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.

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.

Merry Christmas

Nothing says Christmas morning like being in your pajamas and a batman mask playing Legos with your sister who is wearing her new hair extensions.  This picture will obviously be showing up on prom night, the grooms dinner, and his children's first Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dear Santa

Lily is finally writing her letter to Santa.  Eli wrote a very eloquent letter last week.  I've been told I can't write one as Santa does not take lists from parents.  Lame.

Scrolly Goodness

Someone asked recently if I'm posting these things realtime or am I back filling from my collection. And if it's realtime how on earth do I find the time to do all of this stuff?

Well, a lot of the posts are older items I'm just trying to document, but some of them are realtime. In this post I have a lot of scroll saw items that really don't take that long to do, it's just a matter of planning, executing, and following up. All three steps are difficult for me. :)
J and I were in the garage and while she was sorting something or other I picked up a tiny scrap of wood (final puzzle is about the size of a quarter) and knocked this out in a few minutes:  (yeah, I can be cheesy sometimes, but I always mean it!)

This next one is from a book on Fantasy and Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles, which I really like because of the specificity of subject but the variety of examples.   I've done quite a few of them already, just have to post them:

Finally, three images from a common theme:  Sea Life.  I used some patterns from a simple scroll saw pattern book, and just improvised a bit as well.  Final pieces are about two inches wide/tall.  The original patterns didn't have puzzle shapes cut in them, and I'm just now learning how to cut them so they stay together:

Cross Stitched Yoda!

This is the one.  It's the cross stitch I'm most proud of at the moment, and it's the one I most hope will be seen by someone out in the world.  Eli loves Star Wars (duh, who doesn't?) and as it was difficult finding good "boy" patterns I decided to try making an original.  I used the generator at Dark Lilac (which is sadly not online these days!) and a snippet from the cover of a Star Wars Adventures graphic novel.  It does appear a little "jaggy" but I'm cool with that.  It measures about 15" tall, so it's a substantial wallhanging.   The framers were pretty jazzed about it, as well.

When I went to my LNS for supplies the ladies there were suprised that the list of floss colors was for me, not my wife.  I get that a lot though.

So I still don't know how to take a picture of something that's been framed.  Anybody have any advice for me?

Chess Pillow

I had previously posted about Lily's rose pattern pillow, but this was the true original pillow.  I got the pattern from the book "Mini Cushions In Cross Stitch" and while I had actually finished it some time ago (just after Maker Faire*) I hadn't gotten it sewed and stuffed until just lately.  Again, I love it so much it's hard to part with it, even if it will still be in the house...

(* I was so thrilled at the Maker Faire because I figured if there was one place in the world a guy could cross stitch in public and not warrant a bunch of funny looks, it was at the Maker Faire.  Or maybe the Pith Helmet distracted folks...)

Look now to the heavens...

The original phrase was "Look now to Heaven" but I changed it to "the heavens" in a successful effort to heathen it up a bit.  I think it worked out quite well.

One of the frustrations I have with being a guy who cross stitches is not just the overly spiritual nature of a lot of the content out there like in this case, but the cuteness factor.  I'm having to sort through endless collections of teddy bears and cutesey sayings in order to get to anything I find remotely interesting.  This is why I end up doing so many lighthouses.  

Anyhoo, I did this one for Jill for our (eighth? ninth?) annniversary a couple years ago.  I gave her the cross stitch undone and promised to complete it for her.  And I did complete it, too, just a few weeks shy of the NEXT anniversary.  But she liked it a lot and said she had never had something like this made for her.  It was one of those rare moments when she seemed genuinely excited about one of my many craft adventures.  She's awesome.

(And no, I don't know how to take a good photo of something that's been framed.  Deal.)

Tink

When I saw this kit I knew I had to get it for Lily. It uses a fair bit of the shiny floss, which was not easy to work with at first but turned out really nicely.

A Rose Pillow

This pattern was from a DMC floss and pattern book combo. I had previously stitched up a chess pattern from a book of mini-pillow paterns for Eli (It's actually for one of his "guys" / read: dolls) and I owed Lily one as well. So rather than do the pattern she picked, we decided on this one for the time being. It was a nice, quick, fun little pattern and came out nicely. Although it was hard to pull off the "Cross stitching is the manliest of the needle arts" line when stitching a pink rose...

I like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

And Erik has a blog.