Year End

My last carvings for the year. I needed to cut down a Birch tree because to top was dying. I carved this Santa face from a branch 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 4 inches long. It carved easily because it was green. The top and bottom has some crack marks as it drys, Time will tell if it cracks into the carving. The second carving is a Santa pin that I wore during this Christmas season. It is carved from a 1 1/2 triangle block, 2 1/4 inches long. I wish everyone a prosperous new year.

Cardinal Ornament

The cardinal seems to be a Christmas favorite. I like carving birds for ornaments because they can be hung the year around. That is why I put a lot of detail into them. 

Buffalo Warrior

This carving is from a rough-out that is 8 inches tall. This is what a medicine man might wear. I like the colorful hair wrap and beads. It contrasts all the brown tones.

Chip Carved Egg

I carved a tree design to both sides of this basswood egg. The egg is 2 inches in diameter and almost 3 inches tall. I drilled a hole in the top to hold artificial flowers. 

Santa Ornament

This Santa is carved from a 2 inch block cut at an angle  and is 6 inches long. I carved a layered beard and hair. The back is dished out.The beard and hair are painted with light buttermilk by Americana. Then I highlight with white. I used a bristle brush and dab most of the paint off. Also on the carved ridges of the hat although it doesn't show in the picture.

Happy Halloween

The pumpkins are about 11 inches tall. This is the first time I carved faces in a pumpkin.  I used my regular carving tools. I found out to show the shadow lines you need to make deep cuts. I hope the kids enjoy them when trick or treating.

Pins

I carved these faces so the hat would form a background for the face. The basswood is 2 by 2 3/4 inches and 1/2 inch thick. I draw the hat and the outside of the face. Then I carve the hat to the depth I want. Now I can carve the face and finish the hat. I use these for pins or magnets. I also use the eye end of a fish hook as a hanger and pin them to the cloth between the cabinets in my camper.

Little Guy's

These little guy's are 2 inches tall. My plan is to make a scene with these after I carve a couple more of these guy's. They are fun to carve and they use some of the scraps of wood. 

 

The Parrot Has a Peg Leg

This is a rough out from Chris Hammack called Captain Short Shank. His bar scene rough outs are fun to carve. I got the beard and mustache a little to black for my likes, but otherwise I like it a lot.

Chip Carved Bud Vase

It's nice to have a friend (Kelvin) who will turn out a bud vase on a lathe. It was cut from a 3 X 3 X 6 inch piece of basswood. I started with the 6 point star and then the two bands at the top. I thought it needed something at the bottom so I added the curved line at the bottom.   

P-51D Mustang

This is my last project from West Glacier. Ernie takes a pattern from the internet and cuts out the parts of the plane. This is a P-51D that was flown doing World War 2 and the Korean War. The wings are out of pine and the body and wheels are out of basswood. The plane is about 7 inches long. There isn't a lot of carving to it, but it was fun to do.  The paint job was from the Flying Dutchman. I glued the exhaust  a little low so there wasn't room to paint the name. 

Bark House

This is the finished scene with the bark house and tree I started at West Glacier. I used Cottonwood bark for the base. The back of the house is deep enough to add a light. I will add a piece of cardboard to the back, that will focus the light to the front.   

Carving Rendezvous

I always have fun at West Glacier Rendezvous. I taught the cowboy face on the bottle and took several classes. It's fun to carve and visit with fellow carvers and I can give back what I have learned in the past. Dave had a cutout which can be carved as a bear or a little cowboy. It is 4 1/2 inches tall. I chose to carve it as a cowboy. Saturday they have a group carving and this year it was a bear pen. I also started a plane and a bark house that I need to finish. The plane needs paint and the bark house will be put in a scene.

Coor's Bottle Carved

This bottle was turned by a friend for a class in Glacier he is doing. He wanted something carved on it for a go by. The basswood was excellent and was easy to carve. The bottle is the same size as a Coor's bottle.

Cowboy Bottlestopper

This is a carved from Bass wood. The base is from a filbert tree.It is painted with acrylic's and antiqued with gel stain.

Pirate

I finished the base and treasure chest. The stain came in so I could antique them like the pirate.

Pirate

I spent the last week at the Carving Academy in Ellensburg. I carved a pirate with Chris Hammack as the instructor. It was a fun filled week and I learned his style of carving. I have carved a base and a treasure chest but I'm waiting for the gel
 stain to antique them. He stands at 7 inches tall.  

Pine Knots

Last week we went camping. We fished in the morning and went 4-wheeling in the afternoon. There was a lot of pine knots lying around, so I carved a couple of faces in them. The knots are hard and there was some rotted wood so I just let the wood decide what it would be. I added hair but it doesn't show in the picture. I left them on the picnic table. Hopefully some kid will find them. I carve ornaments while camping so I won't be swamped doing the Christmas holidays.

Little Pig

This is the other project I started to carve at the rendezvous. The pigs highest point is just under 3 inches. It's one of the fun projects I wouldn't normally carve and has a few challenges.

Climbing Bear

Last weekend I went to a woodcarving rendezvous at a KOA campground. I enjoy seeing friends that you don't see very often. Friday and Saturday there were 3 and 6 hour classes. Tom Ellis taught an old toy of climbing bears. They are 4 1/2 inches tall. You pull on the cords to make the bear climb up the cord.  I started carving a pig the next day, but didn't get to finish it because I taught a class on the mini duck that afternoon. I am almost done carving it at home. There was also a contest to carve a coffee spoon from cut out blanks. There was another spoon, but I missed getting a picture of it with the others. We were judged and then divided in two teams and had to carry water to fill a jar, Excellent weather and good fun.

Night Light in Bark

When I saw the night light in Woodcarving Illustrated I knew I had to carve a small house with a light. The house is 3 1/2 inches tall. The night light has a LED bulb and gives a lot of light.