Hand-carved Wedding Favors

In an effort to give our wedding and reception a personal touch, I decided, with my bride-to-be, to carve wooden hearts for all of our guests.  Even a smaller-sized wedding can have quite a few guests. Our count was around 70, or just under, which still calls for a lot of whittling.

I used all kinds of wood, from cedar to pine, basswood and poplar, and even mahogany. Some I finished with oils and shellac, some I left natural. All the hearts were marked with our wedding date using a wood burner.

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! 

Cthulhu idol in black and gold

In between carving sessions on my Adventurers project, I've been making a few of these Cthulhu idols. This one is finished in black acrylic paint and dry brushed with gold.

D&D Adventuring Party- The Thief (completed!)

The Thief is done! With a gold coin in hand, and a sly look in his eye, The Thief is the newest member of the group.  Where The Fighter uses force, a thief relies on stealth, cunning, and skill. 

These two will compliment each other well, but the party is not yet compete. Magic users, both arcane and divine, will form the support element of this successful group of adventurers.

Next in the Adventuring Party: The Cleric

D&D Adventuring party-progress

The first figure in my group of dungeon-delving heroes is done! The Fighter is the core member of any adventuring party. He's the front line, the sword and shield protecting the less martial characters. 

This fighter wears grey armor under "bachelor button blue" robes, and a crimson cape to better find him on the battlefield. His shield device is a diving swallow, inspired by the neck label on a bottle of Powers Irish whiskey. 

All figures in this project will wear matching gold cloak clasps w/emerald gems. The Fighter wears his on his left breast. 

Up next: The Thief!

Mini-Mage with knife, all carved and painted!

This little carving is all done! A tiny wizard, his ritual knife in hand, ready to cast out evil or carve a baked ham. 

Cthulu mini-idol, hand carved in basswood

H.P. Lovecraft is second only to Poe as America's greatest writer of horror. In his story The Call of Cthulu, mankind faces a maddening truth of ultimate destruction in the form of nightmare beings from beyond time and space. The herald of these beings is the dread Cthulu.

In this and other stories, HPL describes the appearance of idols to Cthulu, found among doomsday cultists or clutched in the hands of the dead. I carved this with these stories in mind.

Mustache Mixing Spoons

Some mustache mixing spoons. Perfect for any mustache recipie!

A little green paint, and my new whittlin' knife is all done!

Oil paint can take a while to dry, but I'm very happy with how this turned out. I hit the high areas of the knife marks with some sandpaper, giving the paint a time-worn look. A thin layer of shellac protects the paint nicely.

A Mahogany display for some Hand-Carved Mustaches

This mahogany block really took to boiled linseed oil. I love the way the oil darkens the wood, while giving it depth and sheen. To display both rows of mustaches I drilled the front row deeper than the back. This lets the back row sit up a little higher.

I carved a large handlebar mustache in low relief, then painted it black for contrast with the mahogany. I also added a circle of blackboard paint with a light blue border, on which I can chalk the price. The words "Hand-Carved" are applied to one side with a woodburner.

Carved Mustaches on Sticks!

How many varieties of lip whiskers is it possible to carve? I think I just might find out. These 'staches are whittled from basswood, soaked in linseed oil, attached to sticks, and given a final coat of shellac. They're fun, they're dashing, they're mustaches-on-sticks!

The flowing mane of a carved toy horse

I've been working on carving more detailed hair recently, and while it's time consuming, I really like the added texture it can bring to a toy. On these toy horses, it makes them look more lively and just plain pretty.

A carved toy horse for Nora

I really like carving these toy horses, especially so when they're going to a friend's newborn baby. Like many others, this horse is carved from basswood using one of my Swedish Mora knives. There's more attention paid to the detail of the mane and tail than in previous horses, and I'm happy with how it came out. I took great care to soften all the edges, and gave it a good sanding. Salad bowl finish, acrylic paint, and spray shellac give the horse it's color, while also sealing it and protecting it. The small letter "n" woodburned onto the right hip stands for Nora.

Round-nosed Toy Horse

I'll do my best to catch up on blog posts here, since I haven't updated in quite a while. Here's a new style of toy horse that i made. The nose is rounded, and oriented out away from the neck. This style is still "play tough," with usual attention paid to durability and safety.

Hand carved bottle stoppers from old wooden spools

I grab up old wooden spools whenever I can. They're a nice way to do a simple little carving, then I attached a dowel and a tapered cork. Thse stoppers were given a coat of salad bowl finish, some light acrylic paints, and finished with clear shellac.

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!

Christmas Carvings Roundup

Let's take a look at this year's hand carved ornaments. Some of these sold, some are still up for sale on my etsy shop, some are for gifts, and some are even for my own Christmas tree!







It's been a fun season for whittlin'. Upcoming projects include birthday presents for a couple of little guys about to see their 2nd and 3rd birthdays, so stay tuned!