block printing for all

Whenever "A" makes a piece of furniture, he marks it with an original carving—usually hidden (like on this table), always incredible. Recently, he decided he wanted to explore wood carving a little further, and try his hand a woodblock printing. With this, my mind started zooming. I wanted a piece of this action, and I wanted to introduce the girls to some block printing, too. Since wood carving requires very sharp tools, the girls and I opted for linocut. (...and then I remembered Maya's beautiful cardinal. Oh, the possibilities!)

I recalled the techniques that had gotten dusty in my head (too many years since the days of art school). After we fooled around with the tool and the different tips for a while, we all started to work the kinks out. Still struggling with controlling the lines, the girls decided they would create images that were mostly black (good call). Here's what we ended up with:

a second grader's solar system

a kindergartner's rose

a woodworker's tree scene

...and a metalsmith's hen (this is "Rocky", the beast who continues to eat her own eggs)

We have plans now, many plans—starting with more practice. Custom stamps for friends, prints on cards, teeny little icons to carve, as well as bigger woodcuts. Working in new mediums has a way of stirring up the creative juices that the daily work (in metal, for me) sometimes lets settle.

...And Done

Sharing a few pix of the completed toy box with you this morning.

It's even better in person. The color is velvety, the surface absolutely smooth. I wish you could all run your hands over it.

It really puts our own toy box to shame. Luckily, I've got an in with this woodworker I know...

You can read more about the making of this toy box here.

Custom Toy Box

A while back, "A" was commissioned to make a custom toy box for a couple who wanted a new family heirloom for their home. It will be a toy chest for their grandchildren now, perhaps blanket storage or a hope chest some time down the road. They wanted, something that would fit perfectly in the space they have reserved for it, and it had be a quality piece that would last for years to come.

It's been amazing, watching a board of wood be transformed into a beautiful box. Here's my version of the process (warning: I am sure I'm not using proper furniture-making terminology here so if you're a carpenter, forgive me!):

It started with this giant board of Royal Cedar, 22" wide by 10' long

After cutting and planing the boards much of it was reduced to these shavings on his workshop floor (the kids love playing with those thin curls of wood, and so do I. A craft project just waiting to happen!).

cutting the dovetails

the separate pieces ready to be assembled

And here's a shot of the box with the finish applied. I love how the dovetails pop in contrast.

"A" is working on the lid now, and once the whole things is complete I'll share some pics of that, too.

If you'd like to browse some more of A's work, here's his portfolio.

Surroundings part 2

"Check in the second drawer of the red dresser!"
This is something you hear in our household many times a day. No matter what you're looking for, be it nail clippers, a hair elastic, or a headlamp, you're likely to find it in the second drawer, our junk drawer, of that dresser.

It was rescued from my parents' old cottage, destined to become a TV stand and storage piece for us. When we brought it home, it was a pinkish-brown, as was most of the furniture in that cottage. (I'll have to ask my parents why one of these days). I painted it bright yellow, then a watery crimson so the yellow radiates through the red. It brings color and character to our living room.

But I'm not here to talk about our junk drawer, or the makeover the dresser got. The thing that makes this piece of furniture a prized object in our home is it's secret (apparently, we are partial to furniture with hidden surprises. Remember the table?). Our resident woodworker fashioned a special place for a modern amenity in this antique piece. A flip-down drawer front reveals our DVD/VCR player hidden inside the top drawer. We just flip it back up to hide it all—keeping the big silver box out of sight.

I have never been particularly fond of decorating my home with various technological components, so this was a great solution. I did have some reservations about modifying such a nice, old piece of furniture but in the end, functionality won out—and I'm glad it did!

Desk Job

This weekend brought new life to an old desk. The husband made this desk and stool set for our oldest daughter when she was one. Another child and countless craft projects later, this desk was in serious need of a makeover—and a new owner. Yes, sadly, our girls no longer fit at it. But the set, handcrafted by "A", is a quality family heirloom, not something I'm willing to Freecycle or yard sale away.

So we scrubbed, sanded, scraped, and washed (believe it or not, this photo was taken after it was cleaned). Orange and olive green paint were the chosen to revitalize this tiny work station.

The finished product is headed to the nephews' home today, for many more years of use and abuse.

As for the blueberry overload—I will be featuring blueberry recipes for the next few days (however many days it takes us to eat them all).

Today's recipe: Simple Blueberries and Cream

Ingredients:

Heavy Cream

Maple Syrup

Blueberries

Instructions: Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Add a bit of maple syrup to sweeten the cream to desired taste. Continue to beat for another minute. Add blueberries and enjoy!
note: we froze some blueberries and used those in our cream, for a yummy cooling treat.

Table Talk

A few months ago, my husband (I'll call him "A" from now on) completed our new dining room table and, aahhhh, is it a beauty!

It brings so much to our home. Because we live in a small house, he crafted a table that would have a lightness to it—I'm not talking about color, but structure. He designed a trestle table, that has thinner lines below, so as not to appear too heavy in the room. And it is beautiful in it's spot, letting the light from the adjacent windows flood the room.

Working out of his cramped workshop in our basement (a room over from mine), "A" had to address his first, most obvious challenge—how to fit a finished table out of the basement and through the narrow stairway to our dining room. The solution? This table completely disassembles (as many trestle tables do). Made with keyed through tenons, the trestle can be removed from the legs, the legs detached from the top, making moving and assembly a cinch.

But the best part of this table is the secret it keeps.

This carving is in the center of the underside of the table top, visible only if you crawl underneath it (which might explain why we frequently find the girls under there). The texture of this carving is irresistible, and it is a crime you can't all run your fingers across it.

Our family spends so much time seated at this table which, aside from meals, is host to homework, craft projects, blog and jewelry photography shoots, sewing endeavors, and so much more.

What's next for our resident woodworker? He's making a bench to go with the table. I can hardly wait, and will surely be keeping you posted on the progress.

Making Plans

My family goes with the flow—we just like to let the day unfold and see where it takes us. But lately, especially this summer vacation, we have had to be a little more disciplined with our time. Seems there is so much we have and want to do, and the days are ticking by so fast.

Here's a sneak peek of some things that will be helping to fill our time over the next few months:

A new piece of furniture designed by The Husband...

A gorgeous stack of fabric....

Our Family Summer Center that organizes all our goals and accomplishments for the vacation...

...And some yummy Peruvian wool.

What will be made of the wool and fabric? What will our new custom piece of furniture feel like? What will be added to our list of goals and things the kids wish to do? Time will tell...