The word got out that I do side jobs(carpentry). I should have nipped this gossip at the bud right from the start. Instead you have a woodcarver at a farm putting together a pump system for the crops. I have to say I really enjoyed myself out there at Victory Farms. Charlie and Gina the owners are great generous people. You'll have to come out to the markets and meet them.
Us vendors are getting anxious about the markets opening(Thurs 5th. at Crossroads). Scrambling around getting our wares together. Today this vendor will be in the shop carving up sawdust but still thinking about a second pump system from a creek to fill a pond.

This one is a center cut slab of maple. A great bowl to make biscuits in. Just wide and deep enough for 2 hands to mix dough.
16x10x3($80)




So looking forward to the Crossroads market next week. I can't believe the season is already here. See you at the market.

It's now day # 4 of the dreaded flu. I haven't been in the shop. I haven't been outside. I can't feel my finger tips while I type this. Must get into shop. Must make sawdust to survive. Man, I feel like crap. Not to mention a little delirious.

Another beauty. This one has some nice character with the knot on one end and the crotching in the middle. The size is 16x8x2 and cost is $60.
We have company. My brother in law John and his daughter Alison(the oldest of 5) from Vermont are looking at schools down around here. Their heading out today for Kentucky. Even though it was a short visit it was great to see them.

I'll finally be in the shop today to get some carving done. It was a birthday weekend that lasted a few extra days.

Finished this walnut 16x10x2($70) Friday morning. The rest of the afternoon was running around planning a little kitchen cabinet work over in Lakeside.









Had fun making this oak knot 6x2($35) from that 400 year old oak tree out of Craig Co. on Saturday.

Anybody getting the February doldrums yet? They haven't hit here. Guess it's because the weather has been so nice the last few years keeping that cabin fever away. It's nice to be out and about with not having to be all bundled up for 5 months like them crazy Yankees. The problem is I'm outside more and not in the shop where I should be.

A while back I mentioned the maple from the back yard was all gone. It seems every time you turn around in this yard you find a chunk of wood you forgot was there. The size is 14x9x1.5 and the cost is $50.













What character. You gotta love walnut and how the grain sweeps around each knot like a river flowing around rocks. This would make a great bread serving bowl. It's size is 13x7x2 and the cost $60.














Almost finished this large walnut platter before going to Gary's at 5:30 to keep Holly out of trouble(it's usually the other way around) while he and Wendy went to P.T.C.

Not a whole lot of production going on in the shop lately. Made this pretty maple platter in the morning then the afternoon was mainly spent at a meeting for vendors interested in attending The Market Umbrella's multiple emporium markets for 2009. A few of us have been getting together from time to time. It's exciting to think that in a few months we will all(my family of fellow vendors) be back in the swing of things again and meeting so many great folks at these wonderful events. www.carvedwoodbowls.com will be updated soon with all of the upcoming events. My Queen has been very busy working 3 jobs .Time ruling her kingdom has been sparse. Not to mention that her servant does not know how to upload to the website without screwing it up. One of her jobs is maintaining the website: www.themarketumbrella.com where you will find the times, dates and places of all the awesome markets. Just can't wait to get back out there.

Wish I had more of this stuff. Ryan does have more! About 8 feet(wahoo). Just the right amount of sapwood for a great effect of contrast. The rectangular shape is 16x9x2 for $60. It was a bit of a challenge to figure out the fastest way to create the ! dip and chip bowl. After all 'faster is cheaper' out in the shop here. It took at least 4 hours of processing to finish this one(sounds more like cutting up chicken). A few areas cut out faster using different tools will get the time down to 3 hours.

Yeh, We made it to the top. Arriving about 2. Not a good day for flying a kite, the wind was whipping. What fun Holly had looking around the rocks crawling up and down. All the while Gary freaking out that she would fall and break another bone(children are expensive when they are curious). It was 11 years ago Gary and I with many other friends(church youth group trip) made that hike in May.

It was a relaxing beautiful day yesterday. The only thing made was a single coffee scoop from Ryan's walnut. You can see the sapwood that looks like a full moon.












After church I'll be spending the afternoon over in the mountains with my good friend Gary S and his daughter. If all goes well we will make it to the top of Humpback ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If we don't make it to the top it will still be a gorgeous day.

What a busy night it was at Metro gallery last night. Thanks to all who stopped by to visit and chat. It was such a pleasure to meet and talk to so many nice folks. The question arose a few times about what types and size of wood I'm always looking for. The answer for the most part was anything and any size, but oak. Friends have dropped off logs ready for the fire but caught their eye and felt it would be a shame to go to ashes. The average length for fire wood is 18" to 24" which will be long enough to carve up 14" to 20" long bowls. Even branches 6" in diameter can be carved up into small bowls or spoons. If anyone out there has a chunk of wood they want converted into a bowl or spoon drop me an e-mail.


Here is the walnut with the sapwood perimeter that what was talked about yesterday. The contrast of the rich dark brown heart wood to the creamy light beige band is amazing.






I have to change the password to this blog now. Even though she set it up there only needs to be one side of the story here. There is some truth to what she says. Yes, The head of a carver does consist of sawdust. Yes, she is the queen. Yes, she wants another purse.
Well it looks like I'll be sleeping in the shop for a while(that is if she doesn't sell it first).

Ok it is the QUEEN here.....let me set a few things straight.....I think that the woodcarver might just have tooooo much sawdust up in that brain of his.
About waiting on me hand and foot....he has done the dishes more since I am working now....about that....yes I have gone to work outside the home...but he neglected to say that I never got paid to work at home and not to mention that the starving artist phrase is actually true. Some one needs to bring in the bacon so he can "play" out in his little shop! :) Which if he is going to sell my little doggie, then his little shop is for sale as well!
Sorry to those of you who are here to read about the carver, just having a little fun........maybe I should start my own blog "queen of little doggies and cheap purses!"

Signing off now: wife, queen, lazy lady, traitor, what else has he called me!

The first bowls from the walnut tree on Ryan's mountain property.
Oh boy, this is nice stuff. The center cut slabs are around 12" wide with about 2" of white sap wood. These two(7x7x2) were cut from a 16" long log. The next bowl should be a beauty having a continuous white band around the top perimeter.




This piece is actually a knot from the outer portion of the tree. It was deemed large enough to carve a small bowl from(6x4x1.5). Pieces like this are always a joy to make. The excitement of what the finished product will look like grows with anticipation through the stages of completion.

Just love that cedar! the shop smells great like a fresh sharp #2 pencil. You can't see all the detail involved in the knot. Grain patterns swirling about the center radiating out like a magnetic field. Quite pretty.





Anybody want to buy a $600 chair? No charge for covering with matching fabric and it still needs feet. I have to say it is very comfy. I fell asleep in it for the past 2 nights. Of coarse Roberta has found me sleeping on the floor a few times.

Wow, 2 days to build a chair? What am I thinking.
Roberta found her chair or chaise lounge. It's very palatial and relaxing for her. She's like Queen of the Nile splayed out laying on her side hand feeding her little doggy while I attend her every need. As large as the piece is there isn't any room for her humble servant. So, it's time to make a matching chair. No wood carving here just all straight cuts. Monday morning, figured out what was needed and got materials. After lunch, measured and cut 1/2 plywood (before some precipitation came in getting things colder) and glued/nailed the base with the arm. Yesterday was glue/screw/nail every thing together(interior structural supports) and monkey with setting the springs. It would be nice to have a larger shop to build this thing instead of outside in the carport. Today I'll finish up with feet, set the cushions and cover with batting, then it's up to Roberta to get fabric and cover it. Hoping to be in the shop after lunch and wanting to dive into some walnut but first it will be a cedar platter(16x4x1.5) for Jim.

Finished at least three out of four medium sized hearts from pine. The pine came from scrap pieces left over from a large project done months ago. The wood is actually called sugar pine and grows in northern California, southern Oregon only. It is a soft wood and a pleasure to work. I especially love the aroma that takes me back to my youth carving signs from this stuff.
Come on by Metro Gallery this Friday night the 6th. from 6-11 and visit a spell. First Fridays at Quirk gallery will still be happening so be sure to get your coffee, tie dye, jewelry and bread before going to Metro.