Showing Off

Last week, I finally got around to putting up a display shelf for some of my favorite woodcarvings. Here is how it looks on my wall:

Except for the teddy bear, these carvings all began as wooden eggs. The teddy bear was made while I was still in high school from a roughout that my dad prepared for me. The purple and yellow rabbit (second shelf, right) is the first egg carving I ever did. That pattern for her came from Mary Finn's book Carving Egg Animals, a great book for anyone wishing to start egg carving. My most recent carvings are the two Vikings sitting on the top shelf. Their weaponry and the horns on the Viking man's helmet are created from a two-part epoxy putty.

I plan to continue rotating these carvings as new creations are made. These little guys are such a cheerful addition to my living room!

~Karen V.
www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings

Beautiful Birds

Ever have one of those times where, you've been carving or sewing or scrapbooking or doing whatever your favorite hobby is, when suddenly, for no apparent reason, you lose your inspiration? You can't seem to find motivation to keep going, your materials are hidden away for a little while, and you just have to try doing other things for a little bit until you can get back to your beloved pastime?

If you have never experienced that, you're lucky. But that's what I've had recently when it comes to woodcarving. Who knows why? My inspiration is starting to come back, but right now I'm waiting on some more supplies to come in the mail. In the meantime, I have some (about six, I think) carvings that need to be painted, and golf balls that can be carved.

One project that I do find very easy to do when I'm in a "carving funk" is birds. These whimsical birds are very quick and very cute. They're great to make if you're just in a mood to make lots of shavings, and can make charming little gifts.

The design for these birds comes from Laura Putnam Dunkle's book Carving Whimsical Birds. It's currently out of print, but most online book stores will still have it second hand. I highly recommend it.

~ Karen V.

Horse Complete

Well, here it is, my first try at carving a horse from a wooden egg, now completely carved, sanded, painted, and varnished:

And, from the side:

Overall, I'm rather pleased with how she turned out. I'm thinking of attempting to carve a sleeping foal next time I try a horse, though. A curled up foal will suit the egg shape nicely, and is easier to envision than an upright horse like this one. For my first attempt, though, I think this horse turned out rather well, and I'll definitely be pondering ways to improve it in the future.

~Karen V.
www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings

Letting the Dwarf Hear

Last night I got back to work on my dwarf. He can now hear out of two nicely carved ears. Here's a close up of one ear:

Through carved golf ball faces, I have become better at producing faces in wood, too. A few months ago I would not have dared attempt a face this large, because the facial details would have been too daunting to consider. One of the greatest joys in carving has been continuing to see my skills develop over time. I never get bored of trying new patterns and looking at other ways to be creative within the limitations of round figures.

~Karen V.
www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings

Come Along Horsie

Well, my horse is starting to show some progress. I think it's going to be a very cute, but somewhat pudgy, horse. Take a look:

Horse Front View

Horse Rear View

Horse Bottom View

Once I had figured out to separate the legs on the bottom, the shape of the horse really started to come together. I'm aiming more for a caricature look than a life-like representation. Wooden eggs and golf balls are both well suited for caricature carvings. The round shape lends itself well to exaggeration.

~Karen V.
www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings

Go Horsie, Go!

I have started another egg carving, and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. The goal is to turn a wooden basswood egg, like this: 

 and turn it into a horse. Most of the time, when I begin a carving, I have a fairly good idea of how I'm going to get from the egg to the final product. Not this time. This time, I'm using the fine, well-proven technique of "winging it." After two days of carving, this is what I've come up with:

                                                                                    

Front view, you can see the head forming

3/4 View, you can start to see where the mane and tail will be

As you can probably see, I don't have a well-thought-out plan as yet. This could very well end up as a unique piece of firewood! (It wouldn't be the first time.) Part of the fun with carving, though, is never knowing exactly what you'll end up with. Every piece is different and unique, no matter how well planned it is, and no matter how many times you've carved the same thing. 

I am also very excited to have received more golf balls ready to carve! Here they are, all beautiful colors waiting to be turned into wonderful creations:

 I am always open to suggestions about what to carve. I plan to start a golf ball dragon tonight!

~Karen V.

www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings

                                                               

Welcome to The Whittle Things

Welcome to The Whittle Things!

My name is Karen, and I have been carving for about 16 years. It started out as something I could do to spend time with my dad, and has now become part hobby, part obsession, and a genuine sanity saver! As a stay at home mom of an infant boy, by the end of the day I need something to do that gets my mind off of housework, childcare, and the daily round of tasks to be done.

About three years ago I discovered the joy of carving basswood eggs. This was a Godsend for me, as I was a newlywed living in a small apartment without room for large pieces of wood and equipment. Basswood eggs are small, easily stored, and yet provide lots of opportunity to create whimsical people, animals, birds, and even landscapes.

Shortly after Christmas 2011, I also began carving golf balls. I had no idea this could become so addictive too! While I still tend to prefer egg carving due to the wider possibility for detail, I find golf ball carving to be relaxing as well. There is no need for sanding, painting base coats, or even using a lot of paint. I can just carve, paint in the details, apply a coat of varnish and it's done!

I have also recently begun creating golf ball keychains, like this rose over here. It's a great idea for any golfing friends, plus it just makes a neat key chain!


I look forward to sharing my carving projects with you, and hope to hear from other carvers out there!

~ Karen V.
www.etsy.com/shop/thewhittlethings