Ray Mears and the Sherriff of Nottingham

 (Alan Rickman's incarnation of course)

Might both have comment to my latest give it a go craft.

Why?

Well after many a Facebook post of  the damage that can be caused by rotary cutters I went on line shopping for safety gloves. And as a particular retailer then notes "this was bought with" there was a whittling set.  I have oft fancied trying my hand at that, so as if connected by destiny both fell into my basket.

The gloves went up into the loft, the space for completing on the quiet projects that might end up being for  people I live with (well my mother as going up into the loft is not an option for her)

Having first watched several videos on how to go about it.

Of course being me I wanted to have a decorative spoon, a hang on the wall spoon.

I did make a start with the whittling, got the basic shape , but no matter how I watched gentlemen with hands the size of shovels demonstrating the technique I could not get the bowl.

Pause..quite a long pause then ah what the heck out came the Boyes version of the tool known as a Dremel (branded version it was not) and at last the inner bowl. 

A bit more whittling to get the outer bowl more bowl and then shaping with the Dremel thingy.

I wanted an owl on the top, I had a pattern outlined and thought it looked OK, brought it downstairs and immediately realise it looked more like a devils face. 

Back I went and moved the beak up a bit  and worked on the eyes.

I had considered beads for the eyes but none I had sat right. So out came the pyrography tool to add a bit of definition to the owl.

Then sanding and polishing and (yes I used my nail file combo for that, it may never be the same again)

drill a hole in the top for hanging and it was done..a spoon, for my mother for mothers day. (Alright so it was originally intended for her birthday, Christmas, mothers day, Easter and around again again, did say it took me awhile, it is chilly in the loft in the winter and hot in the summer)

and as for the comments, well I think Mr Mears would be aghast both at hold long this took and its lack of utility, and the Sherriff, he at least would be happy it was suitably blunt!

Oh it is a bout 7 inches long, delicate it isn't. But it is a spoon!

Oh and those gloves, well they spent all their time in the loft to be on hand for the carving so I have not used them with the rotary cutter yet. Typical.