in scroll sawing, I worked with Scott who used to own Scroller, Ltd. and we co-authored a book about scroll sawing different types of materials, including paper. While I thought this was interesting at the time, I suppose I was caught up in so many other things in my life that I never really gave it another though. But receiving Anna's card, along with my recent exposure to all the beautiful paper available made me think that there could be a need for some interesting new ideas in scrolling paper and wood veneer (most of what I am doing could easily be done with veneer as well for those who are wood purists.) I thought I would give it a go.

My editor was up for it as well, as she commissioned me to do an article as well as some projects using this technique. So for the past month or so my head has been filled with thoughts as to which direction to head with this, as the possibilities are many. I finally decided to just choose one and go from there. That helped get things flowing and I am once again in a good place.

So now the mystery is revealed. That odd shaped drawing that I showed you yesterday was what I used to create these pretty (and EASY) paper roses:

Flower Petal Finger Font Hybrid tea rose


But I didn't stop there! I wound up cutting all day yesterday and didn't crawl out from under the saw until after 9pm last night. Here is the results of my efforts:

Botany Organism Art Font Creative arts


When I see that picture of things, knowing that is only the tip of the iceberg as to what I am thinking, it is clear to me how my ideas were blocked. There is just so many things to do!

Today, I am going to have the fun of making sense of these pieces. Of course there are multiples of everything. That's what makes cutting paper really cool! You can cut 5, 10 or even 20 layers at a time and have wonderful results. It really helps you use your time efficiently.

I hope you come back tomorrow to see the results of my efforts. I also hope that it helps you look at your scroll saw in a new light. One of the reasons it is and always will be one of my favorite tools is the vast diversity of materials you can cut with it. It is all so much fun!

I want to thank my friend Anna as well, for her wonderful inspiration!

What a great way to start the week! It is still overcast here, but at least it is mild and not snowing. I am getting to the point where I am grateful for that.

Have a beautiful and creative Monday!
what a wonderful pile of stuff!! I can't wait to see what you do with it all.
 

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#10,311 ·
Really? You made THAT with a Scroll Saw!?!

My goodness I had FUN yesterday!

I always have fun, but yesterday pushed the day to another level. It felt so good to see the ideas that have been living in my head come to life. And they came out even CUTER than I could have ever imagined.

I have been thinking about these designs for several weeks now. After seeing the darling embossed paper from a shop on Etsy (Ravenwood Treasures#) the wheels in my head were really turning! I immediately ordered some paper and began planning on how I can use it in regard to SCROLL SAWING!

I had to think things through though, because I wanted to make sure that everything I was doing was done in the easiest possible way. I wanted to present the finished projects to my you - my customers and readers - as a beginning so you can take the concept and the idea and RUN with it.

I have SO MANY ideas for these that at one point I felt kind of muddled up because I didn't know which direction to head first. I found that I just had to pick one (or five) ideas in this case and develop them and go from there. So without further yakking on, here's what I came up with.

(Ta DA!!!)

The first card is a for a birthday! I decided to use brightly colored paper to make a celebratory cupcake. For this I used the embossed "Happy Birthday" paper (naturally!) and beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from my favorite place in the whole wide world to buy rhinestones - Rhinestone Canada for the 'sprinkles'. I really love how it came out!

Cake decorating supply Art Font Paint Greeting card


You can see that I also matched the back of the envelope with a small motif of confetti. I did the same on the upper corner of the inside card as well. I love how the card looks so professional and FUN!

My next one is done with the pretty flowers that I showed yesterday. I scroll sawed all the pieces - including the trellis - using several layers of card stock. While this piece took a little time, I have been successful at layering a dozen or more pieces of card stock at once so my time was really well spent. The delicate little butterflies were also fun to make, and look so PRETTY on this little card!

Art Creative arts Wood Font Circle


Next up - STRAWBERRIES! What a fun idea for a summer note! I modified the pattern from my Strawberry Candle Tray to make this design. I wanted to see how much I could push things with sawing paper by and this vine work came out just awesome! The tiny added crystal rhinestones really make this look so wonderful and professional.

Leaf Plant Rectangle Textile Fruit


The next card showed a variance of different flowers. I wanted to do a floral 'sampler' of sorts so I just created some different types of petals and leaves and kind of did an abstract design. The light pink organza ribbon was the perfect accent to this pretty and feminine card.

Flower Petal Rectangle Creative arts Box


And finally - here's one for the guys . . .

It was easy to cut a 'forest' of trees using several shades of green card stock. I also loved the brown embossed background. I had found several textures in neutral colors like this that could be used for cards for the guys! There are so many great designs to choose from and for about .30 per sheet for the embossed paper, it was a really inexpensive way to make awesome cards!

Vertebrate Green Organism Fawn Wood


Oh - and I REFRAINED from using crystal rhinestones on the moose card! It was HARD to do, but I thought it was on of those rare times it would be best WITHOUT!

Here is a picture of the INSIDE of the moose card too. As I said, all of the cards have repeats of their motifs both on the inside and on the back of the envelope. This really makes them look nice and finished I think!

Creative arts Deer Fawn Rectangle Tree


As I said - these cards are all headed for New Jersey today so that the patterns can be published in Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. I was really happy that they came out so nice, and I think that there may be some demand for me to come up with some wonderful pattern packages that you all could use to make these designs yourself. I am even considering offering pre-cut kits of the pieces for those who may be interested. I am not sure on that though, as it may take some time.

I would love to hear from you with your thoughts about it.

I could sell the patterns according to theme (birthday, Halloween, Christmas, etc.) and include maybe four or five designs in each pattern. Since the designs are adaptable for just about ANY type of paper, I think they would be a great way to springboard your creativity and get you started.

It just goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a LOT of fun! By cutting these shapes yourself, you have an endless amount of design possibilities without having to purchase (and STORE!) expensive paper punches or buy expensive pre-cut die shapes. You could also modify the size of the pieces to fit any size card you like! How COOL is that?!

At under $1 per 12" x 12" sheet of colored card stock (I know that many of you can find it for less than that!) and a rainbow of colors to choose from, you really have a world of options available. And don't even get me started on all the awesome patterned paper - most which you could print yourself! (Now you know why my head was spinning!)

I hope you all enjoyed seeing this slight deviation from cutting wood on the scroll saw (after all - paper is made from WOOD! ;) ) I also hope that seeing these cards shows you that there are many, many uses for your scroll saw that you perhaps hadn't thought of yet.

Leaf Rectangle Creative arts Art Pattern


I think this is the beginning of something wonderful . . .

Happy Tuesday! :D
 

Attachments

#10,312 ·
Really? You made THAT with a Scroll Saw!?!

My goodness I had FUN yesterday!

I always have fun, but yesterday pushed the day to another level. It felt so good to see the ideas that have been living in my head come to life. And they came out even CUTER than I could have ever imagined.

I have been thinking about these designs for several weeks now. After seeing the darling embossed paper from a shop on Etsy (Ravenwood Treasures#) the wheels in my head were really turning! I immediately ordered some paper and began planning on how I can use it in regard to SCROLL SAWING!

I had to think things through though, because I wanted to make sure that everything I was doing was done in the easiest possible way. I wanted to present the finished projects to my you - my customers and readers - as a beginning so you can take the concept and the idea and RUN with it.

I have SO MANY ideas for these that at one point I felt kind of muddled up because I didn't know which direction to head first. I found that I just had to pick one (or five) ideas in this case and develop them and go from there. So without further yakking on, here's what I came up with.

(Ta DA!!!)

The first card is a for a birthday! I decided to use brightly colored paper to make a celebratory cupcake. For this I used the embossed "Happy Birthday" paper (naturally!) and beautiful crystal hot-fix rhinestones from my favorite place in the whole wide world to buy rhinestones - Rhinestone Canada for the 'sprinkles'. I really love how it came out!

Cake decorating supply Art Font Paint Greeting card


You can see that I also matched the back of the envelope with a small motif of confetti. I did the same on the upper corner of the inside card as well. I love how the card looks so professional and FUN!

My next one is done with the pretty flowers that I showed yesterday. I scroll sawed all the pieces - including the trellis - using several layers of card stock. While this piece took a little time, I have been successful at layering a dozen or more pieces of card stock at once so my time was really well spent. The delicate little butterflies were also fun to make, and look so PRETTY on this little card!

Art Creative arts Wood Font Circle


Next up - STRAWBERRIES! What a fun idea for a summer note! I modified the pattern from my Strawberry Candle Tray to make this design. I wanted to see how much I could push things with sawing paper by and this vine work came out just awesome! The tiny added crystal rhinestones really make this look so wonderful and professional.

Leaf Plant Rectangle Textile Fruit


The next card showed a variance of different flowers. I wanted to do a floral 'sampler' of sorts so I just created some different types of petals and leaves and kind of did an abstract design. The light pink organza ribbon was the perfect accent to this pretty and feminine card.

Flower Petal Rectangle Creative arts Box


And finally - here's one for the guys . . .

It was easy to cut a 'forest' of trees using several shades of green card stock. I also loved the brown embossed background. I had found several textures in neutral colors like this that could be used for cards for the guys! There are so many great designs to choose from and for about .30 per sheet for the embossed paper, it was a really inexpensive way to make awesome cards!

Vertebrate Green Organism Fawn Wood


Oh - and I REFRAINED from using crystal rhinestones on the moose card! It was HARD to do, but I thought it was on of those rare times it would be best WITHOUT!

Here is a picture of the INSIDE of the moose card too. As I said, all of the cards have repeats of their motifs both on the inside and on the back of the envelope. This really makes them look nice and finished I think!

Creative arts Deer Fawn Rectangle Tree


As I said - these cards are all headed for New Jersey today so that the patterns can be published in Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. I was really happy that they came out so nice, and I think that there may be some demand for me to come up with some wonderful pattern packages that you all could use to make these designs yourself. I am even considering offering pre-cut kits of the pieces for those who may be interested. I am not sure on that though, as it may take some time.

I would love to hear from you with your thoughts about it.

I could sell the patterns according to theme (birthday, Halloween, Christmas, etc.) and include maybe four or five designs in each pattern. Since the designs are adaptable for just about ANY type of paper, I think they would be a great way to springboard your creativity and get you started.

It just goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a LOT of fun! By cutting these shapes yourself, you have an endless amount of design possibilities without having to purchase (and STORE!) expensive paper punches or buy expensive pre-cut die shapes. You could also modify the size of the pieces to fit any size card you like! How COOL is that?!

At under $1 per 12" x 12" sheet of colored card stock (I know that many of you can find it for less than that!) and a rainbow of colors to choose from, you really have a world of options available. And don't even get me started on all the awesome patterned paper - most which you could print yourself! (Now you know why my head was spinning!)

I hope you all enjoyed seeing this slight deviation from cutting wood on the scroll saw (after all - paper is made from WOOD! ;) ) I also hope that seeing these cards shows you that there are many, many uses for your scroll saw that you perhaps hadn't thought of yet.

Leaf Rectangle Creative arts Art Pattern


I think this is the beginning of something wonderful . . .

Happy Tuesday! :D
Good morning Sheila,
What a great idea! I will be trying some of them when the magazine comes out. Do you sandwich the paper between plywood when you cut them? I don't know how you find time to sleep with all of those ideas floating around your head begging to get out! Thank you for sharing your designs with us.
Rick
 

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#10,323 ·
Getting Ready for Another Update

I was happy to get so much done yesterday. With a bit of concentration, I was able to complete both my article for the magazine as well as the instructions for the five note cards that I showed here yesterday. The courier came and picked up the package early in the afternoon and the items are on their way to be published.

Another deadline met and checked off!

That means today that I am able to start something new. I have a variety of new things that I want to work on. I haven't picked up my paints in over a week since I finished my snow leopard pair so I feel as if it is time to work on something that I wanted to make which included both some woodworking and painting. I am still thinking it through a bit though, and not quite decided how I wish to proceed.

But that is of little consequence, as we are preparing for another update on our site and I am going to work on that. I had finished the eight scroll saw patterns that were geared for those new to scroll sawing and I only need to complete the packets and they will be ready to go. Each design has two patterns in two sizes so that is sixteen designs in all.

While they are simpler, I think they are still attractive. They are made to be cut from 1/8" birch plywood so they will be a bit stronger and easier to manage. Of course, as one progresses they can move up to using hard wood. It is just a matter of choice.

Here is a sample of the Pintail Duck set:

Bird Rectangle Font Wood Art


Sorry to have to skew things, but you all know how it is . . . :/

In any case, the eight sets are mostly wildlife themed and I think that people will like them, There are bears, fish, moose, ducks, hummingbirds, butterflies and even a lighthouse and boat set. If they go over well, I will certainly be adding to the collection. I designed them to fit in standard sized frames (8" x 10" and 5" x 7") so that there is as little muss and fuss as possible. I hope people like them.

Sometimes designing 'simpler' things is more difficult than designing complex patterns. Knowing just how and when to back off is (I am finding out) an art in itself. The key is not to over-complicate the design and still have it detailed enough to look attractive. I hope that applies here. :)

With that said, I will keep it short today. If all goes well, our newsletter will be sent out by this evening. If you aren't on our mailing list and would like to be, you can sign up here:

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/mailing-list

We only send out about two newsletters per month and we never share your information with anyone. It is a great way to keep up with all we are doing and adding to our site, as it is growing by leaps and bounds.

Looking at the calendar I see it is the final day of April. What a whirlwind this year has been already! We have had so far a fabulous year and we hope it continues. With all the new things Keith and I have in store for you all, we are optimistic that it will.

The sun is shining and it looks beautiful outside. It is finally beginning to look 'greener' and things are finally beginning to bud. Perhaps spring has arrived after all!

Have fun and stay safe! Happy Wednesday!
 

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#10,324 ·
Some Woodworking Designs for Newer Scrollers

It always feels so good when I finish accomplishing my deadlines. Whether self-imposed or work that I have to get done for others, I try to treat them with equal importance and prioritize them accordingly.

Lately it seems that I have been spinning many different plates. I know some of you who know me don't see that as being very unusual - and it reality it is not - but sometimes it just kind of gets to me when there isn't a break for a while.

I think that part of it comes from having so many ideas and wanting to do them all at once. I get very anxious and don't know which thing to do first. But that is something that I usually work out for myself and it all seems to be part of the process. I just need to be patient with myself.

Our biggest accomplishment yesterday was updating our site. We both had designed several new patterns that we needed to add to it. We are pretty happy with these new designs and couldn't wait to share them with you all.

The unspoken theme of this update was "back to basics." All the new projects we added were something that could be accomplished by someone newer to scroll sawing. More and more I am receiving notes and letters from people who are just starting out with the scroll saw. This is welcome and exciting news. We all like to see our industry grow, and I love it that many people seem to be interested in learning. However, I have had several people comment to me that they love our designs, but they just don't feel that they are good enough to attempt them, and they wish that we would make some designs that were a bit simpler.

That was something that hadn't occurred to me before. Both Keith and I are the type of people who always try to put our best foot forward and present our best work. As our own skills developed, we didn't even realize that many of our designs were a bit difficult for the average scroller. I think that is why communication with our customers is really vital. I believe that anyone who owns a business needs to constantly monitor feedback from their customers so they are best able to fill their needs. It is something we strive to do.

So I went to work and came up with some new simpler, yet still attractive designs that weren't quite so difficult. I am calling this series "Early Inspirations" and I designed it specifically with newer scroll sawyers in mind. This first batch of designs consists of eight patterns. Each pattern packet has two complimentary portrait style designs included. I also included two sizes of each of the designs - an 8" x 10" version and a 5" x 7" version so that the finished pieces could fit in standard size pre-purchased frames. I thought they came out pretty nice and while I am offering them singly, I also made a nice set of all eight of them at a discounted price. I hope that people enjoy them.

By having two sizes included, it allows the sawyer to try first on the larger and easier pattern and then as they get better move to the smaller design. In any case, here is a representation of what is in the set:



SLDEISET1 - Eight "Early Inspiration" Portrait Patterns

Again, you can get the individual patterns as well as the money saving set.

Keith had some great new patterns as well. Below is a picture of his Songbird Mini-Plaque Set1

SLDK367 Songbird Mini-Plaques Set 1 by Keith Fenton

SLDK367 - Songbird Mini-Plaque Set 1

It is a wonderful set of six pretty songbirds in one pattern. There are options to make them with or without the name plates underneath. If one chooses to make them without the name plates, the pattern would certainly qualify for something that a newer sawyer could accomplish. They are a nice project for one who may want to try cutting a bird for the first time. While it does take a bit of patience, they really are set up so that they aren't that difficult.

The final new pattern that Keith designed was the Overlay Faith Cross



SLDK366 Overlay "Faith" Cross

This is another great pattern for one who may not have a great deal of experience. The design is not too complex, but very clean and nice.

I love bringing new people into scrolling. Many times people have experience in other areas of woodworking, but have never tried the scroll saw. Many find they are amazed at just how easy it can be to learn - and how satisfying.

I hope that this encourages some of you to give it a try. Many of you already have saws sitting at the side in your shop and gathering dust (and not in a good way!) You may find yourself surprised at just how fun and relaxing working with the scroll saw can be!

For me today, I am going to be working on some painting projects. I have two things on my agenda and I hope to get started on at least one of them. Either way - I am going to have fun and enjoy my day. I hope you enjoy yours as well.

Happy Thursday to you all! :)
 
#10,328 ·
A New Idea in the Works

I woke up to a dense fog this morning. I hope it means that it is finally getting warmer. Our weather here in Nova Scotia has still been pretty dull and rainy. But I suppose I should be happy that it isn't snow. Even I have had enough of that.

It felt odd to be 'caught up' with everything. It isn't that I don't have anything to do - as I have lots of new ideas that I am anxious to work on - but with nothing really pressing, I find that sometimes it stymies me as to which way to head. i want to try everything at once.

After a morning of doing the usual tasks of writing and answering emails and getting the daily mail ready to take to the post office, I was ready to jump in on the new project. I have decided that what I want to work on next will be a combination of a woodworking and painting project that can be used together. It will actually be two projects, and both will be able to be used individually or they can be used together. I haven't quite figured everything out exactly, but I am getting there. . .

One more thing I want to show you though -

Yesterday I received a wonderful photo of a project from a customer. What the customer did was combine one of my own patterns with a pattern he purchased from Sue Mey, a wonderful scroll saw pattern designer. I have admired Sue's work for many years and I was really thrilled when I saw the results of our "accidental collaboration". Ted combined our designs to make a beautiful plaque for his son and his fiancee, who just announced their engagement. I think it came out just beautiful!



I think it is really wonderful and as I said, I am thrilled that he liked my pattern enough to use it for such a special gift. It makes me feel proud!

Many times I have customers ask me if they can alter my patterns and use them in other ways. I always try to let people know that not only do I allow this, but I encourage it. As long as people don't claim the designs as their own they are welcome to do their own take on what we draw. It is awesome to see the creative ways that people tailor our work to their liking, and I am pleased if my designs act as a spring board to encourage others to express their own ideas. It is very fun to see!

So that will be all for today. I am kind of getting the ball rolling on the new design and I hope to be able to show some good progress soon. Another week has passed and we are already looking at the weekend ahead. I hope you all have a great one!

Happy Friday!
 
#10,329 ·
Brown Sleeve Wood Natural material Hardwood


Sheila that is the joy of your designs, they can lead to so many unique projects.

Looking forward to the double project.

Drinking tea and having toast with rhubarb and ginger jam, just like my Gran used to make

Have a sublime day

Jamie
in Sunny Scotland
 

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#10,333 ·
A New Scroll Sawing Blog and a Free Pattern

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and not quite myself. It was nothing to worry about, and I think it was just a passing thing as today I feel much more 'normal'. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often, as I accomplished very little in the way of work. I suppose though that a good rest was needed as it seemed to have done the trick and today should be a great day.

As a result, I have no progress reports on what I am working on. I guess that goes along with being self-employed. It is all part of a give and take.

However, I did have some extra time to cruise around the web and read a bit of what my friends and fellow woodworkers are up to. I don't always have the time to do that. Between answering emails, filling orders and - well - working there is little time for me to read everything that I would like. But my woodworking friend Adrian Broadhead who works for Axminster in the UK has started a nice blog of his own regarding scroll sawing. I have met Adrian through various woodworking forums and he has a passion for scroll sawing as I do. Those of you who also enjoy scrolling may want to stop in and read his blog.

His first couple of blog entries are reviews of some entry level scroll saws. I think that this series alone will be very helpful to many of you because Keith and I receive so many inquiries about this very subject and we don't feel we are qualified to answer you because we only have actual experience with the DeWalt and Excalibur saws - which are both a bit higher price than some want to spend. Even though Adrian and Axminster is located in the United Kingdom, I do believe that much of what he is and will be talking about can be applied to anywhere in the world.

In his most recent blog entry Adrian offers a beautiful free puzzle pattern that you may like:

Free Pattern From  Adrian's Blog


You can read his blog and get the pattern here: The Art of Scroll Sawing - Part 3

The design is by Bob Wells and it is a beautiful pattern to make for a young child. I am considering making some it these puzzles for my new grand daughter.

I hope you stop by and visit Adrian's blog and leave him a little note of thanks for sharing his knowledge and this nice pattern. As a woodworking community, we need to support each other and help our industry grow. It is great to share our knowledge and creativity with each other and focus on positive things that make us happy.

Our world today is filled with sadness, conflict and controversy. It is hard at times to feel happy and good when there is so much turmoil going on around us. I for one think that by concentrating on the positive things and being creative, it refreshes me and gives me the strength to better cope with the every day things that are happening. By focusing on these things that bring me joy, it leaves little time for me to sulk and be sorrowful. I feel that it is a good way to live my life.

Enjoy your Saturday!
 
#10,336 ·
A Painting and Woodworking Project Combined

What a beautiful day by the river it was yesterday! It was the kind of day that we typically think of as 'spring' but actually only occurrs once in a while. The sun shone brightly all day long and the air was calm and warm. You didn't even need a jacket really. It was the type of day we all have been waiting for during the long, cold winter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was happy that I felt much better as well. Whatever got hold of me on Friday seemed to have passed just as quickly as it arrived. I was grateful for that and I felt happy and energized and ready to tackle another new design.

My next project is going to be something that will actually be two projects. The first part of it would be painting and the second part of it would be a woodworking design. They will work together to make a fun and functional project that would brighten anyone's day. (At least I hope they will!) It will take a couple of days for me to develop everything, but I will be able to show you the step by steps as far as I get. So here we go . . .

Several years ago, I had taken a photo of a beautiful spring iris in my front yard when I still lived in Tinley Park, IL. I remember it was a lovely spring morning, much like the one I experienced yesterday and the iris really caught my eye. I wanted to paint it and I did so and I was pretty pleased with how it came out. I had made it into a painting pattern way back then, but my software that I used was very different and since then technology (as well as my own knowledge) has come a long way. While the pattern was OK - it wasn't up to the calibur of the patterns that I make currently. It even used a brand of paint that I no longer use. It was time for a makeover.

I have recently (in the past year or so) seen many of my fellow painters use a surface called "Roc-Lon" to paint banners on. Roc-Lon is a thick backing type of fabric that is used to line draperies. The painters have used it for things like banners and even as floor cloths because of its durability and ease of painting. Another great property of it is that you can cut along its edges and it doesn't fray or unravel. This opens up a great many possiblities for making some pretty cool designs. I have a 'stash' of it here with me that I wanted to use to make banners, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

I began by creating a banner that is 12" wide and 20+ inches long. I haven't quite figured out the length yet, as I will when I make the banner topper, so I left it a bit long until I decided.

I painted the background in soft, buttery creme color, and added just a hint of purple, blue and green to make a mottled finish.



(I know the color isn't quite correct, but you can see the background colors with this picture.)

After base coating, I did the first highlights:



Next came the prelimanry shading:



And the second, deeper shading:



You can see that little by little, it is coming to life.

I found that I love painting on Roc-lon. It is so easy to do and it holds the paint beautifully. Today I am going to probably finish up with the lettering for the banner, then I will move on to designing the wood topper piece that will hold it. My goal is to have one topper and have interchangable banners to depict several different season. I think it will be a nice project when finished.

I really like being able to work on stuff like this. I can think of many places these pretty banners would look nice. If one is skittish about putting them outdoors, they would even look nice in an entry hall or sun room. And of course, the designs can be used on just about any surface that one would choose.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the beginning of this project. I have received many notes from people who love to see the step by step process and I am happy to share it with you. It just shows how when breaking things down, they are much simpler than they seem.

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday. Enjoy your weekend and have fun creating something wonderful! :)

If we shall take the good we find, asking no questions, we shall have heaping measures. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
#10,337 ·
Impact

In some ways it was a good weekend, in others it was not so good. I suppose though that is 'life' and many say that in order to truly appreciate the good things that happen, we need to experience some things that aren't so good as well. I suppose.

I had some very sad news come to me over the weekend about two of my friends that I met through my work and writings here. One friend was a woodworker. We became friends on Facebook a couple of years ago and I used to play Scrabble with him from time to time. He did portrait types of scroll sawing and was very talented and kind and pleasant. I was very saddened to read that he passed away. It made my heart very heavy.

The other friend I had news about is a friend from my painting circle. Her name is Terrye French and she is filled with talent and inspiration. News came from her daughters that on Friday she had a massive stroke. Fortunately, she survived and she is aware and coherent, but her girls say she has a long recovery ahead of her.

Terrye is the heart and soul of the "Painting With Friends" group that I am part of. She is so filled with talent and designs that she shares her line drawings with several other designers (her friends!) and we in turn develop the designs into anything we wish. We publish our finished projects/patterns under the "Painting With Friends" name and we split the proceeds with Terrye. It is a very fair arrangement for everyone involved and Terrye's adorable primitive designs are a wonderful springboard for developing our creativity. I don't think that I ever met a person who is more sharing and giving of their skills and talent. Her selflessness is a beautiful example of how many creative people can work together to better the art form itself. I look to her as a mentor and I know that many others do as well. I know her road back will be long and difficult, but I also know that her friends will rally around her and help her through as much as we can. Creative people are just that way.

I find that is true for most people who are creative. Whether it be woodworking people or painting people or even my embroidery group. Those who are truly talented are comfortable with themselves and do all they can to help their peers and to use their talents for the better good of the industry that they are involved in. They realize that by helping their peers - even if they are someone one may see as 'competition' - that they are promoting the art itself and helping create an atmosphere that is positive and fun and something that new people wish to participate in. And when that happens, everyone wins. As these respective industries grow, everyone involved in them prosper. Those who are truly talented feel free to share what they know because they are comfortable with their style and place and they respect and realize that everyone has different tastes and goals and it takes more than a few to fill that ever-changing need.

My experience with the Painting With Friends group is a great example of that.

Those of you who have seen my own original paintings (such as my Snow Leopard Pair that I recently finished - shown here in my Blog #1297) know that my passion is for painting big cats and realistic wildlife. However, I joined the Painting With Friends group because I also love to paint fun and whimsical things and by Terrye sharing her talent with me, I was able to expand my abilities and make some cute patterns, such as my Snowman Collectors set. This not only helps my business, but it also helps me learn and grow as an artist and a designer. And that carries over to just about any type of designing that I do. But I may not have had the initiative to do this type of painting if it weren't for Painting With Friends. It was a wonderful opportunity to spread my wings and try something else.

I wish the best for my friend Terrye. I hope more than anything that her road to recovery is quick. I know with the love and support of us, her friends, it will help her along the way.

I spent the day yesterday thinking about things and how much these two people impacted me and touched my life. Though they were both from different aspects of it, they both had found their way into my heart.

I did manage to finish up my Springtime Iris Banner. Even though I didn't feel much like working on it, once I got going I felt a bit better. Creating is like that for me. Putting all my energy into positive things such as scrolling, painting and embroidery helps me focus on the good things in life. And it makes my day better.

Here is a photo of the finished banner:



Today I will be working on the wooden header panel to hang the banner. While you could easily hang it using a dowel rod and wire or ribbon, I am going to have a scroll sawn top for it. I haven't decided whether to paint or stain the topper, but I suppose I will do that as I go along. Perhaps I will do both.

Here we are at another Monday already. It looks as if we are going to get some more rain, but I don't really mind. I am beginning to see the grass turning from brown to green and I think that the trees along the river across the road are finally beginning to bud. Life is once again renewing itself after the long, hard winter.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I hope you do something that you find joy in and share it with those around you. You never know the impact that you may have on anothers' life.

Happy Monday!

"Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness." - Harold Kushner
 
#10,338 ·
Good morning Sheila,
Sorry to hear about your friends. I saw the posting about Terrye yesterday and couldn't believe it, although after last year and all of the years I was in the EMS, I should know better. I seem to spend a lot of time writing on online obits of people that I know. This past weekend seems to be a bummer all over because there were 2 people that I knew that had passed away.
Any ways, I was just going to comment on your banner. You did an awesome job on the painting and I can't wait to see the hanger that you come up with. I had heard of Roc lon a couple of years ago and Kathie had some that she was planning on doing the same thing-a welcome sign. I am just amazed at your depth of talent.
Sorry for being long winded.
Rick
 
#10,344 ·
Some Beautiful Work and a Video From a Friend

Today I am doing some cutting for the topper for my banners and writing the patterns packet, so I really don't have much of my own work to show you. However, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to share a video with you that my friend Leldon Maxcy just made on how to cut inlay pieces for scroll sawn ornaments.

I have known Leldon for probably about 15 years. That's pretty long considering how young he is! I met him at a woodworking show when he was only a teenager. Even back then he had a passion for scroll sawing and woodworking in general. Leldon made friends easily through the shows he attended, as we not only liked his friendly nature, but also were impressed by the amount of skill he had at such a young age. Long story short, we became friends and rarely does a week go by when we don't have a nice long phone visit. We always have something fun to talk about that pertains to woodworking, it seems.

Last week Leldon presented a wonderful project he created using one of Keith's designs:



He scrolled this bass on a gorgeous piece of cedar that is 1.25" thick. He then finished it with Danish oil and several coats of spray lacquer to offer a really beautiful look. I think the finished piece speaks for itself as to Leldon's talent! I think it looks stunning!

Yesterday, Leldon posted a video that I wanted to share with you all today. Many woodworkers like to do inlay work on their pieces and use the scroll saw to cut them. In the video, Leldon shows a quick and simple way to do just that. Some of his ornaments are going to be featured in the upcoming holiday issue of Creative Woodworks and Crafts and he thought this video will help people understand the process a bit better.

You can see the video here:



I hope you enjoy seeing Leldon demonstrate just how easy it is to do.

To visit Leldon's site, please follow this link:

Leldon's Scrollsawing

On his site, Leldon offers patterns as well as some finished items. You may also contact him if you want something custom cut, as he is always happy to work with you and does beautiful scroll work for a fair price. I have referred many people to him and they have always been happy.

With that said, I had better get to it. I have a lot to do and want to get an early start. It is a beautiful sunny day here without a cloud in the sky. I think spring has finally found its way to Nova Scotia.

Happy Tuesday to you. :)
 
#10,350 ·
Finishing The Banner Project

Yesterday was a wonderful and beautiful day and it looks as though today will be the same. I think that spring has FINALLY arrived in Nova Scotia.

I love the quiet of the early mornings. As I crossed the road to go to the trash bin and bring it to the side of the road for pickup, I could hear the birds happily singing as well as the river rushing by. The sun was warm and the air was cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I know I live in an amazing place when even taking the trash out is so enjoyable. I don't think there is a day that goes by however that I am not grateful for the life I live and what every day brings. It is just mornings such as these that increase my awareness and I appreciate even the small things in my life. I am a very fortunate woman.

Yesterday, Keith had spoken about us getting away for a couple of days and heading to the city. We haven't been to Halifax since autumn and we are due to make the trip soon. He was over at his moms' house doing some yard work and I think that he has caught 'spring fever' as well. We toyed with the idea of packing up his little Miata and heading out for a day or so, and we may still do just that. When we went to sleep last night we were both undecided as to if it was too early or not to take a trip. While it wouldn't be warm enough to drive with the top down, it will still be a nice time to get away, as we are both in-between pressing deadlines. After my short time outside this morning, I am starting to think that perhaps a trip is in order after all, and we should just pack up and "go."

If I am 'missing in action' for the next day or so you will know why! ;)

I had a great day working yesterday as well. I feel as if I accomplished a great deal and I buttoned up the project that I showed you a couple of days ago. I finished the wood topper for the "Springtime Iris Banner" project and I am very happy with how it turned out.

I wanted to make a topper that would be appropriate for just about any season. That way one could change the banners at will and not have to make a separate topper each time. I cut two - one in high quality plywood and the other in ash, but I decided I wanted to finish it using some of my favorite DecoArt products so I began with the plywood one first. Here is a picture of the finished project:



I think the overall look of it is really nice. I decided to use a crackle finish on the header, and paint "Welcome" in matching lettering. I used DecoArt's Weathered Wood to crackle the paint and I think the effect looks wonderful!

Brown Rectangle Font Wood Line


I think it give a beautiful weathered look to the plywood. And it is so EASY to do! I don't think that there is really any way you could mess it up if you tried! :)

Rectangle Wood Handwriting Font Circle


For the lettering, I used a color called "Soft Black" by DecoArt. It is a brownish-black, yet very dark and wasn't as stark as pure Lamp Black would be. The brownish cast softened the letters enough to give it a slightly aged look and it looked much more appealing that way.

The banner is held on using Rare Earth magnets, which means that they will hold it on beautifully, but make it very easy to change. The banner itself is made of Roc-Lon fabric, which is used for drapery linings and can be found at just about any fabric store. I varnished it with several coats of outdoor varnish, so it should stand up to the weather well.

I plan on giving this banner as a gift to my dear friend Ellen for Mother's Day. (Ellen doesn't do any computer things, so our secret is safe!) I absolutely LOVED painting on the Roc-Lon and I have many other banners planned in the works. I am going to be writing up the pattern for this project in the next few days.

I already started on another banner, but this one is not my design. It is a wonderful design by Tracy Moreau. Tracy creates beautiful painting patterns and when I saw this design - I knew I just HAD to paint it! It was originally done on a tray, but I decided to make it into a banner so I could hang it outside my own front door. I won't show you the finished pattern, but you can check back here and see my progress in the next several days. Here is the beginning of it:



I think you will enjoy seeing it come to life!

One final thing that I wanted to share with you . . .

I had a photo sent to me from my customere Leslie that really impressed me. Leslie took my Free Pattern that I am offering on my site and modified the border to make this beautiful plaque. She cut this of cherry and I think it looks fabulous! I love seeing what my customers do with my patterns to make them unique! (Be sure to stop by and get the free pattern if you haven't already done so! You don't have to leave your email or anything and there are no strings attached. It is just there for you to enjoy!)

Font Wood Pattern Art Circle


I want to thank Leslie for taking the time to send me her picture. I don't always get to display them here, and I am very bad with keeping up my customer photos page on the site, but I do enjoy seeing them and knowing that you enjoy what I do. Thank you again!

Well - that is about it for today. I don't know if I will be back tomorrow or not. We will have to see where the wind takes us. We may decide to wait a couple of weeks until it is warmer and we can enjoy the day a bit more. But you never know!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today! We are mid-week already and at least for us here in Nova Scotia, it looks like we are finally going to have some warm tempretures. I will certainly enjoy them.

Happy Wednesday to you all! Enjoy your day and what it brings you!
 

Attachments

#10,351 ·
Finishing The Banner Project

Yesterday was a wonderful and beautiful day and it looks as though today will be the same. I think that spring has FINALLY arrived in Nova Scotia.

I love the quiet of the early mornings. As I crossed the road to go to the trash bin and bring it to the side of the road for pickup, I could hear the birds happily singing as well as the river rushing by. The sun was warm and the air was cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I know I live in an amazing place when even taking the trash out is so enjoyable. I don't think there is a day that goes by however that I am not grateful for the life I live and what every day brings. It is just mornings such as these that increase my awareness and I appreciate even the small things in my life. I am a very fortunate woman.

Yesterday, Keith had spoken about us getting away for a couple of days and heading to the city. We haven't been to Halifax since autumn and we are due to make the trip soon. He was over at his moms' house doing some yard work and I think that he has caught 'spring fever' as well. We toyed with the idea of packing up his little Miata and heading out for a day or so, and we may still do just that. When we went to sleep last night we were both undecided as to if it was too early or not to take a trip. While it wouldn't be warm enough to drive with the top down, it will still be a nice time to get away, as we are both in-between pressing deadlines. After my short time outside this morning, I am starting to think that perhaps a trip is in order after all, and we should just pack up and "go."

If I am 'missing in action' for the next day or so you will know why! ;)

I had a great day working yesterday as well. I feel as if I accomplished a great deal and I buttoned up the project that I showed you a couple of days ago. I finished the wood topper for the "Springtime Iris Banner" project and I am very happy with how it turned out.

I wanted to make a topper that would be appropriate for just about any season. That way one could change the banners at will and not have to make a separate topper each time. I cut two - one in high quality plywood and the other in ash, but I decided I wanted to finish it using some of my favorite DecoArt products so I began with the plywood one first. Here is a picture of the finished project:



I think the overall look of it is really nice. I decided to use a crackle finish on the header, and paint "Welcome" in matching lettering. I used DecoArt's Weathered Wood to crackle the paint and I think the effect looks wonderful!

Brown Rectangle Font Wood Line


I think it give a beautiful weathered look to the plywood. And it is so EASY to do! I don't think that there is really any way you could mess it up if you tried! :)

Rectangle Wood Handwriting Font Circle


For the lettering, I used a color called "Soft Black" by DecoArt. It is a brownish-black, yet very dark and wasn't as stark as pure Lamp Black would be. The brownish cast softened the letters enough to give it a slightly aged look and it looked much more appealing that way.

The banner is held on using Rare Earth magnets, which means that they will hold it on beautifully, but make it very easy to change. The banner itself is made of Roc-Lon fabric, which is used for drapery linings and can be found at just about any fabric store. I varnished it with several coats of outdoor varnish, so it should stand up to the weather well.

I plan on giving this banner as a gift to my dear friend Ellen for Mother's Day. (Ellen doesn't do any computer things, so our secret is safe!) I absolutely LOVED painting on the Roc-Lon and I have many other banners planned in the works. I am going to be writing up the pattern for this project in the next few days.

I already started on another banner, but this one is not my design. It is a wonderful design by Tracy Moreau. Tracy creates beautiful painting patterns and when I saw this design - I knew I just HAD to paint it! It was originally done on a tray, but I decided to make it into a banner so I could hang it outside my own front door. I won't show you the finished pattern, but you can check back here and see my progress in the next several days. Here is the beginning of it:



I think you will enjoy seeing it come to life!

One final thing that I wanted to share with you . . .

I had a photo sent to me from my customere Leslie that really impressed me. Leslie took my Free Pattern that I am offering on my site and modified the border to make this beautiful plaque. She cut this of cherry and I think it looks fabulous! I love seeing what my customers do with my patterns to make them unique! (Be sure to stop by and get the free pattern if you haven't already done so! You don't have to leave your email or anything and there are no strings attached. It is just there for you to enjoy!)

Font Wood Pattern Art Circle


I want to thank Leslie for taking the time to send me her picture. I don't always get to display them here, and I am very bad with keeping up my customer photos page on the site, but I do enjoy seeing them and knowing that you enjoy what I do. Thank you again!

Well - that is about it for today. I don't know if I will be back tomorrow or not. We will have to see where the wind takes us. We may decide to wait a couple of weeks until it is warmer and we can enjoy the day a bit more. But you never know!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today! We are mid-week already and at least for us here in Nova Scotia, it looks like we are finally going to have some warm tempretures. I will certainly enjoy them.

Happy Wednesday to you all! Enjoy your day and what it brings you!
I really love the banner, Such a cool idea. The idea of interchangeable banners makes decorating for different seasons so much fun.
I need to look for the fabric the next time I am at the store.

Thanks for your creativity.
 

Attachments

#10,355 ·
A Much Needed Mini-Vacation

Sometimes the best 'vacations' are those that are done spur of the moment.

When I went outside to take the trash to the curb for pickup early Wednesday morning, I could already tell that the day was going to be beautiful. The sun was shining and the early morning mist was beginning to lift and after the long, cold winter it was a day when I just wanted to be outside. The time was now.

Keith and I had spoken of taking a short driving trip. He had got his Miata out of storage a few weeks ago and even though the weather was not cooperating much these past few weeks, we wanted more than ever to take a couple of days and just 'go'. We had come off an uncharacteristically good month with April (I say that because typically March and April are our slowest months on the site and this year they were among our all time best!) and all of our deadlines were met for the moment. Everything was pointing in the direction of us heading out and taking a breath and enjoying the beautiful province in which we live. And we did just that.

We tossed some stuff together and left a note for our neighbor Lee to feed the kitties and we hit the road. It is a good thing that we know how to travel light, because the car doesn't have a back seat and has a very small trunk. But since we only planned to be away for one evening, everything fit in one bag and there was still room to shop a little. It was all good.

As we got on the road, I noticed that even though we were into the month of May, the trees and bushes were only beginning to bud. While the grass was no longer brown, the trees still were mostly stick-like and you would only see a hint of life in them. But it was still coming. The ocean was beautiful and we decided to take as many back roads as possible on our way to the Halifax/Dartmouth area where we planned to spend the night. Although we didn't think it would be warm enough to ride with the top down on the car, the sun shone all day and the warmth it brought made it very comfortable to do so. It was a much needed and much enjoyed break and we took in the smells and the sites of our beautiful province with enthusiasm. Our first road trip of the year was a great success.

We stopped in Dartmouth to pick up some dishes that I had ordered in January that were waiting for me. I had purchased a set last fall and I liked them so much I called to order another. The shipping on them was so high that the store offered to hold them for me until the spring when I would be able to pick them up in person. I was thrilled that they were willing to do so and it seemed like as good excuse as any to head to the city. When we loaded them into the car, they filled up much of the trunk and little space remained. But we didn't plan on buying much anyway, and there was still room for a couple of additional purchases.

We had a fabulous dinner at our favorite bar-b-que place in Dartmouth Crossing. It is called Woody's and they have a wonderful sampler dinner that is out of this world. Our only complaint is that there is simply too much food and while the dinner we pick is supposed to "serve 2", it would easily satisfy three or even four hungry people. My favorite side dish there is the okra and tomato dish, which is wonderful and spicy. The meats are all wonderfully smoky and there is a choice of four different sauces that they bring to your table so you can try one or all of them. But much of the meat tastes so good that we didn't put any on it at all. And the corn bread was to die for!

After our 'feast' we went to our favorite hotel in the area. We were fortunate that they had a room, as there were conventions going on and they said they were down to only four rooms left. We like that hotel (it is a Ramada Inn) because included in the rate is a fabulous breakfast. The hotel is beautiful as well and it is nice to feel so spoiled and pampered for the night.

The next morning we went back to shopping in the area. We visited a couple of our favorite wood places (just to look!) and fortunately we didn't see anything out of the ordinary that we had to have. But it was good to check out another supplier because they do deliver to our area once a week and it helps to see the stock so we could order it on the phone at a later date.

We stopped in Michael's as well and once again I was completely astounded at the high prices they charged. I saw the 8oz Chalky Finish Paint there and they were selling for somewhere around $15 each! (YIKES!!!!) That to me was really high. But the display was half empty so I wonder if people really PAY that much for them? It was crazy!



You can get them here in Canada through Stockade for $8.95 for the 8 oz size plus shipping or in the USA at Viking Woodcrafts for $3.37 for the 4 oz size plus shipping. They are starting now to be available more widely than at Home Depot in the states, as their exclusive contract was up at the beginning of May. Hopefully, with a bit more competition the prices will also be a bit competitive.

Most of the things at Michael's were really, really expensive. I recently showed the cute greeting cards that I creating using the scroll saw instead of punches.

Leaf Rectangle Creative arts Art Pattern


I checked to see the prices of the punches - "just to see" - and it absolutely floored me that ONE simple punch that was similar to the shape I used to make ONE of the layers of the petals of one of the flowers on the card to the left costs a whopping $16.95! I used three different sizes for EACH of the flower shapes in just that card! My head was spinning to think of the cost of the punches to make the shapes for even one of the cards shown here if I had to buy them! And then I would be 'stuck' not only storing the punches, but with only that size and unable to use it for larger or smaller projects!

Moral of the lesson - get your scroll saws out and use them creatively for things OTHER than wood! You would probably PAY for your saw by making just a few cards! ;)

The last thing that I want to mention is that I was pleased to find that customer service is NOT dead at all places. Keith and I went to a Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for a doormat and browse. In the process, I found a nice sheet set as well as a beautiful cover set for our bed. However, I remembered that we were in the Miata and there would be no way we would be able to fit it in to get it home. The wonderful and helpful sales associate told us that there would be no problem at all - they would ship ALL of our purchases through Fed Ex for a mere $10! I was thrilled at this service because I had found some things that I really liked there and I would have hated to leave them behind. She told us that if we wanted something that was out of stock, the shipping on the item would be free, but since it was in the store, it was still only $10 no matter how much we purchased. They also have a great guarantee on their products and you could bring them back any time if the quality was not up to par as long as you kept your receipt. I was really happy to hear that a company still stands behind their products and I did find that their prices are decent as well. The sales people asked if we needed help, yet they didn't hound us or follow us around and they offered just the information we needed to make our purchases. In these times of bare bones customer service, I really appreciated it a lot and I will definitely be shopping there again.

I could go on about the details of our trip, but even by being gone only a little over 24 hours, I have a lot of catching up to do today. I want to thank all of you who wrote for your patience - as we didn't check the computer much while we were travelling. Today I will be back to painting and drawing up my next designs.

I sure did find a lot of inspiration on the short trip out. I had a lot of ideas for new painting and scroll sawing projects for you all to enjoy. It did me so much good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, too. It has been far too long.

The sun is shining brightly today as well. Keith and I are going to have fun working and planning some home improvement projects of our own. I will surely keep you all posted as we do them.

I hope you all have a beautiful day as well. Happy Friday! The weekend is upon us!
 

Attachments

#10,356 ·
A Much Needed Mini-Vacation

Sometimes the best 'vacations' are those that are done spur of the moment.

When I went outside to take the trash to the curb for pickup early Wednesday morning, I could already tell that the day was going to be beautiful. The sun was shining and the early morning mist was beginning to lift and after the long, cold winter it was a day when I just wanted to be outside. The time was now.

Keith and I had spoken of taking a short driving trip. He had got his Miata out of storage a few weeks ago and even though the weather was not cooperating much these past few weeks, we wanted more than ever to take a couple of days and just 'go'. We had come off an uncharacteristically good month with April (I say that because typically March and April are our slowest months on the site and this year they were among our all time best!) and all of our deadlines were met for the moment. Everything was pointing in the direction of us heading out and taking a breath and enjoying the beautiful province in which we live. And we did just that.

We tossed some stuff together and left a note for our neighbor Lee to feed the kitties and we hit the road. It is a good thing that we know how to travel light, because the car doesn't have a back seat and has a very small trunk. But since we only planned to be away for one evening, everything fit in one bag and there was still room to shop a little. It was all good.

As we got on the road, I noticed that even though we were into the month of May, the trees and bushes were only beginning to bud. While the grass was no longer brown, the trees still were mostly stick-like and you would only see a hint of life in them. But it was still coming. The ocean was beautiful and we decided to take as many back roads as possible on our way to the Halifax/Dartmouth area where we planned to spend the night. Although we didn't think it would be warm enough to ride with the top down on the car, the sun shone all day and the warmth it brought made it very comfortable to do so. It was a much needed and much enjoyed break and we took in the smells and the sites of our beautiful province with enthusiasm. Our first road trip of the year was a great success.

We stopped in Dartmouth to pick up some dishes that I had ordered in January that were waiting for me. I had purchased a set last fall and I liked them so much I called to order another. The shipping on them was so high that the store offered to hold them for me until the spring when I would be able to pick them up in person. I was thrilled that they were willing to do so and it seemed like as good excuse as any to head to the city. When we loaded them into the car, they filled up much of the trunk and little space remained. But we didn't plan on buying much anyway, and there was still room for a couple of additional purchases.

We had a fabulous dinner at our favorite bar-b-que place in Dartmouth Crossing. It is called Woody's and they have a wonderful sampler dinner that is out of this world. Our only complaint is that there is simply too much food and while the dinner we pick is supposed to "serve 2", it would easily satisfy three or even four hungry people. My favorite side dish there is the okra and tomato dish, which is wonderful and spicy. The meats are all wonderfully smoky and there is a choice of four different sauces that they bring to your table so you can try one or all of them. But much of the meat tastes so good that we didn't put any on it at all. And the corn bread was to die for!

After our 'feast' we went to our favorite hotel in the area. We were fortunate that they had a room, as there were conventions going on and they said they were down to only four rooms left. We like that hotel (it is a Ramada Inn) because included in the rate is a fabulous breakfast. The hotel is beautiful as well and it is nice to feel so spoiled and pampered for the night.

The next morning we went back to shopping in the area. We visited a couple of our favorite wood places (just to look!) and fortunately we didn't see anything out of the ordinary that we had to have. But it was good to check out another supplier because they do deliver to our area once a week and it helps to see the stock so we could order it on the phone at a later date.

We stopped in Michael's as well and once again I was completely astounded at the high prices they charged. I saw the 8oz Chalky Finish Paint there and they were selling for somewhere around $15 each! (YIKES!!!!) That to me was really high. But the display was half empty so I wonder if people really PAY that much for them? It was crazy!



You can get them here in Canada through Stockade for $8.95 for the 8 oz size plus shipping or in the USA at Viking Woodcrafts for $3.37 for the 4 oz size plus shipping. They are starting now to be available more widely than at Home Depot in the states, as their exclusive contract was up at the beginning of May. Hopefully, with a bit more competition the prices will also be a bit competitive.

Most of the things at Michael's were really, really expensive. I recently showed the cute greeting cards that I creating using the scroll saw instead of punches.

Leaf Rectangle Creative arts Art Pattern


I checked to see the prices of the punches - "just to see" - and it absolutely floored me that ONE simple punch that was similar to the shape I used to make ONE of the layers of the petals of one of the flowers on the card to the left costs a whopping $16.95! I used three different sizes for EACH of the flower shapes in just that card! My head was spinning to think of the cost of the punches to make the shapes for even one of the cards shown here if I had to buy them! And then I would be 'stuck' not only storing the punches, but with only that size and unable to use it for larger or smaller projects!

Moral of the lesson - get your scroll saws out and use them creatively for things OTHER than wood! You would probably PAY for your saw by making just a few cards! ;)

The last thing that I want to mention is that I was pleased to find that customer service is NOT dead at all places. Keith and I went to a Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for a doormat and browse. In the process, I found a nice sheet set as well as a beautiful cover set for our bed. However, I remembered that we were in the Miata and there would be no way we would be able to fit it in to get it home. The wonderful and helpful sales associate told us that there would be no problem at all - they would ship ALL of our purchases through Fed Ex for a mere $10! I was thrilled at this service because I had found some things that I really liked there and I would have hated to leave them behind. She told us that if we wanted something that was out of stock, the shipping on the item would be free, but since it was in the store, it was still only $10 no matter how much we purchased. They also have a great guarantee on their products and you could bring them back any time if the quality was not up to par as long as you kept your receipt. I was really happy to hear that a company still stands behind their products and I did find that their prices are decent as well. The sales people asked if we needed help, yet they didn't hound us or follow us around and they offered just the information we needed to make our purchases. In these times of bare bones customer service, I really appreciated it a lot and I will definitely be shopping there again.

I could go on about the details of our trip, but even by being gone only a little over 24 hours, I have a lot of catching up to do today. I want to thank all of you who wrote for your patience - as we didn't check the computer much while we were travelling. Today I will be back to painting and drawing up my next designs.

I sure did find a lot of inspiration on the short trip out. I had a lot of ideas for new painting and scroll sawing projects for you all to enjoy. It did me so much good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, too. It has been far too long.

The sun is shining brightly today as well. Keith and I are going to have fun working and planning some home improvement projects of our own. I will surely keep you all posted as we do them.

I hope you all have a beautiful day as well. Happy Friday! The weekend is upon us!
Enjoy it whilst it shines, Sheila. That reminds me I must go to my favourite wood shop again, not been in ages.
 

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#10,359 ·
Still Catching Up

It is amazing how far behind one can get by just getting away for a day or so! I have no regrets though and I hope to spend the day finishing getting caught up and back to working 'normally.'

I spent the day yesterday cleaning and organizing things. It is funny how even getting a few new things for the house can trigger an entire avalanche of events to sort and reorganize. My bedding and door mat arrived via FedEx just after noon (less than 24 hours from when I purchased it!) and I was anxious to set everything up. That meant several loads of laundry and cleaning and all kinds of things of that nature. I think I finally hit "spring cleaning" mode.

While Keith and I were on our 'fact finding mission' as I call it, we saw many ideas for using the small space we have here more effectively. We decided to add some shelves in a large closet we have here to better utilize the space. Keith loves taking on jobs like this and spent the day figuring and measuring and planning.

For those of you who are new to reading - we live in a small but beautiful and comfortable one bedroom place here. It is a segregated apartment from a sprawling house here on the bank of the Meteghan River in rural Nova Scotia. Our area is one wing of the house and there is one more 'apartment' to the rear of us, which is also completely independent of the house. Keith's (and now my) long time friend Lee lives in that apartment behind us with his five cats. He is very active in rescuing cats and visits the Meteghan wharf daily to care for the colony of cats there. He has a kind heart and many, many cats owe him their lives.

While we sometimes wish we had more space, we love it here for many reasons. It is very quiet and our landlord is not only nice, but supportive to our business. She and her significant other know we care for our place well and are very open to pretty much any requests we have. In turn, we are very respectful of them and we keep our 'noisy work' to respectable hours and we keep our place neat and clean. Most people who come in (including her) can't believe we do the majority of our woodworking from our place here - or that we have three cats for that matter. We find that keeping neat and organized is the key to a productive and pleasant home. In turn, our home is well-maintained and modern and the location is just beautiful. Our rent is reasonable as well which makes it the perfect place for us to be. I honestly think it is the best place I have ever lived.

But every once in a while, we get the urge to change things up a bit. As our business grows and changes, so do our needs. What may have been important to us a year or so ago may not be so much so now. Periodically, it is good to re-evaluate and reassess what we have and use and set up our storage accordingly. Our main existence is centered around our scroll saw workstation at the side of our kitchen:



While many think that scrolling in a kitchen or in the main house would be a messy disaster, we feel that it doesn't have to be the case. We find that keeping our area clean and organized makes it very possible to do so, and even our fussiest friends are usually impressed with how clean we keep things and the amount of work we accomplish. But having the right set up is imperative to that.

If you all would like, I can take "before" and "after" pictures of our place so you can follow along with the improvements. It may take several weeks to complete, as we need to weave things into the time frame in between our regular work, but seeing what we will be doing may give you some ideas of your own for organizing. Let me know what you think and I will continue to blog the progress as I see fit.

Today, I am going to take some preliminary pictures so we have a good starting point. Other than that, I plan on working on my emails and computer and then perhaps doing some painting or embroidery. We have a dinner tomorrow with Keith's Mom and my "Canadian parents" and I have some baking to do and don't know how much I will accomplish 'work wise.' I ask those of you who emailed me or messaged me to please be patient with me because between being gone and working on the house yesterday there is a bit of a back log. I promise to get back to everyone soon.

So that is my plan for the short term. While it may not be directly related to my work and creating new patterns, I believe that indirectly it is very important. I am so often asked how I accomplish so much, and my answer to that is that I have a pleasant and well-organized workplace and it makes a huge difference.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have overcast skies here and they are calling for rain for the next few days. I am very glad we got away when we did. It was a much needed and very functional break.

Have a wonderful Saturday!
 
#10,362 ·
A Perfect World - Panel 7

I spent most of the day yesterday working on some orders for wood pieces that I want to ship on Monday. Even though it is labor-intensive, I like that part of my job, as it allows me to be a 'woodworker'. People think that because I design woodworking patterns that I spend most of my days in the shop. Actually, it seems that the actual cutting time I get is probably closer to 10 to 15% of my work time - if that. I realize this is in part because I also design painting patterns and also lately have been spending part of my evenings (when time allows) learning needlework and embroidery. Usually my goal is to wrap up my "work day" by dinner time and then spend the time between dinner and bed doing my embroidery. It rarely works out that neatly though, and many times I work right up until I go to bed, or I am too tired to tackle the needlework, as it takes a little bit of concentration on my part at times. But that is OK though because it is very rare that I dislike what I am doing in the first place and my "job" is a source of enjoyment for me. Again - if there were only a 48 hour day! (And then I will probably still be asking for more!) The world is full of wonderful things to do!

I know Keith doesn't quite understand the entire concept of embroidery and why I do it. Every now and then he looks over at me working on my stitchery and quietly mutters "You're crazy!" He doesn't say it in a derogatory manner at all, but I realize that he doesn't really see the purpose of why I want to do it. (This is from the man who is building an entire new sound system for us when I feel that ours is perfectly adequate.)

I usually just smile back at him and say "To each his own."

After all - living our own lives and allowing others to live theirs should be a given. While it is fun and exciting to find someone with similar interests as your own, wouldn't you think it would be dull and boring if we all were interested in exactly the same things? I find that the older I get the more I understand this and perhaps the more 'mellow' I have become. I think that is a good thing.

I have had the good fortune of being able to surround myself with creative people. Many of them have interests that are similar to my own, yet many of them are pursuing other venues. In thinking about it, I find that I equally admire them and that it matters little what media they have chosen. What matters to me is that they are following their hearts and pouring their passions into doing something positive and productive and something that they believe in. Be it woodworking or painting or embroidering and sewing or even electronics or writing, they are finding satisfaction in the process of creating. Those are my favorite people to be around.

I don't think that is an accident. I believe that when people are creating something new - no matter what it is - it builds self-confidence and self-esteem and gives us a sense of accomplishment. In turn it feeds our souls and gives our life meaning and purpose. And because of what we create, we tend to be happier people.

I have thought about my embroidery picture as I progress in its creation. I have been asked what I am going to do with it when I am done. Truth be told, I haven't really thought much about it. I suppose I could admire it for a while and tuck it into a drawer. I had ideas of making a pillow of it, but as I see how the cat's are fascinated with all the beads and wings and dimensional parts of it, that is out of the question. In all probability I will just make it into a picture and hang it on the wall. It will remind me of my first lessons in the craft and be a benchmark for future projects. It will be something I can look back on and feel accomplished about.

I finished panel 7 last night. That means I am nearly at the half way mark of the piece, as it consists of 17 panels in all. (Well - almost half way anyway!) I am amazed that I am so far so quickly, as I gave myself to the end of the year to complete it and at this rate, I may very well be done by the end of summer. I have learned so much since beginning it just two short months ago. Terms such as "stumpwork" and "bullion stitch" and "stab stitches" have become part of my vocabulary and there is instant understanding and visualization when I hear them. I give full credit to Di van Niekerk for the outcome of my project so far. Without her clear and concise instructions and wonderful style of teaching, I certainly would not be so successful in the craft. I am so happy I have found her.

I suppose I rambled on enough though and it is time to show you the panel. This is panel 7 of the "A Perfect World" sampler:

Flower Plant Textile Petal Creative arts


The components in this panel are as follows:

The beautiful blue Phlox divaricata . . .

Flower Plant Green Azure Petal


The pretty, winding vine of the Pimpernel . . .

Plant Flower Leaf Textile Creative arts


And, of course the beautiful roses . . .

Flower Plant Petal Green Textile


And the "critter" on this panel is a pretty blue butterfly . . .

Flower Plant Textile Pollinator Arthropod


What a delight it is to make these!

Our world is far from "perfect". Every day we encounter hardship, sorrow and loss. For many of us, we use our creativity to express our thoughts and feelings, and to surround ourselves with pretty things to focus on so that things don't seem so bad.

There is much joy in the world. Although some days we find that joy elusive. Perhaps by creating things that depict the good things around us that make us happy, we not only lift our own hearts, but the hearts of those who see them as well. If that were the case, it could truly be "A Perfect World" after all.

I like to think that is so.

Have a wonderful Sunday. And happy Mother's Day to all the moms who dedicate their lives to others.
 

Attachments

#10,363 ·
A Perfect World - Panel 7

I spent most of the day yesterday working on some orders for wood pieces that I want to ship on Monday. Even though it is labor-intensive, I like that part of my job, as it allows me to be a 'woodworker'. People think that because I design woodworking patterns that I spend most of my days in the shop. Actually, it seems that the actual cutting time I get is probably closer to 10 to 15% of my work time - if that. I realize this is in part because I also design painting patterns and also lately have been spending part of my evenings (when time allows) learning needlework and embroidery. Usually my goal is to wrap up my "work day" by dinner time and then spend the time between dinner and bed doing my embroidery. It rarely works out that neatly though, and many times I work right up until I go to bed, or I am too tired to tackle the needlework, as it takes a little bit of concentration on my part at times. But that is OK though because it is very rare that I dislike what I am doing in the first place and my "job" is a source of enjoyment for me. Again - if there were only a 48 hour day! (And then I will probably still be asking for more!) The world is full of wonderful things to do!

I know Keith doesn't quite understand the entire concept of embroidery and why I do it. Every now and then he looks over at me working on my stitchery and quietly mutters "You're crazy!" He doesn't say it in a derogatory manner at all, but I realize that he doesn't really see the purpose of why I want to do it. (This is from the man who is building an entire new sound system for us when I feel that ours is perfectly adequate.)

I usually just smile back at him and say "To each his own."

After all - living our own lives and allowing others to live theirs should be a given. While it is fun and exciting to find someone with similar interests as your own, wouldn't you think it would be dull and boring if we all were interested in exactly the same things? I find that the older I get the more I understand this and perhaps the more 'mellow' I have become. I think that is a good thing.

I have had the good fortune of being able to surround myself with creative people. Many of them have interests that are similar to my own, yet many of them are pursuing other venues. In thinking about it, I find that I equally admire them and that it matters little what media they have chosen. What matters to me is that they are following their hearts and pouring their passions into doing something positive and productive and something that they believe in. Be it woodworking or painting or embroidering and sewing or even electronics or writing, they are finding satisfaction in the process of creating. Those are my favorite people to be around.

I don't think that is an accident. I believe that when people are creating something new - no matter what it is - it builds self-confidence and self-esteem and gives us a sense of accomplishment. In turn it feeds our souls and gives our life meaning and purpose. And because of what we create, we tend to be happier people.

I have thought about my embroidery picture as I progress in its creation. I have been asked what I am going to do with it when I am done. Truth be told, I haven't really thought much about it. I suppose I could admire it for a while and tuck it into a drawer. I had ideas of making a pillow of it, but as I see how the cat's are fascinated with all the beads and wings and dimensional parts of it, that is out of the question. In all probability I will just make it into a picture and hang it on the wall. It will remind me of my first lessons in the craft and be a benchmark for future projects. It will be something I can look back on and feel accomplished about.

I finished panel 7 last night. That means I am nearly at the half way mark of the piece, as it consists of 17 panels in all. (Well - almost half way anyway!) I am amazed that I am so far so quickly, as I gave myself to the end of the year to complete it and at this rate, I may very well be done by the end of summer. I have learned so much since beginning it just two short months ago. Terms such as "stumpwork" and "bullion stitch" and "stab stitches" have become part of my vocabulary and there is instant understanding and visualization when I hear them. I give full credit to Di van Niekerk for the outcome of my project so far. Without her clear and concise instructions and wonderful style of teaching, I certainly would not be so successful in the craft. I am so happy I have found her.

I suppose I rambled on enough though and it is time to show you the panel. This is panel 7 of the "A Perfect World" sampler:

Flower Plant Textile Petal Creative arts


The components in this panel are as follows:

The beautiful blue Phlox divaricata . . .

Flower Plant Green Azure Petal


The pretty, winding vine of the Pimpernel . . .

Plant Flower Leaf Textile Creative arts


And, of course the beautiful roses . . .

Flower Plant Petal Green Textile


And the "critter" on this panel is a pretty blue butterfly . . .

Flower Plant Textile Pollinator Arthropod


What a delight it is to make these!

Our world is far from "perfect". Every day we encounter hardship, sorrow and loss. For many of us, we use our creativity to express our thoughts and feelings, and to surround ourselves with pretty things to focus on so that things don't seem so bad.

There is much joy in the world. Although some days we find that joy elusive. Perhaps by creating things that depict the good things around us that make us happy, we not only lift our own hearts, but the hearts of those who see them as well. If that were the case, it could truly be "A Perfect World" after all.

I like to think that is so.

Have a wonderful Sunday. And happy Mother's Day to all the moms who dedicate their lives to others.
Good morning Sheila. Happy Mother's Day! The embroidery panel is lovely. I like the way you stretch your creativity to include so many mediums, woodwork, painting, carding, embroidery etc. I think that it all adds to your wonderful scrollsaw and painting designs.
I'm looking forward to seeing what creative ways you will come up with adding to your storage space in your home. I'm always looking for hints on creating storage in small places.
 

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#10,369 ·
Gratitude

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Being "Mother's Day" meant that it was full of emotion. Perhaps it was just that I am more connected with people through places such as Facebook that I realize that so many people have stories to tell. Perhaps it is just because I am getting older and more aware of how fragile human life and happiness is. Or maybe because this is the first year I am a 'grandmother' that my awareness of the day is heightened. In any case, I spent the day reading and smiling and appreciating my own children and families - whether they are related through blood or friendship.

My dear friend from childhood very suddenly lost her husband and my heart is breaking for her and their entire family. I didn't know him as well as I would have liked to, as twenty or so years ago when they married my friend and I were already living different lives. However, I saw him when I visited her and I knew how happy she has been since he came into her life. Her own five children are grown and nearly grown now, and I know that they along with her sisters and two grand daughters will help her through this horrible time. But I feel very sad and helpless being so far away and not being able to comfort her. Life is so very difficult at times. I am so happy she has them to rally around her.

My own two children called me yesterday, which meant the world to me. Even though they are so far away, I am very grateful for things like Skype and Facebook. They really help people feel closer.

What amazes me most is that my children went from this:



To this:

Cheek Shoulder Flash photography Neck Jaw


and this:



at the blink of an eye. I still look back in amazement.

And then there is my little Willow:



Growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Like most parents, I feel a great amount of joy in seeing my own children thrive. I do, and always will look on them as my greatest accomplishment. I know that I wasn't always a "perfect parent", but then - no parent is really perfect, are they? We all kind of learn as we go and hope for the best, as the personalities of each child varies so vastly it is impossible to know what will work and what will not. We learn every day as we go. I am still learning.

I spent the rest of the day with both of my 'moms'. It was good and comforting for me to know that those that I love have also become friends and enjoy spending time together. Keith's mom and Ellen (my "Canadian Mom" as I call her) are kind and supportive and wonderful 'parents'. After many years of not having 'parents', it feels wonderful to feel that I do again.

Glasses Nose Smile Vision care Organ


Life can be hard. Most people that I know don't live "Hallmark" lives. Most days are filled with ups and downs and ever-changing circumstances that are sometimes beyond our control. Whether we like the way things are or not, we learn that we need to accept some things and deal with them the best that we can. Having others around to help us through those tough times is everything.

The older that I get, the more I appreciate those significant people in my life. Be it family or friends or even sometimes people I have never even met face-to-face, they are all important to me and they have made my life better. I am greatful every single day.

I feel that it is good to stop and take a breath and reflect every once in a while. When I do, I realize how many good people and things are in my life every single day. I certainly am fortunate and very grateful.

Have a wonderful Monday.
 

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#10,370 ·
Gratitude

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Being "Mother's Day" meant that it was full of emotion. Perhaps it was just that I am more connected with people through places such as Facebook that I realize that so many people have stories to tell. Perhaps it is just because I am getting older and more aware of how fragile human life and happiness is. Or maybe because this is the first year I am a 'grandmother' that my awareness of the day is heightened. In any case, I spent the day reading and smiling and appreciating my own children and families - whether they are related through blood or friendship.

My dear friend from childhood very suddenly lost her husband and my heart is breaking for her and their entire family. I didn't know him as well as I would have liked to, as twenty or so years ago when they married my friend and I were already living different lives. However, I saw him when I visited her and I knew how happy she has been since he came into her life. Her own five children are grown and nearly grown now, and I know that they along with her sisters and two grand daughters will help her through this horrible time. But I feel very sad and helpless being so far away and not being able to comfort her. Life is so very difficult at times. I am so happy she has them to rally around her.

My own two children called me yesterday, which meant the world to me. Even though they are so far away, I am very grateful for things like Skype and Facebook. They really help people feel closer.

What amazes me most is that my children went from this:



To this:

Cheek Shoulder Flash photography Neck Jaw


and this:



at the blink of an eye. I still look back in amazement.

And then there is my little Willow:



Growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Like most parents, I feel a great amount of joy in seeing my own children thrive. I do, and always will look on them as my greatest accomplishment. I know that I wasn't always a "perfect parent", but then - no parent is really perfect, are they? We all kind of learn as we go and hope for the best, as the personalities of each child varies so vastly it is impossible to know what will work and what will not. We learn every day as we go. I am still learning.

I spent the rest of the day with both of my 'moms'. It was good and comforting for me to know that those that I love have also become friends and enjoy spending time together. Keith's mom and Ellen (my "Canadian Mom" as I call her) are kind and supportive and wonderful 'parents'. After many years of not having 'parents', it feels wonderful to feel that I do again.

Glasses Nose Smile Vision care Organ


Life can be hard. Most people that I know don't live "Hallmark" lives. Most days are filled with ups and downs and ever-changing circumstances that are sometimes beyond our control. Whether we like the way things are or not, we learn that we need to accept some things and deal with them the best that we can. Having others around to help us through those tough times is everything.

The older that I get, the more I appreciate those significant people in my life. Be it family or friends or even sometimes people I have never even met face-to-face, they are all important to me and they have made my life better. I am greatful every single day.

I feel that it is good to stop and take a breath and reflect every once in a while. When I do, I realize how many good people and things are in my life every single day. I certainly am fortunate and very grateful.

Have a wonderful Monday.
Good morning Sheila. Glad you had a great Mom's day.
It's sunny and warm here today. I will get out to the workshop for at least an hour today. I'm fine tuning the celtic designs I cut out. Hope to have them all finished by the end of this week.
 

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#10,372 ·
Getting Prints Made From My Artwork

The past several days have been a whirlwind. I don't know if it is busier than usual or if I am slowing down. Sometimes it is just too hard to tell. There are days that I feel as if I am a circus performer that is spinning ten plates at once and hoping that none of them fall.

I don't think that this is an altogether BAD thing. Nearly all the things that I am doing are good. Keith and I are preparing for another site update and besides finishing up the instructions for the new patterns that I am putting up, I have been working on answering emails and filling orders for wood pieces. I had some nice orders recently and I remember just how much I like that part of the business. It gives me a chance to spend some time at the saw and do one of my favorite things - cutting. I also like the way that I seem to get to know my customers who place wood orders. I take a great deal of pride in making sure that the wood pieces they receive are quality and created with care. It makes me very happy that people want to create my designs and it is very rewarding to fill orders such as this. It's all good.

Besides the wood part of the business, I am doing some other things for the painting side as well. This week I began receiving some of the prints that I ordered from New York of the Snow Leopard Pair painting that I completed last month. After I finished painting it, I had some inquiries as to if I was planning on selling it. While I do like to do this type of "fine art" painting for myself, I really don't have the heart to sell the original paintings. Perhaps I feel that way because I tend to sell everything else I do or maybe it is because I truly put my heart and soul into these paintings. But whatever the case, most of my original painting still remain here with me. Not all of them are hung, but I still can't manage to part with them.

I did find a good answer though. I found a wonderful printer in New York that creates absolutely beautiful work from digital photos. Not only do they create posters and prints, but also books, cards and any other types of printing imaginable at reasonable prices. I had purchased prints of my other artwork previously, and I have been very pleased with the results. In the past however, they didn't ship to Canada, so I had to have my order shipped to someone in the United States and then have it forwarded to me. That was (as you could imagine) not a great arrangement, and very costly. It was impossible for me to actually sell anything for a reasonable price because of the multiple shipping charges. The prints would not only need to be double-shipped to me, but then shipped again to the customer, resulting in three shipping fees.

I did sell several prints at our local farm market several years ago when I used to sell my things there. People were very happy with them and they actually sold well. But as I said - life got in the way and there were other things that took priority and I don't use that venue to sell my work at all anymore.

But recently, I noticed that the printer has updated their policies and have included shipping all over the world, as well as drop shipping. This means that I can order prints and have them shipped to my customers directly from New York, which results in only one shipping cost. The thought of doing this is rather exciting to me and I am seriously considering putting some prints of my artwork up for sale at my Etsy store. I have had several inquiries as to if I were selling prints of my snow leopard painting and I think that is the first one I will try.

But in order to do so, I first wanted to order some prints myself and make sure that the color and quality would be correct. If an item were going out without my seeing it, I needed to be assured that everything was perfect.

I began last week by taking a high resolution photo of my painting. I needed to be sure that the photo was clear and the color was correct. Since all monitors are different, I felt the best bet was to order some prints in various sizes for myself first to see if we are all on the same page.

Here is a photo of the original painting:

Head Eye Felidae Carnivore Leopard


I made sure that it was as close as possible in color as the original painting. The original painting is 11" x 14", but I wanted to try some different sizes and media to see how it would look.

I ordered a 16" x 20 poster print as well as a 11" x 14" print. These are both done on Kodak Endura paper using archival ink. They are guaranteed to last - even in daylight and will not fade much over time. I also decided to try something new - a metal print - in which the image is bonded to metal. The metal is light, but it is extremely durable and resists scratching and fingerprints, is waterproof and you can even use glass cleaner on it. To me it seemed like an elegant way to display my painting.

On Monday, my 16" x 20" poster arrived. I was absolutely thrilled at how closely it matched the original. The color was slighly different - mostly on the rock that the leopards sit on, but the faces and overall tone of the picture was excellent. It excited me a great deal to see my work displayed in this way and I was thrilled with the outcome.

Yesterday, the 11" x 14" metal print arrived. Since I had never seen a metal print, I was also very excited about this. Since both the metal and the poster prints were done off of the same uploaded photo, I was sure that I would love it as well.

I must say though, that I was a bit disappointed when I opened the box and saw it. It appeared that the brightness was much more intense than the original or the previous print and the chest and knee, as well as the tail of the cub was somewhat 'blown out'. Overall too, the cats looked lighter. While the print looked good on its own, to me it didn't represent my own artwork accurately.

Here is a comparison of the three. The top picture is the 16" x 20" poster print, the lower left picture is the 11" x 14" metal print and the lower right picture is my original painting. You can see how the large poster is much closer to the original painting than the metal print.

Cat Felidae Vertebrate Black Carnivore


And here is a comparison of just their heads:

Photograph Vertebrate White Organ Felidae


Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.

Now you all need to remember that this picture of the three isn't color corrected at all. I just wanted to show a side-by-side comparison so that they could see the differences between the three. Actually they are all a bit lighter than what the pictures here represent.

While the lighter leopards are pretty, I felt they lost a lot of the detail because they were a bit too bright and blown out. If no one had the original to compare it to, I think it would be a nice picture, but since I had the original in front of me and I want the prints to be as close as possible, I felt there was room for improvement.

I called the company and sent them the above photos and they agreed with me. As a result, they are reprinting the metal print and sending me a new one. I have hopes that they will be doing a better job with it and hopefully they will send something that I will feel good selling.

I know that I have a great deal of artists that read here as well as woodworkers. Even though these adjustments need to be made, as I said - this company has an excellent reputation for doing wonderful work and my dealings with them in the past can support that opinion. Even with this issue, they immediately offered to reprint for me. So we shall see . . .

Things just take time. I know I am picky, but that is why I feel good about the work that I do. I would rather put out less work and have it at a higher level than if I would crank out many projects that weren't up to par. To me it is about quality, not quantity.

I will certainly keep you all posted as to how this turns out. I feel confident that it will be better the next time and then I will be able to sell these with confidence that my customers are getting the best representation of my original work that they can. It may open some new doors for me on the painting side of my business, and that is very exciting.

As for today, I am finishing up writing a couple of pattern packets in getting ready for the site update tomorrow. Hopefully we will have everything ready by then.

In the meantime, I will enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures we are having here in Nova Scotia. It seems that spring has finally arrived. That makes everything better.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.
 

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#10,373 ·
Getting Prints Made From My Artwork

The past several days have been a whirlwind. I don't know if it is busier than usual or if I am slowing down. Sometimes it is just too hard to tell. There are days that I feel as if I am a circus performer that is spinning ten plates at once and hoping that none of them fall.

I don't think that this is an altogether BAD thing. Nearly all the things that I am doing are good. Keith and I are preparing for another site update and besides finishing up the instructions for the new patterns that I am putting up, I have been working on answering emails and filling orders for wood pieces. I had some nice orders recently and I remember just how much I like that part of the business. It gives me a chance to spend some time at the saw and do one of my favorite things - cutting. I also like the way that I seem to get to know my customers who place wood orders. I take a great deal of pride in making sure that the wood pieces they receive are quality and created with care. It makes me very happy that people want to create my designs and it is very rewarding to fill orders such as this. It's all good.

Besides the wood part of the business, I am doing some other things for the painting side as well. This week I began receiving some of the prints that I ordered from New York of the Snow Leopard Pair painting that I completed last month. After I finished painting it, I had some inquiries as to if I was planning on selling it. While I do like to do this type of "fine art" painting for myself, I really don't have the heart to sell the original paintings. Perhaps I feel that way because I tend to sell everything else I do or maybe it is because I truly put my heart and soul into these paintings. But whatever the case, most of my original painting still remain here with me. Not all of them are hung, but I still can't manage to part with them.

I did find a good answer though. I found a wonderful printer in New York that creates absolutely beautiful work from digital photos. Not only do they create posters and prints, but also books, cards and any other types of printing imaginable at reasonable prices. I had purchased prints of my other artwork previously, and I have been very pleased with the results. In the past however, they didn't ship to Canada, so I had to have my order shipped to someone in the United States and then have it forwarded to me. That was (as you could imagine) not a great arrangement, and very costly. It was impossible for me to actually sell anything for a reasonable price because of the multiple shipping charges. The prints would not only need to be double-shipped to me, but then shipped again to the customer, resulting in three shipping fees.

I did sell several prints at our local farm market several years ago when I used to sell my things there. People were very happy with them and they actually sold well. But as I said - life got in the way and there were other things that took priority and I don't use that venue to sell my work at all anymore.

But recently, I noticed that the printer has updated their policies and have included shipping all over the world, as well as drop shipping. This means that I can order prints and have them shipped to my customers directly from New York, which results in only one shipping cost. The thought of doing this is rather exciting to me and I am seriously considering putting some prints of my artwork up for sale at my Etsy store. I have had several inquiries as to if I were selling prints of my snow leopard painting and I think that is the first one I will try.

But in order to do so, I first wanted to order some prints myself and make sure that the color and quality would be correct. If an item were going out without my seeing it, I needed to be assured that everything was perfect.

I began last week by taking a high resolution photo of my painting. I needed to be sure that the photo was clear and the color was correct. Since all monitors are different, I felt the best bet was to order some prints in various sizes for myself first to see if we are all on the same page.

Here is a photo of the original painting:

Head Eye Felidae Carnivore Leopard


I made sure that it was as close as possible in color as the original painting. The original painting is 11" x 14", but I wanted to try some different sizes and media to see how it would look.

I ordered a 16" x 20 poster print as well as a 11" x 14" print. These are both done on Kodak Endura paper using archival ink. They are guaranteed to last - even in daylight and will not fade much over time. I also decided to try something new - a metal print - in which the image is bonded to metal. The metal is light, but it is extremely durable and resists scratching and fingerprints, is waterproof and you can even use glass cleaner on it. To me it seemed like an elegant way to display my painting.

On Monday, my 16" x 20" poster arrived. I was absolutely thrilled at how closely it matched the original. The color was slighly different - mostly on the rock that the leopards sit on, but the faces and overall tone of the picture was excellent. It excited me a great deal to see my work displayed in this way and I was thrilled with the outcome.

Yesterday, the 11" x 14" metal print arrived. Since I had never seen a metal print, I was also very excited about this. Since both the metal and the poster prints were done off of the same uploaded photo, I was sure that I would love it as well.

I must say though, that I was a bit disappointed when I opened the box and saw it. It appeared that the brightness was much more intense than the original or the previous print and the chest and knee, as well as the tail of the cub was somewhat 'blown out'. Overall too, the cats looked lighter. While the print looked good on its own, to me it didn't represent my own artwork accurately.

Here is a comparison of the three. The top picture is the 16" x 20" poster print, the lower left picture is the 11" x 14" metal print and the lower right picture is my original painting. You can see how the large poster is much closer to the original painting than the metal print.

Cat Felidae Vertebrate Black Carnivore


And here is a comparison of just their heads:

Photograph Vertebrate White Organ Felidae


Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.

Now you all need to remember that this picture of the three isn't color corrected at all. I just wanted to show a side-by-side comparison so that they could see the differences between the three. Actually they are all a bit lighter than what the pictures here represent.

While the lighter leopards are pretty, I felt they lost a lot of the detail because they were a bit too bright and blown out. If no one had the original to compare it to, I think it would be a nice picture, but since I had the original in front of me and I want the prints to be as close as possible, I felt there was room for improvement.

I called the company and sent them the above photos and they agreed with me. As a result, they are reprinting the metal print and sending me a new one. I have hopes that they will be doing a better job with it and hopefully they will send something that I will feel good selling.

I know that I have a great deal of artists that read here as well as woodworkers. Even though these adjustments need to be made, as I said - this company has an excellent reputation for doing wonderful work and my dealings with them in the past can support that opinion. Even with this issue, they immediately offered to reprint for me. So we shall see . . .

Things just take time. I know I am picky, but that is why I feel good about the work that I do. I would rather put out less work and have it at a higher level than if I would crank out many projects that weren't up to par. To me it is about quality, not quantity.

I will certainly keep you all posted as to how this turns out. I feel confident that it will be better the next time and then I will be able to sell these with confidence that my customers are getting the best representation of my original work that they can. It may open some new doors for me on the painting side of my business, and that is very exciting.

As for today, I am finishing up writing a couple of pattern packets in getting ready for the site update tomorrow. Hopefully we will have everything ready by then.

In the meantime, I will enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures we are having here in Nova Scotia. It seems that spring has finally arrived. That makes everything better.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Sheila,

I do agree with you on quality vs. quantity. That's one reason why I enjoy this site because there are those like you who excel in their craft and it is so enjoyable for those of us who appreciate quality (but may not be able to afford it) to view it, if only via a computer monitor. So few people continue to strive to produce excellent results; the quest for excellence is getting lost. Kudos to you for not compromising!

L/W
 

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