So where does a former Artist go?

Ah yes, the same question I have been asking myself over and over after the carving business no longer became profitable. There are moments where I look forward to the "next big thing" ( probably bluegills) but in the mean time and every now and then I get this brief flare up where I ask"what if I had done this?" People say things like," you should be an artist!" And all I can say is...."thanks." I don't have the heart to tell them that I was for the past 10 years and 6 of those years it was our exclusive income. I don't intend this to be a negative, but rather I feel like I've "been there, done that, now off to the next thing." I don't know where I'll end up, but I have not shaken the addiction to business or entrepreneur. There is still some areas that I might have to explore there. In the mean time, I still have my chisels ( even though I have not been eager to get back to carving anything) and I still have my origami to occupy my time. The bringing Bluegills to the masses idea is still on a slow burner in the back of my mind and every now and then I get an idea and have to write about it. Perhaps I'll look back at this post some day and smile at my ramblings.

Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas everyone! Just thought I would post a quick blog to show off a finished work and show off the cats. The two card holders I stained up with a dark ebony stain then gave them a light coat of satin finish. I then finished them off with some minwax brushed to a dull shine. I was not impressed with the satin finish, but then again, the poly was rather old. As for the Cats...well, here they are unwrapping their presents! Rashi is the one in the background that does not like her picture taken. Hiro has been fighting a cold for the last couple of days, basically he sneezes all the time. Hope you are all haveing a great Christmas!

Another small box

Cheryl liked the one I did last night so much so, that she put in a request for her "secret Santa" So I followed the same procedure only this time I chose a squirrel. This time, the maple was less that friendly though. The grain was wavy in a bad way, the planing had a bunch of tear out, and my 1/8 th inch router bit was dull. However, I persevered. I think it turned out pretty good after all. and after doing a couple of them, I may just see if there is a market for these. After I get all the bugs out. I will also have to work on getting the price down. Maybe oak instead of maple, Maybe power carving instead of chisels. We'll see. Enjoy the pics!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving everyone! Yesterday was spent with the family so I didn't get to do much. I'm now behind 15 seats! I was able to secure 3 elongated in Grand Rapids yesterday, But That was it. I still have to find 2 more... and then all the standard seats to boot. Anyway, I carved up 8 tonight. Hopefully, We Will continue to be swamped like this through Christmas and beyond. Got lots of catching up to do. So I might be a little sporadic with the blog entries in the future.

A new Seat! A new beginning...

Well, tonight we sold three more seats. Forcing us to face a very serious problem. If you have been following my previous posts, You will know that our suppliers have all dried up in recent weeks. There are only two places that offer solid wood seats at the moment and both of them are inferior to our standard. So tonight I have revisited making my own seat from scratch. I have toyed with this idea before but it was not cost effective. NOW when we look online at ANY suppliers, the seats alone start at $40-50! That would mean I would have to drastically increase my asking price and pocket none of the extra ( currently the "good" seats are $17.00 before tax) Well, tonight I took another stab at it to answer a few questions. To save time and make a durable seat that is very stable. I have considered oak Plywood. The cross grain lamination should prove very stable under stress ( i.e. people sitting on a thin piece of wood) I was wondering how it would carve up So I chose to carve up a black bear cub. I was surprised to find out that it carved up really well! After it's sanded and stained, It is difficult to see the difference even when I am the one looking. It painted up fairly well and I actually made it tonight in less time that it took me to set up my router table. I'm encouraged! The only way that Cheryl and I agree anyone can tell the difference, is from the side. And that might not be all bad. The layered effect of the plywood adds a certain "decoration detail" that the other solid seats never had. I didn't have the wood or the time to make the "seat" yet, but might try that tomorrow. We also will have to find a hinge supplier and the plastic bumpers that keep the seat off the toilet. ( each seat requires 5 for the seat and 2 for the lid!) There are advantages to this path we are considering. One, I did the math and the raw materials for the wood will cost $5-6! Not bad! Add hinge for Approx. $6 and maybe a handful or bumpers for $2 and we might have a $13 seat. Cheaper than Wall mart and better construction ( Don't get me started on the Wall mart seat. You get what you pay for is a fair assessment, and they have ruined solid wood toilet seat's perceptions) Anyway, I will also be in complete control of the stain, poly, hinge placement, and supply. These are all areas where we have had trouble before. With the China supply line apparently down, Cheryl and I have seen definite signs that cheap manufactured goods will be in short supply this year. This might be a good thing if your business does not depend on them. Like Foreign Oil we are trying to ween ourselves away from the Foreign seat manufacturers. So I will be able to Claim that our seat is 100% American made! YEAH BABY! Of course this will mean more work for myself in the coming months. Christmas is usually insane with 7-8 seats a night typical. I hope it will be that crazy and then some, and this time I hope I don't have to spend my time tracking down seats made in China!