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…

10/10/2014

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