Mindy Kinsey, Author at Woodcarving Illustrated https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/author/kinsey/ Everything for the woodcarving enthusiast, from tips and techniques and tool reviews to patterns and instructions for amazing projects that both beginners and advanced woodcarvers will love! Thu, 03 May 2018 16:55:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/cropped-Woodcarving-Illustrated-Favicon-120x120.png Mindy Kinsey, Author at Woodcarving Illustrated https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/author/kinsey/ 32 32 Product Review: Flexcut Spoon Tools https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/product-review-flexcut-spoon-tools/ Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:20:43 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=17278 Three new tools ensure that spoon carvers both at home and...

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Three new tools ensure that spoon carvers both at home and on the go are fully equipped for their art

By Mindy Kinsey

This review was originally published in Woodcarving Illustrated Summer 2018 (Issue 83).


Flexcut has added three spoon carving tools to its extensive range of carving equipment: two Sloyd Hook Knives and the Spoon Carvin’ Jack. Together, they ensure that spoon carvers both at home and on the go are fully equipped for their art.

Sloyd Hook Knives

“Sloyd” refers to an old Scandinavian concept of handwork and an educational system intended to teach crafts holistically, as part of a well-rounded education. These days, the word calls to mind a simple, sturdy, multipurpose knife designed for carving or whittling.

Flexcut’s new single- and double-bevel Sloyd hook knives are made with a high-carbon steel blade and a tang that extends through an attractive cherry handle. The Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is 8″ (20.3cm) long and deeply curved, and its blade comes to a point. The double-bevel version is slightly longer at 8 1/2″ (21.6cm) and has a more open curve ending at a square edge. Both arrive sharp and ready to use, which is great because hooked knives are challenging
to strop, let alone sharpen.

In fact, these tools are so sharp that I was hesitant to use the Double Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife. I rest my thumb on the tool to push it through the wood while I carve, and that isn’t possible with this knife. It would be very useful for larger projects, like bowls or even large serving spoons, where the carving motion comes from rotating the wrist rather than pushing with the thumb. For a small spoon, however, I found myself constantly shifting my grip on both the tool and project, trying to get the right leverage while avoiding the sharp bevels.

However, I really liked the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife. I could push it easily through the wood in my preferred grip. I appreciated the deep curve, which fit well into the smaller spoons I was carving. I found that I used different areas of the curve depending on the part of the spoon I was carving. The Single Bevel Sloyd was easy to use, fit my hand well, and cut through my hardwood blanks cleanly.

The carver and author Lora S. Irish had a different experience with the hook knives. She noted that the single-bevel knife “is definitely a right-handed tool. I am not comfortable as a lefty using it in a backwards pushing motion, which takes away my ability to control the cut.” Lora also had a large problem, literally, with the size of the handles. “The width—girth—of the handles on both tools does not give me, a small-handed woman, any possibility for a secure grip. That lack of gripping power means that I lose all control over the cutting stroke. … Most spoons are carved from a hardwood species [so] the pressure the carver needs to add to the cutting stroke increases the chance of losing control of the cut with a knife that does not properly fit inside the palm of your hand.”

I did not experience problems with the sizes of the handles, suggesting that carvers will need to test the handles to see if they suit your hands (and consider sanding them to size as needed). Left-handed carvers should also be aware that the single-bevel hook knife may be uncomfortable to use and consider the double-bevel version instead.

Spoon Carvin’ Jack

While carving spoons seems like an ideal “whittling” activity, most people don’t carry a curved blade along with their pocketknife. Shaping a spoon bowl with a straight blade is challenging and time consuming.

Enter the Spoon Carvin’ Jack, Flexcut’s newest folding knife. The 6″ (15.2cm)-long body contains three locking blades (one straight and two curved) that arrive sharp and ready to carve. Together, they enable carvers on the go to shape both the handles and bowls of spoons. The body of the knife is made of ergonomically shaped aerospace aluminum that’s comfortable to hold and has a solid, if slightly heavy, feel. It is cross-hatched for improved grip.

This is a brilliant idea. In practice, while the radiuses of the two blades match those of the Sloyd hook knives, I did not find them as easy to use as the full-size versions. The curves are fairly slight in such short blades, making it harder to dig deeply into the spoon bowl. That said, if you simply carve shallower spoon bowls when you’re working in the wild, the Spoon Carvin’ Jack will enable you to whittle by the campfire to your heart’s content. It’s a small price to pay for the portability, safety, and convenience of an all-in-one spoon tool that will fit in your pocket or pack.    

The suggested retail for the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $74.95, the Double Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $79.95, and the Spoon Carvin’ Jack is $124.95. Visit www.flexcut.com to order or to find a local retailer.


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The Art of Fire with Bob Swain https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/bob-swain/ Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:03:24 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=17217 Create a worn, antiqued look for your carvings by finishing with flames...

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Create a worn, antiqued look for your carvings by finishing with flames

By Curtis Badger

Photography by Tom Badger


This article originally appeared in Woodcarving Illustrated Spring 2006 (Issue 34).


Bob Swain spends days carving an intricate dragon from 10 separate pieces of white cedar. Finally, with the pieces assembled, the form takes shape. The head is high and alert, the body curves in a graceful arc, the wings and crest sweep back as though the dragon is moving at great speed. Bob turns the piece from side to side, and reaches for a well-worn paintbrush. He soaks the brush in dirty mineral spirits, douses the carving, lights a wooden kitchen match, and in seconds the dragon is ablaze.

Bob uses fire as a complement to carving and painting his wood sculptures. The dragon emerges from the flames with no structural damage, but with a dark, rich patina that later shows through a thin application of oil paint. “Burning makes a carving appear worn and aged, like it has been handled and used a lot,” Bob said. “And that’s a quality I like. I want them to be handled. I want people to feel the form and texture. It involves a sense other than vision.”

It is something of a miracle that Bob sculpts wood at all. In 1965 he was a college student majoring in business. He and some friends were heading off on a weekend trip one rainy Friday night, when the car went out of control and struck a culvert, and Bob’s spine was snapped. Barely out of his teens, Bob faced months of rehabilitation and a future in a wheelchair. However, the accident seemed to kindle some latent spark of independence in Bob. Rather than giving in to the physical limitation, he uses it as motivation. He completed rehab, moved back home, and began running the family’s farm supply business, expanding it to include greenhouses, ornamental plants, and garden tools.

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Bob lives on Hunting Creek on Virginia’s Eastern Shore near the Chesapeake Bay. He began carving 20 years ago when he began collecting antique hunting decoys. Bob enjoys the weathered patina of old decoys, and attempts to replicate it in modern carvings. Bob admits that early in his career he used the wheelchair to get noticed and to stand out from the legion of bird carvers who attended the art shows and carving competitions. “It helped people remember me,” he said.

Now the 60-year-old carver spends 10 to 12 hours a day carving, despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nine years ago. The additional physical setback seems to have made him even more driven to carve. “With the Parkinson’s, it’s like blinders on a horse—I can’t deviate from the straight and narrow,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to do this, so I’m very focused on it now.”

Bob studied with the noted decoy-maker Mark McNair, who uses fire as part of an aging process, and Bob adapts the process for his own work. “Mark uses fire on a very limited basis in his work, but I use it extensively,” Bob said. “I burn the raw carving with stained mineral spirits to provide a base color of aged wood. And then I burn the oil paint as I apply it to darken and enrich the color. Finally, I scrub the carving with soap and water, and that removes any burn residue and thins the paint enough to let some of the aged wood show through.”

While Bob’s early interest in woodcarving reflects his passion for antique hunting decoys, his work has evolved to cover a wide range of subjects, from the dramatic to the whimsical. In his studio overlooking Hunting Creek you will see a carving of a peregrine falcon with a dying shorebird in its talons. You also will find a carving of a cow jumping over the moon, a carved cat with moving joints sitting on the edge of a shelf, and several carvings of dragons.

Using Fire to Finish a Carving

Bob’s general procedure is to apply paint to an area, burn the paint, and buff it with a bristle brush. He uses Ronan brand oil paints, which are very concentrated, dense paints used in the sign-painting business. Bob applies the paints with worn brushes, blending the colors on the carving.

Bob is also very careful to only light the carvings on fire over a concrete floor with no combustibles near it. Use common sense if you use any of his techniques—fire can be very dangerous.

  Step 1: Apply dirty paint thinner to the carving, and light it on fire. The paint thinner burns away and creates an “instant patina” that will show through thin layers of paint.
  Step 2: Apply white Ronan paint diluted with mineral spirits. Bob uses thin washes of paint so texture and some wood color can show through.
  Step 3: Carefully set the paint on fire. When the fire burns out buff the carving with a coarse brush.
  Step 4: Add raw sienna to the white. Apply this to the face of the bird. Then light this on fire.
Step 5: Paint the bill with Van Dyke brown mixed with a small amount of raw umber. Add a little raw umber to the mix and paint the sides of the bird.
  Step 6:  Carefully light the bird on fire once you are satisfied with the painting. This gives the carving an aged look.
Step 7:  Add texture and feather patterns. Dab a stick into a can of Van Dyke brown and press the stick onto the bird to create an irregular line. Then tie a small piece of sandpaper around a pencil, creating a U-shape. Dip the sandpaper into the paint and transfer the paint to the bird. Be sure to have the closed end of the “U” to the back.

TIP: A Thin Coat of Paint Looks Best

Bob uses thin washes of paint. If he gets too much on the carving, he will wipe it off with a cloth dampened with paint thinner. Here you can see that the paint on the wing got too thick. After wiping it with mineral spirits, the paint on the wing is now lighter, with some of the patina and texture of the wood showing through.

 

 


About the Author

Curtis Badger, a former director of publications for the Ward Museum in Salisbury, Md., has written widely about natural history and wildlife art. He has done numerous books on bird carving for Stackpole Books, and he recently wrote a book on the natural history of the Atlantic Coast entitled The Wild Coast, published by University of Virginia Press. Tom Badger is Curtis’ son.

 

 


 

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Gorgeous Grown-up Color “Wheel” https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/color-wheel-flower/ Mon, 08 Jan 2018 18:46:41 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16754 Learn color theory—and make a beautiful project—with just five paints...

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Learn color theory—and make a beautiful project—with just five paints

By Lora S. Irish

 

Overwhelmed by the paint aisle? Not sure of the difference between yellow-orange and orange-yellow? Completely confused when people talk about primary and secondary colors? This project will answer those questions by helping you create a beautiful, lasting reference you’ll be proud to hang in your workshop or home. Best of all, you only need three colors—red, blue, and yellow—plus some black and white to mix all of the colors you need.

Check below for the list of supplies, and then scroll down to download the PDFs. You need all five PDFs; one long document was broken into pieces for easy downloading. The pattern is in PDF #5.

 

Materials & Tools

General Supplies
Wax-coated paper plates or styrofoam plates
Palette knife
Water: 2 bowls
Paper towels
Paintbrushes: flat shaders, assorted sizes #4 – #10
Frisket film: 12″ (30.5cm) square (Self-adhering, removable plastic film used for masks and stencils. Click here for more info.)
Birch plywood: 12″ x 18″ (30.5cm x 45.7cm)
Sandpaper: 220 grit
Brown kraft paper: 6″ (15cm) or 8″ (20cm) square
Graphite tracing paper
#2 pencil
Painter’s tape or masking tape
Craft knife, bench knife, or chip-carving knife

Craft Paint
(Any brand is fine. See below for an explanation of paint colors)
Cadmium red
Cadmium yellow
Ultramarine blue
White
Black
Gel pens: assorted

 

Paint Colors: Professional Names vs. Craft/Hobby Names

The list of color names in the supply list are the traditional artist-quality, professional color names. Most paint manufacturers use the chemical-based name for their artist color lines, whether those colors are acrylics, watercolors, or oils. So the manufacturer will name their pure hue red Cadmium Medium Red for each different line of paint.

Craft paints, made for the hobby market, have their own specific names for their hues, tones, and color shades depending on the manufacturer. One company may call the pure hue red color Fire Engine Red, while another names the same color Apple Red, and a third might name theirs Candy Cane Red. When you purchase your craft colors, please refer to the manufacturer’s color chart, which shows all of the colors in that line of paint. Chose the purest hues possible, regardless of the name of any particular paint color.

I worked my project using the Apple Barrel craft paint line manufactured by Plaid. These colors are inexpensive and readily available. My local WalMart carries several lines of Plaid craft paints.

From left to right:
20501E Bright Red = Cadmium red
21961E Outrageous Orange = Cadmium orange
20513E Bright Yellow = Cadmium yellow
20361E Bright Green = Chromium oxide green
20596E Cobalt Blue = Ultramarine blue
20595E Concord Grape = Dioxide purple
20503E White
21885E Jet Black

Note: I use orange, green, and purple (the three secondary colors) often enough that I include premixed bottles in my regular paint kit. You don’t need them for this project, however; we will create them by mixing red, yellow, and blue (the primary colors).

 


CLICK HERE to download Part 1 of the  Color Wheel Project PDF.

CLICK HERE to download Part 2 of the  Color Wheel Project PDF.

CLICK HERE to download Part 3 of the  Color Wheel Project PDF.

CLICK HERE to download Part 4 of the  Color Wheel Project PDF.

CLICK HERE to download Part 5 of the Color Wheel Project PDF.


Lora S. Irish is a professionally trained artist who specializes in projects using natural materials, including wood, leather, gourds, and fabric. Using those materials as inspiration, springboard, and surface, she carves, paints, woodburns, embroiders, scrapbooks, and makes jewelry and, more recently, soap. Lora has written 28 books on crafting and offers free tutorials, patterns, and projects on her blog, LSIrish.com. Her patterns are available for sale at ArtDesignsStudio.com.

 

 

 


Want more from Lora S. Irish? CLICK HERE to see her books and magazine articles available from Fox Chapel Publishing.

 

 

 

 

 


 

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Artistry in Wood 2017 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/artistry-wood-2017/ Mon, 18 Dec 2017 18:43:15 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16710 There’s something for everyone at Artistry in Wood The Dayton...

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There’s something for everyone at Artistry in Wood

The Dayton Carvers’ Artistry in Wood show has bounced back after a move and is reasserting its status as one of the best carving shows in America. In its second year at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio, the 2017 event took place on October 14-15 and welcomed 3,500 guests and 189 exhibitors. In other words, it’s a huge room full of fantastic artwork and the people who make and love it!

If you’re into woodworking, this show has something for you. About two-thirds of the exhibits are related to carving–artists, tool vendors, wood vendors, pattern people, etc.–but scrolling, turning, and woodworking are growing segments. Children are not just welcome but have an area where they can hammer birdhouses and toolboxes to their hearts’ content. Activities for adults include a silent raffle and a full slate of demonstrations.

The staff of Woodcarving Illustrated collaborated with the show to create an exciting series of demonstrations throughout the show. Among them, Dylan Goodson talked about carving realistic people, Mike Allen carved an acanthus leaf, Terry Brasher explained how to carve eyes, and Judy Gale Roberts described intarsia techniques. In addition, Jim Shubert explained how to rehab old tools and Scott Phillips of The American Woodshop demo’d a number of new tools.

The competition at Artistry in Wood is known for the excellence of its entries, and this year was no different. The award for Best of Show went to Fred Zavadil for his nearly lifesized angel bust. Al Jordan won the Second Best of Show award, and Third Best of Show went to Sherry Jones. These photos are courtesy of Artistry in Wood; to see all of the winners, visit the show’s website.

Third Best of Show winner by Sherry Jones
Best of Show winner by Fred Zavadil
Second Best of Show winner by Al Jordan

 

The WCI booth was busy during the show. We celebrated the 20th anniversary of Woodcarving Illustrated magazine with cake each day, and it went fast! In addition, we had several booth guests. Lori Dickie, the author of Quick & Cute Carving Patterns, demonstrated carving wooden eggs into caricatures. Wayne and Jacob Fowler, the authors of Woodworkers Pattern Book, showed numerous examples of their complexly scrolled animal portraits. We were proud that many of our book authors were at the show, including Floyd Rhadigan, Bruce Nicholas, Tom Hindes, and Judy Gale Roberts. We also presented the Woodcarver of the Year Award to Janet Cordell.

For a show that truly has more in one room than you can see or do in a weekend, head to Ohio for Artistry in Wood!

Artistry in Wood takes place every October at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio. Visit the Dayton Carvers Guild’s website (www.daytoncarvers.com) for more information. To learn about more carving shows, visit our online calendar: woodcarvingillustrated.com/calendar-of-events.

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Show chairman Don Worley (left) with Dennis Grant of United Rehabilitation Services. The show has donated more than $145,000 to the group over the years.

 

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Klingspor’s Woodworking Extravaganza 2017 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/klingspors-woodworking-extravaganza-2017/ Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:59:24 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16706 Klingspor’s Woodworking Extravaganza is like three events in one They...

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Klingspor’s Woodworking Extravaganza is like three events in one

They call it an Extravaganza, and it really is, reports WCI’s Advertising Director, Michele Sensenig, who attended the show in October. Klingspor’s Woodworking Extravaganza is like three events in one, with an exhibit hall full of tool vendors, a woodcarving competition sponsored by a local club, and a roundup’s worth of demonstrations taking place all weekend.

The largest event of its kind in North Carolina, the show is held in Hickory, N.C., each fall. A haven for carvers, scrollers, turners, and general woodworkers, it is particularly well-known for its vendor hall, which features crowd-favorite brands like DeWalt, Bosch, Tormek, ArborTech, Festool, Foredom, SuperMax, Porter Cable, Jet, Flexcut, and General Finishes, among many others.

The Catawba Valley Woodcarvers sponsors the carving competition, which welcomes hundreds of entries in 35 categories, including the show theme category, Fantasy in Motion. (See below for photos of the top winners.) They also organize a raffle of many terrific carvings. In addition, General Finishes sponsored a woodturning competition with such whimsical categories as Chip Accuracy and Chip Height. Turner Jerry Measimer hit the ceiling with his chips during the challenge!

Among the many demonstrations taking place during the show were Gerry Shaw of Catawba Valley Woodcarvers with chip-carved Christmas ornaments; Scott Caskey showing how to make Turkey Friction Pots on a lathe and demonstrating how to select and cut logs to prepare for woodturning; Brian Pardue and Mike Violette of Carolina Scrollers showing intarsia and fretwork; Randy Everett making art with his chainsaw; and Michele Parsons teaching pyrography.

Several special promotions took place over the course of the weekend. The Carolina Scrollers raised more than $1,700 for local food banks by selling Christmas ornaments. Another group, the NCWoodworker.net, shared their project making urns for veterans, and the A.N.D.Y Card Foundation handed out emergency contact cards to help locate loved ones in case of emergency.

 

For more photos and info, visit www.woodworkingextravaganza.com.

Enjoy these photos of the winning carvings courtesy the Catawba Valley Woodcarvers (click to enlarge). Photos by Noelle Rasmussen.

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Best of Show Theme Open and First Best of Open: Man on Bicycle by Maria Senkel

 

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Wisconsin River Woodcarvers Show 2017 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/wisconsin-river-woodcarvers-show-2017/ Fri, 15 Dec 2017 21:31:04 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16674 For a wonderful weekend of fellowship, education, and fantastic carvings,...

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For a wonderful weekend of fellowship, education, and fantastic carvings, plan a fall trip to the Wisconsin River Woodcarvers show

If you live in the upper Midwest and you’re looking to spend a weekend with friendly folks and their high-quality carvings, put the Wisconsin River Woodcarvers show on your list of places to go. It takes place at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point, Wisc., every September, and it’s well worth the trip.

The show is one of the largest club shows in America, with more than 100 exhibitors and more than 1,200 visitors. Seven clubs from around the state support the show, and another couple are talking about joining the fun next year. So there’s a huge variety of things to see and people to chat with, plus several suppliers so you can pick up some tools and wood, as well as a well-supported raffle.

Hourly demonstrations take place in a comfortable room near the showroom. The club provides cameras and screens so the demos are easy to see. This year’s selection included chip carving with Neil Rippey, spoon carving with Karen Henderson, air brushing with Tony Resop, sharpening with Denny Neubauer, woodburning with Echo Keller, carving a female face with Adina Huckins, and “Wood to Tree” with John Krantz.

Adina Huckins and Dylan Goodson served as the judges for the competition, which had nearly 300 entries. Carol Leavy won both the Overall Best in Show and Best in Show – Advanced Awards for her relief portrait. Paul Murphy and Susan Meyer also won Best in Show Awards. To see all of the winners, visit the club’s website.

The club hosts a truly enjoyable banquet on the show’s Saturday night. There wasn’t a program, other than sincere and heartfelt thanks to the show organizers and guests, but there was plenty of talk with the friendly club members, and the door prizes were a hoot. The club gathers ample donations from the community, including dozens of bottles of wine, cases of beer and soda, household products ranging from cleaning supplies to toilet paper, as well as generous contributions of the more usual sort from show participants—tools, gift certificates, patterns, books, etc. At the end, anyone who wishes is welcome to take home a 10-pound bag of local potatoes! It was a delightful and relaxing evening.

For a wonderful weekend of fellowship, education, and fantastic carvings, plan a fall trip to central Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River Woodcarvers show!

 

Visit the club online and see photos of all of the winning carvings at wisconsinriverwoodcarvers.org. The next show is scheduled for September 15-16, 2018.

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Roger Young's carved chain is 120' long and has nearly 1,500 links. He notes that it is not carved from a continuous piece of wood.

 

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Sauder Village Woodcarvers Show & Sale 2017 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/sauder-village/ Fri, 15 Dec 2017 21:14:16 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16669 Combine a carving show with a visit to a fascinating...

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Combine a carving show with a visit to a fascinating historic site at Sauder Village

First, a little background. Sauder Village is the largest living history museum in Ohio. It was developed more than 30 years ago by the Sauder family, owners of the wood product company of the same name, to show how people lived in pioneer days and demonstrate traditional handcrafts. The 235-acre property is home to pioneer-style buildings and businesses, including a cabinet shop, barber, church, doctor’s office, school, and mill. Working craftsmen demonstrate woodworking, basket making, weaving, quilting, spinning, glass blowing, native crafts, and more. In addition to historic crafts, shops sell delicious baked goods, chocolates, and other delights.

The facility also comprises a hotel, campground, and conference center, where the Sauder family has hosted special events since the 1980s. And when I say that the Sauders host the event, I mean it literally; the family runs the village, attended the banquet, visited the show, and greeted every vendor and many guests. They were gracious, involved, and knowledgeable, and clearly favorites among the carvers.

Now in its 31st year, the 2017 woodworking show took place at the end of October. It was an intimate gathering of about three dozen artists—mainly carvers, but also scrollers, turners, and general woodworkers, plus a couple of suppliers. Although more than 1,000 visitors attended, the show never felt hurried or uncomfortable; in fact, it was easy to chat with exhibitors and guests alike.

This year’s special guest carver was the bark-carving expert Rick Jensen. He taught a class before the show, spoke at the banquet, and served as a competition judge. Fellow exhibitors Bob Stadtlander and Ann Wenger taught seminars during the show. A band provided lively music in the lobby during much of the show.

Unlike many shows, carvings are judged on the tables during this event, and the tables themselves are judged as well. Mike Allen won the Sauder Award (Best of Show), while Roger Strautman and Jim Spencer received Second and Third Best of Show Awards, respectively. Sandy Czajka, Floyd Rhadigan, Amy Schultz, and Martin Schnur all won Awards of Excellence for overall presentation and received coveted limited-edition handmade plates. Gary Bityk, Don Mertz, and Lowell Rose were also honored with awards. To see the carvings, visit the show’s website.

If you’d like to combine a carving show with a visit to a fascinating historic site, look no further than Sauder Village.

For more information about Sauder Village, visit their website. For information about next year’s carving show, keep an eye on the events page.

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Rick Jensen, the show's featured carver, told carving tales and jokes at the Saturday night banquet.

 

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Great Gifts for Magical Mayem https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/great-gifts-magical-mayem/ Tue, 14 Nov 2017 20:46:02 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16398 Combine the magic of woodworking with…magic!   Thanks to the...

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Combine the magic of woodworking with…magic!

 

Thanks to the popularity of “Game of Thrones,” the longevity of Harry Potter, and a new “Lord of the Rings” TV series in the works, fantasy has gone mainstream. These artisan-created gifts were inspired by those and other mystical worlds. We hope they get your creativity flowing and help you make magical gifts for the fantasy-loving folks in your life.

 

Dragon Wand by Tamera Seevers Deathly Hallows Game of Thrones Dragon Barrette The Four Corners of Civilization - The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss Dobby Key Holder with Quote The Lord of the Rings "Two Towers" Vinyl Record Wall Clock Wise Old Dragon Skull Map of Middle Earth Table Lord of the Rings Speak Friend Sign Game of Thrones Direwolf Dish Harry Potter Always Silo
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Make a Magic Wand! Tamera Seevers' design features a fierce dragon handle and flames flowing up the wand. You'll find the pattern and step-by-step instructions for power carving the project in the Winter issue of Woodcarving Illustrated magazine, available now. (Order now at https://tinyurl.com/yb2ejgds)

 

 


CLICK HERE to get a free pattern for a fun fantasy critter: a hippocampus pie crimper! Make this folk-art creation for use or display.

 

 

 


Carve dragons, fairy tales, Christmas characters, and more–all tucked neatly into a matching box and designed for play or display. Making Wooden Puzzle Playsets by Carolea Hower is available now from Fox Chapel Publishing or your local retailer.

 

 

 


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Pattern Making Made Easy https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/pattern-making-made-easy/ Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:23:00 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16549 Use an app to find a pose, then add clothes...

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Use an app to find a pose, then add clothes.

Use an app to find a pose, then add clothes

By Dylan Goodson

 

I have two methods for designing new carvings. When I need to work out the pose, clothing, and details, I sculpt a clay model. (Click here for one method of creating a model.) But for a recent Santa and some of my simpler carvings, I have a shortcut.

I use the Pose Tool 3D app (made by Alienthink.com) on my smartphone to create a pattern for my Santa. The app is meant to help you draw human figures with correct anatomy from different angles in complex poses.

Here are the simple steps I used to make my pattern:

Step 1: Choose and pose a 3-D figure in the app. It includes options for male and female figures that are old, young, heavy, slender, muscular, or average. You can pose all of the body parts separately. I sometimes look in the mirror to be sure I’m choosing a natural pose.

Step 2: When you are satisfied with the figure, take screenshots of the front, back, and sides. Transfer the images to your computer and print them.

Step 3: Draw the clothing on the pictures of the figure. Use reference materials (i.e., photos of clothes) as needed.

Step 4: Transfer the outline of each pattern to the wood and cut them out with a band saw.

 


Carve Dylan’s realistic Santa! Look for the pattern in Woodcarving Illustrated Winter 2017 (Issue 81). Click here to order.

 

 

 

 


• For more articles like this, subscribe to Woodcarving Illustrated magazine. Click here for more information.

• Plus! Get digital mini magazines in your e-mail between printed issues. Click here to subscribe to StropTalk, our e-mail newsletter.


 

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Whittling with Chris: Carving Curls https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/whittling-chris-carving-curls/ Thu, 09 Nov 2017 14:49:00 +0000 https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/?p=16520 Practice one simple technique to make all sorts of projects...

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Practice one simple technique to make all sorts of projects

 

There are only two techniques you need to know to whittle almost any of Chris Lubkemann’s projects: sharpening a knife and carving curls. If you need to review your sharpening technique, watch this video. If you’ve got that down, it’s time to learn technique number two: carving curls.

   

Chris uses curls to make tails for his iconic roosters, the petals on little daisies, the branches of tiny trees, and more. There’s a bit of a knack to it, so you’ll need to practice. Make sure your knife blade is properly shaped (watch this video), grab a handful of twigs, and watch this video.

 


A child of missionaries, Chris Lubkemann grew up in the forests of Brazil and Peru, where he developed an appreciation for knives and entertained himself and others by handcrafting rafts, tree houses, traps, and slingshots from scrap wood. As an adult, he has continued to use his woodworking skills for gold old-fashioned fun. Chris has carved some of the world’s smallest branch carvings; in fact, his smallest branch rooster was given a Guinness World Record Certificate. The author of five books on woodcarving with Fox Chapel Publishing, Chris currently demonstrates whittling as the resident woodcarver at the Amish Farm and House in Lancaster, Pa. Visit his website at www.whittlingwithchris.com.

 

 


Want to learn more about whittling?

Subscribe to Woodcarving Illustrated magazine, or visit our website to buy back issues. Check out our special issues all about Whittling. Visit our website to buy Chris Lubkemann’s books.

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