Face the Light

I finally got around to finishing that light switch cover!  Can you believe it?! 

Of course this can be done on any light switch or outlet plate as long as it's unfinished wood to start with.  They come in a variety of shapes to fit different switches.  But, keep in mind, this is basswood, which means I can't do the really delicate shading like I do for portraits...  At least not without a lot of cursing...

Planning ahead

Well, it's about time to get my wood burnings into an actual store!  I'll be selling a selection of pieces in Corvallis, Oregon at First Alternative Co-op for the holiday season.  Special orders will also be welcome, so get your Christmas orders in soon!
greatjesspectations@gmail.com

Ready, set, wait!

Wouldn't you know it?  Just when I get done with special orders, and so now have time to do other wonderful things I've been waiting burn, I'm too busy to do anything at all!  I can't complain too much though...  I get to see some good friends, have some wonderful food and then host a party.  Not a bad weekend.  Just not a productive one.  I guess I should count myself lucky that I'm done with special orders in time to do all this other fun stuff! 

I have started to delve into a new idea, though.  I've begun trying out some burning on wooden outlet and light switch covers.  We'll see if it's as cool as I think it will be. :)  I might try doing something extra cool and detailed for my own house first.  Surprisingly I don't actually have any wood burnings on display in my house except the clock. 

Well here's one last shot of summer beauty before fall officially begins.  Enjoy!

An eternal flower

Just the other day I received some sad news.  A woman who was my adopted grandmother during my time living in Kentucky, has passed away.  Her husband is still at home, and I just couldn't help but empathize with what he must be going through.  Though my husband is only gone temporarily, living in an empty house is something that is very difficult to get used to.  My heart went out to him and I was compelled to send him something special.  The jonquil, the flower of sympathy.  I hope it brings a smile to his face.

The Waiting Game

It's always fun to do artwork as gifts, but then I have that annoying delay between the making of the art and the giving of it.  I have waited a long time to post this one that was a present to my cousin for her wedding!

Can you guess what her passion is?  :)

I want that, I want that, I want that...

You ever get that annoying little problem of having a great idea you just don't have the time to do?  I am currently experiencing it.  Or rather, I am daily experiencing it.  I'm looking at some of my wood burnings and envisioning more really amazing things I could do...  Classic cars...  Historical icons...  Castles...  the list goes on.  But no.  I have no time for those things yet.  I must be responsible and get special orders done and attend events I've signed up for.  I've never looked forward to winter more!  Having a few more lazy months ahead of me might actually mean I'll get to do some of these great ideas!

Don't get me wrong - I love doing events, meeting people, talking to people about what I do - and I love doing special orders!  I like being able to spend my time on a piece that I know the person receiving will love!  And, of course, these are not the only things keeping me so busy these days.  If you've been keeping up with my earlier posts (infrequent as they have been), you're aware of my current situation.

A friend recently told me that it was quite a shock to him to find out just how little you can get done when your spouse is gone for a long time.  And this is mostly because two people can do the work of three, but one can usually only do the work of one.  This is very obvious to me now.

So, I must look to the future and keep my spirits alive!  I have lots of time ahead of me to accomplish these things I dream of!  Maybe I should pick which one I want to do first, so that when the time comes for a bit of laziness, I'll have my project in hand.

What should it be?  A car?  Marilyn Monroe?  An ancient castle?  

Isn't that just the way?

So I spent the last two nights I had available to me to complete a wood burning specifically for the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire this past weekend.  I was certain that it would be a big hit and so I had to finish it in time to take it with me.

It got compliments...  But it certainly wasn't the one everyone wanted the most.  Know what was?  At a Renaissance Faire, do you know which one got a lot of the attention and did actually sell?  The freaking train.  Not that I'm sad about that one selling...  It just proves that you really can't predict what is going to be popular.  So, the ones that found new homes were:

Fare thee well!

Whipping it out

Well I successfully completed the special order in record time!  They requested it be done early so it might be given to the recipients before they left for vacation.  That meant a good distraction for me all day Tuesday after I said goodbye to my husband and sent him off to boot camp.

The purchaser of this piece cut out the wood and passed it along to me.  She gave it to the couple as an anniversary present today and they've said they'd like to meet me. :)
Of course the perfect opportunity to do that would be to come to the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire this weekend in Kings Valley Oregon.  :)  I'll have my Great Jesspectations booth there this Saturday and Sunday, so come out and see me!

Here kitty, kitty!

My apologies for my absence.  Things around here are moving so quickly and so much is happening, it has taken away from my time to blog.  But, in preparation for this weekend's renaissance faire, I give you my latest (non-special order piece), a cougar!

Hope to do some more blogging before this weekend, but in case I don't, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire in Kings Valley Oregon!  Visit shrewfaire.com for a $1 off coupon and to get their location and hours!
See you there!