Windstorm damage brings beautiful little salt box

A while back there was a terrible wind storm that swept through Dallas County. My friend, Peggy, had the misfortune to have a huge limb  fall on her house. I had the fortune of getting some of that wood. This little salt

box and the spoons were made from that misfortune of Peggy's. We found out recently that the wood is Cedar Elm and it had a beautiful bark we discovered in making these little items. They are inlayed with turquoise. They have already been spoken for.....

My first "roadtrip" spoon

While traveling to the Hill Country, TX with some friends I managed to escape with some fire pit wood from the Diamond H Lodge in Bandera, Tx. What a great place, run by a really great couple, Jim and Sharon. This little spoon is made from wood of unknown origin...I am sorry that I don't know my woods..that is on my list of things to do in life...learn how to identify wood....But, anyway it is inlayed with turquoise and will be a non-functional spoon..one to remember the good times with Sarah, Snick and Bebe.

Walnut spoon

Found a nice piece of walnut that had been laying around my studio so, thought I would make a little spoon. This one measures about 11 inches long with the bowl being 2 inches. So smooth to the touch. Can be purchased at WoodnFire.

Today I am going to try something out of a piece of root I found the other day while walking my dog, Luna Bella

Walnut slotted spoon with inlayed malachite

A few days ago, I was in my studio and found some really nice mesquite and thought I would make a spoon. The grain is very interesting and pleasing to the eye. I inlayed malachite into the handle. Malachite is a stone of good fortune and prosperity / abundance, too and is also a very protective stone, being especially helpful for general protection, protection from evil. So, this would be a good spoon to use everyday!! This can be found on my Etsy store WoodnFire

Sycamore Spoon

For Christmas last year, I made many spoons and gave them as gifts. Then I started making more salt boxes but as the weather grew warmer I found myself having other desires such as gardening and traveling.

It has been almost a year since I have posted anything here but,  the weather is cooling down and it is rainy today so, I thought this would be a good time to get back to blogging.

These spoons were hand carved from a sycamore branch that came down after the last big wind storm we had in Dallas. They sure are fun to make and I find it quite meditative.

Wooden Salt Cellar with lid

After making several salt cellars without lids, I got requests to make some with lids. This is my first attempt. I believe this is pecan wood but not really sure. I am not too excited about the design. Seems a little plain. Hopefully, I can crank some more out with interesting designs in the near future.

My work can be seen at Woodnfire

Walnut Slotted Spoon

This Walnut spoon has a beautiful wavy grain to it. I picked up some of this Walnut on sale and have made several things out of it.

My work is featured on Woodnfire where I have several salt boxes, spoons, and other wooden items.

Today was a good wood day

Today I created little salt boxes with little spoons. The first one was made of spalted Pecan from my yard

Then I made one of Texas Mesquite

And lastly, I made one out of Walnut that is a salt and pepper box

This little project took up most of my day.

These little boxes can be purchased on Etsy

Woodnfire

Making a wooden spoon: You never know what you are going to get.

I started making this spoon today out of, I believe, pecan. Cut the log, carved out the bowl, cut the shape on the bandsaw, sanded the rough shape, then sanded fine and finished with organic walnut oil. As you can see, this spoon has a few defects. You never really know what you are going to find in the wood. It has a mind of it's own. This will not be used for what it was intended, which is a spoon, but I will keep it all the same. I like the "defects" but they make it not a good candidate for utensil use.

Kuksas drinking cup

Today I tried to make a Kuksas drinking cup (which are traditional wooden cups usually carved from Birch burl). Not sure if that is what I made since this is not Birch burl,  but I like it anyway. This is made out of Cherry wood. I envision myself drinking an herbal tea, Nettles perhaps, out of this little cup. It was fun to make and I like the way it feels in my hand. Could be a 1/4 cup measuring cup or whatever. Could be a baby cup. Endless possibilities.

This first one I made flew off the sander and broke part of the bowl off, but I still like this little cup even though it is flawed.

These can be viewed at Woodnfire

The Creation of a Spoon

Once the wood has been gathered, I take it to the bandsaw and cut a piece to work with.

Then I sketch out a rough idea of what I want to spoon to look like.

Next, I carve out the bowl of the spoon.

To the table saw again to saw the final shape.

Initial sanding the shape of the spoon. (Greatest invention ever, that helmet)

Next comes the fine sanding to finish the spoon.

The finished product

We Are All Related

We Are All Related..

Ho! Mitakuye Oyasin (Mee tah koo yay  Oy yah seen) This is a Lakota Sioux term which includes not only the human family, but all of the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms as well as forces of nature (wind, thunder, lightening) plus the elements, in that we are all connected in this intricate web of existence, and that each is affected by the actions of any other.

This piece is made out of black walnut, sanded and woodburned and colored. It measures 10 1/2" long x 3-6" high and 1 1/2" deep.

This piece can be purchase at Woodnfire

Mesquite spoon

I have recently started making these spoons. This is #26 and the first one of the New Year. Mesquite spoon, hand carved, sanded and finished with organic walnut oil. I gave the first 25 away as Christmas gifts. These everyday utensils become objects of beauty to hold, gaze at and feel, but also should be used. They are beautiful small sculptures.

                                      SOLD
My work can be seen at Woodnfire

Prescription Sticks

Recently, I read about prescription sticks made by ancient Native American tribes. These sticks contained many recipes for medicine. Each figure represents a plant. The sticks were used as memory aids in the process of gathering and preparing plants for medicine.

It is said that in the Old Days, old men walking in the fields would look like they were talking to themselves but, in fact, they were talking to the plants. If you do it long enough the plants will talk back to you.