We've Moved!

Hey everyone! 

I know it's been a while since I've generated some traffic here, but I've got a big announcement. SH Carving has a new home on the web at shcarving.com. I'll be transferring a lot of the photos from this page to the new site over time, but all new content will be pushed to the new site. 

I will keep this page available for the time being, but will eventually set up a forward to the new page so all traffic is directed there. Thank you for the support you've offered over the years, I hope I can keep you coming back with a few things you've yet to see!

Big News and Big Changes and a New Home

This post is going to be a doosey, so:

First things first, I want to show you the finished version of Cato. I only have the shot I took with my phone, so I'll have to get a higher res shot for the Gallery. I like the way that the carving turned out and the customer really liked the color (although I have other thoughts on the matter that I'll talk about later.) 

As most of you know (or don't know) I recently graduated with my BS in Electrical Engineering from BYU. It feels so good to be finished with college for the time being. While being graduated is great, it also brings a lot of changes. First would be my employer: I have since finished my time working with Physical Facilities at BYU (the place I've had such wonderful access to saws, paints, and stains etc) and will soon be a proud employee of Intel Corp.

 The big snag from this is that we have to find a new place to live....in Oregon. I was originally sad to find out I had to leave home, but I've come to terms with it. We'll be able to start a new home for our family and make a new name for ourselves in the Pacific Northwest. While it's great and nice to move and start over, it also means that I'm losing all of my connections I've been using to finish and dye the signs thus far. 

As of now all signs that I make will have to be a natural color. 

You would think that this would make me somewhat upset, but I'm not too bothered with it actually. I've never been the biggest fan of the unnatural colors, and it's really tough to get them to be even on the Bass Wood. Rarely did I get a color that was even and not splotchy. So for now, at least until I find a solution to this, we'll have to go without them crazy colors.

Along with no stains, I don't have a saw. (At the moment.) I'm trying to get my hands on one that I can take with me, but I may be up a river for a while. If it comes to that, I will still be carving, I'll simply have to do a different style for a while like chip carving or doing walking staffs. I don't know when I'll know about the saw, but I'll be sure to say when I do find out.

Another piece of the moving to Oregon package is that I'm going to be a DAD! My wife and I are awaiting a little girl to join our family in a few weeks. She will undoubtedly take the majority of my spare time, but I'm going to promise that I will be doing my best to keep on top of everything here at S.H. Carving. But if I do get a little behind, you'll understand why.

Now, possibly the biggest news of all. SH Carving is moving! I think I've finally outgrown the blogspot hosting and figured I'd move into my own website and spiffy URL. The new site is currently in development, so I can't unveil it just yet, but it is coming soon. The posts here will stay, but I will most likely redirect visits to this page to the new site. I'm really excited about this, I've always wanted to have my own site that isn't a blogspot. 

Posts will still be coming in the meantime, so don't jump ship just yet.

Finishing Touches

I've got the sign in the finishing shop today getting the final coat sprayed on. We went with a green, which ended up looking interesting with the way the grain took the color into the wood. I should have the sign back on Monday, so I'll give you a look when it gets here!

New Photos

I got some photos of 'Killpack' and I thought you'd like a look. I've also added this to the photo gallery.

That was Fast

Cut out already? Whaaaaaaaat? I know, I'm pretty on top of this one. I'm really excited to get started on this sign, and I've got a nice weekend to start. I'll have to first do the contour of the overlapping before I cut any shape into the lettering, which will either end up really nice in the long run, or make things a little more difficult. 

We'll see.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Ok, not COMPLETELY different, but this sign is going to be in a style I haven't tried before. 

The lines you see in the middle of each letter will be a peak, and I'll have flat surfaces at about a 30 degree angle down from that. It's an interesting idea, but I've seen it done once, and I think I can make it work. If it works out, it's going to be excellent, and I might try this style again in the future.

I know some of you were waiting on some pictures of 'Killpack' once it was done, but I was never able to get those taken. I was really rushed to get it finished and delivered, and in the process it just slipped my mind to get some photos taken.

I'm going to see if the recipients (It was ordered as a gift for someone else.) would be willing to take a few shots for me and the site, but I won't hold my breath.

I have one other project coming up very soon, a BIG project too. I'll get some teaser photos of what I'll be working with to give you an idea. ;) 

Forgot

I forgot to take a picture of this earlier, but this is a sign I'm doing as a favor for a family member. It was originally intended as a Christmas present, but that didn't work out. 

It shouldn't take much to finish this one up, so give me a week or so and it should be done.

2013 Great Salt Lake Woodcarvers Competition and Show

This show was really great! I had two pieces in the competition and they were both able to bring home a first place ribbon in their categories! 

The rest of the show was wonderful. The other entries were incredible to look at. Here are my favorites from the show:

This Owl got 'Best of Show' for good reason. The detail in the owl and pulley is incredible.

                                        

                        

                                              

                                       

These leaves looked so fragile. I spoke with the artist and he said it took over a month to get all the wood cleared out under all the leaves and branches. This is the level I hope to one day achieve. This took best of division and people's choice. Very well deserved.

This bird had several of the categorical awards (Birdwatchers award etc.), very nice detail here.

And the rest!

A Year in the Making

I can't express how happy I am to finally have this project done. It's been almost a year (to the day) since I started this project. It only took 2 semesters of school, moving out of state, moving back into state, being broken in half, glued back together, and a mad rush over the last month to get it done. 

I know many woodcarvers who have shelves of projects that were started but never finished, most of which were pretty much finished. I didn't want this sign to turn into weight on my shelf, especially since it was for me. It isn't perfect by any means, but I learned a lot getting it done. Now lets see what the judges think this weekend!

This took entirely too long

Well stage one of sanding is finished. It won't change in terms of looks too much after this point, other than the walnut stain I'll be applying next week. I'm going to wait to post anymore until after everything is all finished, that way you'll have something pretty to look at.

It turned out alright, better than I thought to be honest. Lets just hope I can get one last ribbon at that competition.

Sanding = Bane

Like I told my wife tonight: "The more I carve, the more I realize that I hate sanding." But we're getting closer.

Kinda Finished?

Ok, I know it took me forever, but I have tests ok? I'd like to say that the hardest part is over, but it's really just going to start pretty soon. Now that the carving is done, I get to spend an eternity sanding this up to get ready for the stain. In the meantime I'll have to round up a piece of maple to use as the backing. 

There are still a couple places I'd like to clean up, but it's definitely looking pretty good. Here's hoping that it just keeps getting better.

Something!

I know this isn't much, even after as long as it has been since I've had a post. There is a carving show coming up in a little over a month, and I decided that I need to get something in before I leave the valley for good this summer. I'll keep the updates coming, at least I hope to.

 Progress has been good over the last few days, so I'll take that as a good sign.