Winter Draws on

 Or should that be Winter Drawers On ?

Well, Halloween and Bonfire night went by un-noticed in the Jones House.  I don't feel like a Rant at the moment about the crazy costs of those two non-events...so I won't.

I went to my Wood turning Seminar last month, Organised by the AWGB (Association of Woodturners of G.B.) an amazing weekend of watching very talented professional Turners doing demonstrations.  It was in Stone, Staffordshire at an event centre called Yarnfield Park - Staying in On-site accommodation.  Accomodation good,  the food was nothing to write home about, but it was adequate.  Couldn't fault the breakfasts but the rest, well it was sort of OK.

The turning on the other hand.  Just a few Pics

Fire Bowl by Neil Turner

Seed Pod by Neil Turner

Coloured Platter by Paul Hannaby

From the Bank  by Joey Richardson

The Photographs are not brilliant, but you can google the individuals and see much more.  The thing is, have they inspired me to go on to greater things.  Well, the inspiration is there but the talent and the artistry are sadly missing.

Onwards and Upwards!

Season of Mists and mellow Fruitfulness

 Autumn has suddenly arrived and it only seems like a few days since my last posting,  The garden is dying off and there are still some jobs I have been meaning to do since about April.  No point worrying about it, the garden will still be there next spring, and maybe I will start again by NOT fulfilling my plans.

I have been doing a bit in the shed,

Yew Bud Vase with Aluminium repair to crack.

Penguin Family of Three.

Bare Snowmen out of leftover softwood.

I have put some of these on my Folksy page.  I've been seriously thinking about scrapping the aforementioned web site as in almost a year I have sold about 6 items.  Is it worth it?  I decided to put a few more things on and see Christmas through.  If there is no improvement I will come away and think about craft fairs or car-boot sales.

One problem with a pass time like Wood Turning is what do you do with the produce once all the Family and Friends are sick to death of getting bits of wood for presents.  You finish up with every shelf in the house full,  boxes and bags in every available bit of cupboard space,  still, with the way energy bills are going at least they will keep the Wood-burner going for a few hours.

Over the next few days I am going to a Wood turning Seminar  (or should that be Senimar ?)...Three days of demonstrations by professional wood-turners.  I may come back loaded with Ideas and inspiration...Oh no!  more pieces to store.

Have a look at my folksy page  https://folksy.com/shops/HowardJonesWoodBits   and please tell your friends.

Back Soon.

Late Summer

 As I said in the last posting,  I really don't know where this year is going.  The Garden is getting past it's best,  the Tomatoes are ripening in the greenhouse and yesterday we had the first good dose of rain for sevral weeks.  It filled up my various water butts anyway.

As well as the Tomatoes in the greenhouse I have thie above "new" Passiflora  (Passion flower) not sure of the name of this one, it was given to me a few months ago as a small cutting, but it is alive and well and hopefully will thrive.  My original blue one (Passiflora Cerulae) has been flowering all through the summer,  everyday there are 4 or 5 flowers visible and they only last for a day or so.  

I planted that one in a ring culture pot last year, so the roots have gone into the ground and will find enough moisture to survive even in the dry spells.  I may do the same with the new one in the spring assuming it will survive the winter.

Yesterday, I spotted this Red Admiral sat on my Hydrangea (Annabelle)  The flowers are fading now, just becoming tinged with brown, but the butterfly was happily sat there for about 15 minutes.  

I haven't seen many Red Admirals this year,  our normal butterflies are Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Painted Lady.  Of the hundreds of butterfly species, those are just about the only ones I ever see,  maybe they just don't like this part of Lancashire...or maybe I am not observant enough !

Just fro interest,  I frequently put photographs on Instagram.  search for me at ' howardjones641  '

Time Flies

 Well it is almost threee months since my last posting,  I can only use the lacking motivation exscuse,  I haven't done very much of anything over the summer.  Bits of shed work,  bits of gardening, bits of reading, bits of playing the ukulele.  

I have been busy this last few days,  I spent a few days in Gloucester,  sadly to attend the funeral of my oldest cousin,  she passed away recently, just short of her 96th birthday.  I will always think of her as 'Young Laura'  Her Mother was my Dad's sister, My Aunt Laura.  cvonsequently her daughter was 'Young Laura'

As a young woman, she spent a couple of years as a Land Army girl towards the end of WW2,  Had an interesting life apart from the last few years when dementia took over.  I will miss her telling me I look like my Father and wanting to hug me.

I managed to have a short visit to Gloucester centre,  although during the hottest two days on record

A Lightship in Gloucester Docks

A view of Gloucester Cathedral

I hopefully will visit again when the Temperature is more clement.

I have managed to visit my shed this week, I have been trying to tidy up and re-organise inside the shed for several weeks,  It is still not totally to my loking but I have turned a few bits

These three items are made of Mulberry,  Purpleheart and Yew.  I will be taking better photos in the next day or so and putting them for sale on my Folksy page.

https://folksy.com/shops/HowardJonesWoodBits

Enough for now,  I WILL be back shortly.

Ne'er caste a clout 'till May is out!

" Ne'er caste a clout "  obviously means don't take your clothes off!  The debate is, does the old saying refer to the month of May? or does it refer to the May flower (the flower of the Hawthorn tree) ((Crataegeus Monogyna)) ?

To be honest it doesn't matter but it has been bitterly cold this last week or so.  Mainly due to a high pressure area to the north-west of us bringing Northerly winds.  Chance of frost just gives me another excuse NOT to do any gardening.

I have been in the shed for short cold spells,  mainly pottering about trying to get some order in there and sorting through half finished pieces of wood to see if they can be re-worked into something good enough to put on my selling page of Folksy.com

This is an Elm bowl (Ulmus spp) about 8 inches across,  Partly spalted with the edge of a burr showing.

 Really interesting grain pattern.

This is a small piece of the Plum tree (Prunus spp) I felled last year  in my garden.  It is small at around 5 inches across.  The colour in the wood is amazing.  Sadly it has developed a small crack in the foot section so I won't be putting it up for sale.

Well now May is here, I have turned the heating down and started looking forward to a ride on one of the motor-bikes...Rain is forecast for later,  I knew I should have kept my mouth shut.

Easter ?

 Well the year is certainly flying by,  but at least I have been a bit more active the last couple of weeks.

I was invited to a talk recently organised by the local Archaeology group...South Pennine Archaeology Group to be precise,  also known as SPAG.  A very interesting slide show and talk about a section of the Leeds - Liverpool canal.

There I was introduced to a gentleman who runs a Ukulele 'club' in Helmshore (close to where I live)  I haven't been there yet but hopefully this coming Wednesday morning I will find out if I am good enough to keep up with other strummers.

Last Wednesday I went with a couple of friends to see a woodturning demonstration at one of our neighbouring clubs. I am Secretary of Pendle Woodturners and Carvers in Burnley,  We went to Blackburn club to see a Mr Chris Parker aka The Bald Woodturner.  Interesting, as he specialises in Texturing and colouring.  I do try colouring occasionally but haven't had any serious attempts at texturing.

Had some time in the shed as well.

 Bud vase made from a branch of Copper Beech from my Garden (Fagus Sylvatica purpurea) 6.5"tall

Yew (Taxus Baccata)  about 5 " tall - This has been reshaped from a previous attempt that wasn't right.

Earring stand / Trinket tray.  Made in English Oak  (Quercus Robur)

All the above will probably go onto my Folksy site  this evening.

www.folksy.com/shops/howardjoneswoodbits.

Menagerie

 Well, two weeks have flown by since my last posting!  Where does the time go?

I have been busy in my little shed,  mainly making more wooden animals...not REAL animal you understand, but cute little ornaments that people seem to fall in love with.  I haven't yet tried to sell any on my 'Folksy' page but maybe I should.  

I made some paler coloured mice today, not quite finished yet so hopefully will put a pic on soon.  I didn't finish them because my butterfly brain went on to finishing a Yew bowl I have been pondering about for ages.  

It is a real "Warts and All" type of turning.  Yew (Taxus Baccata) especially old Yew is well known for having faults, cracks and inclusions and I am starting to embrace these faults.  The colours of this 8.5 inch diameter bowl are just amazing.  I am pondering whether or not to keep this one...I may put it for sale at around 35 squid and if I get no takers in a couple of weeks then I will keep it.

Anybody new to this mighty organ can have a look at my selling page 

https://folksy.com/shops/HowardJonesWoodBits

Back soon.  TTFN

Equinox

 Well it has been a almost 4 weeks since I updated this,  Motivation has been lacking but I won't dwell on that,  this is not going to turn into a moaning blog.

Tonight / Tomorrow we hae the spring Equinox (from the Latin = Equal night) which means that for the next six months it is light for longer than it is dark so effectively the Winter is over.  I wish someone would tell the Met office as it is about -2 degreex C outside at the moment, nut the sky is clear and we may get some more sun for a few days.

I have had a few frustrating days in the shed, working with wood, and mainly random bits of off-cuts or leftover wood it can happen,  Finding knots that ruin a piece,  finding flaws in the wood which mess up a few hours work.  It happens, wood is a natural organic medium so there are no guarantees it will do what is expected of it.  The most frustrating time is when a finished item is brought into the house and two days later a crack appears and suddenly a well turned bud vase or pot becomes a very beautiful piece of firewood.  

This is a pretty little bud vase in Yew (Taxus Baccata)  only about 4 1/2 inches tall, it was perfect when I finished it and two days later the crack appeared...

Ah well,  onwards and upwards.

The following made me smile:

A Russian woman married a Canadian gentleman and they lived happily ever after in Toronto .  The poor lady was not very proficient in English, but did manage to communicate with her husband..  The real problem arose whenever she had to shop for groceries.


One day, she went to the butcher and wanted to buy chicken legs. She didn't know how to put forward her request, so, in desperation, clucked like a chicken and lifted up her skirt to show her thighs.  Her butcher got the message and gave her the chicken legs.


Next day she needed to get chicken breasts, again she didn't know how to say it, so she clucked like a chicken and unbuttoned her blouse to show the butcher her breasts.  The butcher understood again and gave her some chicken breasts.


On the 3rd day, the poor lady needed to buy sausages.  Unable to find a way to communicate this, she brought her husband to the store...

What were you thinking?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her husband speaks English!

Now get back to what you were doing!

 

I worry about you sometimes!

 

Addenda to Previous

 I was plodding along with my last posting when a friend phoned, so I hit "post"  as I wasn't sure about archiving stuff for later posting,  as it happens this fine website does just that, I will remember next time I get interrupted.

I had a new friend visit the garden on Wednesday morning.

A fine looking Lad,  a cock Pheasant in very good condition. Sadly I couldn't get a full pic. as he was at the top of the garden and just after this vanished into some shrubbery.

I do get Roe Deer coming into the garden from time to time.

This fine chap was sat at the top of the garden for an hour or so last summer, he was actually keeping an eye on his Mrs and 2 youngsters.  It's good to see the occasional bit of wildlife around.  I get squirrels as well,  but sadly only the Grey variety...don't like them mush as they are only tree rats that spend most of the time trying to steal the wild bird food I spend my hard earned pennies on.

The friend that phones me on Wednesday mentioned a "prop" I had used in a photo of a pen,  It was a victorian / Edwardian Ink bottle.  I have a few items relating to Pens, ink etc. etc. and the old Ink bottles I find fascinating and attractive and a genuine antique that doesn't cost a fortune.

Here are are few.

Of course back in the day everyone bought Ink,  Well off people used it in fountain pens, the less well off used Dip pens.  I have never seen a full one, (there has to be some around, somewhere) but they were bought with a sealed top, and the top of the bottle had to be broken off to get at the ink, hence the tops of these bottles all have a slightly jagged edge.  I picked these up at an antique centre in Ingleton a few years ago, last time I visited there that particular dealer had left.  I keep my eyes open actually for any writing related old stuff.  I am a member of the 'Writing Equipent Society' there is a web site,  have a nosey if you are bored  https://www.wesonline.org.uk/

Going now,  Back soon.  xx

Reminiscing

 I have just spent a fascinating hour or so reading through this rambling nonsense of a blog,  It actually goes back to 18th April 2009.  There have been some notable gaps of sometimes a couple of years between posts, but I am (at Last) getting into posting more often.  Earlier on I used to post the occasional bit of Humour,  I will try and find something funny soon.

A Pirate walked into a pub, and the barman said "We haven't seen you for a while, you look terrible"
The Pirate said "I feel absolutely fine"
"What about the Leg?"
"Ah a cannon ball took it during a bit of a battle" said the Pirate.
"And the Hook?"
"Well as we boarded a prize ship, one of the crew swung a cutlass and took my hand off!"
"Well what about the Eye patch?"
"Simple" said the Pirate, one day at sea, I looked up just as a flock of seagulls was flying by, and one of them pooped in my eye".
You don't lose an eye just because a seagull poops in it" said the Barman.

"Ah" said the Pirate, That was the first day I had the hook"

Well it's a start!

I have been doing more turning,  Found a nice piece of Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra)  and made this Tea light

I have even signed this one,  

Busy

 I've had a busy couple of weeks,  Getting rid of some surplus stuff through Fleabay, Trying to get some more items to put on my Folksy page, Preparing for an AGM at the Woodturning club, visiting a talk on Longbows at Holcombe Heritage group (near Bury Lancashire), Having the Family plus a couple of extra friends on Saturday, to play at Archery and Woodturning.  Well it all keeps the mind and to a lesser extent the body active.

I still find a couple of hours a week to play my musical instruments.  I only play for my own amusement, NEVER in public.  In my mind I am a front liner at Carnegie Hall or the London Palladium.  In reality I'm a daft old fellah doing very poor George Formby impressions. 

My instruments comprise, Guitar, 3 Ukuleles, 3 Chromatic Harmonicas, Various Tin Whistles and Recorders.  I was given an old Piccolo recently and although I could manage my daughters Flute some years ago I can't get to grips with the Piccolo.  Oh and I have 4 different size recorders!

I have played the guitar (badly) for many many years and decided to try a Uke.  Took to it quite well, but now struggle to remember the chords on the guitar.  I mainly use the guitar to play / pick melodies.  The Ukes are the three different sizes,  The "Banjo" one is a soprano, the darker one is a "concert" and the pale one is a "Tenor"

I usually practice when the Daughter is working late,  so if you pass my house on a Tuesday or Thursday night and you think someone is trying to strangle a cat...Worry not it is only Me.

I have made a few more pens as well,  I will spend some time tomorrow (in daylight) and get some decent photos so I can put them on my Folksy page.  https://folksy.com/shops/HowardJonesWoodBits

Left to Right, these are Lacewood, Bird's Eye Maple, Partride Wood and Zebrano.  Not too shabby.

Enough for now,  May talk about Archery next time.

February already

 Well it only seems like a few minutes ago I was moaning to anyone who would listen about the dreaded approach of Xmas.  Suddenly it is February and a mild February at that, probably shouldn't risk mentioning the weather in case we get 4 feet of snow by the morning.

At least I can get in the shed without hypothermia setting as soon as I pick up a tool,  so I have spent quite a while in there recently.  

Yesterday and today I have been making pens

These are 'Epsilon' pens top one is Bubunga and Chrome, the bottom is Rosewood and Gunmetal

This is a 'slimline' twist pen in Black walnut and Gun metal

All these are now available on my Folksy page...

I made a Fountain Pen as well, but I used a wood called Purple Heart,  Once it has been worked it become just a plain wood colour, eventually it should change to the vivid purple colour after which it is named.   Hope you like the  pics,  I'm going off now to practice my Ukulele.  Have I mentioned my Ukuleles ?  maybe next time.  TTFN

Gonks

 Over a week since my last posting,  Where does the time go?

The "In" thing at the moment amongst wood-turners appears to be the Gonk !  I had never heard of such things until very recently, however they appear to be popular, and they are sort of cute...

The Photograph shows a pair of them sat on my mantleshelf.  I think they are Father and Son although, frighteningly, they bear a certain resemblance to me.  I think it's the grey beards and the red noses.  

Most turners seem to make these in four pieces !!! They make the body, then the hat, then the bobble on top of the hat and finally the nose (not including the faux fur at this stage)  I simply make the body hat and bobble out on one piece of wood, turn a small nose, glue on the beard then glue in the nose.  Simples...

I suppose if you really wanted the body and the hat in different wood species then fine, but at the end of the day they are just a whimsical little novelty,  hardly an heirloom type ornament. Each to their own.

Apart from that I haven't done much.  A bit of work for the Wood turning club,  have I mentioned we have a web site - www.pendlewoodturners.co.uk  -   there is a GIF (whatever that is?) on the front page of me making a few shavings fly off a piece of wood.

You can also find pics on Instagram  look for howardjones641.

Back soon

Winter Chill

 Thursday 20th Jan, and the Temperature has dropped quite dramatically,  still we are at least more than halfway through January so artound six weeks from now we will be in March.  I always think that by the time March starts the cold weather is behind us and we can look forward to lighter nights and the onset of Spring.

I was reminded last night that two or so posts back I used the phrase "Pics to follow" and I have consequently upset my loyal fans (Both of them) that I didn't follow up with the promised pics...  I had made some wooden sheep:-

So here they are.

Last night I was at a meeting of Pendle Woodturners and Carvers, in Burnley.  One of our older (Or should I say longer serving) members did a superb demonstration on making pens.  Most of us wood turners make pens from time to time, but I always find it interesting to see another turner at work and glean some information re his methods.  The member in question actually used the Lathe to press the component parts of the pen together.  I have always used a small bench vice. The problem using a vice is actually lining up the parts in perfect line.  The Lathe does that naturally.  The next pens I make will be assembled as Bill the demonstrator did his.

If you are interested look at www.pendlewoodturners.co.uk

I have made pens in the past.

It is quite a satisfying part of turning, as even doing a one-off, a finished article can come off the Lathe in about 30 or 40 minutes.

Now I haven't forgotten that I also said a Pic would follow of a Hazel Bud vase I made, unfortunately that bud vase formed a nasty split a couple of days after I brought it into the house.  I am now waiting for it to settle down to decide whether to try and fill the crack or just put it into the firwood basket...We shall see.

I hope both my loyal followers will return to find the ultimate fate of Hazel bud vase.  To be continued....

Chess

 It is just coming up to 12 months since I started playing Chess again.  A long time without playing as Lynne and the Girls had no interest or aptitude for the game.  I would occasionally work through the games published in the Saturday issue of the Daily Telegraph, apart from that it must be 30+ years since I had a game.

Last Christmas at Helen's house, I was challenged to a game by Daniel (middle Grandson) I won!  Big bully thrashing an 8 year old !  Shortly after that Andrew and I started playing regularly on Chess dot com. I think the current tally is 17 games to 16 in Andrew's favour.  I am really enjoying the mental challenge so much I have 'joined' said web site, so I can now play about 20 puzzles a dayand watch alsorts of instructional videos and live games.

Linked in with the wood turning, on the Folksy site I spotted a seller was turning basic bottle shapes and mounting a bottle opener in the base. In a rare flash of inspiration I thought of making Chess pieces with an opener in the base.  There are 3 on Folksy at present, I haven't sold any yet but I was a bit late for the Christmas shopping period. I live in hope.

Here are some Pictures

These are all on Folksy.com at present.   https://folksy.com/shops/HowardJonesWoodBits

 Beech

Black Walnut

 Mahogany

Happy New Year

 With the "Festive" season behind us we can get on with our lives again...or we could if it wasn't for the corona virus.  Spent the last couple of days hiding away in my shed.  Last Thursday, I went for a Birthday tea with No 1 daughter, one of her college friends and all the children.  Saturday I was informed that said college friend (or her Daughter) had tested positive.  

The doubt lies in the administration of the tests, it wasn't clear which of the two had tested positive.  I haven't got any testing kits, so I am going nowhere for a few days, just in case.

So the shed beckons.  Yesterday I made three wooden sheep,  a photo will follow in a day or so when I get round to putting the pics on the PC.  Made a bud vase out of a very weirdly shaped piece of Hawthorn, again pic to follow.  Plus other little sorting out jobs.

Last night I ended up binge watching series 2 of "The Bay"  a police drama set in Morecambe.  I have been meaning to watch it for ages and as series three starts in a few days I thought I would catch up.

Today is frosty but dry.  December is now on record as being the greyest month on record.  the average in the UK was 27 hours of sunshine for the whole month

Just a pic of some Penguins I made last year.  

Back soon with more pics.