Tuesday, December 26, 2017

And I Thank Them For Mothering Me When I Needed It


"I have been mothered by a whole tribe of women, some who had children of their own, and some who didn't. I thank God for each of them, and thank them for mothering me when I needed it, and for giving me such a rich variety of images for what it means to be a mother. Mother's Day is about looking through our lives and recognizing the act of mothering everywhere we see it, and more than that, recognizing that when any of us mother - when we listen, nurture, nourish, protect - we're doing sacred work." -
Shauna Niequist


I wish I could make gifts from my shop for every occasion, but there's just not enough time. So, I seem to sprinkle gifts around to my loved ones whenever I can. This year I decided to make some trays for two ladies who've had a lasting impact on my life. 

Sue became a part of my life in high school, Pam in college. Both women had a special maternal influence that lasted into adulthood. Although I don't get to spend the time with them I'd like, I always know these two ladies are praying and pulling for me. It means a lot. 

So for Christmas this year I made two matching trays for Pam and Sue. They were made using a plane, a saw, some chisels, and my hands. I selected some of the prettiest cherry and curly maple I've come across. 



Sunday, December 10, 2017

Dawson's Live Edge Desk

Here's a rundown of the desk I made for my son this fall. The concept for this project starts with my neighbor and friend Jim stopping by my shop one day. He said he had some walnut slabs in his garage that had come from a tree in his yard. He'd milled it up over a decade ago. Of course, I told Jim he had a buyer if he ever wanted to part with them. A few weeks later he took me up on my offer. 

They were wonderful live edge black walnut boards. None were much longer than 5 ft, but they were plenty wide and clear. I selected two of the slabs below for a desktop. 

They still had the bark on after all these years. I removed it with a drawknife but did my best to leave the sapwood and the natural profile.