Celebrating Ecuador (and a wedding anniversary)

My wife came to me with a "commission" request ; to carve a first wedding anniversary gift for a good friend and work colleague. I have a lot going on, to be honest, but I haven't taken on any real carving challenges for a while, so I said yes. My wife is a designer of jewelry, so she contributed the design. The first looks were more like jewelry (surprise) and a little detailed for my talents and time allowance. After a few discussions and re-works of her design, we came up with something that satisfied us both. She wanted to combine a few elements of Ecuador, their home country. She requested several native woods that I no access to, but I did look up woods of Ecuador and found mahogany on the list, which I did happen to have on hand. The design incorporates a heart (it is a love spoon after all), Andean Condor wings and the flower, dahlia. I don't think they'll get another anniversary gift quite like this one.

Craft Fairs

I've been trying to do a craft fair per month. It's taking some time to network with fellow crafters and find the best shows in the area. This one, in Huntington, NY, is a good one. I did well this year and last year. The photo shows my current display.

Carving Letters

At 60, most people are starting to think about retiring. I have been away from my primary job as a cabinetmaker for a number of years after a back injury. But I got lucky and found a local shop that doesn't overwork me and kinda lets me do my thing. I love the job because there's always something different and it never gets boring. I got real lucky this time and was handed a job to carve a couple signs for a sailboat. I heard "carved letters" and "mahogany" and said, "oh sure, I can do that." I never have actually, so it's been an adventure, but I think it's turning out quite well. It's somewhat forgiving in that the signs will be painted after I'm finished. Too bad, no one will see the lovely mahogany under the paint and gold leaf. If you think you might like to try carving some letters, here's what I learned after some research and I hope it might help others. Good luck!