End of the 2009 Craft Season

Christmas 2009 has come and gone, we had a great year this past year despite all that is happening around us. My wife and I completed 10 days of craft shows, a new record for us. We had a few great days and we had a few crappy days and we learned more and more from each show we have done.

The pictures posted here are from a patterns furnished by Steve's Scrollsaw Workshop Blog @ http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/. The original design had hearts on it. I modified this and place some cut outs of Vermont and New york, I also designed a Christmas Tree cut out. We sold these at our last 2 shows and they did well enough to make sure we have them for next year. For those new to this blog my wife and I started doing craft show 3 seasons ago at an Aunts suggestion. We started doing the craft shows just to pay for our Christmas. Each year our Christmas has been growing and growing. We really enjoy doing the craft shows.

I learn something different at each show. Sometimes we learn something good, sometimes it not so good. next season we will be doing as many shows as this year but a few of the locations will be different. Most of our shows are done in Upstate NY and Vermont. All within an hour drive of the house on a good (no snow) day. Next year I believe we will expand our boundaries some and try to make it to some of the bigger cities and towns around here.

Today is Dec 30Th and I have already started cutting for next years Christmas season. We ran out of a lot of items this past year and I do not want to do that again. I spent a good deal of time in the basement yesterday, today I will not be so lucky, its approx 11 degrees below zero and my basement is not heated. Today will be a good day to just sit around and play some video games with the wife on the new WII Santa brought us for Christmas.

DUI Help Florida

I know what Mrs Santa is getting for Christmas

This week-end was a crazy week-end for us. We did back to back craft show this week-end. On Saturday we did a show in Vergennes, Vermont and did FANTASTIC. This was by far our best show ever, and today we did a show in Warrensburgh, New York at Echo Lake Lodge and wow... what a beautiful place. We have done both of these shows before and we did well at both this year.

About half the way through the show today this Gentleman came in with his wife. A tall man with Jeans and nice jacket and a long white beard. This gentleman was the spitting image of Santa Claus. He came to our table and bought his wife a nice gift. Since it is not Christmas yet I do not want to ruin his surprise, so I cannot say what he bought her, but I am sure she will like it.

One more craft show to do this year. We have have done 9 shows since the 1st weekend in November and I have to confess, I am ready for a break in craft shows. Its time to get back to my saw and get busy for next year. We have lots of new ideas to work on.

DUI Help Florida

Kangaroo Earrings are a big hit at the Outback Steakhouse.

I took my wife and 2 daughters and son in law to the Outback for a nice lunch yesterday and as usual we had a great time. As our waitress was taking our order I took out a pair of Kangaroo earrings that I had cut out and asked her is she had ever seen anything like this and she said no she had never seen anything like these and she lover them. I gave her a pair and we had great service the rest of the day. One other waitress came over and asked about the earrings so I gave her the last pair that I brought with us. She stated she would like to buy more but the outback we went to is about an hour away so we do not get a chance to go there to often.

I had to make a note to myself. the next time we go to Outback Steakhouse, bring about 10 pair or earrings, it might just pay for the dinner.

The kangaroo earrings pictured above are cut from cherry. I got the pattern for these out of Creative Woodwork's & Crafts Holiday 2008 issue. This pattern is from Dave Van Ess.

I have cut several Hundred of the earrings of different shapes and sizes. I now mostly use clip art to design my own our my daughters have come up with some great earring ideas as well. I am on vacation this week and plan on making a few earring holders to go with the earrings. DUI Help Florida

Middlebury Vermont Craft show 11-21-09

We are in the middle of our third year of Holiday Craft Shows. I took a second and compared some. Here is the picture of our very first Craft show. Notice the simplicity of it all.

Here are pictures of our last craft show. Notice the lack of simplicity. We have come a long way in just 2 years. The set up in the first picture took about 10 minutes. Now the set up takes about an hour and a half.

These are just a few of the things we do for "fun" around here. We have 5 more shows till we are done the holiday season. I am looking forward to it as I know my wife is also looking forward to the break. We get a few weeks off and we start getting ready for 2010 holiday season.

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. The turkey will come out of the freezer tonight and start its defrost. We have invited friends and family. We found out yesterday that our oldest daughter and our new son-in law will be able to join us. We just have to have dinner a little earlier. Mom is coming up so Frank and I will be down in the basement for a few hours making some sawdust of some kind or another. My Aunt and cousin will be over and the wife has invited a few friends over as well. Thanksgiving is the start of my favorite time of the year. I get to be a kid for a month or so. I do so love the holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

Geno and family. DUI Help Florida

Bristol Vermont Craft Show

Here is where the hard work pays off. We Just finished up with a craft show in Bristol Vermont, for those of you who know Bristol Vermont, it has a population of about 1200 if you count the dogs and cats. We had a great time at the craft show which was done at the local high school. Todays show had a so-so showing, the weather was terrible, 45 degrees and raining and windy. We still picked up a fair amount, not the best show to date but a good show none the less.

This is our second year at this site and folks are already coming back and talking to us about last year and even better, next year. The economy here is hard hit like most small towns. We ran into alot of old friends and made a few new ones. I guess that is what I like about the craft shows. Its really a social event for me. Our big sellers were some parking signs I made for both Red Sox and Yankee fans alike. I think next year I will add some football and hockey teams as well.

Our Christmas ornaments went well as usual and I was surprised at how little our earrings did, but the truth be told, everyone was selling earrings there. It has been a long day and I have to get up and run to Lowes tomorrow and get some more wood so we can do this craft show thingy again next Saturday in Middlebury Vermont. DUI Help Florida

Ticonderoga Craft Fair.

Here are some pictures from one of two craft shows we did this week end. I covered a craft show in Schroon lake NY and forgot my camera. I took some pictures from my phone but have not had time to look at these yet. My wife covered this event in Ticonderoga NY Saturday and I covered it Sunday. I am not a big fan of hallway craft shows but all things considered we did OK. my youngest daughter helped mom cover this event Saturday. Now we have craft shows for the next 4 week ends and I am looking to possibly squeeze one or two more in before the holiday craft show season ends.

Next week end we cross the lake to Vermont and cover a large craft show over there. We do 3 craft shows over there in the next 4 weeks. The crowds were way down but those that came came to buy things which is great for us.

OK I have to get ready for work. Just wanted to get this post in.

Take care and I try to post again next week. DUI Help Florida

The first holiday craft show of the year

The wife and I have 3 craft shows to do this week end. 2 of them are today (Saturday) one is in Schroon Lake, NY and the other one is in Ticonderoga, NY about 15 miles apart. this is the first time we have split up to do craft shows. I have to confess I am very nervous about this. There are so many variables in these shows that can make or break you. I am usually nervous and everything turns out fine.

Above are a couple of sled ornaments that we have been working on. my wife hand paints a small bunch and I cut out the details on a bunch. We started selling these last year and they go very well. next year we will add different patterns to cut out to the sleds. We are booked up through the week before Christmas for week ends and craft shows. Most of these we have done before. The one the wife is going to in Ticonderoga is a first time show for us and it is a 2 day show. Ev and Dani my wife and daughter will cover it today and I will cover it tomorrow while they are in church and getting ready to have a early Thanksgiving dinner with my oldest daughter and her husband. They will not be able to make this years Thanksgiving dinner due to my son in law having to work.

I have to make my list and check it twice now. I hope to come back and post some good news later this week end.

Take care. DUI Help Florida

Update on Lake Champlain Bridge

No pictures this time just an update. Since the Lake Champlain bridge has been closed for 2 weeks today it has made approx 4.000 people take either the long way around or tame a ferry to work. I have opted for the ferry. It only makes me about 2.5 hours late each day. Luckily I work at a fantastic place and they have allowed me to come in and work my 8 hours and then go home. The 2 hour detour to work and 45 min detour coming home is a major pain. with approx. 3 hours of my day gone I have not had much time to saw anything new. It is Friday and I am so looking forward to the week-end. Saturday will be spent in my basement trying to get ready for next weeks craft shows. We have 2 show next week end. it will be the first time my wife and I have split up to do shows. I will be doing one Saturday in Schroon Lake, Ny and she will be doing one in Ticonderoga Ny. Both on Sat and we will be sharing the one in Ticonderoga Sunday. Hope everyone is having a great week and week end. Take care.

Geno DUI Help Florida

Drama Queen

This is a pattern that I ordered and got in today. The pattern was ordered from Chrestensen Burghout Designs. They have some great patterns there. I am a fan of their word art, "Simply words" series. I decided on this one due to my youngest daughter being a Theatre Major. I have to find one in the very near future for my oldest daughter who is a English Major. We have 2 beautiful daughters, both graduated from college and both are fantastic kids. Its good to be me. I saw this pattern and think it will be a good seller during the craft fairs that we start doing in 2 weeks. Yes, I am getting excited. I really enjoy the craft shows. Getting out and talking to the people. Very few folks walk by our table without looking and talking to us. The pattern was cut from 3/4 cherry. I plan on planeing the rest down to 1/2 in. It is just easier to cut and does not look any different. I am planning on putting a hanger on it so she can hang this one from the wall. I will try to cut out 2 - 3 more over the next week. I want to cut a few out in maple and see how they look in a lighter color. DUI Help Florida

Knew this was going to be a bad week.....

It has been one of those weeks. 1st I was down in my shop and my saw broke. Not a biggie I got on the phone and nicely asked Ray from Seyco and he was nice enough to put that part in the mail for me. I will be up and running in a day or two.

This beautiful bridge in this picture is the bridge I use to get back and forth to work. This bridge is in the middle of a 28 mile drive for me. I live in New York and Work in Vermont. This bridge connects the two states and has for 80 years. Yesterday at 1:30 in the afternoon the Dept. of Transportation deemed this bridge unsafe to cross for vehicles and pedestrians. Now my 28 mile drive becomes either a 100 mile each way trip or a 65 mile each way trip with a $20 a day ferry ride in the middle.

I have a great job that I really enjoy and do not want to give it up. They are telling us at this point that the bridge will be closed for a few months. The government telling me it will be just a few months makes me very nervous in itself.

On a good day the drive took me about 40 minutes. I start work at 3:30 am. The first ferry across the lake is about 25 miles away and in the wrong direction and does not start until 5:30. OK well we will get the details worked out. The college that I work at is great about helping in these kind of situations. I guess the point I am trying to make is I will have a lot less time in the wood shop than I used to.

With all of this our craft show season starts in just 2 weeks and half of our shows are on the wrong side of the bridge. This is going to be a fun time I have a feeling.

DUI Help Florida

Family Reunion 10 Oct 2009

Yesterday was the annual Bingo game at my Aunts house. I believe a great time was had by all. I brought a bunch of scroll saw projects and they were quickly gobbled up as bingo prizes. We saw family we have not seen in a long time. The picture on the left is all of the family that showed up. The picture on the right is my mother, my wife and daughters and our new son-in-law. The little guy on the bottom rights is not ours, but the wife did want to steal him and bring him home with us. Both of our lovely daughters were able to make it this year and they both had a good time. I had a cousins daughters-daughter attach herself to me for the day, made me an honorary Grandfather for the day. Come to think of it, she did this last year too. That young lady has great taste! She was nice enough to share my lunch with me, apply lip stuff to my lips 4-5 times and generally be great little girl. Kinda reminded me of the days a long time ago when I had 2 little girls around the house. My mother came up and spent the week-end with us. Our oldest daughter and her husband came up and spent Friday night and stuck around till late Saturday night. We BBQ-d steaks on the grill for supper and just had a great week-end all the way around. Today our small house should get back to quiet again. I had a Master Chief, Jimmy W. Bowen, who used to say about his family and guests, "Nice to see them come, nice to see them go." I do so understand his sentiment. Its great to see everyone and have them come and visit and its good to get things back to nice and quiet. Well, with craft shows starting up the first week in November I have to get busy in the basement the next couple of weeks. Time to go make some sawdust. DUI Help Florida

Earrings and Pendant Combos

Here are some pendant and earring combos that my wife and I have made in the past few weeks. The wood is black walnut planed down to about 1/4 in thick. These are finished with a bees wax that my wife spends a significant amount of time polishing to make look just right. We are hoping these sell well at the craft fairs. We will be making more out of cherry and mohaghany if these sell ok. DUI Help Florida

tap hole maple lamp

This style lamp is one of the reasons that I got into woodworking in the first place. I used to watch my Grandfather make these lamps. He enjoyed making these and the clocks I have previously posted. He had such a good time making these. I retired from the US Navy in 1999 and immediately moved back close to home and bought a house. This house has a nice unfinished basement that was quickly turned into a wood shop. It all started with a visit to my Grandfathers house and One simple question. I asked Gramps if I bought a few woodworking tools would you show me how to make these lamps. Of course he said yes. The next day I made a trip to Home Depot and this is how it all began. It started with a cheap table saw and a sander and now has consumed a large part of my basement. The lamp in this picture was made for my sister Lea and the cradle was made for my grand neice, her granddaughter. These were both made several years ago and were posted on my previous blog but are worth bringing back out and showing off. The lamp is made out of Maple and the holes you see in it are where someone put a tap in the tree to make maple syrup. DUI Help Florida

Turkey Time

Well Thanksgiving is just around the corner. For me that day starts the official holiday season. My official holiday season runs from thanksgiving until January 2nd. This is 2 months that I am officially allowed to act like a kid.

My wife and I are making these turkeys for craft shows and for the famous family reunion bingo table that takes place next week-end. I am getting excited about this as well.

I saw my first tootsie-pop turkey as a teen at my Dads house. I believe my step-mother said someone in her family made it for her. As I got into woodworking I managed to made a copy of the pattern, modify it to suite my needs and here they are. They are easy to make.... relatively easy to paint and fun to look at, and fun to eat. Who knew turkeys could be so sweet. DUI Help Florida

Parking SIgns

I live in an area that is very much an equal rival between the Boston Red Sox and the New york Yankees. I was inducted into the Red Sox Nation in part because of my oldest daughter and My wifes father. I don't think I really had a choice. My daughter is one of the biggest Sox fans around.

I found a template for the sign and used Microsoft word and some nice scrollable fonts to make these signs. I have cut several to see how they sell at the upcomming craft fairs.

I also need to apologise for not updating this blog more than I have. I really enjoy doing this and I will try to update more often. I have actually had friends and family call and e-mail me asking how come I have not updated this. Trust me I have not given up the scroll saw.

We are getting ready for our annual family reunion next week-end. For those who are new to my blog, we have a family reunion where we play bingo. Each family member is supposed to bring 3 or 4 items for the bingo table. for the past several years my stuff has gone quickly. There are great for my ego and heklp me get more motovated to start getting heaviily into the craft show mood.

For those following baseball, botht he Red Sox and the Yankees are in the playoffs. Enjoy the games. DUI Help Florida

Champ Day 2008

Here are some pictures from our 1st ever summer craft show. It had to be one of the worst scraft shows we have ever done. Let me paint a picture for everone. We went to the organizational meeting last winter and it sounded like a great idea. The benefits were to go to my wifes church. Each summer in Port Henry New York they celebrate "Chanp" day. Champ is the name of the Monster that lives in Lake Champlain. There are records of this "monster" dating back over 400 years. The craft show was scheduled to be in the Knights of Columbus hall about 1 mile out side of town. It is a nice large building. At the organization meeting for these there was over 30 vendors signed up. I had not heard anything or seen anything about the crft show so I called the organizer 2 weeks ago. At this time she told me she had obtained a better sight closer to the festivities. To make a long story short we arrived to set up yesterday it was in an abondoned office building in downtown Port Henry. The building had no power, and no bathroom facilities. It was the hottest day of the year so far, in the mid 90's. since there was no advertisment and the location changed the show went from 30+ vendoers to about 9. We had a show attendance of rought estimate 75 folks. The show was scheduled for the week end but I decided it would be more beneficial to me to stay home and try to mow my lawn. with all this said, we still made about $75 so it was not a total loss. I just dont think we will do this show again next year.

DUI Help Florida

Father and son bonding

My daughter and her husband came over and spent the night and I got to spemd some great time with my son in law. i have only had one of those for a little over 2 months now. We spent some quality bonding time in my favorite place, my basement. Bonds are solidified even stonger when sawdust and wood glue are involved.

This week end we decided on a simple project that I saw on http://www.etsy.com/. This is an earring and jewelry holder. We made 2 of them, Adam made one for his wife and I made one for my youngest daughter. They are both made out of cherry. This was not a real difficult project but it was fun and useful. The top picture has a set of earrings made from black walnut that I made for my wife. We also made2 set of these for my oldest daughter made from cherry and one from black walnut aslo. Next time I will try to remember to get a pic of us bonding in the basement.

DUI Help Florida

Meadow Ridge Farm

This was cut at the request of my mother for a friend of the family's farm. It was cut out of Maple. Rick AKA Scrollzilla designed the pattern for me. Stop by and say hi to Rick and the gang at http://www.free4allscrollsawpatterns.com/index.php They have a great sight and do some fantastic work there. Its a great place to make some new scrolling and designing friends. We are getting ready for our first summer craft show. I am a little nervous about this. The show is to benefit my wifes local church and it is in a tiny town. We did not have much cummer stock, we have been doing Christmas craft shows for 2 years and having a great time with it. I got all excited Friday when we received our 1st fo many invitations to the upcoming holiday craft show circuit here in upstate Ny and Vermont.

DUI Help Florida

2 Desk name Plates

Here are 2 desk name plates that I made for a friend at work. I used Steve name program to get the basic done then I had the wife draw the arrow for Sarah and I used a patter for karate from another pattern from http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/. Please drop on by and sey hi to Steve and let him know what great patterns he makes. I know I sure appreciate him and the work he does. Thank you Steve.

I bought the 2 name plates in to day and the gentleman was very happy with them. The one thing that I love about working with wood this way is each and every one is uniquely different. Each one is a one of a kind.

Some more earrings

Here are some more earrings that I talked about in the previous post. Some of the patterns are from the magazine and some are ones I created from Clipart and such.

Earrings

Here are some of the earrings that my wife and I have been working on for our first summer craft show. We are doing this the first week end in August in Port Henry New york. We have been doing Christmas craft shows for 2 years now and have really taken a shine to craft shows. It is a great way to get out and show your work and meet some great people.

I got the idea of some earrings from my youngest daughter and a magazine "Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts" I got the basic idea of how to make them and some coaching from my youngest daughter and now I am the proud owner of a bunch of wood earrings. the earrings are approx 1/8 thick and are made from cherry, maple and some oak throne in there. I do the cutting and the Mrs. does the finish work. I believe we have a preyy good system going here. No all I can do is hope they sell at the upcomming craft shows.