[Mottles]

Originally Posted by Merle Rice

Hi again Susan. Thought I would enter this Thread also to keep it going. the project that I am working on now is the Sled from WCI.. My wife saw it in the Mag. and said she would like to have it. Don't need to say anymore about that. LOL. The Mr. and Mrs. Santas are from MCI. also. I started them a few weeks ago, got stuck and went on to something else. I do that quite a bit, but it is the back of my mind ,then when the mood hits me I'll finish it. Same story with Mark G.s Woodspirit. Merle

Merle, your carvings are very nice, are you planning to do some woodburning on them? You are very smart to move on to something else when you get stuck. Then you can go back to it later, instead of making a mess of it. Which hard to picture you making a mess of anything. Looking forward to seeing the finished works.
Kathy
PS: I just finished Mark G. Santa Ornament just have to paint it.

[Irish]

Hey gang! Everything is just fantastic, thank you all for sharing.

OK ... my Fox Chapel editor has hit me with an author's draft to work through. It landed in our email box last night at 10:PM and it's due back on her desk sometime Monday morning. So as much as I would rather be playing here on the forum I am off to put 'my nose to the grindstone'.

Please, keep posting great photos and great comments ... I'll be back as soon as possible.

Susan

[Merle Rice]

Hi Katy. On Woodburning a project, I usually don't know till I get it just about finished. One thing I like to burn is the Eyes, I feel it finishes it off nicely. I'm not to happy with the way Mark Gs Woodspirit is turning out. I keep correcting my errors and his nose gets bigger. Might turn him into that puppit with a big nose. Pin?????o. LOL. If not, practice,practice,practice, then start again. I'll get it sooner or later. I have seen your carving and you did very good. Somedaaaayyy. Merle

[Mottles]

Merle, thanks for the nice compliment on Marks santa. Funny, your noses get bigger and mine get smaller. Better bigger, then you still have enough to pare down if you make a mistake. Smaller then, it's all but over if you make a slip with the knife or gouge. LOL

Well, I couldn't stand it I just had to join in on the fun!
A few days back I band sawed out an Olde World Santa rough-out pattern. It's from Chip Chaps Magazine on the back cover. What you see here are the left over front and back scrape cuts off the block. I hate to throw away wood, so decided to turn them into large ornaments 7" in height.
I first cleaned up the outside edges with my power carver, transferred the pattern to each ornament. Used a v-gouge to follow my transfer lines, which made nice deep furrows. Next I turned on my woodburner and burned into the v-gouge furrows using my fix-tip pen with a writing tip.
The plan is to paint the santa's with acrylic paints, then antique the whole ornament using a wash of diluted burnt umber. Then spray with a protective varnish. Will add a gold eye-screw hanger. I'll post when it's completed.
Kathy

Susan, see ya when you get back!

[Merle Rice]

Kathy, my mistakes are the EYES, sooo go deeper and befire you know it , BIG NOSE. I'll get though. Your Santas are going to be nice,and the way you paint won't hurt them at all. Watch out for the big nose. LOL Merle

[Mottles]

Originally Posted by Merle Rice

Kathy, my mistakes are the EYES, sooo go deeper and befire you know it , BIG NOSE. I'll get though. Your Santas are going to be nice,and the way you paint won't hurt them at all. Watch out for the big nose. LOL Merle

Thank you, Merle and I think a lot of folks including myself will say the eyes are the hardest. I'm still shakey when it comes to the eyes, and you do have to get those sockets deep. I did learn and get a lot of help from Mark Gargac's class. Hopefully, one day I can carve eyes and noses without having to make to many changes and mistakes. Thanks for the big nose warning. LOL right back at ya.
Kathy

Everyone I'm really enjoying seeing what you burner's are doing, besides making smoke. Tee hee

[Lindy]

Hi guys - I decided to post the picture that I had posted on the other thread here as well. It is now complete and as soon as I'm able - which may be a day or two - I'll take a picture of the completed piece.

This is one of Susan's patterns from her Garden Circles pattern group - (love that group - it would be wonderful for clocks as well!). I hope you all like it.

Lindy

[Merle Rice]

Hi Lindy, It looks like you got a good start on your Burning. Nice Shading and good Touch. Looking forward in seeing it finished piece. Merle

[Mottles]

Hi Lindy, agree looks like you have a good start and I love the attention to detail. Will look forward to seeing your progress.
Kathy

[WOODIE13]

Here is the bald eagle. Been working on it on and off between catching up with the family, nice to be on leave right now. Working on the feather detail right now.