Happy Halloween!

How about another little bracelet. This one is black and smaller than the others size wise…

And a carving.  

This one started out to be a spoon, and the wood informed me that was not what it wanted to be.  So I adjusted accordingly. 

And then I kind of thought it might be a Kuksa (think Viking drinking cup.  Kind of like a coffee cup combined with the super bowl that has a handle), only it's a little too small for that, so again I listen to the word and it became a scoop.

It only holds 1/3 cup of liquid. So maybe that could be used for coffee scoop, or sugar scoop, or maybe even flour.

10/27/2014

Blue!

10/27/2014

I'm really happy with the way this bracelet turned out I love the cost part talks, kind of like an infinity design. Just kind of taking it and running with it.

And of course a little basket too.

10/24/2014

Very very interesting article I found this online and actually I forgot to get the URL so I could get credit please forgive me I believe this is scientific fact…

Juniper = common name for a genus of plants, comprising about 50 species of evergreen shrubs and trees native to the northern hemisphere. Junipers, which are conifers in the cypress family, produce their seeds in red or purple berrylike fruits. These are actually cones, similar in structure to pine cones. The leaves are usually needlelike on young plants and scalelike on older plants. About 15 species occur in North America.

Eastern red cedar, actually a juniper, is the most widely distributed conifer in the eastern United States. Its wood contains an oil that deters moths and is often used to line chests. The wood has also been used for making wooden pencils. Rocky mountain juniper is a closely related western species, although its multibranched stems make its wood less valuable. The common juniper is the only species that occurs in both North America and Eurasia. Unlike most junipers, it produces only needlelike leaves. This usually bushy species grows on poor soils and is of little economic importance. Many junipers—

And I have another student success check it out it's 13 inches long made of the juniper tree limb.

I think I do need to try some other kinds of wood they're all starting to look pretty much alike…

10/23/2014

New carvings!

10/20/2014

The wooden I played nice for the most part today. I did try and experiment carving against the grain and cracked it but that's okay… I still got four pieces completed.

Two little bowls and two necklaces.  I had in mind salt cellars when I made the bowls and of course the necklaces speak for themselves.

The bowl's could also be used as ring bowls on your sink.   That way you don't get your jewelry in the dish water.  I like to put my earrings and a little ball like this at the end of the day you decide.

I don't know why, but I really like the round hole against the more square edges.   I'm not real fixated on the bowl part being dead center either.  

I really don't want them to look like they were machine made and sold on the shelf at Walmart.  I want each piece to have its own character and personality.

10/17/2014

Nothing but epic fails with the woodwork this week… cracks, cracks and more cracks.

Good thing I'm still good at making Pineneedle baskets. It was horrible

Two bowls and one spoon.

10/15/2014

Here is my newest Pineneedle bracelet. 

This is number three of the five that I have to do for a client. They will be Christmas gifts.  Usually I know why making these things for, in this case I do not. Makes it a little harder to try and think of something a little different for each one that each lady may like.

I like the infinity symbol in this one and blue and brown is a very popular combination let me know what you think…

10/10/2014

Wow!  it's Friday already.  Where did the week go?

I thought that I would give you some pictures of the process of my carving so we will begin with step one.  Go out into the forest and find tree limb.  

I use a lot of Juniper,  it's everywhere you look in Florida,or in Northeast Florida at least.   And often I can get it were people trow it out in their yard trash.

In this case my friend Kurtis and I went out into the woods and found a tree and just took one branch. I like to harvest responsibly and not damage the plants.

Then I start chipping away, sort of like this…

Then we start doing a little work with the Dremel tool and sander.  Of course I've been wearing my gloves the whole process even though you can't see him in these photos. I nearly cut off my pinky finger with the curved gouge last week, so I've learned a lot since I started this a month or so ago.

See how pale it looks, kind pink beautiful but pale.  That's because it has not been oiled yet.

Here is a shot of the bottom, I even left some of the park on this one. I really love the rustic look.

Then I submerged it in a bucket of orange oil, lemon oil, and beeswax. Once it soaks for a little while, I then put it in the sun.  That way it gets warm, which opens up the pores in the wood and lets the oil go deeper inside the wooden, not just sit on the top of the work.

And here you see the magic of oiling your wood.

It measures 7 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch deep. I am so in love with this little bowl Cedar is just so awesome.  

Then I thought I'd try something that's been in the back of my mind for a very long time.  

I had some cedar that have been cut some while back that was too thin for using with baskets.  So I decided to sand it up, cut it up, and try and make a necklace… Here it is. I may even keep this one for myself.

I stacked the two pieces of Cedar and I just love this thing. 

All of these pieces will be for sale tomorrow at the market, that would be the St. Augustine Old City market at the amphitheater on Anastasia Island.  Believe it or not I haven't touched a basket since last Saturday. I should probably get back to that…

10/07/2014

A friend of mine decided to gift me the labor for building me a workstation to do my wood carving. Knowing it would make me a lot more efficient and safe I was really glad to have this done for me. 

We did it yesterday and I can't tell you how awesome it is!!!  The only thing we spent money on was a box of screws, all the lumber I already had on sight.  Basically he took scraps/pigs ear and turned it into a silk purse!!! I am so excited.

See how we screwed the vice into the Cedar stump that my neighbor drug over to the house for me with his pick up. He even trimmed it for me so it would be the right height. This has definitely been a group effort.  If you look really close you can even see what used to be a sawhorse that we cannibalized for the table legs!  I have my own work bench specific to my height. Power cord mounted on the bench, fan, everything I need all within reach sooooo cool.

And this morning I used it!!!  Look what I did...

And I have no cuts on my hands. Or at least no new cuts from today anyway. I am still healing my pinky finger from the last major disaster.

Now I have all my tools and a workstation.   We're going to take a day and go out into the forest and cut me some more limbs.  

But for now I still have a couple of pieces to play with.  

So that's where you'll find me, either sitting in the yard carving a spoon or maybe a bowl, or maybe even doing to Pineneedle basket!  Ttyl

10/05/2014

I'm still on the search for another art form that will help me add numbers/stock to my table at the farmers market.  I need something that will go a little faster then the basket work. 

Here's what I've got so far…

Here is the first successful spoon.  Amazingly enough the first three pieces I carved sold as soon as they were seen.  I didn't even have prices in mind yet so I'm very happy about that.

Do keep in mind, that I have no one teaching me. No one showing me. I am having to learn about the tools, how to use the tools, what works for me, and what doesn't work for me all on my own.

I was prepared for the fact that carving tools are sharp I was not prepared for the fact that they are razor blade sharp I've had to learn some very hard lessons along the way…this was the worst one, it was so deep it bled for hours I probably should've gotten a couple of stitches but I was too possessed by the spoons. I could not make myself stop working until the blood was actually dropping off my elbow so here's what came of all of those processes…

Spoon number one.  More like a spreader primitive but effective definitely not to be sold.

This one like the other one looks too much like you could buy it at the dollar store but keep in mind I was simply learning about the wood with whatever Cheatwood I could find.

Now for the first one that I truly consider a success. This was a tree limb when I started cut from a Junipertree just that morning.

I so impressed myself without little spoon that I decided to work on the other half of the branch. Here's what I got from it.  This one has a very long handle meant more for cooking than eating. 

But the bowls a little small, so onto the next one.

Keep in mind there were some epic fails along the way.

And another…so I decided to do a spreader instead. That's what the curved flat piece is. Great for icing cakes or spreading butter or mixing bad or it sold immediately. I think I like that place I would've kept it and used it myself I will do some more spreaders

Then I thought I'd try a little bowl. I wasn't entirely happy with it but I was still learning how to use my tolls. The one in the bottom was a little too thick but I didn't want to go all the way through either here's what I got.

I was thinking of a tiny little bowl for maybe laying your rings in on your kitchen sink while you did your dishes. I like it.

Here is a picture of it after I oiled it up.

Now for the best one that I've done so far, hold onto your hat's cause I like it a lot I hope you do too.

And now here it is all oiled up with lemon oil  and beeswax,  A piece of leather in the handle, and tag for sale.  

I just love these things and I'm so excited to be learning how to make them. I even have a friend coming over on Monday to help build me a workbench.  Kind of a birthday present.  I am so excited let's just hope I can keep from cut my fingers off.

I have done a couple of baskets mostly commission work but trying to get my station set up for the wood carving has been pretty all-consuming I am in the little pink and brown basket for my friend Alyssas baby I just forgot to take pictures for anyone knew looking at the site to keep in mind that I do ship, I do have a eBay, and I do custom work at no additional charge please feel free to contact me anytime the information is here on the blog And I am on Facebook under earthbaskets, my email is earthbaskets@gmail.com contact me anytime till next time have a great weekend!!!