2011 Carving Year in Review

Hard to believe that another year is working its way into the history books.  It has been an interesting year in many ways but my purpose today is to look back at my carvings for 2011.  This has been the year when I returned to carving and have begun to refine my skills.  I had tinkered with carving back in the early nineties but never had the time to devote to it.  The tools sat in a box and I pondered getting rid of them many times.  Mostly when it was time to move and we moved several times between 1996 and 2002.  For some reason I did not and it has turned out to be a happy turn of events.

Here is a generous cross section of my projects in 2011.

This Santa is made from a wooden spool and has had some jingle bells added.

Santa ornament carved from a wooden egg.

Santa carved from an antique loom spool.  These were used for weaving fabric.

Here is a whole group of Santa ornaments being finished.

Here is another group.

 How about a hillbilly Santa.

Everyone needs a Santa Spoon.

Yep, More Santas.

Cat Ornament.  (Blaze - Laughing Cat)

Santa Spoon with a twist.

Santa Spoon yet another version

Old world version (This is one the few of my carvings that is not my pattern).

Happy Santa

I do carve things other than Santas, here are a couple of angels.

Here is a cross I carved for a gift.

More to come look for part two of this post in the next few days.

Keep carving.

Bruce

New Life For A Tree Branch

Sorry for the lack of posts for the last few months.  I have been helping an old friend remodel her house.  However now with the summer well upon us and the heat mostly unbearable in the afternoons I have again begun retreating to my craft room.  The following is one of several posts in the next few days.

While I enjoy carving in general (truth be know making just about anything in general).  I seem to be happiest if I am re purposing some item that would otherwise head to the land fill.  Recently it was a branch from our Catalpa tree.  It had an interesting shape and seemed to be calling out to become a walking stick.

I have never attempted to carve catalpa before.  It is not a commercially viable wood to my knowledge.  It did put up a bit of a fight but after changing the profile (sharpening) of my knives it seemed to work OK.  I decided it would make an interesting Santa Cane.

The wood is actually pretty well suited to a walking stick.  It has a nice resilience and it is pretty light weight.  At just over 36 inches this is most suited to walkers rather than hikers.  I have a Bradford Pear limb and a Bald Cypress limb that will me my next victims in the walking stick category.

More to come.

Bruce