I love yew

A heart for Heart

Last week I sent off a batch of boards for Heart Gallery all the way up in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. If you're in the area you should pop in!

Wedding present

 I recently completed a commission for a pair of boards for a wedding present. I was given pretty much freehand, the only catch was that the boards had to be personalised with my freehand pyrography!

I chose to make them from a lovely piece of yew I had been dying to use.

Toys

 I enrolled on a wooden toy-making course which ended up only being 6 hours long spread over 3 weeks. It has been a refreshing change from serving boards and I'd like to make some more sometime.

Here are my little accomplishments...

The animals are made from mahogany and the Tractor is beech. As you can see, I rinsed their supply of wheels.

Back in production

I've finally managed to get sorted and have been making boards in my new workshop. Here's the first big batch I've done in a while, there are lots of little ones from all the offcuts.

New Studio

Very exciting

Salad Days

This past few weeks I've been working on a project with Flagship Collective, comprising of myself, Zoe and Dan. We're hosting the best pop-up in town, see poster below...

Hope to see you there!

A recent order

Hello bendy

Happy beginnings and sad endings

A post at last.

Our garden is finally getting some colour, some I planted and others just appeared.

I'm hoping to spend more time in the allotment, I planted some courgettes and the chives are coming along nicely. Luckily the rain has meant that I haven't had to water so much.

I went back to Devon for a while last week and had a nice time doing very little. I did buy wood, a bandsaw and a sander though, watch this space for new wooden adventures!

This is also a goodbye post to Scamper who died a couple of weeks ago, and Ellie who died a couple of years ago; my two most dearest friends who are now together again somewhere...

I graduated this week! very exciting and nerve-wracking. Now begins the rest of my life. I remember someone telling me once that you make your own luck. Here's hoping.

Late night sanding and branding

As I am typing this, my poor laptop seems to be covered in a fine coating of sawdust and oil.. 

I got an order whilst I was at pulse for 32 boards which had to be done by this monday. So naturally I left it a week and have spent the last couple of days living in a dustcloud. My hands are so tired from sanding but I am pleased to report I have now finished that part!

I even managed to get a production line going for a little bit with help from the lovely Brigid and Mat

In other exciting news, my branding iron finally came this morning! I am so happy even if it took 6 weeks to arrive..

 Doesn't it work a treat!

 It is now after midnight and I have now oiled every single one ready for drying overnight.

yawn

Degree Show

It's my degree show, and everyone else's so come check it out!

Camberwell College of Arts – BA Show 2012

Dates: 16 – 23 June 2012 (closed Sunday 17 June)

VIP Breakfast: Monday 18 June, 8.00 – 11.00*

Private View: Monday 18 June, 18.00 – 21.00*

*both by invitation only

Family and Friends: Saturday 16 June, 11.00 – 17.00

Open House: Saturday 23 June, 11.00 – 17.00

Exhibition Continues: Tuesday 19 June – Friday 22 June, 10.00 – 20.00

Venue: Camberwell College of Arts, Peckham Road, London SE5 8UF

Thank you Dan for the postcard making!

Pulse and Mary Portas

So on Tuesday at Pulse, I was approached by 3 buyers from House of Fraser who told me about 7 short-listed people who were to take part in a live, filmed audition in front of an audience to Peter Cross, partner of Mary Portas, and 2 buyers from House of Fraser. They said they needed 10 and would I like to audition?
I had heard vaguely about the auditions but I knew I'd be far too scared to do anything like that so I hadn't given it a second thought. So when they came over and asked, I was really excited but overwhelmed and tried to decline out of shyness but they said to think about it and they'd come back in a bit. Everyone I spoke to said I should do it and then they came back and I was told that Peter saw my postcard and really liked my boards and wanted me to audition just to him and the buyers without the audience after it had all finished at 4pm, as he knew I was scared of the audience and tv. I agreed and went along at 4pm only to find the audience still there and the microphone and camera still on but it was all too late to turn back.. I was ushered to the front and then introduced and had to talk into a microphone about my boards for a minute and then we discussed prices and how they might be a bit high and then everyone voted and it was all over and I can barely remember it, I was so scared.

I sat in the orange chair and Peter was in the white one and the two buyers were in the other two.

Anyway, it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life but I don't regret it. We shall see what happens now...

Preparing for Pulse

My first trade show. I am excited and nervous.

Here is a man painting my plinth

Zoe and Dan have a wall

More to follow...

Planting

Day 3 was a good planting day, we also did a bit of watering, so far: geraniums, strawberries, tomatoes and chives. There's already quite a bit of rocket and chard which we left in from our clearing and Brigid and Mat Painted the lovely background on the wall. Can't wait to get back there, it's been such a busy week..oh and finished my degree.. ahhhh

A new aquisition

Brigid and myself have got ourselves an allotment, all thanks to Zoe. It is very exciting and also free and I am so grateful. I hope to document our progress taking a picture at the end of each visit with my camera which has a scratched lens so my images will always have a blurry middle.

This was day 1,and the ultimate 'before' photo.

Day 2 and look at what we have done! exciting finds include:
2 pieces of white picket fence
a little toy gromit

a plastic measuring cup

and I speared a potato.

Photoshoot

Lunch

The serving boards got their first use with a selection of cheeses from Devon, Cornwall and France with some Welsh chutney and German crackers. ha.

How to make an axe

Amazing video with perfect music and cinematography, found here.

A pair

Before the mineral oil...

and after...

Serving Boards

This week I've been really busy making chopping boards, cheese boards, food boards, whatever you like really.  It's been a refreshing change from log logistics..we had a little photo-shoot yesterday but more pics on the way maybe next week. 

They're all made from European Oak so far and I've got big plans for them but have to come up with names for them first..

Easter in a bowl

Here's the latest bowl made from a silver birch tree felled last summer. I have turned it on the side grain instead of the end grain and it was generally a more enjoyable process. The tools had been recently sharpened which was a bit scary because you have to go more carefully so as to not take too much off, but it doesn't rip the wood so much and I got a smoother finish which looks nicer.

Work in progress

 This is my desk at the moment. It's covered in circles of wood

 

These are the disks which I sanded and made into necklaces

I have been doing experiments with drying wood after cutting green wood into thin slices and leaving them overnight

 Today Saana, Vivi and I went on a research trip round Kensington and Chelsea to the check out the David Mellor Shop and The Conran shop, the V&A and Skandium, I was mainly looking at their (good and not-so-good) wooden bowls and kitchen/tableware.

So many new ideas I can't wait to get making again...