I share how past carvings led to a request for more!
                                                                                                                                                           Â
Howdy !
Â
I was reminded this week about the value of sharing your carving talents with others.Â
Â
A friend I had carved ornaments for previously, was planning a business trip and wanted to take along some small gifts for fellow team members at another company site. After going to the usual stores and being uninspired by the items
she saw, she recalled the ornaments I’d made and thought it’d be fun to take some unique, hand-made gifts instead. I was happy to oblige! She chose multiple ornaments, a cell phone stand, and a candle plate as gifts to take with her. I am thankful she appreciated my carvings and thought they would be meaningful gifts for others, especially since I had worked with some of the people she was visiting.
Â
In this instance, it was also beneficial to have smaller carvings available.
While carving large, intricate projects is rewarding, there’s also satisfaction in smaller projects. As one reader put it: I feel it can be a quick gift that looks like it took a long time! If you’re just getting started, a small project can take a long time, but if you keep at it you’ll see that time become less and less, and the results get better and better! Whenever you finish a project, don’t be afraid to show others so they can enjoy your work along with you. You may find that
they'll come to you when they’re looking for unique, hand-made gifts to give. 🙂
Dave has a great reason for carving small projects!Â
Â
These are some comfort hearts I carved that I will give to the Texas Woodcarvers Guild at their spring carving show. They are collecting these and other comfort carvings to donate to the Kerrville VA hospital. As the name says, we
hope these carvings will provide individuals comfort as they hold and touch them.  I took this pattern from the spring Woodcarving Illustrated magazine issue. The article and hearts was written and designed by Charlene Lynum. The hearts will be stained and waxed.  I put this picture on my Facebook. My sister and several friends want them. So I am working on another dozen hearts.
Â
Dave
Â
Â
Â
Hello Dave,
Â
Thank you for your email. What a great idea! It's one of my goals this year to make it to Kerrville for the TWG spring show, so I hope to see you there, and maybe have a few hearts carved myself. 🙂
Â
Check out these 4 shapes if you're thinking of a few small projects!
Â
These 4 shapes can be used as refrigerator magnets or ornaments!
They come with patterns applied and rare earth magnets included.
After last week's newsletter about carving clubs, Doug sent a helpful carving club locator link:
Â
Good morning Troy,
A fine newsletter as always. As you talk about the many who got their start through a carving club, I thought you might want to pass along a link to the National Wood Carvers
Association website that has a club locator, so your readers can see if there is one close to them.
