Coffee Scoop Gift to Me.......from Me

 I carved this coffee scoop in the late spring. It was intended as a gift, though I loved it and wanted it for myself. (I have so few of my spoons that I love, as I give them all away!)

As I prepared carved wooden spoons for gifting, I photographed groups of spoons and let the recipients choose the one they wanted. No one ever chose this one. So, yesterday I decided that it was a sign that this was meant to stay here with me.  It is so goofy at how happy I am at a gift from me to me.

Cherry Spoons

My spoon carving doesn't start happening until after Easter.   This year, I had a difficult time coming across green wood to carve, so I got a late start.

On a recent trip to West Virginia, the friend from whom I rent a mountain top farmhouse told me I could cut a limb off her cherry tree.  Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!  Cherry is one of my favorite woods for spoon carving.

I carefully selected a limb that would not be missed. Probably I got about 10 spoons worth of cherry.

My first spoon was carved for my friend.  When I carve there, I hole up in a funky side porch area that is out of the wind. Many times when my friend visited the farm and came over to say hello, she picked up the spoon to inspect it.  I don't think she knew it was intended for her.

When I was finished the carving, I wood burned "County Line Cherry" into the side of the handle to show the wood came from her farm.  Sometimes it is so very hard to let go of these things!

(In the background is the "mother" tree.)

Walking Stick Hoarding

The weather has been crazy here in Northern Virginia.  It went into the mid 60's here today. We should be in the middle of snow storms this time of year.

I have been craving to get out my new woodburning tools and work on some walking sticks.  Though it has been requested of me to not hoard so many sticks and branches in the house... (I did get rid of the drawer full in the freezer!)...   I was hoping that some the length of walking sticks survived somewhere. And here they were! These should give me a week's worth of work, at least.

Wooden Spoon Love

This week I've gotten numerous projects finished.  It may have been because of deadlines.  It may have been because of the piles of unfinished projects on my work space.  It might have been because of days and days of rain.  Regardless, I have cleared swaths of space in my studio.  Yippee!

This accomplishment also gave me time to spend carving without feeling guilty about the other things that needed attention.

I just finished this spoon.  It might just be my favorite spoon.  ....at least for the moment. The shape is pleasing to me and it is spalted just enough.

I'd like to just sit and hold it.

Redecorating Snippyville - Walking Sticks

Snippyville, my studio, has always woefully  been a ragtag, yet beloved, workspace.  During my 2 month recovery from foot surgery, I spent a bit of time down there trying to figure out how to fix it up.  It is still in flux, but there are a lot of changes in the works.

I have had my father's and grandfather's walking sticks for 25 years.  I also have a couple of my own.  They have never been displayed, though I have always wanted to show them off.  Yesterday, I decided to hang them up.   Something seems to still be lacking, but I like the idea.

Here is my Dad's walking stick.  It was made for him by a friend of the family.  Daddy was an outdoorsman, so the stick is woodburned with funny images of outdoors adventures.

The smallest stick is PaPa's walking stick.  He was a little man of Irish descent.  I always think of his walking stick as a leprechaun's shillelagh.

The last two are mine.  They are both unfinished.  I need to stain the one on the right and the one in the middle on the left needs a little more flouish.

Anyway, this is the first look of my "new" space.