[Woodcarver] Even at this unnatural hour ...

[Donna Menke]

Marcia-
Looking at your Maine Coon cat blog was interesting- reminded me of my Emily dachshund blog. I added another blog to my little collection- the portrait one. These things are addictive- like you mentioned that you may do another one too. It seems strange to carve without documentation any more.
I've taken another step in that direction in that now I am doing videos. Hubby and I have been working for months to accumulate the equipment and knowledge so that I can make process videos to sell at shows and seminars. It has been a struggle but we finally got it all together and finished a trial- my trips of last year for the kids and myself. One more bug to work out-menus- and then I'll do the big hummingbird video. Did a trial intro and discovered all the things I shouldn't do- like roll my eyes- not funny.
I also completed yesterday the 7-page booklet for carving the Peeking Mouse for my classes and blanks. It is also planned for an upcoming issue of Carving Magazine.

And- I'm sanding on a 3" Celtic Triad in figured maple- talk about a trial. It will be gorgeous- but the sanding is tedious in the extreme. Kinda like texturing a cat- eh!
Donna Menke
http://www.woodworks-by-donna.com 
Author: The Ultimate Band Saw Box Book



----- Original Message ----

> From: Marcia Berkall <whitwood at fairpoint.net>

> To: [Woodcarver] <woodcarver at carverscompanion.com>

> Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:11:50 AM

> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Even at this unnatural hour ...

> 

> Friends in Carving: Please support our List - visit the Carvers' Campanion Shop 

> at http://cafepress.com/woodcarving

> 

> 

> LOL  I just have to chuckle when "fearless leader" hits

> the wrong button :)  There are times when I might have caught you on

> the other end of the day...carving into the wee hours of the

> morning.

> 

> I'm up to my eyeballs in work.  I'm still working on the life size

> Maine Coon Cat carving.  This has been a real stretch for me. 

> (I love commissions for that reason.)  Never have I done so much

> texturing!  I hope to have that finished in the next few days, then

> turn my attention to painting it.   I got side tracked from

> this carving for a while due to my husband's surgery back in October and

> then the holiday stuff.  Fortunately this client has a

> "whenever it's ready" mentality about it, for which I am

> eternally grateful!  I set up a blog for her to watch the progress,

> slow as it is.  

> http://cahvah.wordpress.com/home/maine-coon-cat-carvingin-progress/    I'll 

> probably be uploading a new picture in the next day or

> two.

> 

> I have also completed another veteran's cane and am working on a wood

> spirit with a 250-year-old slab of wood that was raised from the bottom

> of the Penobscot River.  It's part of a wood recovery program and

> this carving will become part of the heritage foundation

> collection.  The theme has to be either Native American or logging

> related.  I'm discovering some solutions for working with this old

> brittle wood and am documenting the progress for,hopefully,a future

> Carving Magazine Article.

> 

> I'm also about to start teaching another Adult Ed 6-week Right Brain

> Drawing class next week.  

> 

> As for strop compounds, I haven't tried the green compound. I've pretty

> much stuck with the silicon carbide in oil suspension that one of my

> favorite knife makers uses.  I guess I'm of the opinion that

> whatever works for you is the best one.  That one doesn't work well

> on the buffing wheel, so I might give the green compound a try for

> that.

> 

> Thanks, Matt, for getting this started!

> 

> Marcia (aka Mush)

> South China, Maine

> 

> See Marcia's wood carvings

> at:                                                                                          

> 

> http://whittlinsnwood.com

> Blog: http://cahvah.wordpress.com/

> *****

> Affordable Web Page

> Design:                                                                   

> http://artwebmaine.com 

> *****                                                                                    

> 

> Get 20% Off CoffeeCup Web Design Software

> Use this code when you checkout: 226STS 

> www.getcoffeecup.com