standing branch santa class, they did a great job

just a few thought for new carvers,,,, keep at it and what one person did right?

hi folks, still working on my big morning santa,, i didnt have time to do anything today,, but i plan to get to it next week, carving can be the most relaxing or the most frustrating thing,, it can be the most relaxing when things are going well and the knife is sharp,, but can be frustrating when the knife is dull and mistakes are made,, one carver that is just learning, made a mistake, i explained that mistakes most of the time can be corrected, he asked for help today what to do,, so i suggested a couple of ways to fix it,, i said that his carving isn't lost,, i think new carvers get discourage when things go wrong which can happen to all of us,, but learning from those mistakes is a big part of the learning process, he did a lot of things right,

1.. he tried something on his own,, a different project than what we worked on,

2 .. he change a few things from the pattern he was working on, great trying something new

3... he ask for help when he didnt know what to do,, super, cause he wasnt afraid to ask for the help, which most of us dont ask,

4... he plans to finish it,,

so it was so encouraging to me, that he was willing to ask for the help,, so please if your just starting ask questions, most carvers are willing to help ya out,,and keep at it,, happy carving , arleen

HOW TO MAKE DIFFERENT SIZES OF BLOCK SANTAS

carving a big morning santa,,,( white pine),,, and getting ready for the next class

this is an update, the smallest one is 3 inches done on the dvd, the second is little over 5 inches and the big one will be about 9 1/2 inches high they are fun to do

hi folks, i am working on a larger morning santa,, its about 8-9 inches tall about 2 inches wide,, its out of white pine,, i got some and wanted to try a different wood then basswood,, its cuts like butter,, just a few words about the wood ,, its softer and your knife will have be very sharp so that you dont tear it up, plus it can chip if your not careful, also it has alot of grain in it,, which is fine but,, i think i prefer the basswood yet,, i feel you can get more details carved easier in basswood than pine,,, so i will be sure to take a few photos of it when i am done
along with carving something i wanted to for a while, i am getting ready for my standing branch santa woodcarving class next monday,,, feb 28,, its a one day class, so life stays busy,, and its was a good day,, keep carving,, arleen

the speaker LOL ( way out of my comfort zone) but it went well

i was asked to speak to a seniors group at my church, hopewell christian fellowship, in elverson pa,

it went well, about 45 folks there, and yes i was a bit concerned how it would go,, i got some great feedback,, i had one table and a mic,, lol......t i cant stand reading from a paper, so i just did it off the cuff,, to my surprised it went well,,, well i have one more to do march 7, so this was good to do this one to know what i will have to take along,, i took my birds, goose, and flying cardinal, and eagle along,, and then the stuff i am teaching on youtube, and on dvds,, a lot of interest in the birds,, lol but all was good, a nice bunch of folks,,

warm day,, and one more presentation !!

hi folks, i know its been a few days, its been warm enough to do some outside painting around the farm that needed it, since i fix the some of the doors , it got to cold out early this winter that i could not get the painting done, so with temps close to 60 degrees it was time to try to get it done which i was able to do ,, also i got a call to do another presentation to do about woodcarving this coming sunday,, so it will be interesting, its not really my thing but i guess it will be LOL it amazes me how things come about,, and the people you will come in contact with,, you never know where things will go and what will be next,, i didnt see myself of doing presentations, but i guess this will be something i might have to get use to,, it seems that i going out of my comfort zone,, and i believe once your out of the comfort zones, that is where you learn the most. ok folks keep carving, my carverswoodshop luncheon is this coming monday, and then the following monday feb 28 is the standing branch santa class,, one day,, so far things are moving forward, hopw all is well, take care arleen

always interesting, inspiring , new ideas

at our meeting last night one of the things i enjoy the most is seeing what others have carved,, its a time when folks bring in their finished pieces and tell about it at our bring and brag ,,,, there is often a story behind the carvings, either its a project or a gift to another,, or what inspires one to make it in the first place,,, one was inspired by the super bowl, one as a gift, another represented a past job they held , and one was a new great grandson,, so inspiration comes from everywhere ,, and its reflection for our own lives, so you see it doesnt matter who you are ,, just look around and you will find ideas for new carving projects keep carving, arleen

lancaster county woodcarving club meeting is feb 15 at 6pm

hi folks,, i looking forward toward tomorrow night,, our monthly meeting starts at 6pm, most all of my students will be there tomorrow,,which i think they will enjoy,, some folks from the club will take along carving to the bring and brag time ,, like a show and tell , the adult version of it, lol, we missed last month do to the weather, and it was 58 degrees today,, wow a heatwave,, lol anyway, i hope all of you are happy and carving to your heart content today,, enjoy the weather if you happen to be were its a bit warmer, and keep carving, i will update you on the meeting soon,, take care , arleen

new features on my dvds, and about portable players

next wood carving class feb 28, monday one day class STANDING BRANCH SANTA last video

this is the next class coming up, feb 28, 2011monday its a one day class if your interested please email me,, we will meet at the home furnishing outlet mall, cost is 35.00 and a dvd will be available on this project , thanks for dropping bye

SOME DATES TO REMEMBER, IF YOUR COMING TO LANCASTER

hi everyone, first thanks for dropping by,, and hope your day is going well one weekend you might want to remember is our wood carving show,, the lancaster woodcarving show, will be sat and sun june 4 and 5th 2011 , please mark these dates if you like to come to our show,,it starts 10am , also i am planning wood carving classes at the home furnishing mall again,, hobo santa, a few days before the show will be the two day class, wed june 1 and friday june 4, 9am to 5 pm and then our show over the weekend, and then another one class of the pine cone project that following monday from 9am to 5pm ,, the limit is 6 for the santa class and 8 for the pinecone,, please email me to reserve a seat,,at carverswoodshop@yahoo.com hope to see many of you at the show,, thanks again for taking the time to visit this blog and my youtube videos,, hope you enjoy and learn a few new things about wood carving,, keep carving, arleen

simple snowman #5

SIMPLE SNOWMAN #1

new project SIMPLE SANTA

hi folks, i was in the process of videoing this project when i got the call about the cat,, so anyway i came home to finish it,, its one i will leave on youtube for you all the enjoy,, its a great beginner project your welcome to do this project at any carving club you got my blessings on this one to do ,, i will try to get all the videos up and running by later tonight,, my connection is slow for some reason,, ok enjoy and keep carving, arleen

We will miss our gentle giant ( holstein)

to those of you that have pets, weather its a dog, cat or some other animal, you know how they add joy to your life,, well i got a call today that our gentle giant holstein got hit by a car,, and he was so special to us,, and he will be missed,, animals do add something special to us,, i know there are folk that deal with so much bigger problems,, you think being a farmer would make it easier ,, it doesnt,, :) take care oh this is the cat i found stuck in a wall that i rescued a few weeks ago,, i guess he didnt have nine lives ,,

A LOT GOING ON.. venture in to new areas,,,might be good for ya?

Hi folks,, i agreed to do a presentation and a local seniors club,, now folks we often talk about doing trying new things when we carve,, and if we dont we dont know for sure if we will like it or not,, i guess the same here,, i did one for a club , but these were folks that knew about carving, or were there because they enjoy it,, this group will be different,, i will explain different types of wood carving and tools,, etc,, but getting in front of about 40 people isnt my thing,, lol i guess it will be that day LOL but , i dont know how they will receive what i say,, so i got plenty of time to get it together,, and i am the kind of person the just wings it for the most part anyway,, i just have a guild line to go by and the rest i sure will take care of itself those you that have done a lot of public speaking may not think anything of it,, now i not staying up nights worrying about it,, its just a new area i have yet to explore, and see if this indeed something i like to do more of,, i just have to remind myself along when i do a video or a class, BASICS just the basics, i dont want to lose anyone cause its over the top,, so i guess venturing into a new areas we are not comfortable might be good for ya,, i know in carving we try new things all the time,, and it is good for ya,, and you never know unless you try it,, keep carving,, arleen

CARVERSWOODSHOP LUNCHEON !! WHAT IS IT!!

hi folks somethings just come together ,, and here we go, i often wanted to have a weekly meeting that folks can bring in the carvings and just carve for a while,, i was able to go to jan ogemas studio in canada , and it was nice,, so i thought if i get my shop up and running here at the farm in honey brook i could do the same,, well the shop has yet to be built yet,,,, lol ,, i am looking into it ,, its a dream but until then i have put together with the mall,, monday feb 21 2011 12pm to 3pm? for our first meeting,, it will be a luncheon,, so because i work at the mall i worked out a few things,, that they are allowing me to do this,, the meeting is free , its free to attend, i just ask as part of this to purchase from the food court C AND R BARN AND GRILL for lunch , when we meet, either lunch , etc, the meeting itself is free, we will start at 12pm you can eat at 1130 if you like, and then carve what every your working on,, i will give a carving tip or two ,, you will have to register to come,, and you can do that when you show up,, four things are a MUST, a carvers glove, thumb guard, and no walking around with an open knife,, common sense stuff, as part of this you will have to sign a liability form,, we are going to meet once and see how it goes, and then maybe twice a month,,

first meeting, at the home furnishing outlet mall in morgantown , pa,, exit 298 off the pa turnpike,, feb 21 , 12-3pm have lunch first then carve,,

just a short word,, i was able to do this ,,

but the mall does not want folks coming in at anytime just to carve,, without it being a meeting i set up,, if you do you will be asked to leave,, i do understand and respect their concerns,, so if your in the area in the future, email me if a meeting is taking place ,, i will let you know ,, thanks and happy carving, arleen

some photos, of the hobo class

hi here is the photo of the finished santa, mine is in the front and a photo of the group , i am in the front,, thanks to all that joined me ,, we had a great time and they did a super job on their santa, they made me proud,,, thanks again, arleen

hmmm what to do next,, not sure what class is next ?

hi folks,,my mind is running in 10 different directions today,, we are going to be finishing the two day hobo santa class, and we will finish the face in the morning and then the painting in the afternoon,, its been fun,, now after that not sure what is next,, i know what i like to do but when to do it seems to be the most difficult part for me,, i am looking out the window and it felt like spring today, up in the 40s and it was a heatwave lol , its been a cold winter for us in pa,, more than what we normally would be this time of year, well i keep all of you posted on new things going to happen, weather its a class, show, or new dvd, i am working on perfecting the sharpening a bit more,, i will explain that later,, but i always looking for new ways to improve sharpening methods, , and if i find something that i know will be of help i will be sure to share it with you ,,keep carving and thanks so much for stopping by,, plus i am sure i will have a few photos of our finished santas tomorrow,, take care , happy super bowl sunday!! arleen

dealing with the ice .... i guess i am not alone lol

hi folks, today as i was heading to work,, my car decided to do a 190 turn,, as my car was sliding into the other lane my back bumper hit the snowbank, which was fine, thank god i was the only one on the road,, all was well, i decided to see if i could slowly drive to the major road that was treated, and it was ok from there, and having the studded tires help me stop and turn around,, and if i went 5 miles an hour i had no trouble,, thinking the roads were just wet is what got me into trouble. my socks on my shoes helped me get to the car,, thinking that they treated my road i was wrong,, hey folks its winter,, i still like it,, but i have to admit the storms are getting old,, i dont mind snow, its the ice that i dont care to much for,, but i hear down south in texas they are having their fair share of icy weather, with lot of accidents,, well in a few week , spring will begin and then this will be all forgotten. just great days to stay in a carve,, if you can do so,, arleen

about the lancaster woodcarving show,, and i will have classes after the...

new woodcarving classes to come branch santa and hobo snowman

just some thoughts, about the classes,we can all learn something new

folks, when i was at the last class, we have one day to go yet,, i asked how the folks liked it ,, they said it was relaxing,, wow ,,, really what more could you ask,, i kinda new at teaching this way and i am not afraid to admit it,, its an honest statement,, i really only did a limited amount of teaching in a group setting,more one on one, and i was ok just to continue the videos on line and making dvds,, but really interacting with folks have been great,, now there is a lot of work to set up a class and to make sure, everything is there that you need,, but its a learning time for me too, i wanted to make it affordable , and that folks could walk away with more then the finished piece, hopefully it a new hobby that they will love, and enjoy for a long time to come,, its a super hobby,, now i know its not for everyone, but one doesnt know unless they try it,,like last year , the shows were a learning experience for me and this year will be much easier to know what to do and what to bring, same with teaching, i am learning all kinds of new things too, how to set up, what things to brings how to teach in a way they will understand,, and new ideas,, from my students as well,, we are always learning, no matter what it is that we are doing in life, this is another chapter in my learning so we can all learn something new , happy carving, arleen

some more classes to come, old and new projects for a class

hi folks its a cold icy morning, but i wanted to tell you kinda what i am planning,, first of all the classes have been fun for me,, so i love to do a few more, so this is the plan and details will come later,, to repeat, the pine cone class, and the hobo santa class, and to add, two more ,, a snowman class and a standing branch santa,, now the last two can be done by those who know how to handle the knife,, the first two are more for beginners,, so i will get more of the details up in a day or so,, if your interested in any of the four please email me,, space is limited,, for one i want to be able to give the attention to each person that may need help with the project,, so 6 is the limit,, for each class, a bit more for the pine cone class is 8 ok i will keep up updated soon keep carving, and stay safe, arleen

my way of walking on ice,, it might help you too , do so at your own risk

power is back,, and just got a new carving done called the laughing farmer

this project was just a fun quick project that i did this past week,, thought of just taking a stick and see what i end up with,, its not on youtube, or on dvd, sometime later i will put something together,, or a class , i havent decided what to do with it yet,, lol ,, it was fun,, and i had some great laughs here at the farm over the years,

stormy weather, ice .... and the power is out,, oh well i guess i do some carving

hi folks, i know a lot of you are caught in this massive storm that came across the usa,, well this morning i got up to no power at my home, and i was at least smart enough to make some coffee the night before and put it in a thermos, so at least i got coffee, now the farm,, that is a mile away from me, well there is a generator there, and i will go there around noon,, i able to use the internet cause of a laptop, and a aircard connection,, so that will give me about 2 hours to ck email and then i can go to the farm to recharge it,, my home is one of the last to be fixed, cause i am in the country,, and the power comes from philly,, folks in the city get back on the grid first,, i have a power mate that works great for lighting, and a propane heater,( that decided it didnt want to start this morning, lol ) so i will go get to old kero heater from the farm later today,, its going to be about 18 tonight,, we are not done with the ice, i hear as i am sitting here some branches falling, very dangerous to be out and about, i will go later, ck on my folks, and stay there where there is more heat and food LOL. of course i have some work in my office i could do today at the farm,, and always bring my carving along,, i might get that project finished that i started on sat, we will see so much to check on and make sure things are ok around the farm and at home during a storm,, hope everyone stays safe and be very careful if you have to venture outside,, ok keep carving, arleen

just for fun,, i couple of pics of our farm cats,,

hi i know this has nothing to do with wood carving,, but the black cat was the one that i found some time ago that was gone for a day until i found him,, his name is holstein,, ( named after the calves we raised, were called holstein calves , their fur was black and white, ) so i had to name him him holstein , but we also call him the gentle giant,

the other tiger looking cat, her name is called little leeni,, she was so small when born,, the smallest cat, but she gained alot of weight,, and doing well as you can see , she is a very sweet cat,, we enjoy both of them,, and they have a home here on our farm,, its been great having them here with us,

THE HOBO SANTA CLASS, FIRST DAY!! a relaxing day

thanks to herb one of my students , had a camera along,, he took these and sent them to me,, it was a good day,, everyone seemed to enjoy the day,, we have more carving on the face to do next week when we meet,, we canceled wed due to the storm that is coming our way,, everyone was fine with doing it monday,, so we will finish the face and paint them,, and i sure i have more photos when we are done with the santas,, i enjoyed the day very much,, and look forward to next week,, :) now deciding the next class,, the same ones for sure but i am going to add a couple of different projects so folks can have a choice. i was so glad to hear that everyone found it relaxing,, that is what it is all about,, and 3 never carved before, so they are doing great,, more photos later ,, thanks again for dropping by, keep carving, and stay off the ice :) ( ice storm coming here ) arleen