WoodNVisions

Son, Daughter-in-Law, Grandchildren

2009-06-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

My son is coming for a visit. Haven't seen him in 6 years. He is bringing his wife(have never met her), and 4 granchildren. I am so excited! I haven't seen my granddaughter for 6 years either, my grandson since he was 2, he is now 15. I get to meet my 2 new grandchildren as well. They will be staying for a week. Now to find things for 4 teenagers to do! Will be taking lots of photos, just in case it is a long time again before I see them.

Chainmaille

2009-06-08T09:30:00.001-07:00

As you know I have been trying to teach myself the art of chainmaille. I finally learned a new weave that I have tried and tried to do, it finally clicked.

I found a local place here in our town to display and hopefully sell some of my chainmaille and a few of hubby's earrings he has made. She ended up liking the display stand hubby and I made and wants us to also make some for her shop and some to sell. We will be doing a craft fair that she puts on too.

We are excited about it, was tired of making so much for free! It gets your work out there though, now I have a place for people who are interested in purchasing a piece can go.

Mustang

2009-05-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

We ended up having to give our daughter the mustang for her birthday instead of graduation. She got to drive it home. She loves it and is looking forward to helping restore it. She is used to power everything so it was quite a task to not have anything electric, especially the steering. She did great though! Of course mom was following right behind her!

First things we have to do is replace the radiator, then change the shifter due to the shifter in it isn't the original. It is hard to shift right now.

I guess it helps a lot when your husband is mechanical and also can do the electrical work too.

Mother's Day Diabetic Bracelet

2009-05-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Decided at 5am this morning today to make a friend another Diabetic chainmaille bracelet for Mother's Day. She has grown boys but I don't think they are in a position to be able to get her anything for her special day. She is one of those people like me who do for others, not ourselves.

This will be the 4th one I have made her. Didn't really care for the 2 of them that I had made out of split rings so they would hold up better.

"67" Mustang

2009-05-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

From the time I was a teenager I always dreamed of owning a 65/67 Mustang, didn't matter what year it was, I just wanted one. Sad to say that was a dream that never came to light for me.

Fast forward 30+ years, I finally own one! Not for me though, for our daughter. Just being able to restore one to it's original beauty and being able to present it to our daughter for graduation next year fulfills my dream of actually owning one.

It actually needs a lot more work done to it then we originally thought it would but that will be the fun of restoring it.

We have been ordering parts books, internet surfing and finding the original reproduction parts we will need.

I will be blogging about it as we go, so stay tuned!

Not a very good photo, came from my cell!

Gift for a Friend

2009-04-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just bought this tote bag from http://www.HautTotes.com. Can't wait to get it and to present it to my friend. She works in a casino so quite a few people will see it. Being diabetic she has to take sugar-free snacks with her to work and has been carrying them in a plastic sack so I thought a new tote would be a great Birthday present for her.

Update:

Received the tote bag, plus the cosmetic bag and they are beautiful. So if you are ever in need of a tote bag be sure to check out HautTotes shop on Etsy.

Another Etsy Supply Let Down

2009-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

We have been ordering some of our jewelry supplies off of Etsy. I am beginning to think the sellers of supplies do no quality control when shipping out their items, if they were we wouldn't be receiving the crap that we have been. Take a look at the photo and see what we got for Vintaj charms, one isn't even antiqued, it is still in brass form. Now tell me, how are we suppose to make a beautiful pair of earrings out of mismatched metals! I sure wouldn't buy them if they looked like that!

We could understand if it was just 1 order that was messed up but it has been numerous orders that have been crap. Come on supply sellers, take pride in what you sell and do some much needed quality control.

Now we aren't saying every supply seller on Etsy sells crap, we just haven't found the ones that don't.

We have received some beautiful items and that tells me that, that seller takes pride in their items and wants their customers to get what they paid for without having to go through the hassle of having to send them back and wait for the returns.

Track Star

2009-04-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

Relay

Long Jump

Our daughter decided to try out for track this year. So every weekend we are off to another town to watch her. It was rough the first few weeks as they got ready for their first meet. She wasn't doing very well at the beginning but now has really improved and I think by the time she gets to the end of the season she will be a track star!

Mistaggers on Etsy

2009-03-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

The mistaggers on Etsy are really making it hard to even look for items on there. Put chainmaille in the search, half of the stuff isn't chainmaille just some item that has a chain! Suppliers that tag their items with every possible use. Tagging an item with the background color just to make it to the front page. Putting more than 1 tag in a line like blue, red, silver, not like sterling silver which is allowed, just so you can have more tags.

I just went and checked out a seller that was mistagging so bad it caused me to stop searching on Etsy for our supplies, well content team has finally made her clean up part of her tags but not all of them! Well that's a relieve, now maybe I can search and not have her items show up in every search I do!

Etsy needs to hire more employees for the content team and start cleaning up the mess with the tags or they are going to lose a lot of buyers due to they don't want to have to sort through all the items that have nothing to do with what they searched for.

I am sure like me, shoppers won't buy from somebody who does a lot of mistagging, so wouldn't you think it would be better to abide by the rules and in the long run sell more!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chainmaille

2009-01-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

Another post about the learning of the art of chainmaille! It's a lot harder than one would think when deciding to finally begin doing it! Like I said before I have learned Byzantine, Helm, Boxchain, Aura, and a few others. I still to this day can't figure out how to do half persian 3-1, I am unable to hold the rings the right way to get it started, very frustrating! I have however finally thanks to BeadandButton magazine figured out how to do Full Persian, still having a few problems getting my rings right but now atleast know the way it all goes together, so in other words practice, practice, practice.

I have been using colored copper wire to do all of my chainmaille but want to start making lighter weight items using anodized aluminum. Want to make a necklace for a diabetic friend but need it to be lighter for her, have already made her 3 different bracelets so she can change them out when she tires of one.

I have made a lot of bracelets, bookmarks for the employees of a casino here and they all just love them. Others are now wanting them, so looks like I will be busy!

Making my sister a boxchain in black and yellow for her favorite team, The Steelers.

Well back to figuring out what other weaves I can figure out!

New Family Member

2008-12-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Our daughter got a new puppy. Her name is Malibu, she is Chihuahua/Pomeranian. So far most of the cats get along with her but a few are, get away from me or else! She never walks, always running or hopping around, a little ball of energy. She loves the snow and can't figure out why there are so many more cats outside!

Your Pets

2008-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Somebody brought up a problem they were having with their pet in the forums. Got me to thinking, if your pet is having problems and you have done everything imaginable to figure out how to stop this problem but the problem still exists, do you then get rid of said pet and by doing so pass their problems onto somebody else or do you just learn to live with it?

Myself, when I bring a pet into my home it is for life! We have had the same problems but have learned to deal with it. We have removed all carpeting, we actually use wrought iron furniture(cats can't destroy it), and we have had all pets fixed (solved a lot of problems). We love our animals and even though through the years they have destroyed numerous things, I could never just say the heck with it, out you go.

I agree some animals just don't fit into certain homes and they become stressed, which in the long run is the root of their problem.

We are dealing with a problem with most of our cats right now, has cost us a lot of money so far and the problem still isn't over with yet. People will tell me to just throw them outside, I don't think so, I will just deal with the problem because some way some how there will be a solution to it.

People ask us how do you live with so many cats, we just tell them we have adapted our lifestyle to include them. My brother visited this summer and when he got home he called my mother to tell her my cats rule my household. I have to agree!

I guess I look at it as if my child was having a problem that I couldn't fix, would I just throw them away or would I just learn to live with it. I would learn to live with it and believe me I have! Teenagers!

Our New Crafts

2008-11-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Here is just a few photos of some of the items we are starting to make. We will eventually get back to the woodworking but for now, jewelry and chainmaille!

Rant!

2008-10-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

One isn't suppose to bring up Etsy transactions in the forums so I am doing my ranting here!

I am usually not a complainer, when I receive something that isn't up to my standards but feel with a little work I can get it to work especially if the cost wasn't that high, I will go ahead and keep it. I will though let the person I bought it from know that their product wasn't up to the standards their description made it out to be. When I say I don't want a refund that I will work with the items that is exactly what I mean!

If you describe your items to a T, you won't have to say to yourself, if I don't refund I might get a bad feedback.

Please don't use the excuse, that was the way I received them from my supplier. If that was the case, I would be sending them back for a refund and finding myself a new supplier to deal with! If you knew they were bad in the first place they should of never been listed and sold!

One should be able to use their purchase the minute they open their package, one should not have to let the seller know their item/items were not as described and now they have to search once again and pray this time they get a product they can use right away.

Yes, you refunded my money, even though I didn't ask you to, but you also wasted my time!

We are starting to learn new crafts and thought it would be great to get our supplies off of Etsy, well so far that isn't going too well. Now don't get me wrong we have gotten some beautiful supplies and have been pleased with those items. I know, don't let one or two bad apples spoil it for the rest! We have ordered once again and so far the seller has been great, here's hoping the products are too!

Hubby said the heck with it, let's go to Ebay, if the supplies from Etsy keep being bad that is exactly what we will be doing!

So Etsy suppliers out there, please make sure your product will be usable when your buyer receives it!

Rant Over!

New Craft

2008-10-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I are trying to learn some new crafts. I am attempting chainmaille and he is doing wire wrapping/jewelry. So far I have learned the Byzantine, European 4-1, Helm, Shaggy loops. A few of the weaves look so easy but when trying to learn them I just can't figure them out, for instance the Half Persian 3-1 is driving me crazy, for some reason my mind won't grasp what I need to do and of course my fingers just don't know how to hold it to get it to work! I have looked at several different tutorials and nope, can't do it even will all that help! I will get it eventually, the Helm took me awhile to figure out, but I did it!

Another is the Scherzo but I think my problem there is I don't have the right size rings. I have some ordered but of course they are on backorder!

My very first pair of chainmaille earrings I made I gave to my daughter. She wore them to work one night and a fellow co-worker asked her where she got them, she told her my mom made them, well she ended up making a sale for me and I delivered the co-worker's earrings to her the next day!

I am truly amazed with people who can do this form of art.

Hubby is doing great with his jewelry making. He always asks our daughter if the things he makes looks alright. She is honest with him and tells him what if anything he needs to change.

We both have a lot to learn in doing all of this, especially mm sizes. Don't know if we will open another store and start selling or not. We plan on seeing what happens at a craft fair we will be doing nearer to Christmas.

Will post some photos of things we have made as soon as I can get some.

Back from Vegas

2008-09-18T07:16:00.001-07:00

Made it back from Vegas. We stayed at Treasure Island. I will take my small Nevada town anyday over Vegas, way too many people and the noise was unreal! Though it was great to be with my family, I don't know that I would ever go back. We all had a great time, sore from all the walking we did though! I will say I enjoyed Fremont street. Never, never break in new shoes even if the are Skechers, when in Vegas!

We stayed in Wendover the first night and went to see Terry Fator, if you ever get the chance to see him, do it, he is amazing! It was the highlight of the trip. I would see him again in a minute!

Teenagers-Gotta Love Them!

2008-09-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you are going to have a nervous breakdown due to the fact your teenager is driving you cuckoo they do something out of the blue to see them once again for who they really are. That sweet, kind, considerate, no backtalk kid you have wondered what happened to.

I am not a clothes person and will wear my clothes I have until there is nothing left to them. Holes in my pants, faded t-shirts, etc. I hate shopping so I just don't! I wear my husband's t-shirts! My sister knows how much I hate to shop so she will every so often send me clothes.

Well with my trip coming up to Vegas I have been in a panic as what I am going to wear, we are going to a show and a nice restaurant so I need to look better than I do when home. My sweet teenaged daughter took her own hard earned money, made me go shopping and bought me all new clothes to wear, a new purse, and my toiletries. Now I guess I won't look like a bum when I meet up with my family.

Well since I have new clothes I figured I needed a more stylish haircut to go along with them. Boy was I wrong, should of left well enough alone. Hate my hair now but in the long run it will grow out!

So just when you think there is no hope, they surprise you!

Wonton

2008-09-06T14:43:00.001-07:00

My daughter loves to come up with her own recipes. Combination ingredients that most of us wouldn't even think of let alone even taste test! She has a recipe to which she uses wonton wrappers. While making them today I asked her if I could put her recipe on my blog. Her answer to me: No! I asked her why. She said because some day she would be watching tv and there would be somebody famous making her recipe and I would be at fault! I had to laugh, she is probably right. Maybe someday she will make a recipe book with all her concoctions.

I don't care for them but my husband loves them! The sad thing is she doesn't share them enough with him!

Vegas, Here I Come

2008-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

My neice told her mother that when she turned "30", she wanted to go to Las Vegas. Well she does this year so we all decided to make it a family affair, all the sisters would go too. One of the sisters just got back from there so won't be able to go though. I have never been there so it will be just as fun for me also. We will all meet in Wendover to where we have tickets to see Terry Fator, the ventriloquist. We leave the next morning for Vegas. We will only be there for 2 days but who needs sleep when one is having fun!

So watch out Vegas, here we come!

The kittens are getting big!

2008-09-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Lily has finally realized that she can't fit in her basket anymore! She will flip every which way thinking that at one point she will squeeze into it. Looks like we need to get her a bigger one. Star is a character, if you have food, he's right there begging! They both know when you open a dog food can, even if they are dead asleep.

Star hates his photo being taken but Lily is a ham as you can see!

New Craft

2008-08-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have decided to get into making a new craft due to I am still unable to finish his woodworking.

We have been researching what we need, buying things we need just to get started, then if we do like it we will invest in more supplies to do a better job.

I am really excited about this and am looking forward to getting started.

Keeping it a secret just in case it doesn't work out. If it does we will be opening another shop to sell them in.

School Clothes Shopping

2008-07-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

My daughter wants to get a headstart on school clothes shopping so we are heading to Reno to do that. I am not a shopper so it is very hard for me to do this. Malls for me are the worst, anxiety attack waiting to happen! It wouldn't be so bad but she loves shopping, go figure! So I will do the best I can so that she can enjoy herself and not be pressured to hurry up for mom's sake.

Then you have the husband that is all excited to go to his kind of places, Harbor Freight, Lowes, Exotic Wood Shop, etc.

Me, I will be the one standing as close to the doors of these places as I can so that my exit will be fast when the anxiety hits!

Last time we went shopping in the mall, I ended up letting my daughter and her friend do their shopping and I walked the whole outside of the mall until she got done.

Christmas in July

2008-07-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Over 200 Etsy sellers are offering special prices on their items to celebrate Christmas in July. This will run from July 20-31. So be sure to check out the shops by going to Etsy and searching for christmasinjuly.

Just a few of the shops participating:

http://capturedtimebooks.etsy.com
http://3craftyladies.etsy.com
http://DesignedbyLucinda.etsy.com
http://Vintagesnapsandscrap.etsy.com
http://FluffyFlowers.etsy.com

Lily's Brother

2008-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Lily's brother, we are calling him Star, short for Starburst for now.

The photo is a little blurry, he didn't want to cooperate in the photo taking process!

Resellers

2008-07-11T09:57:00.001-07:00

Even though we aren't selling at the moment, I am constantly on Etsy. Admin has asked for help from the members to flag items that do not belong on Etsy. Since I have the time, I do look for resellers. I have found quite a few of them, most in just a few minutes of browsing. So if I can do it why can't admin do it?

When I send a flag to admin I always try to include proof that the items in question are mass produced and not handmade and are being sold by every Tom, Dick & Harry on the net somewhere! Now in this flagging I don't flag supplies or vintage as I know they are allowed.

Even though I try to send enough proof to show admin why these flagged items don't belong, the shops in question are still being allowed to sell, more and more buyers are getting items they believe to be handmade.

Since Ebay has changed so much, their sellers are trying to find new venues for their items and from the looks of things they have found Etsy. It would be nice if they would read the TOS and know their items aren't allowed.

I do a lot of investigating about the shops I find and sometimes I can't find the item elsewhere on the net but I know deep down they are mass produced and get frustrated when I can't prove it. One sometimes only has to look at the photo, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know they aren't handmade! Sometimes the shop forgets to take the company's name off of the photo they took from the company's site.

Somebody started a blog named Flaggy but the items haven't changed for awhile so I don't know if they have the time to keep it up. It shows mass produced shops and the proof that they are.

Newest Feral Kitten-Lily

2008-07-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago I had brought this kitten into the house to clean her eyes and then put her back outside. We hadn't seen or heard her since then, so we figured she had died, she was so tiny when I brought her in. Well yesterday we kept hearing a kitten meowing but couldn't find it. While sitting outside last night I told my husband to get the flashlight because we really needed to find this kitten. He found her, she had came out of hiding and was right outside the door.

I immediately thought that no it wasn't her but lo and behold it was! She is still tiny(runt of the litter), her brothers and sisters are a lot bigger and can eat on their own. She is having a hard time with it. So my husband decides that she needs to come back in since she had cried all day because the mother ignored her. So we fed her and put her in a pet carrier and let her sleep in the house. This morning we tried putting her out but the mother cats wouldn't have anything to do with her, we believe they are all dried up.

So yes she is back in the house and will not be put back out, we live where coyotes are always in our yard and don't want to take a chance on them getting her(she's a big time meower)!

The Handmade Dream

2008-06-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Etsy's dream of a handmade site is becoming more like a resellers paradise everyday!

I have lost count as to how many items I personally have flagged, some have been removed, others not. I will say I was really upset about a listing awhile back, actually made me sick to see it listed on Etsy, it took Etsy a couple of days but it was removed, for that I'm thankful.

Some people say it shouldn't be our job to flag items that don't belong on Etsy, some say if we don't Etsy will become another Ebay. According to a Storque article Etsy only has 3 on staff who monitor flagged items coming in. Well I hate to tell them they really need a whole heck of a lot more, but then why should they as long as they have members doing the job for them.

Do you believe Etsy members should be the ones doing the flagging or should Etsy step up to the plate and hire more staff to do the job?

Romeo Snoozing!

2008-06-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

Need I say more!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly(Resellers)!

2008-06-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out these websites about Etsy.com?

The Good:
http://etsysangels.blogspot.com/2008/06/welcome.html
The Bad:
http://etsybitch.blogspot.com/
The Ugly(Resellers):
http://flaggyetsy.blogspot.com/

Which one is your favorite?

I have to say even though I have only one complaint about Etsy, (taking forever to get rid of the shops that just don't belong or leaving ones that guarantee they made them themselves even though there is prove they didn't), I love reading Etsybitch! I also keep an eye on FlaggyEtsy too. Just in the past 2 days, in a matter of minutes, I have found 4 resellers, so if I can do it, why can't Etsy admin?

We aren't selling right now (due to my medical problems and husband's job). I have a lot of free time on my hands and am a big time lurker on the forums, sometimes I post but not often like some do. I have come to love the feature Pounce, have found so many new sellers/no sales sellers that I have added to my favorites and hope to some day purchase from them. My point of this is that I am always on Etsy looking around and I guess that is how I find all the resellers, now if Etsy would just hire somebody to do that, we the community wouldn't have to do all the flagging just to get frustrated when they aren't removed!

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Mule Races

2008-06-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

Every year my daughter and I go to the mule races, mother/daughter tradition. This year there weren't as many mules as there usually is. I have yet to bet on them, maybe I'll get brave enough next year! They are very fun to watch, high spirited animals.

Streak the Cat

2008-05-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is "Streak"
Loves to take a nap on top of the cupboards.
He's a shy cat, surprised me that I was able to get this photo of him.
He walks very softly, almost like prancing.
He loves for my husband to rub his feet, a nightly ritual!
He is about 4 and in that time I have only heard him meow once.
When sleeping on the couch, he has to be completely covered up with a blanket!

Getting rid of the original header border

2008-05-01T14:59:00.001-07:00

When you put your own banner in your header of your blog, depending on the template you are using, the original header borders still show up behind your banner. Most people don't remove them and so their blog header to me, looks weird. So to correct that, here's how atleast on the Minima template I am using. Go to your template html, always back it up before changing. Look for this code:

#header-wrapper {
width:800px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:0px solid $bordercolor; }

#header-inner {
background-position: center;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;}

#header {
margin: 1px;
border: 0px dotted $bordercolor;
text-align: center;
color:$pagetitlecolor;

I have already changed mine to 0px, yours will probably have a 1px, just change it to 0px.

Supplies & Vintage on Etsy

2008-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to check to see how many pages of items each category on Etsy contained. This was done on April 19th. These are the top 10.

1. Jewelry-21,531
2. Art-9132
3. Supplies-8028
4. Accessories-4626
5. Children-4215
6. Paper Goods-3728
7. Bags & Purses-2942
8. Vintage-2675
9. Clothing-2432
10. Housewares-1902

As you can see Supplies is 3rd and Vintage is 8th. A lot of people wonder why supplies and vintage are even on Etsy and some are beginning to think because they are allowed they are taking over Etsy. From what I can see jewelry is doing a good job of that!

On another note, since supplies seem to be doing so good, shops that sell handmade are opening supply shops because that is what is selling. So what happens when that many more shops figure this out and do the same? I had made a comment to support that since our handmade items weren't selling maybe we should get on the bandwagon and start a supply shop!

Admin say they have something in the works in order to define how supplies and vintage will be managed on the site but it won't be implemented until the end of the year sometime.

I read the forums a lot and see all the different viewpoints on the subject. I am not sure of the exact number of members but I do know that most do not frequent the forums and that most do not state their opinion on them if they do. So who truly knows how the rest of the members feel on this subject.

So the question is, is Etsy the right place for supplies/vintage or should they just be handmade period? Should Etsy continue allowing supplies so that people that live in small towns or people looking for unique supplies/vintage items can do all their shopping in one place? Should Etsy leave them be, due to the fact they are making money off of them?

My feelings on this are if you are going to keep them on Etsy, limit what is a supply. Now some might say to a crafter/artist everything is a supply! That might be true, yet I have saw items that are marked supply/commercial that can't actually be used in the making of an item, so I
believe they should not be allowed.

I mainly focused on supplies as I believe that they are the items that are discussed the most.

Please leave a comment on your feelings about this subject. I moderate my comments but will publish all viewpoints!

Tank the Tortoise

2008-04-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

My brother finally sent me a photo of his tortoise "Tank". As they are on the endangered list, one has to have a license to have one, he does. He has his own area in my brother's yard. They take him indoors during his hibernation time.

Changing to 3 columns

2008-04-13T12:23:00.001-07:00

Please excuse the mess on my blog as I am trying to change it to 3 columns. Have a bit of re-organizing to do, will hopefully have it done soon!

It's all about the cats!

2008-04-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Our household consists of 9 cats. You can imagine the joy and fun we have with them. Each with his/her own personality, no two alike. We would be totally lost without these guys. We have 6 males and 2 females. All have been fixed.

As for vacations, we usually take them seperately. This year we would like to take it together but haven't figured out what to do just yet. We are very protective of these guys and don't just want anybody taking care of them.

The reason I made this post was to tell you about some of their antics. We have an outside dog and he gets fed canned dog food, one of the cats likes to lick the gravy. He can be dead asleep and as soon as he hears you getting the can opener out, he's right there. If we don't let him, he sulks!

Another one loves to play in the kitchen sink faucet. We leave it dripping for him, not a lot though as we are on a well and it costs to leave it running. The same one knows when you open a string cheese, no trying to hide the fact that you are getting ready to eat one!

There was something wrong with one of them at birth and he's in his own little world, but we love him to pieces. He loves just to bat around a small stuffed animal. He had a favorite but we had to throw it away, torn to pieces and I haven't been able to replace it yet. It was a TY beanie baby, Rafiki from the Lion King. I bought him a bear and he's okay with it but still looks for Rafiki.

Another one will just come up to you and bust his head into your face. He's made me bite my lip a few times.

Besides the 8 cats in the house we also take care of 9 feral cats outside. They are all wild but one though so we don't get to love on them.

I could go on and on about these guys but will stop here. Would love to hear about your cats. Leave a comment about them and post a photo of them on my guestbook.

Doctor

2008-04-11T16:51:00.003-07:00

Well, I gave in and went to see a doctor, something I really hate doing! He informed me I had a sinus infection. 3 weeks later and I still have it. He prescribed me an antibiotic, to which I had an allergic reaction to and so have been sicker than when I went in. Hubby stayed home with me because I was so weak and was unable to do much of anything except run to the bathroom. That lasted 4 days and like I said I still have the infection. The doctor prescribed me a new antibiotic to which I am afraid to take. My daughter-in-law told me to wait a few more days before trying it, she's a nurse. So hopefully I can get rid of this so I can get back to feeling like myself again. I don't get sick often but I guess when I do it has to make up for it!

Items allowed on Etsy

2008-04-02T17:09:00.001-07:00

I was totally shocked today when I came upon an item listed on Etsy. I flagged it and when late in the afternoon it was still there, I e-mailed support about it. I really wish I could say what it is but I won't. It really upset me to think a seller could list something like that. Hopefully admin will remove it soon and I can quit checking to see if it has been removed.

I have been sick for 11 days and finally against my better judgement I am giving in and going to the doctor. I hate going so it ought to be fun. NOT! Hopefully he can give me something to knock this crud out of my system.

New Items

2008-03-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

We have listed some new items in our store. Decided to start making wood supplies. Have never worked with MDF before. We actually like it, it is smooth, barely needs sanding and from what I've read takes paint well. The only drawback for me is the smell. It doesn't bother anybody else in the family but me. My family says I have a nose like no other, I smell things that nobody else does! Not a good thing sometimes! It seems like the older I get the worse it gets.

We will be adding more different kinds of blanks as we get them done.

We are also trying to design a new product that a lot of crafters could use(It's a secret though!).

Haven't came up with the perfect design yet but hope to soon. Ideas usually come to me when I go to bed and then I can't sleep and want to wake my hubby up and say let's get going on this now!

Moderating Comments

2008-03-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

I am now starting to moderate the comments left on my blog due to people leaving links that contain spyware or viruses.

Enjoying the Sun

2008-03-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

A fellow employee at the mine my husband works at captured this photo of a Bobcat taking a nap on a piece of equipment. What a beautiful animal!

Beautiful Gift

2008-03-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

I am doing another shoutout about Woodturner. He sent me this beautiful ring holder as a thank you. The base is made from Florida Rosewood, the post from Black Walnut. If you haven't already discovered his shop on Etsy now is the time to do so. I have also ordered one of his birdhouse ornaments and was truly amazed when I opened the package to see the actual size of it. I ended up giving it to my sister and her husband for Christmas and they just loved it, it is proudly displayed in their home. I plan on ordering another one for myself.

He is just one of the great sellers I have found on Etsy. You will be truly pleased owning one of his creations.

He has wands, spinning toys, tea candle holders, ring holders, birdhouse ornaments, bottle stoppers, and more.

You can find his shop here:

http://woodturner.etsy.com

Rest in Peace

2008-02-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Yorkie "Crystal" passed away on Feb. 23rd. She was 15 years old. It was one of the saddest days we have went through. Her buddy Precious (cat) passed away just 5 months ago, she was also 15 as we got them at the same time.

Shop Banners

2008-02-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

David is on a new schedule at his job so doesn't have a whole lot of time to scroll saw. My family got me Photoshop Elements for X-mas so thought I'd try my hand at making banners. There is a lot to learn but I'm getting there! Got a long ways to go though before I feel confident enough to list them.

Here are some of the banners I have made:

No longer a baby!

2008-02-08T18:08:00.001-08:00

He is getting so big and more beautiful each day. He has a meow that makes your skin crawl. Found out the other night that he is afraid of the dark so now we leave the laundry room light on so he can use the cat box. We have a lot of cats and this is a new one for us!

The Setting Sun

2008-02-08T18:04:00.001-08:00

I wish my camera would of captured how orange the sky is. Beautiful setting sun. Nevada has some of the most beautiful skies.

The Rising Sun

2008-01-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

I took this photo a few weeks ago. I'm usually so busy in the mornings getting my daughter ready for school and getting all of our pets fed that I usually don't notice much of anything! As I was feeding the feral cats we take care of I noticed how beautiful the sky was so ran in and grabbed my camera. Since that day I now make sure I take the time to look every morning!

Featured Seller

2007-12-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

While in the process of making an Etsy for Animals video, I got the chance to check out some more of the member's great shops. As I was browsing their shops looking for an item to display in the video, I came across JaneDiamond's "Calico Queen", it is a print from her original painting. As I have a calico cat, I fell in love with this.

Be sure to check out her shop for a variety of cat items.

http://www.janediamond.etsy.com

Boston Terrier Clock

2007-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

New Item
Boston Terrier Clock

Newest Items - Available Soon

2007-11-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

Poodle Clock

Dragon Clock

Fellow Scrollsawer

2007-11-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

This guy sent us a compliment on our scrollsaw work thru Flickr. Looked at his items he scrolls and found them to be awesome! I am showing one of his intarsia items here and have told him about Etsy. So will be looking for him on there if he chooses to join. We need some more fabulous woodworkers on Etsy.

Kittens

2007-10-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Looks like we get to tame some more feral kittens! They all have blue eyes and are cute as a button! The one standing behind them is Chip, he has a brother named Dale. They are so wild we have been unable to catch them as yet. Their mother is getting tamer by the day.

Wish we had some kind of program to help out with the cats but the town we live in doesn't so it's up to us to take care of them.

Back up and Running!

2007-09-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our store is now back open but the sad thing is only 2 items are available.

Found out what was wrong with our daughter's shoulder, no surgery. She is on the mend now.

Sister is coming to visit so decided to hurry up and do some remodeling we had put off far too long, what a mess!! So now the workroom has all the boxes of hardwood flooring in it until we can get them laid, but of course before we could do that we had to texture the walls and paint. Then the bathroom had to be repainted so let's just say we took on more than we can handle so the woodworking is on hold until after the first of October.

Shop Temporarily Closed

2007-07-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Our shop is closed at the moment due to medical reasons. We are still able to work on items and will have some new ones items listed as soon as we can. Our daughter is having shoulder problems and may need surgery so taking care of her is our number one priority right now. I will still be featuring Etsy sellers and posting when I can.

Etsy Treasury Poster Contest

2007-07-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Etsy is having a challenge to turn some of the best Treasury lists at Etsy into limited edition prints. They will choose up to 20 lists.

This is my list I submitted. I chose the color orange for Etsy and then decided to look for jewelry designed with that color.

New Addition

2007-07-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

Well the big guys Mr. Gray & Prince have welcomed Destiny by letting him take a nap with them! He has finally got to where he now takes his nap at the same time as all the others. He is a character, wants to bite all the time. He also likes to pick on the big guys but has learned they will put him in his place if after they warn him he continues. He is another feral cat we were able to get before he got too wild.

Etsy

2007-06-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

If you have never heard of Etsy.com you are missing out on a great site for buying handmade items from the most wonderful online sellers you will ever meet. If you are thinking about joining Etsy to sell your handmade items, you won't find a more friendly, helpful community than you will there.

I am still to this day amazed at the talent of the guys who developed the site and the artists who sell their items there.

Since joining the Etsy community, I have found items for myself, family and friends to which I would of never found elsewhere. If you are looking for a special item, that is also handmade, then Etsy is the place to go. If you have that somebody in your life who seems to have everything, you will be able to find something they don't have on Etsy.

So click on the Etsy logo and get ready for the best online shopping experience you will ever have!

~New Featured Seller~

2007-06-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

One of her handpainted birdhouses!

Her featured dog - Brody

SilverDragonRescue

She owns and operates a no-kill pet rescue from her home. She has listed items on Etsy to help raise money to cover the vet bills and food expenses. She offers birdhouses, jewelry, pet collars, onesies and ACEO cards handpainted by little ones. She also has a donation wish list on the petfinder site. You can check out animals awaiting adoption or ones that have already been adopted also on the site. She will be having her 34th Adoption Day at Pet North (in Brainerd, MN) on Saturday, July 14th, 2007 from 12:00 (noon) to 5:00 pm.

I have the upmost respect for those who do this kind of work.

Check out her petfinder site:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MN148.html
Her Etsy Shop:
http://www.silverdragonrescue.etsy.com/

Taking Over

2007-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

This guy is always taking his naps in front of my monitor. I guess I could use that for an excuse as to why I am behind updating my blog!! His name is Mr. Gray aka Google. The other night he activated my spyware program and I am glad he did because I hadn't done it for awhile.

Arrowhead Clocks

2007-06-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Check out our Etsy shop, as we are now selling our arrowhead clocks in it. They would make a great gift for the man in your life! Also coming soon will be a farm puzzle to which includes a barn with silo, a cow, a rooster and a horse. Would look great sitting on a fireplace mantle/shelf in your country themed room!

New Featured Etsy Seller

2007-05-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Moonfairy is my newest featured Etsy seller. I asked her to tell me alittle about herself and this is what she had to say:

I'm an 18 year old girl living in Puerto Rico. I'm going to college next year to major in chemistry, eventually heading to med school, all while still making jewelry and drawing. I like making jewelry because I've always loved wire. I made my first wire sculpture at six. So, when I learned I could make wire jewelry, I knew I had to try it out. I love everything having to do with the wire, sculpting it into animal forms, making chains, filing each piece so it doesn't scratch a person's skin. It's tedious work, but it's lovely. I don't use a jig for bending wire, and I love how manipulating wire with my hands forms beautiful things.

I'm inspired by nature and emotions. Living in this tropical paradise, I'm surrounded by beautiful fauna and flora, by beaches, by mountains and forests. Emotions come from within, of course, I find that even sadness has its own beauty, and if I could achieve a good representation of an emotion or nature in my pieces, I'm happy. With my drawings (which I've yet to list online), I am completely inspired by a mixture of my childhood fantasies, the horrors I lived through, my nightmares, and religion.

I know I'm young, and I've only taking one beading class in my life, but I love this, I love my wire (as if that weren't obvious by now, hehe), but as I grow, I hope my work grows more beautiful and mature as well.

___________________________________

She told me I could edit what she wrote, but I chose to leave it as she wrote it. She has a knack for writing and that is what drew me to look at her shop. She is helpful on the Etsy forums and isn't afraid to state her opinion about a topic especially if she is passionate about it.

So check out her shop and lets all help her make it to Med School!

http://www.moonfairy.etsy.com

Online Buying

2007-05-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Decided I would talk about this subject today, as it is very frustrating to me. When I go into a brick and mortar store I expect certain things out of their staff. I expect them to be courteous, answer questions I have, show me where something is if I can't find it, thank me when I'm done for doing business with them, and the most important, I want to see a smile!!

Now I know online buying is somewhat different than that but in some ways a lot alike. When I ask a business a question through an e-mail, I expect that business to get back to me in a timely, courteous way, expect them to send me an order confirmation e-mail, your item has been shipped e-mail and a thank you somewhere in one of those. Kinda hard to see that smile online though!!

I haven't had the greatest experience with a few online companies lately. One answered my question about an item they carried but wouldn't answer when I asked where's my order, it should of been here. Well finally receive it just to find out they lied about when it was shipped, it was shipped out after I e-mailed them asking where it was instead of 8 days before, when they said it was being shipped. Not very good customer service in my book!! Of course it was a store to which I would of been making multiple purchases from but because of their lack of customer service I will be on the lookout for another place to buy from.

Another one was, my husband and I placed an order just to find out it was out of stock and they had no idea when it would be in. They did though take our money!! Go figure!! Finally have to make a phone call, not getting anywhere through e-mails, still don't know when they will be in but they do find a few of what we needed and at their expense ship them to us. Weeks pass by and still no word on our order, another phone call to them just to be hung up on because they are busy and I guess we aren't one of there high dollar buyers so we don't matter. Who knows!! Call back the next day and tell them to put our money back into our account and when they come in let us know and we will re-order them, they say no problem and say they are sorry. Move forward another few weeks and still no money back in account, warrants another phone call just to be told sorry don't know what happened, here's your paperwork on our desk, will take care of it right away. Next day money back in account. Yes, finally. Move on, order from another company, get order in a matter of days even though they are nowhere as good as the ones we initially ordered from the other company. Fast forward another couple of weeks to find our first order in the mailbox, panic because if they take the money back out, it will bounce our account since we only put money in it when we order online. Warrants another phone call to let them know that and they had no idea they had put the money back in our account! Duh! So finally they tell us thanks for being so honest, keep the items with our apologies.

So it makes a person wonder how these people stay in business. Can find my first items through another company, as there are many who sell them, but was trying to help the little guy. The second one we have no choice because they are the only company to sell a brand of item we use.

We have purchased a lot of items online and have gotten the best customer service a person could want and for that, they have us as a repeat customer.

So if you have an online business you really need to think about how you treat your customers so they will come back and also refer others to your site. If you don't care about the customer then I would imagine you probably won't be an online store for very long!

Finally Done!

2007-05-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got the Mountain Goat & Bighorn Sheep(Buck) done for my brother. I think he was beginning to think I would never get them done! See photos on the right. Now to get the Wolf & Bear done. Told David after he gets the other 2 done he's working on, I want to see something besides an arrowhead clock to finish for him!!

From Start to Finish

2007-04-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Thought today I would describe what David does in order to make an item.

Orders Pattern
Copies pattern, keeps original
Makes any corrections on pattern that it needs
Chooses wood
Sands/planes wood
Cuts out pattern
Glues pattern to wood with spray on adhesive
Tapes the pattern to wood using packaging tape
Drills all the holes - sometimes over 300 holes
Scrollsaws all the parts that need to be cut out, changing blades often
If pattern needs a backing, tapes that on and finishes the outer edge
Removes pattern
Sands wood again, hands it over to me to finish
Glues backing on, nails sawtooth hanger on or whatever item needs to totally finish it

As you can see, a lot of time and effort goes into creating each piece. Sometimes projects go into the scrap pile because they break, didn't meet our standards, etc. He did a cougar arrowhead clock and completely finished it at which time the side broke. Very frustrating since he had put quite a few hours into the piece. That's part of the crafting world though!!

Custom Items

2007-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Coming soon photos of our newest arrowhead clocks.

Mountain Goat out of Wenge, Bighorn Sheep(Buck) out of Jatoba, Bear out of Mahogany, and Wolf out of Mahogany. As in an earlier post the Mountain Goat & Bighorn Sheep(Buck) are for my brother. The wolf may already be sold to a previous customer, the bear will be getting listed in our shop. Next will be an owl, eagle, and linx. My husband enjoys making these arrowhead clocks. I've been having a hard time getting my finishes to look right on some of them but won't quit until I do, somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to crafting!!

Until Next Time!
Have a Great Weekend!

Diane

2007-04-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Etsy is very slow today, needed to get away from there! Sold a set of seahorses. Now need to finish up items David has made. He scrolled a Mountaim Goat Arrowhead Clock out of Wenge and a Bighorn Sheep(Buck) Arrowhead Clock out of Jatoba. Beautiful exotic woods but very hard to work with. Ended up breaking 3 drill bits while drilling into the Jatoba. These are for my brother. They will definately be the last ones we do, out of those two woods. I still have to get them stained and sealed. He finished a Wolf Arrowhead Clock also, it is stained but not sealed. I should be finishing them all instead of being on the comp but having a hard time with the odors so taking a break! He is working on a Bear one next, scrolling on it for about an hour after he gets home from work. Will be posting the photos of them when finished.

I really thought the Bighorn Sheep(Buck) was my favorite, but after seeing the Wolf, I'm not so sure now!

More later!

New Featured Seller - Francoiselamasolet

2007-04-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Custom & OOAK Creations
Boutique Children's Clothing

I have chosen Francoiselamasolet as my new featured Etsy seller. She designs and makes outfits for children. She has 25 years experience in sewing.

Workmanship, High Quality, Originality, Hand-Made, Custom-Made, Unique, One of a Kind, descibes what her designs are about.

I wish I had little ones, her clothing is beautiful!

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5120924

Here's some of her other designs:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5739846
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5737892

David's Newest Item

2007-04-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

"Snow Owl"

This is David's latest creation. He has been working on this in between custom orders. It is one of his favorites. He is now working on a wolf arrowhead clock.

New Featured Seller

2007-03-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dog Gone It In Trouble Again Print

~ArtworkbyAndrea~

Andrea is a fine artist who specializes in paintings and drawings of children and animals. Her artwork focuses on capturing "magical moments of time". Because of her love for animals, Andrea often donates a percentage of her sales towards a variety of animal rescues and charities. She currently has some of her tiger painting items listed on Etsy to raise money for Big Cat Rescue, which is Etsy for Animals Street Team's rescue of the month. Andrea also accepts commissions for custom portraits of people and pets.

Be sure to check out her Etsy shop at:
http://www.artworkbyandrea.etsy.com

Check out her blog at:
http://www.artworkbyandrea.blogspot.com

Some of my favorites from her shop are:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5631648
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5615083
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5615009

Coming Soon to our Etsy Shop

2007-03-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

We will soon be offering our arrowhead clocks in our Etsy shop. The animals available will be: wolf, eagle, linx, bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, bugling elk. We are in the process of finishing up 4 of them for custom orders. Take a look on the right hand side to see what they look like.

I am looking for my next featured Etsy shop. I am going to start featuring shops twice a month instead of monthly. I will be able to feature more sellers that way!

Etsy for Animals

2007-03-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Update on the street team:

BathandBodyBoutique was randomly selected to choose her favorite animal charity for the month of April. If you want to donate to her charity go to:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org

Join the Etsy for Animals Flickr group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/efa/

Here are just a few examples of items available from some of the shops:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5166340
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5442050
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5587936
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=510549

Etsy for Animals

2007-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have taken the Etsy for Animals shop links from the right hand side and put them in a table at the bottom of page.

So show your love for animals ~ Check out the Etsy for Animals Street Team Shops, these are shops on Etsy that support and donate a percentage of their sales to animal charities.

Etsy for Animals Update

2007-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Okay I believe I have everyone's Etsy shop listed that are a part of Etsy for Animals!
If I have forgot somebody, please let me know and I will add you.

Etsy for Animals is a group of Etsy Sellers who have joined together to make Etsy and the world a better place for animals. Our goals as a group are to raise money for animal charities through sales in our Etsy shops and to share ideas and promote one another :)

Be sure to join the Flickr group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/efa/

Upcoming items

2007-03-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

We just finished a wooden seahorse, turned out very cute. Just have to put a sawtooth hanger on it, then we will list it. David has been working on a snow owl out of pine for awhile now(in between custom orders), it is beautiful. We will leave it unfinished so the person who purchases it can do what they want with it, he says it would look great if somebody whitewashed it, due to the fact it is a snow owl. Owls are one of David's favorite items to scroll so I don't know if I'm going to get him to list it for sale or not!!!

Sent off our baby shower gift to Whittamore, hope she likes it. Kind of hard to come up with baby items to scroll out of wood!!! Working on another one, the pattern was messed up when we got it so after we make a few alterations to it, we'll get started on it. I actual feel it will be one of our best sellers.

Also today is my son's 30th birthday, so Happy Birthday to him!!!!

Until next time!!!!

Diane

Featured Etsy Seller - March

2007-02-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

Cards & Jewelry by Michele

mvegan5 (Vintage bead jewelry & handmade greeting cards) is the featured Etsy seller for the month of March. Her Etsy shop reflects her love of animals and nature. She paints and draws images of animals, hoping to express and share her love for nature and all living things. She has donated 10% of her sales to the Oakland SPCA in California and will choose different animal charities to donate to each month. She also creates jewelry from vintage and found pieces. She turns them into something new, wearable and beautiful. She has started an Etsy for Animals street team (to which I will be a member of!) and is also a member of EtsyGreetings street team. She welcomes custom orders.

I have chosen her chicky card and a pair of her handmade earrings as my favorites.

Here is what some of her buyers had to say:

very cute card and seller was a treat to do business with. Thumbs up!

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL CARDS HANDSIGNED BY ARTIST! True artistry! I will be proud to send these out to friends and business associates. Shipment was super fast and even the packaging was lovely! Very friendly seller. Overall - highly recommended! A+++++++++++++++++++

love this card!

So be sure to check out her Etsy shop:
http://www.mvegan5.etsy.com

Eagle

2007-02-17T23:13:00.000-08:00

Brother-in-law's Christmas gift. Had forgot to take a photo of it so had my sister take one and just got it.

It was made out of mahogany and then finished with tung oil. It is one of our favorite items.

Featured Etsy Seller - February

2007-02-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

Featured February Etsy seller: "robandlean"

Everything is made by the family members, husband, wife and children. Their wooden rings and necklaces are handcrafted with great care and attention to detail. Each piece is a unique piece of art and no two pieces are the same. They will do custom work, just allow enough time. All their jewelry arrives to you in a hand sewn gift bag, tied with a ribbon and also comes with a hang tag. Some of the woods they use are: African Coral, Pecan, Purpleheart, Bocote, Zebra Wood, Cocobolo, Walnut and I am sure they will find others to use too.

To date they have sold 47 items.

Here is what some of their buyers had to say:

Absolutely wonderful. I've wanted a wooden ring forever! This one is just perfect:)

Beautiful ring! Fits great and my husband loves it!

Beautiful work of art. This necklace is amazing!

Ring arrived in a very cute package and is of amazing quality.

Right now they are having a Valentine's Sale, buy anything in their store through February 14th and receive free domestic shipping. They also have a Sweetheart's Special, order any matching set of rings and get a 10% discount plus free shipping.

Check out their Etsy shop:

http://www.robandlean.etsy.com

A Little Behind!!

2007-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

It is time to get caught up!! Got the moose silhouette listed. Sold the sun and moon plaques. Looking for a woodworker/woodturner to feature for the month of February, going to post a new topic looking for one on the Etsy forums. Adding new Etsy shops, non woodworking & woodworking, that have some very beautiful items.

Moose Silhouette

2007-01-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

Well the moose silhouette is about finished. I just have to apply the satin rub on poly and then my husband will put the backing and sawtooth hanger on the back. We should be able to get it listed at Etsy.com under WoodNVisions sometime next week if all goes well. The moon is also done, just waiting for husband to get a few days off so he can finish the sun. Haven't figured out what is next, maybe an owl, there are so many patterns out there it really is hard to decide on the next project. Just got the new edition of Woodcrafters magazine and there are a few things we like. Will announce in our Etsy announcements what will be next, so check out the shop. Well that's all for now folks!!!!!

Featured Etsy Seller

2007-01-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

This month's featured Etsy seller is "woodturner". He has been woodturning since 1995. Here is what he has to say about woodturning:

What is it about woodturning that intrigues me so much over conventional woodworking? I've concluded that it must be the freedom to create, without being bound by measurement. The thing I enjoy most is making something beautiful from a chunk of wood destined for the fireplace!To take an ordinary log and watch the beauty of the wood grain and the character of the wood's flaws become exposed as I turn, is exciting. The knots, swirling wood grains, patterns left by fungus in deteriorating wood and natural cracks and voids make each turned object unique and full of character. I finish each turning to accentuate the beauty hidden in the wood and hope each one turns into a keepsake.

Check out his shop:
http://www.woodturner.etsy.com

Scrollsawing Tips

2007-01-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

These are just some of the tips my husband has learned over the years of scrollsawing:

#1 Put packaging tape over pattern after mounting pattern on wood. The best tape he has found to this date is the United States Postal Service's tape. The reason for that is it has a low glare, other tapes he has used have a high glare to them. By putting the tape over the pattern & wood, you are less likely to burn the wood or cause friction marks.

#2 When scrolling out an item from a wood that has fuzzy wood fibers: luan mahogany, pine, etc., use the back of your scrollsaw blade and rub the cut to remove the fuzzy fibers, gives it a nice smooth finished cut. Our 14 year old daughter actually discovered this tip/technique while learning to scrollsaw.

Coming soon items

2007-01-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

We are working on a moose head silhouette plaque, smiling sun face wall hanging and a man in the moon cat napping wall hanging. The moose is being scrolled out of red oak, the other two are being scrolled out of pine, to which they will be paint ready. The sun & moon patterns were designed by Theresa Ekdom.

New to Blogging

2007-01-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Hi! I am new to blogging so here goes!

My husband and I do scrollsaw art. He cuts the items out with a scrollsaw, sands them and then hands them over to me to finish them. I stain them and polyurethane them. On some items we prefer to leave them unfinished and allow the person purchasing it to finish it to their liking. Painters we are not! We are currently listing some of our items on Etsy.com, a handcrafted only craft site. Be sure to check them out as there are some very beautiful items up for sale.

Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/index.php