D&D Adventuring Party: treasure chest

Between show prep and carving other projects, I have yet to finish the third figure in the Adventuring Party project (the cleric.) in the meantime, here's a gilded treasure chest complete with an iron padlock. A nice prop for the adventurers! 

Cthulu, whittled from ancient nightmares!

As a fan of horror fiction, especially the works of Poe, Howard, and Lovecraft, autumn always inspires meto watch scary movies and revisit my favorite stories.

Cthulu, one of HP Lovecraft's most iconic creations, stands among Dracula, Moriarty, and Darth Vader as one of the great opponents of all that is good. Represented here in a small basswood carving, one might actually believe he can be defeated.

I'm not sure if I'll paint this one, or maybe just give it a coat of linseed oil for a more defined look.

Spike Trolls whittled from fresh green Willow

I lucked out and found some willow clippings in my neighborhood. The DPW never cleans up after themselves, and I'm more than happy to haul off some free carving material! These little guys were a great way to experiment with the wood. I found this willow to be easy to carve, with no splintering at all.

Whittling wizard candlesticks from old textile spools

These old textile spools are great for carving. They have some real character, and the beehive shape at one end makes for a great standing base. I carved these as pair, with one wizard's beard arranged normally, and his buddy's beard and mustache are twisted around the spool, like it's blowing in the wind. After carving and sanding, I gave the candlesticks three coats of linseed oil, some acrylic paint for the eyes and eyebrows, and some clear shellac. I like how they look, especially with the brass rings on top.

March means Saint Patrick's Day whittlins!

I've been whittlin' up some decorations and door prizes for this year's Saint Patrick's Day celebration.

While many Americans treat March 17th as "Irish-American Mardi Gras," with green plastic beads, dyed green beer, and giant foam shamrocks, my family has always looked at it as "Irish-American Thanksgiving." In addition to great food, drinks, and music, we hold a trivia contest with prizes for our guests.

So far I've made a horse, some fridge magnets, and a handful of leprechauns. Prizes for the kids and grown-up kids alike!

Wizards and Warriors: Adventurers in Wood

Inspired by the Lewis Chessmen, these toy wizards and knights are lots of fun to carve. They stand best when given a generally conical shape, and I try to keep everything smooth and blunt in order to protect them from rough hands. Kids like to throw these little guys, and they've proved to be tough and resilient.




I've been thinking of going a little more adult with these figures. A little red on a sword blade, maybe some battle scars to show age and grit.

Little Whittled Wizards

Little whittled wizards. Now say that five times fast.

These guys are around the smallest wizards I've carved, and the smallest figures not counting spike trolls. They are hand carved, sanded, and painted. I finished the with a few thin coats of shellac.

Are they gnomes or possibly dwarves? I'm not sure. But they look eager to start adventuring, as long as I carve a fighter to accompany them on their journey. I'm sure they'll appreciate the extra muscle when it's time to haul back some treasure.

The Spoonface Gang

Whittling isn't limited to sticks found in the wild. I've discovered some fine imported "sticks" in the kitchen aisle of our friendly neighborhood big-box store. The wood carves well with no chipping or unexpected splitting, and when I'm done it's a neat little gift.





I also made a Santa spoon for a Christmas present, but forgot to take a photo! I'll have to ask my friend if she can send me one.

And We're Back!

I really like carving these little soldiers and horses. As you can see in the in-hand shots, these ones are small with a wide, conical, base. This shape helps them sit very well. All edges are rounded, and everything is close in to the body to avoid breakage. Experience shows that kids love to beat up these toys, so they had better be durable!



As usual these were carved with no power tools, only a hand saw to get started and a knife for the bulk of the work. After sanding and painting each soldier is given a few coats of shellac, while the horses are finished with salad bowl finish and acrylic accents.









Thanks to everyone who patiently waited for an update. It has been far too long. I've made a bunch of whittlins, so more updates are on the way!

More Spool Carvings

More spool carvings! These four spools are destined to become bottle stoppers. All they need now is some dowels and corks. I'm pretty sure these are pine, but I'll admit my wood ID skills need honing. They carve well though, with no splitting or unexpected chipping. The wood responds well to linseed oil, giving it a waxy look and nice warm glow.

Also, my CaseXX Texas Jack knife is working out well. I favor the smaller of it's two blades for whittlin'. It's easy to control and plenty sharp.

A slideshow of past whittlins

Here's a slideshow of some of my carvings. There's all sorts of stuff in here, from the rustic little spike trolls to the painted and finished toy soldiers. I'm proud of the variety and feel like I've made progress toward a higher level of detail and control. Let me know what you think!

Fridge magnet: Rumor from Imaginary Monsters

The Imaginary Monsters webcomic is up to #129! Imaginary Monsters is a quirky, silly, fun story with tons of wild visuals and dungeon adventures. I'm a fan.

In a comic series full of crazy characters, it can be tough to pick a favorite. Mine is a little guy named "Rumor." He's a minor supporting character with only a handful of appearances, but something about him just tickles me. I carved a Rumor figure, glued a magnet on the back, and gave it to Pete Lazarski, the creator of Imaginary Monsters.

The Moonshiners (part 4) Completed!

"Swing to the left, swing to the right,
The excise men will dance all night,
Drinking up the tay till the broad day light,
In the hills of Connemara.

Stand your ground it is too late
The excise men are at the gate,
Glory be to Paddy but they're drinking it straight!
In the hills of Connemara."

So in the end, the excise men are won over by the magic that is homemade whiskey. Whether moonshiner or government agent, all are united in friendship and joy until the next day's inevitable splitting headache.





As far as design, the still is one solid piece with most of it's weight on the bottom. Each of the figures has some item or items (barrels, jugs, etc) at it's feet in order to make the base wider, and give it a low center of gravity. They stand very well.

Everything is non-toxic and play safe. Experience helped me to design short, blunt noses, hat brims, and other features that will resist breakage and wear. Sure there will be some dings and chips eventually, but this play set should last for years. Some day when Murphy is all grown up, he may even hand it down to his own kids.

Carving The Dark Wizard (part 1)

This first photo is my basic idea for The Dark Wizard, a companion piece to an ongoing project. Step one is putting pencil to a piece of wood. I'll post updates as the figure progresses.





Last year I carved some toys for my best friend's son, a group of soldiers and knights I dubbed "Ezra's Army." I based the design for these little guys on the Lewis Chessmen, a design I admire both for it's history and it's robust form. I wonder if those medieval chesspiece carvers had "childproof" in mind?



Last Christmas saw six soldiers form the core of this tiny army, and The Blue Wizard enlisted on Ezra's first birthday. I'm considering adding a dragon to the mix...


Also, I'd like to thank Albert Rasch for mentioning me in a recent blog post! I really enjoy his writing, and strongly recommend The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles. Do yourself a favor and give it a look!