One of My Top 10 Favorite Greeting Cards Ever

(Artwork by Lee Fearnley)

Bottle Stoppers

Maple burl

Buckeye Burl (center)

Quilter's Special (far right)

Top view

Source for stainless steel stopper

Navajo Wedding Platter

photo will supersize if double-clicked

Cedar basket illusion platter

15" diameter

Reverse side bears same pattern

Here is some background on the tradition:

The basket is viewed as a map, through which the Navajo people chart their lives. 

The central spot in the basket represents the sipapu, 

where the Navajo people emerged from the prior world through a reed. 

As the people emerged, all was white. 

The inner coils of the basket are white to represent this lightness, or birth. 

As you travel outward on the coils you begin to encounter more and more black. 

The black represents darkness, struggle and pain; the darker side of life. 

As you make your way through the darkness you eventually reach 

the red bands, which represent marriage; the mixing of your blood 

with your spouse and the creation of family. 

The red is pure. During this time there is no darkness. 

Traveling out of the familial bands you encounter more darkness, 

however, the darkness is interspersed with white light. 

The light represents increasing enlightenment, 

which expands until you enter the all white banding of the outer rim. 

This banding represents the spirit world, where there is no darkness. 

The line from the center of the basket to the outer rim is there 

to remind you that no matter how much darkness you encounter in your world, 

there is always a pathway to the light. 

source info

Big Blue

Footed maple bowl.

13.5" diameter x 5.5" depth

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, crackle, and hand-rubbed clear wax finish

Exterior in Old Ochre and Aubusson Blue

Interior in Graphite

Simply gorgeous!

Sisters in Motion

Short video showing the pair of mahogany bowls in motion.

See previous post for specifics on the two bowls.

Sisters

This pair of mahogany basket illusion bowls

was inspired by two circa 1890 Apache baskets.

Traditional motifs include 

stepped diamonds and whirling lines.

The colors are also based in Apache tradition -

dark browns paired with deep reds.
(Apache reds came from yucca roots)

Each bowl measures 11" diameter x 4" deep.

(Photos will supersize if double clicked)

Feathers for Millie

Front view

11.5" diameter basket illusion platter

unknown wood - turned dry

Pima Indian inspired design

Back view

Why Feathers for Millie?

My wife's friend Lynne has a tuxedo cat named Millie.

Lynne adopted Millie after the formerly feral kitten was hit by a car

and rescued by the kindness of a diverse group of cat bloggers.

Millie likes to sit in the window and watch the birds.

(this link takes you to a perfect example)

Birds have feathers . . . 

1/8th inch beading

(Photos will supersize if double clicked)

Second Chance

Natural edge ash - turned green

Chalk paint finish

Lacing done using artificial sinew

Why the name Second Chance?

Just after I finished turning the bowl, 

I dropped it and it broke.

Rather than throw away the pieces,

I took advantage of the unexpected design opportunity.

Measures 15" wide (end to end) by 13" wide (across).

4.75" deep

The Big Ash Bowl

Bowl measures 16" across by 6" deep

I Went. I Saw. I Learned.

My wife made me go to 

the quilt show in Paducah 

because her quilt was juried in as a semi-finalist.

I went with an open mind.

These are my take-aways:

Hugo's Amazing Tape

Many of the quilting designs could easily translate onto wood

(like some of these)

(thinks angles, lines, leaves, shapes, layers, etc.)

Using rare earth magnets to hang quilts on the wall

(Hint- add a rubberized coating on the magnets)

Frixion Pens to draw on wood

(markings remove with heat)

Products like Pounce and stencils

for embellishing wood turnings

Marbling using shaving cream

An amazing array of display options

(some of which could be adapted

for hanging Christmas ornaments)

Fiber Reactive Dyes that also work on wood

The concept of thread painting

as an embellishment technique

CraftOptics Telescopes

(amazing prescription magnifiers)

Fons & Porter mechanical pencils

(white and dark options)

Using the concept of paper piecing 

to design and execute intricate patterns in wood

Task lighting

Storage ideas

(also check out scrapbooking storage ideas)

Image transfer papers

The number of similarities 

between segmented woodturning

and pieced designs in quilts

* * *

Bottom line?

If you have a chance to go to a quilt show, 

go with an open mind.

You'll be surprised at the things you'll see and learn.

Memphis Empty Bowls Project 2014

In addition to the 9" black crackle bowl in the previous post,

these six bowls are being donated to

the 2014 Memphis Empty Bowls Project

through the Mid-South Woodturners Guild.

Click here for more information.

Recent Work

Three newly finished bowls.

(photos should supersize when double-clicked)

Weathered

Maple

Measures 15.5" across x 7" high

Detail of rim and milk paint crackle finish.

Smaller bowl on left (maple) measures 8.5" x 3.5"

Smaller bowl on right (mimosa) measures 9" x 3"

(will be donated to the Memphis Empty Bowls Project)

It's About Time

 

 

Front

 11" diameter x 2" high

 Wood - White Limba

 

Back

 Inspired by Pima Native American Indian baskets