A simple candy cane ornament

When carving the candy cane ornament, I'd advise you take special care on the inside section. If you rush it, or try and force the inside curve, you'll risk it splitting along the grain and clear through the arch, ruining the carving. I find that gentle removal of material from one side then the other is a safe way to go.

I finished this one with a little linseed oil, then filled the diagonal cuts with a wash of red paint. When it dried I sanded off the excess, pushed in a brass eyelet, gave it a light spray of shellac, and the ornament was complete.

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.

My latest hand carved toy horse

I'm really enjoying the current pace of my progress in whittlin'. I've made plaques, toys, and a whole bunch of Christmas ornaments. With a couple of shows on the way for motivation, things are moving right along.





This latest toy horse shows a slightly different style of mane. I'm trying a sort of "S" shaped mane with a forward slant. I feel this gives the design a look of forward movement, and a crisp but smooth line.

As you can see I've left the mane and tail unpainted on this one in order to show off the wood. As always with the toys I carve, everything is play-safe and built to last.

Hand carved Christmas tree plaque

Continuing my carved wooden plaque series, here's a classic Christmas tree complete with ornaments and presents. I liked it before the painting, but it really pops now that it's all finished. Hey, I even put one of my toy horses in there!

Hand carved Dala Horse plaque

I picked up some wooden plaques at a second hand shop for about 25 cents each, a great bargain. You can see the first plaque here, which I carved with my take on the Swedish dala horse.

A light coat of linseed oil gives the wood a nice warm glow, and seals the wood in preparation for the acrylic paint. Two coats of shellac protects the finished carving.

With a Bible in my Ruck

On this Veteran's Day I encourage you to read this post by my friend Jonathan. A veteran of Afghanistan, he is currently preparing for another deployment "over there." Jonathan's writing is honest, direct, and reveals much about the identity of the modern American soldier. His work has be published by the New York Times among others.

I wore the uniform once, as I know many who read this blog have and continue to do so. May God continue to bless the USA and her veterans.

Most recent Christmas carvings

This weekend's craft show went well, but left me with plenty of carvings. No problem, I've got some more shows on the horizon.

There's always more wood to carve!