Clean/Dirty Flipper

One item, one picture for each side.  It's a "dishwasher flipper thing" that you place on the counter near your dishwasher.  When you empty the dishwasher you flip it to dirty to indicate the contents are (will be) dirty, and when you start the washer you flip it to clean.

This allows everyone to know if they can put their dishes in the washer, as opposed to just leaving them on the counter because "I didn't know if it was clean, and.."

I made six of these and gave them as Christmas presents.  The process involved cutting six thin sheets of dark and light woods (3 each) for each word, and then just swapping out the contents of the words.  The lines across the middle are from the original idea, which was to have each side be half and half up and down, if that makes sense.  But it didn't look good to me, so I went this way.

I learned a lot about doing this kind of thing as I went through the various steps to completion.  One of the most important things being "make a prototype!"

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel

Third book cover diorama, this time of Mike Mulligan and his Steam hovel.  I wasn't satisfied with the figure on the right, but like the steam shovel.  You can't tell but the grass is multiple layers as well.  More printed text as a title covered in varnish.

Goodnight Moon

Another book cover diorama, this one for my niece.  Again difficult to do the finer details, and the title ended up being printed text secured with aqua-zar.  (Shellac)

Green Eggs and Ham

I don't know what to call these things -- a book cover diorama?  It's a multi layered scrollsaw pattern that gets painted to look like the cover of a book.  This one was for a nephew as it was one of his favorite books when he was younger.  

Quick and fun to plan and cut, but the painting was a bit of a chore.  Taught me I really need to figure out how to paint in fine detail.

Big pile o' cousins

The cousins are in town from Michigan, and the five kids have been getting along like gangbusters.  Lily sobbed all the way home from Grandma's because she wanted to hang with the cousins more.  Worth it, though, when they're all together.

Initials

These are some puzzles* I scrolled out for my nephews -- and I promise to myself that I shall never ever cut three quarter inch maple again.  It's just not worth it.  Too slow, too many blade breaks, too easy to warp the cut so the pieces don't fit right, too easy to burn the wood, etc.

Never again.

(I'm thinking about making a big dragon out of the remaining wood.  <facepalm>)

* Pic taken before sanding, applying finish, and removing cut guidelines etc.