For The Deer Hunters

These are also some projects from a while back. I'm trying to make sure I've got posted all the past projects for future references. My plans are to get that out of the way. Besides trying to find a source for selling my projects straight from the blog, I want to make sure everything is here so I can spend more time in the shop and less online.

The top picture is a Deer Spindle Shelf. It is made entirely of cottonwood. The bottom two pictures are different deer themed Display Rifles. The bottom one is three quarter cottonwood. The top one is one quarter cottonwood attached to half inch mahogany. The both have their own little display stand. They look great on a mantle or shelf.

As usual for now, just contact me if you are interested in buying any of these. There is a contact link in several different places around the site.

Portraits

These are not actually "new" projects. They were done a few months back. I was looking over the site though and noticed that while I have a lot of fretwork posted, there was not many portraits. Portraits are sort of the staple of scrollsawing for so many people that I figured I'd add more to the site. I hope in the near future to sit down and take the time to learn a new trick. Over at scrollsaw village, there is a lesson on making your own patterns using a program called GIMP. There is a link to Scrollsaw Village at the right if you'd like to go check it out yourself. I want to learn this technique so I can turn photographs into scrollsaw patterns. I think that would be just the coolest thing.

Anyway, the portraits you see are all mounted on a piece of stained cottonwood. They are scrolled into birch plywood. I no longer use plywood, but these were cut back before I got my planer. They were framed with a simple shadowbox style. If you've been keeping up with the site, you know that since then, I have been polishing up my mitering skills by making some nicer frames. After getting multiple opinions, I think the mitered frames have won the vote of public opinion. So, in the future, unless requested otherwise, that's the style I'll use.

Butterflies

The last two days have been very time consuming. Here you see my wooden butterflies. The largest one of the sixteen is about eight inches across. The bodies are made of quarter inch cottonwood. The wings are made of eight inch mahogany. There is a wire hook on the back of each of them to hang them up. They are very delicate, just as a butterfly should be. I know two days sounds like a long time for sixteen little butterflies, but these are a lot more time consuming than one may think. If you are interested in making your own though, the plans can be bought at Wildwood Designs.

Please let me know if any of you are interested in purchasing any of these or a set. Also, if needed, I'll be happy to email you individual pictures of each butterfly with the exact dimensions of each.

Bud Vases

It's been a very long week and I haven't been able to get much done. Here is my latest projects though. These are little bud vases. They are made for a single flower. You can get the patterns from Wildwood Designs. They are a little time consuming, but not that difficult. Even a beginner could make them with a little patience. Just contact me if you'd like to purchase any of these. I can also email you some closer individual pictures if you like a particular one.

Chandelier

Here's my latest work. This chandelier is what has kept me offline for several days. This is thirty six inches tall at it's tallest point and twenty four inches wide at it's widest. The dowel rod that it is made of is oak. The angel candle holders are cottonwood. Everything else is mahagony. It is hung on a gold chain that is six foot long so it can be adjusted for different hieght ceilings.

Anyone who wishes to build one of these, the plans can be bought at Wildwood Designs. There is a link at the right. Just go to their catalog and see what all they've got. I only recommend this project though to the experienced or very patient. The plans call for one quarter inch wood throughout. I used half inch for the angels for more stability. Of course, all the other parts have to be adjusted accordingly.

As with all my projects, please contact me if you'd like to purchase one. There's links to email me in several locations throughout this page. Also, I have numerous photos of this project if you'd like to see more. I'd be more than happy to email them to you.

Elegant Candelabra

This is called the "Elegant Candelabra" by the seller of the patter, Wildwood Designs. The plans can be bought at http://www.wildwooddesigns.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1195 . This one is made of mahogany. The candle cups are bought from the local craft store. One day I'll be good enough on the lathe to turn my own. For now though, these do look nice on there. It stands twenty inches tall. As you can see, it has much intricate cutting on it. It actually turned out to be much more time consuming than I expected.

If anyone wants to purchase this one, please don't hesitate to contact me. We will make arrangements. As I posted earlier, I am in the process of setting up payment options on this site. I will not be listing my items any longer on the Etsy site.

Changes In The Works

At the right, you may have notice in the past the links section. In that section, and sometimes in my posts, you can also find exact locations where anyone can get the patterns to build the projects I feature on the site. If any of you have ever clicked on one of these links, then you may also notice what some of these patterns cost. Just at this time, I have probably at least a thousand dollars invested in patterns. I had a conversation about this a few days ago with a reader. I was asked how they could help simply because they liked my work. So the idea was born for the donate button. You will now find this button at the right too. Any money donated will go to patterns or saved for maybe an eventual better web site.

In the near futre, there will be another button placed to the right to buy my projects. As I stated in an earlier post, I am trying to move away from an outside site and start selling directly from here. In the meantime, however, if anyone would like to buy anything I have written about on this blog, and do not wish to go through Wooden Memories at the Etsy site, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yes, there is a link at the right to do that too. I will be glad to get back with you with a price plus shipping. Then, for now, you could just pay using the donate button. I do hope in the near future that this will simplfy a few things. Then maybe I could spend more time in the shop and not online.

Let There Be Lights

Things have been slow lately. I've been having various health and personal issues. I cut every chance I can though. This is my latest work. It's called the "King's Candlestick". It came from another pattern from Wildwood Designs. It is made from solid aromatic cedar. The exception is the five candle cups. I'm not quite good enough on my lathe yet to create those, so they were bought at the craft store. I'm not sure of the wood species on them.

In the coming weeks you may notice a few changes here and there on my site. I'm going to try and redesign everything to sell my projects straight from this site. I've heard several complaints about the Etsy site. While I do recommend Etsy to any and all craftsman, I just think a better route for me will be selling direct.

Also, I still am getting no comments. I welcome all criticism, suggestions, or compliments. My work can only get better from feedback. Below every post is a the word "comment". Click on it and you can leave comments for me to read. You do not have to have a blogspot account to leave one.

Mythical Creatures

It has been a rough couple of weeks. I haven't gotten a whole lot of cutting done. Here are my latest works though. Both are eleven by fourteen portraits. The patterns come from Wildwood Designs. You can find the link to that company in my links section if you'd like to cut these yourself. Both are cut into cottonwood that has been planed to a quarter inch. The backer is an eighth inch sheet of cottonwood that has been colored with ebony stain by Minwax. The frame is mahogany.

These were actually the first mitered frames I've made in years. I wanted to give them a more special touch. These two are going to my wife for Mother's Day. I am not listing these at this time on the Etsy site simply because I have no more cut right now. If anyone would like to buy one though, please contact me. I can always cut some more. As for that matter, anything you see on this site can be ordered. Simply contact via the email link at the right side and bottom of the site page. I do not post my phone number here for security reasons. You can email me your phone number though or a request for mine and we can make arrangements for your purchases.