9/23/2014

I have been learning how to handcarve spoons.

 Remember that I am self taught, and I am learning all of this by trial and error. 

I have to figure out which tools work best for me, still working on that one, and of course I do have a few cuts on my hands.

 But here's the first one.  Remember I had to figure out if I could even this, if I was even physically strong enough to do it so keep watching.

I started with a cheap piece of pine from Michael's hobby store… Here's the first one, before I decorated it.

Here is the final product. 

It's very narrow as I had absolutely no control over my cuts or the wood.  So this one just one turned out to be more like something you would use to spread butter with.  It's very narrow I use it for my coffee in the morning.

Then I went for number two, I had two pieces of wood you see it came in a pack with two. That's when I decided to use my power tools. Nothing extravagant, just an electric sander mostly. and I used my Dremmel to cut some of the excess wood away.

It looks a lot like something you could buy at the dollar store, and I understand that. And I also understand that no one's going to pay me money for something that just looks like they could buy it at the dollar store. 

But remember these are practice pieces. This one is more like a paddle, I haven't decorated it yet either.  I've only oiled so far.  It is smooth as a babies behind.

Then I went out and picked up a tree limb.  Juniper / Cedar of course.

This place has the bark removed or use the max. And then I split it down the middle.  I wish I had taken more pictures just bear with me will get there.

CHECK this bad boy out!!!

It is small I know, but again I don't have a lot of control over my wood yet. Things split and splinter off so I have to work with what happens. This one reminds me of a sugar scoop.

I absolutely love this thing. I oiled it with lemon oil, that's all I had on hand at this point.

 I'm not sure what kind of finish I want to put on them.  I may use Tung oil, (it is food safe),  but I can't use that on Cedar because it won't harden. 

If you do it the all-natural way I guess mineral oil would be my best bet because even if the oil melts into whatever you're eating or cooking won't taste like lemon.

I love it I love it I love it.

9/19/2014

Here we have number two of five bracelets that I have been commissioned to do custom!  This one is done with the rust colored thread and a rust colored cat's-eye.

9/18/14

How about a purple on purple catcher with amethyst stones?

I love Juniper wood.

I treated myself to an easel for my birthday gift to myself and I used it today.  

I'm feeling like fall is in the air let me know what you think. This one is charcoal and graphite.

Not bad for my first attempt if I do say so myself.  I love pumpkins.

9/16/2014

This shape always reminds me of a canoe. It is exactly 2 inches deep, a little taller than most of the ones I usually make.

I was going for pink and Brown, but this is the fourth roll of this thread that I bought that I thought was pink.  Turns out to be more like purple once it is off of the roll, fortunately lots of people like purple, and of course we all know how I love the diamond stitch.

And my favorite Cedar!

9/10/14

This is my absolute first completed charcoal drawing.  Usually I get frustrated and they end up in the garbage. This time I just kept going.

I saw an acrylic painting tutorial on YouTube with this Gerber Daisy and so I thought I'd give it a shot with charcoal.

I'm about halfway through in this picture.

Then I darkened it up a bit and tried to do the center of the flower…

The center of the flower got a little muddy looking, and it took me a while to figure out how to make it look right.  I couldn't seem to get the strokes so I did random strokes/dots, kind a like stippling.

I'm calling it done.  

There are some things I wish I had done differently, but I think it looks enough like a flower.  And the mess was kept at a minimum from the charcoal!!! I learned a lot and that was the main goal.

i'm also working on a basket for my friends baby shower, this one is pink and brown.

Busy, busy, busy, art doesn't make itself !!!  So I got to go!  Talk to you soon.

9/08/2014

I found waxed linen in this beautiful Garnet/burgundy color. 

It is absolutely beautiful with this wood on this basket.

 I was actually going for Garnet and Gold because of the Florida Seminoles team out of Tallahassee Florida. But I don't think it screams football I think it is just plain elegant.

Let me know how you feel about it.

Then I warped up my tapestry loom. I have to tell you that it is absolutely wonderful that all I need to do every time I want to change the length of my project/warp is adjust the different components to the loom.  

I decided I did not want to take my antique stool to the market anymore and the only other stool I had was much shorter to the ground. So I rearranged my boards and my threaded rod and now it's perfect for sitting at the market!!!  I don't have to worry about the weather ruining anything and it's very sturdy and very very infinitely adjustable this is so awesome if I do say so myself!

I finally figured out how to translate my favorite backstrap/warp face weaving onto a frame loom. It's just so much easier for me I love it!  Even more proud that I did it myself.  It is just the coolest feeling to say I wove it and I even wov it on a loom I built myself!

And can you believe it I went with yarn Artie had I didn't want to go to the store and I guess the purple just one out. It is pretty though.

It reminds me of Mardi Gras.

And already started a new basket today for a friend of mine is having a baby it's going to be pink and brown it's got beautiful work to check it out...

I'm never done a pink basket before, so I'm looking forward to it, it should be cute.

9/05/2014

How about a little Jaguar happiness!!!  A little Jaguar key catcher.  Black, teal and gold.

GO JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS!!! 

The middle part of the wood even kind a looks like the profile of a jaguar.

I am not even a football fan but I do like the key catchers, this is cute I hope you like it as well as I do.

9/04/2014

Lots of art this week.

This one was definitely a learning curve. Found some mistakes once it was off the loom. But I learned a whole lot for next time.

More Florida gators blue and orange…

They're all starting to look alike.

And here's a little practice peace with graphite pencils.  I also used a carbon pencil, and eraser of course.  I'm happy with the way this one turned out.

9/01/2014

Have you ever seen a Pineneedle bracelet before?  And who doesn't like purple?

This one is the commission piece but I think there might be more very similar to it on the way...

9/01/2014

How about a cute little purple jewelry hanger!!!

Or maybe a spot for your keys...