Oh I forgot

 about this.

Came across the picture whilst clearing out some files.  Can't recall if this was for her current garden or one at a previous residence? 

Progress? Maybe.

 In 2022 I burned a dragon on a box the dragon was holding a sphere and I thought I would make it look like it was holding the world.

Except when I took a picture of it, well to me it looked like the head of a bear and my BFF thought it looked like a wolf.

In an attempt to make it look like the world I coloured it blue and green. That did not work, just made the creature, whichever you saw look mouldy.

A re think was required, and whilst I did that it went up into the loft as I had a stand or perhaps mount thought going on in my head.

That got paused, I think I wanted to do some extreme sanding and then could not be quite bothered.

So, whilst I was in the loft over Christmas and working on something else up there (expect that something to get a post of its own later when it hopefully gets to its intended placement) I came across the box whilst looking for a pencil.

Down from the loft it came. I am not sure what I intended to do with it. It sat, and I looked at it and it sat.

Then I thought I would just go over the sphere with a white marker pen. A few times, until the blue and green went away. I did, it sort of did and I wondered "would it look better if the background was all dark". Getting out the pyrography stuff takes a bit of time, and preparation and organising ventilation, its winter and cold. There just happened to be a black marker pen in arms reach.

"just to get an feel of how it would look" I tell myself.

"Hmm not bad" was quickly followed by "people sometimes colour the pyrography perhaps?"

The metallic watercolour paints  also happened to be within arms reach and one thing leading to another..

...painted dragon, it even has metallic blue over the black, just to see how it looked, background.

The question of if it is progress or not, I do wonder what was the point of doing the woodburn in the first place if I was just going to paint it?

It is not even finished. The sides need something doing to them, and the inside of course and that mount/stand whatever may need a rethink.

At least I have a new Forestella Song to add to the musical background of my ongoing contemplation.

I wonder if perhaps the title of the previous song might be something the box is singing as it waits to be finished.

Gifted Gorgeousness link up July 2025

If you came here from Serendipitous Stitching then you will know about the link up and the rules on the item or items being shared having to be in some way a gift and sewing or craft related. if not then this link will take you to the main page of the Link up for more details and to find other participants.

You may recall this from BFF 18 and BFF 18 + I always intended it to be for my BFF as she uses them and for some reason I don't. When I want to have my thread, from a kit usually, on a drop rather than bobbins then I prefer just punching holes in card. Odd but then that is me.

That intent to gift it was also the reason I did the opposite colour way to the one my BFF completed so they would make a pair of sorts.

As it was wood I also always intended to add to it with pyrography.

Doing the little mini scissor Keeper was an unexpected addition due to the fun of the pattern. I did also make a little purple scissor keeper but I don't appear to have taken a picture of that.

It has waited till now to be posted here as it had to wait till it was gifted. 

Once again we have been very late getting together for our official Christmas 2024 and indeed for our joint birthdays 2025.

At least we managed it before another Christmas came and went.

There have been times when we did not.

I have some hopes of managing Christmas 2025 in 2025 !

Oh and a gift to me a suitably themed jigsaw puzzle

Pyrography trees 2024

 This years tree cards. I was a little more pressed for time this year. The plan to do a tree or two each time I was doing something else just did not happen. So the wording on this years trees, big and small was simpler but I did add some baubles with the patterned tips.

Again they can be removed from the card and used as a Christmas tree decoration should that be the recipients choice.

Link to last years trees CLICK HERE and plans for next year?

Oh I always have plans, I just don't know to what extent they will happen.

A Seasonal burn

 I bought some little blanks in the shape of Christmas Trees.

They were a nice little project to try out more of  the tips on my new tool.

They will be going into Christmas Cards and  hopefully onto peoples trees. The first one has done just that.

That tree makes it look rather splendid. An added new Christmas song from one of the delightful members of Forestella.

New Pyrography Tool

 I bought a new tool, with a temperature display and two pens that I can alternate between. 

The thing to do with a new tool is have a practice, test the new tips (it came with lots of tips) on scrap wood and see what kind of marks they make. 

That would be the smart thing to do. However, I am ever impatient and feel that having made the effort to get the "stuff" out that I should have something to show for it.

When I did the -prague-castle.  for the lady at work she then gave me a bag with a few different styles of boxes from The Works.

One of which is an oval box about 5.5 inches by 3 inches. Which was just big enough to fit on a dragon design I had saved from a magazine. So that is what I did.

I managed to try four different tips, reminding myself how much I enjoy doing this and that I should work out designs to go onto the many a wood item I have collected for that purpose.

I am rather pleased with the way the burn went and am pleased that the tool works for me. I liked being able to set the temperature exactly. I liked the pen rests that safely hold the pen whilst it cools. I liked having a pen cooling whilst I could work with a different nip at the same time. I liked the size of the tool and the grip which stayed comfortable and cool throughout.

I also liked the length of the wire on the plug (no need for an extension cable, as with my other tools) I look forward to investigating the other tips. 

I might have to add a touch of colour on the sphere the dragon is holding to remove the wolf's head effect. (does anyone else see a wolf?)

Gifted gorgeousness and

 accidental re-gifting.

Pop on over to serendipitous stitching to see what it is all about and find the other participants.

This was originally an item that came as a cover gift. Its for  holding threads for a project. I don't care for them, I much prefer a bit of card with holes punched in it for sorting the threads that come in kits. And if not a kit I prefer to just used the thread from the bobbins in my storage bag.

My BFF mentioned how much she liked hers so I thought that I would personalise it with a bit of pyrography. Then it would make the equivalent of a stocking filler.

When I was wrapping stuff  I suddenly remembered I had a still in the wrapper DMS floral one of these. I thought that it had come as one of the "your letter was printed" gifts,  my BFF would appreciate and use it so it got wrapped as well.

Came to gift giving time and she was pleased with the initialled wooden one , but the other put a funny look on her face..then an even funnier one on mine when she noted she had given it to me in the first place ! Oh dear I had so forgotten. 

I don't have a picture of that one, or of the looks on our faces, before we both laughed and laughed.

Pyrography, the finishing touch

 to the exterior of a new shed.

Not the most complex of pieces but seeing it go up was very satisfying.

Spoons

 Baking competition at Church and spoons for the prizes so back out with the pyrography tool.

Which was fun.

almost as much fun as eating the cakes.

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.

I can make something with that!

The title to this post is a phrase that often pops into my head and is the clarion call to many inclined to hoard and prevents items that enter my house from leaving again.

Now this is not always a good thing as often the something never occurs to me, (well not until after the item has eventually been thrown out) and sometimes it is a good thing and I can make a castle at short notice.

Sometimes the phrase strikes me in a charity shop and some odd or broken item will come home with me, the prospect of a new function before it...occasionaly the idea is immediately applied and sometimes it lingers.

This is a project that has been lingering.  Not sure what this little item is supposed to be.

set with stones on the front

A little tab on the back (sort of a clip, but not sprung) now I bought it for 50p with that "I can do..." thought in my head but with no fixed idea of the what!

I began to think that with a top of some sort perhaps it would be a neat container for my cross stitch needles.  How to get a top, a stopper.

Carve one out of wood. 

It sort of worked, and fit at first, then it shrank a little and was loose. A strip of soft leather inside the tube tightened the fit up just enough but I was not happy, it was missing something.

Wait a few weeks, or maybe more and I spotted a bent adjustable ring in the same shop.  Another 50p came out of my purse with the thought, that might go with that other thing I bought.

Of course it was round, my needle case to be was more rectangular.  But as the ring was not solid, and had been a bit squished in the first place it felt ok changing its shape further with pliers.

Out came the grinding tool to make a groove in the wooden top that the manipulated ring would slide into.

You may have noticed the red bead has come off, this is not progressing as smoothly as I had hoped at this point.

Pause!

Why?

It still felt like it was missing something. Not sure what but something.  I couldn't decide if  I should paint the wood silver or just varnish it . Whatever I decided needed to be done before the ring was glued on.

So. well it waited and waited and waited some more.

Then when the inspiration for the  Bee box struck I decided that was what was missing. Something that said me, and in this instance a bee. The same bee I was going to put on the box.  It fit nicely.

Now after my experiment with the box the question of what to do with the wood was sorted, just varnishing. 

The varnish made quite a difference to the little wooden lid.  I am quite pleased with it. Much better result than the box, must be the way different wood reacts with the varnish

So glue the bent ring to the wooden stopper and the red stone back on, oh and the blue one that fell off as well!....

and

 all finished and the something made.

Now I have to try and remember what safe place (shwoosh doors to an alternate dimension open at that phrase I am sure they do) I put my gold plated cross stitch needles that I thought would go in here!

My turn (pyrography)

for a little box.

This box was gifted to my by my BFF.

It is the second decorate it yourself box she has given me.  The first one, bigger and with the facility to add a material element, embroidery or cross stitch to the top is still waiting for just the right inspiration for it to hit.

This box has also been waiting, I had in my mind that I wanted there to be something on the little handle of the box, and that it should work handle up or down.  Thought about it had ideas, discarded them...then inspiration struck.

A verse from the bible, the insect that is the original meaning of my name as having access to a pyrography tool that would comfortably do what I wanted.

This is the box before varnishing..I had wondered about using some metallic pens in gold and sliver to add a little detail.  However I checked before using them and they were not comparable with the varnish (they ran) so just a straightforward varnishing job.

Found the varnishing on this a little frustrating, I was not getting the depth of shine even after several layers.

Then I had some sparkly silver nail varnish, And I wondered...abut those wings.  So I tested that with the varnish and...nope that did not work either!

Not full satisfied there was a pause................................a very long pause.

And..nothing. I have left it as is for the moment. Unusually for me I have not even added a lining, well not yet.

It may get more done to it later, it may not.

Mini monogrammed selection box

Another Christmas gift with letters as a focus. This time a gift for a couple, of a little wooden box with some sweets in it.

So how to decorate it, well the title of this post rather gives it away.  A monogram made up of  their initials (first name and surname) which is quite suitable as they have a hyphenated user name for their Facebook account.

So out comes the pyrography tool once more to create something personal.

As noted in my last decorated box post little-box  I feel that a nice outside needs to have a nice inside when it comes to boxes.  So this box needed a lining to give a bit of internal style.  This time I used felt.  I found putting this lining in rather satisfying and it went quite smoothly.

Once the outside and the inside were decorated it was time to fill, with a bit of gentle arranging and asking them nicely to breath in, I managed to fit two each of four chocolates into the box. (six in the main part of the box and the last two sweets in the lid).

  Making it a mini selection box.

Do they do selection boxes in the USA? I will have to ask the recipients of this one.

Spoons, that touch of pyrography

that I said needed doing so paused the much tweeding project and then I forgot to share.

So we were having a social evening at Church to celebrate 50 years since it was built, the evening which included a baking competition for the brethren.  The categories,  Large cake, small cake and sweet pie.

I made spoons as prizes.  The winners names were added on the night.

I had to nab my selection of cake before heading off to a separate room to add the names (health and safety, those tools get HOT!

Anyway here they are , the spoons.

Yes they are backwards...well spotted, that's what happens if the only picture you have is the one sent by Facebook Messenger to let the organiser see the little chef design.  It it backwards...that was a bit of a surprise.

This is the picture the winners of the sweet shared after they won.  It is the right way around.  The entry was an apple pie made by a father and son.

Little box

a little pyrography

The simplicity of the dolphin silhouette on the top
on the pale wood  it a pleasing effect.

A simple message on the bottom, that's OK too

somehow the inside of the box is a bit of a let down.... had to do something  about that!

Some gifted scrap fleece in a fetching shade of burgundy trimmed to size 

There that looks so much better.

All ready to be gifted.

Secret Santa

Two words that are an immediate crafters dilemma 

Should I consider making something!

The question can't be answered until the moment the little bit of paper is drawn and the name revealed.

So now knowing who it is, should I craft, what should I make and perhaps most importantly of all have I the time to finish whatever I start. 

This year I have just changed teams, bidding farewell to people I have worked with for years and who's likes and dislike  are as known to me as mine to them.  Now the new team is a mix some I have worked with and know a little, others I do not know at all. 

I had some hopes I would draw the Star Wars enthusiast.  Alas that was not to be. I drew the name of a male colleague who's preference I have no knowledge (except he is on a diet which ruled out the easy chocolate option).  

I finally decided to craft, I bought a box and turned to my pyrography tools a quilting book and a calligraphy book to personalise the box.

You may guess that the recipient of my Secret Santa'ing  has the initial P.

Here are the books I got the Celtic Knot and the P from.

I finished nicely in time, early actual as I will not be at work for the gift giving so I won't know for at least a week  if he liked it or not.

At least I had fun making it.

A little update, he liked it and what is more embellished it.

carefully colouring it in with highlighter pens, which surprisingly have set into the varnish.

I think he was after the fact worried I would be upset at his addition but hey as a meddling embellisher myself I am rather chuffed he liked it enough to add his own personal touch and make it his own!