Christmas Thoughts

Our family was together for Christmas, augmented with the newest family member Kieran. We all gave, received and ate a banquet. We are blessed by the reality that our holiday celebrations extend for several more days with friends and extended family. After all the fussing and worrying, it turned out just fine.

Kieran, Mom, Oma and Uber Oma. They are all delighted.

On a less serious note: Christmas is the time when you wish people didn't come in different sizes.

Blessings, Peace and Joy on all your Houses.
ian

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Year.

Many years ago my father worked shift work and had to leave for the day shift very early in the morning. One year he worked Christmas Day and so was long gone before I got my little head out of bed. The adults decided that presents would wait until my Father got home from work. At this point in time I see the reasoning but at the time it seemed like yet another cruel trick played by big people on little people. I supposed I was five or six years old at the time.

To fill in the very long day. Remember this is before 150 television channels and it was when we lived in Northern Ontario so it was very cold and probably snowy too. On Christmas Day there was no one outside to play with anyway, they were all inside playing with their new Christmas gifts.!! To fill the long day my Mother helped me learn, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by heart.

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" has shaped my vision of the holiday ever since, and I still remember the words after all these years.

"And I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night"

OK, the internet has some uses!!!

Years ago friends gave me a wooden hand plane they had purchased at a junk shop. The plane was to be a desk ornament since I did not do wood work at that time but they thought it looked nice none the less.

As an example of how long I hang onto stuff with limited use, last night I sharpened the blade on that plane and it works fine. In the last 30 years I have learned how to sharpen blades, (thank you Work Sharp) and on the week end I learned how to set the plane blade for use.

Setting the plane blade was learned from the World Wide Web. Someone on Facebook thought it was worth 1 minuted of their time to show the very basic tricks involved in setting a plane blade with a hammer.

Thank you Facebook, world wide web and the fellow in the mini movie showing me how.

Season's End

As you can see my email address is woodchipsandtwowheels. The wood chips are obvious on this site, the two wheels, not so much

Two birthdays ago I was given a Honda Silverwing maxi scooter by my sweet wife. That is the two wheels.

Well......today I took the battery out and put the scooter under a trap for it's winters sleep. The total Ks for the season, just over 8,000. It just too wet for two many days to get the travelling in that I had hoped for.

Next season. Sunny days, long trips.

Proto Type Fish

This is a scroll saw project that I have had laying around for a while. I thought I would dye it and see what it looked like. Before this ends up in Textures it will be refined a little and personalized some. The original idea came from a scroll saw book, so the idea is not mine but it isn't a copy either.

Wood Bowls, not Turned but Carved

This bowl was a project from a couple of years ago. It turned out nice enough that I never did sell it. It is a soft maple burl, I think.

Over the years I have made 10 or so bowls like this. It is a cross cut from a tree or stump and the insides are ground, carved and worried away until it is a bowl.
This bowl is about 20 x 24 inches and 3 ins. deep.

Coolest Baby in the world

CRIB

The photo is the baby crib I made for my grandson Kieran Gabriel Srigobind Jackson, born July 4th 2009. And yes he is the coolest baby in the world.

An eight piece dino puzzle.















Davis with his birthday puzzle, apart then together. He assembled it by himself. Pretty good for a 5 year old, I think.

Elephant Thoughts

"Elephant Thoughts" is a very cool toy store on Hwy. 24 south of Collingwood Ontario. The store is filled with education and imagination stimulating toys, games and tools. This is not a surprise as Elephant Thoughts was founded by educators as a resource for the community here and abroad.
Just incidentally they are the source of the Marble Tree basic design and stock many trees for sale.

Textures of Hamilton

TEXTURES is a craft/artist co-op based in Hamilton featuring work by nearly 100 local crafts people. 236 Locke St. Hamilton Ontario

At any given time a customer will find unique and interesting works in glass, fabric, wood, leather, recycled goods paper and just about anything you can think of.

There are items for sale ranging in cost from a $1.25 to over $100.00 +.

Since the work is done by various local craftspeople, it is always worth a look as you go by, since the items for sale change everyday.

store hours 11:00 to 5:30 Monday to Friday
11:00 to 5:00 Saturday and Sunday

Puzzles and Tree

These are a couple more examples of the
type of products I have for sale at
TEXTURES.

Marble Tree

The Marble Tree is actually made from poplar. The marble part is the marble that you release from the top leaf letting it roll around and around the trunk plunking and clunking all the way to the bottom.
*note* for sale at TEXTURES on Locke St. Hamilton Ontario.

Tree is approx. 32 inches tall either painted as in the photo or unfinished.

Baby Bowl

I completed this bowl in the summer of 2008 as a commission from a photographer living the United States.