The edge of the "blizzard of the year" hit us - we got about 8 inches of snow. Enough to close school for the kids along with some local businesses. Me - I get to head to the basement and do some sanding. :) I'm working on a lion carousel animal - will get some pictures of what I've done today.

Wood INLAY VS. INTARSIA

Wood Inlay:
Pieces of wood the same thickness are specially cut to shape so they fit together in a design without gaps. The pieces are sanded flat, giving a mosaic-like effect.

Wood Intarsia:
Pieces of wood are cut to shape so that they fit together without gaps. The pieces are shaped and carved to give dimension to the picture, and usually attached to a backer board.

Generally, no dyes or paints are used to add color. The designs rely on the natural grain and colors of the different wood species

Went to the Merry Go Round Museum in Sandusky Ohio as part of our Spring Break vacation. Lots of information as well as old and new carousel animals. The building was a Post Office originally - the only round Post Office that was built.

Did you know there is still a place in the US that hand carves wooden carousel animals? Carousel Works is about 45 minutes south of Sandusky. Saw some of their new ones that are slated for a carousel in New York after being displayed at the museum.

These Cows are actually the same shape - The one in the back has it's original paint. The one in the front has been refinished. Not sure if the camera shows it, but the saddle blanket is material - looks like velvet to me?

Can you tell what is different with this carousel animal?

The Carousel horse wood intarsia is 99.9% complete!! The pictures show it on an oak plywood. I was origionally going to cut an oval from this, and mount the horse on it. But I am thinking that it blends in too much. So I will be getting a piece of birch plywood - a lighter colored piece of wood.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong to get the photos on the wrong way - sorry about that!

I've got most of the horse cut out now. I've started some of the shaping and sanding. I need to get some darker wood to use for the hooves and saddle.

T

It's a sad day.....

Someone went out last night and cut the shoe treee down! I'm not sure why it was there, or what the significance was, but I always enjoyed driving by the tree just outside of St. Helen.

I would wonder who would throw their shoes up there, how it got started, and how did they get the shoes up so high?!

DH came home today and said he had been talking to a logger who's working in that area - the tree was there last night, but cut down this morning on his way into work.

I took these pictures about a year ago - I'm glad I did.

After a few more days of work this is how far I've gotten. I need to figure out what black colored wood to use for some of the pieces (hooves, saddle, gem?).

I'll be training as a Census Worker the rest of this week, so won't get back to the woodshop until next weekend.

T

I made it to the wood store last week and purchased the birds eye maple I needed for my Carousel horse intarsia. I also picked up a few other boards of wood while there -

So I worked on the horse head this week. It was taking about an hour to cut and fit 3 pieces of wood. I still have to work on the fit of some of the pieces, and will have to re-cut at least one piece. But this gives you an idea of how it's going to look!

I still haven't figured out what color to make the "gem" on it's chest, or the saddle seat.

Here fishy fishy fishy.....

:) A couple of Whimsical Fish designed by L. Kim Braa and published in the Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts magazine.
I took a break from woodworking and made these up. They look real easy, but I'll tell you - getting all of the little dots to be (almost) the same size is tough! And I found that the correct tools help a lot - I made the carved lines too large in the first one I did - which is why you get to see 2!!

They were fun to make and a nice break from the woodworking. I have another one that I designed ready to start dotting -
T

Process and Progress

I'm not sure how many know how I do the woodworking that I do -

I use a Scroll Saw to cut the wood. First, I'll put the pattern onto the wood, then cut each section out.

When there are a lot of small pieces, I'll number the pattern, then the bottom of each section once they are cut out. You can see where I've started shaping the individual pieces.

Here's the wood types I'ld like to finish the horse with. Birdseye Maple, Bloodwood, Yellow wood, and Purple heart. In order to do that, I need to go to the wood store! and that's where the website Kickstarter.com comes in! You can see my proposal in the side-bar. Feel free to check it out and if you have any questions, drop me a note or leave a comment!

Theresa

Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts - 2009 Best Project Design Contest Voting

Here's the contest!! Feel free to VOTE - Make sure you go through ALL of the voting Sections - and at the end you will have a chance to VOTE for your OVERALL FAVORITE design.

Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts - 2009 Best Project Design Contest Voting

Kickstarting my Project

While unmotivated to start a new project, I started looking at ways to get it funded. I want to make the Carousel Horse look good, and to do that I want some good wood, not just the cut-offs that I get by chance at the wood store. But with the boards I want running $150 plus, I knew I couldn't justify taking it out of the budget. Well, after looking at many grant sites, I stumbled across http://www.miraslist.blogspot.com/ where she had information on the Kistarter website. After reading all about it, and signing up, I was able to get a project listed!!

Here's my link - please read it and pass it along.... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/679980603/carousel-horse-intarsia-project

Thanks especially to my Backers in Michigan and Argentina and California!

At the same time I was designing the Carousel horse fretwork, I also drew up a design of a full Carousel horse to cut using the intarsia method. I’ve had the pattern for months, got copies made of the pattern, and am ready to go! Have been ready to go for months! I just can’t seem to make that first cut and I’m not sure why.
Fear of failure? It would be the largest intarsia I’ve done, but I’ve done some difficult ones already.
Has anyone else run into this? Afraid to start a project that they want to do? What have you done to actually start?

So, it's been a LONG time since I've updated this. What's been happening?

This fall (September through the end of November) I worked on the Roscommon County Gypsy Moth Survey crew. We went through the county looking for Gypsy Moth egg masses on homes, golf courses, parks, etc. Unfortunately, it looks like their population is on the rise. Fortunately, the county has a spray program and a lot of the county will get sprayed this Spring.

As soon as that was over, I had to get ready for a Craft Show here in town. Had another successful show - so much so that I decided I need to start earlier this year and maybe get to a couple more next fall/winter. Christmas followed... and the New Year.

Here's a design I made last fall from one of the pictures of the Carousel horses I took at the Grand Rapids Museum.

My latest woodworking - Design by Kathy Wise. I cut, sanded, and put them together. Magnets for your fridge!

I'm working on some votive candle holders - they will be the centerpieces at the Zonta luncheon/jewelry raffle being held this weekend. Will get pictures when done and post then.

Artfire Crazy Train - http://www.fayefarms.artfire.com/

100% Coconut Oil Soap - Chai Tea from FayeFarms - doesn't this look great? I've enjoyed using some of the hand made soaps purchased off of Etsy and Artfire this summer. Sure they cost a little more than what I can find in the stores, but I like the handmade soap better.

Theresa

A little information on Faye Farms:

Studio Announcement:
Welcome to the Faye Farms Soap shop! Every bar of Faye Farms soap is made with wholesome milk from our dairy herd of Ayrshire cows as well as lard or tallow from our naturally raised livestock. All of our soaps are made from scratch using only the highest quality ingredients. We also like to use a variety of vegetable oils and butters to make a beautifully balanced bar of soap with lots of lather.

Enjoy my (Faye Farms) 100% coconut oil soap which gives you mountains of skin loving lather. This soap is scented with Chai Tea, which is such a comfort scent. Just settle on in with top notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by a body of fresh green tea and then topped off with the aroma of creamy milk. Mmmmm

Noveena on artfire: http://www.noveena.artfire.com/ does some wonderful beedwork. I can't imagine the amount of time it must take her to make some of her items. I love the color of these earrings:

Went to Traverse City during the big Film Fest. Didn't see any films, but the gallery there had my daughter's pictures in their front window! They aren't easy to see with the reflections on the glass - but they are the pictures of the masks.

On another front, I have been remiss in posting the Artfire Train participant's items - there is a group on Artfire who are promoting others' shops and items. Today AJewelGift ( http://www.ajewelgift.artfire.com/ ) is being promoted. These are her Christmas Glass disk earrings - They look like little peppermint candies!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

We spent the day at my folks. Built them a raised bed flower garden in their front yard. Forgot to get pictures - will have to next time I'm there.

What else have I been up to? Got a few more listings on Artfire and Etsy. Both sites are having "Christmas in July" promotions - do a search for either "Christmas in July" or CIJ to see what everyone is offering. I've got my patterns ( http://www.talloakscreations.artfire.com/ ) for $5 each

And I'm reducing my Christmas ornaments at both http://www.woodngoods.artfire.com/ and http://www.woodngoods.etsy.com/ .

Tweedle Dee intarsia version is completed! I even managed to get him listed on both sites! :)

And I found out that my Draft Horse intarsia piece was featured on the site HandMade News. Here's the link to the article: http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1965

I got an email the other day. EW had picked up a copy of the magazine I had the penguin ornament published in. She's a sewer, and last Christmas gave all hand made gifts. She sent me a picture of the Penguin she made using my scroll saw pattern! I think her's is cuter than mine! lol