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