[Doug Ridley]

That truly IS a great mouse. You sure you are a new carver? Maybe you did some carving in a previous life?
Anyway, can you use him to operate your computer?

[Callynne]

Hi Komowkwa, Welcome!! It's great to have you join us, we look forward to seeing photos of your work!

Nancy, I've been working my way through our family, doing a carving for each one...slowly but surely! Anyhow, my darling daughter requested a chickadee, setting on a pine branch....with snow! Got to love that girl!!

What a challange that was, I had no idea at all how to do anything except the chickadee. Once again, the answer to my problem was found on this message board, when someone suggested I check out Bird Carvings Basics, Habitat, by Curtis J. Badger. What a great little book, full of very useful information!

I got mine by calling Walden Books and ordering it in. The ISBN number is 0-8117-3053-0, in case you want it and need to order it. ISBN number makes it really easy for them to find it.

Good luck! Deborah

[Nancy-ID]

Hi Doug,

LOL, nope, this mouse just sits around like a block of wood I really am a beginner. Actually I'm a bit afraid that he was "beginners luck" and I'll never be able to do a good carving again.

[Nancy-ID]

Hi Deborah,

Thanks so much for that info, I will order that book. I just went to your site. WOW! How long have you been carving? Everything is great but the Cocker just popped out at me as sooo lifelike. I may be bugging you with questions on shows. The one I entered set up all the carvings along a long row of tables, in groups, novice, intermediate, expert, and by animal, stylized, etc. However, I see that the "big" shows "rent" tables. I am wondering if exhibitors have their own tables that the judge comes to or are the entries set up as they were at the show I attended and are the "rented" tables just for displaying your other work ???? Sorry for the long question Also, I can't wait for a book How did you do the pine needles and snow???

[Mark N. Akers]

Hey to Komowkwa and Nancy hope ya,ll enjoy the threads.

[Callynne]

Glad to be of help, Nancy, and thanks for the nice compliments, I'm glad you like my work!!

In answer to your questions, I will have been carving five years this coming Christmas.

I'm sorry I don't know anything at all about shows except for the only one I enter, it's held in near by Cook's Forest every July. They have an old sawmill there and that's where the show is held.

As for the pine needles, I used a manilla folder and followed the directions in the book, very easy, but time consuming. What I did was cut long, narrow strips of the folder, painted them green, cut them into the pine needle length I wanted....THEN....each little pine needle had to be rounded on one end....AND THEN....each rounded edge had to be painted because if they weren't you saw manilla folder color! What a pain....again, not hard work...just mind numbing!

The cool thing was, as they explain in the book, when the strips were painted, before you cut them into little pieces, you dip them into water, lay them on a towel and run a warm, woodburner tip down across them. That creases them in the middle and makes them look real!

If you want to see the branch in progress, I have a couple pictures at this site http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumList?u=4055528

They are in the Pine Branch Album, also the finished piece is in Sharon's Chickadee Album.

Oh, almost forgot, I tried all kinds of things for snow, finally ended up buying a 'Snow' product, worked great and looked perfect.

Hope this answers all your questions, if not, feel free to ask, I'm happy to help out if I can. Deborah

P.S. Before you're too impressed....the pine cones are real!! I used some from the big hemlock out in our front yard, I just sprayed them with sealer to preserve them!

[carver6]

That chickadee is going to fly out the door if someone opens it and the snow will melt pretty quick also. That carving is beautiful. Have never tried carving a bird (other than a Thanksgiving turkey). Might try it if I thought I could come anywhere close to doing as good a job as you. VERY NICE!!!
Garon

[Callynne]

Thanks, Garon, I'm happy you like him! My daughter is still thrilled with him, she just moved into a new place and that was one of the first things she put on display! Deborah

[Hugh]

Had to drop in and see the mouse. To quote cousin Dave, good mouse. Well painted. You have the touch. Thanks for posting.

[MelNM]

Hi Nancy and Komowkwa (thats a mouth full) this is a great site with tons of info. Great job on the mouse, seems like all the ladies with the name Nancy are really good carvers.

I'm also looking forward seeing your work Komowkwa, I hope you enjoy this site as much as I have
Mel