Friday, April 20, 2012

a poplar scoop


Just a little scoop I made for myself yesterday, carved from a piece of poplar that fell in the last windstorm.  I've been wanting to make spoons for a long while, (years) and finally made some time for it.


My husband reminded me, twice, that I could buy wooden spoons at the dollar store... 3 for a dollar... instead of making one.  He's hilarious, isn't he?  Ho ho ho, Mr. Jordan.

He does make a point, even if he was mostly just getting my goat.  From a monetary perspective, it's much cheaper to buy some wooden spoons for a dollar rather than spend a few hours of my time carving one.  But from an aesthetic perspective, well, that's different.  This scoop carries my story with it of being cut from wood from our property.  It's sanded so smooth it feels like satin, and it's been oiled by hand with the meat of a walnut.  It has love in it, and it's beautiful. (to me)

It's now performing its duties in my sugar canister, and I'll get to hold it each morning when I make my coffee.
Now I need one for the flour jar...

Happy Friday everyone!

34 comments:

Amy said...

Your scoop is lovely- well done!

Creativity Comforts said...

Beautiful scoop. There is something very satisfying about making your own things, isn't there! Besides, the spoons at the dollar store are made in China...your scoop is made in the USA by wonderful you from a tree on your own property! It doesn't get much better than that! :)

Brenda said...

Your spoon is absolutely fantastic!! The shape and graining is a work of art in itself... and it is functional also! How terrific that you are blessed with the ability to create such amazing works from nature. I am green with jealousy!

I love how the wood grain of the spoon tells its own story in the piece. In my studio, I have a splintered piece of walnut that sits above my drafting table (remnant from one storm damage tree). It inspires me everyday when I look at the outer layer of cream and darker chocolate center. Definitely a wonder of nature. :)

I look forward to seeing your next creation! :)

Catherine said...

I really love your spoon. Infinitely nicer than a shop-bought one!

Annie @ knitsofacto said...

It's beautiful. Hand made beats machine made everyday me thinks, at least for the small everyday things.

eidolons said...

Your spoon is lovely! *So* much nicer than anything at the dollar store, of course! I've been wanting a beautiful scoop for both our sugar and our flour. I have to be honest, though I have found lovely ones on Etsy I just can't bring myself to fork over so much money for a spoon. I know it's worth it, I just don't know that it's the practical thing for our current situation - know what I mean? Maybe it's all a sign that I should give carving a try.. (:

Jill said...

Lisa, you continue to amaze me with your talent. The spoon is beautiful. To me, the carving process looks therapeutic. (Ha! Maybe because I need therapy...)

Laura from beautiful West Michigan said...

The spoon is so beautiful and you are an awesome carver! The fun of making it surely trumps the fact that you can buy them. Bravo!

Tumus said...

It's so cute! You should try to make a ladel next. I love wooden ladels.

Cheryl @ handcraftedtravellers said...

You could have spent 3 hours searching for a perfect spoon too...given a branch and a tool on/in hand, carving is a beautiful choice. Simply wonderful!

prpltrtl946 said...

Your scoop is beautiful to me, too!! 8*)

As a woodcarver myself, I also love the tool you used!!! 8*)

AND, yours is functional where my wood carvings are relief art!! 8*)

I would say that makes it a SUPER SCOOP in my eyes!!! LOL 8*)

Geninne said...

It's a treasure. SO, so much better than the three for a buck variety. Mr. Jordan is indeen very funny hahahah. :-)

lynn bowes said...

Spoon Boy has competition.

The Ladies Tea Guild said...

Inspiring! I have chestnut wood just waiting to whittle away a few satisfying hours!

Tricia said...

I LUV the scoop and would love to have several of them. The dollar store wooden spoons are horrible.

Jamie said...

Silly, silly man. They just don't understand sometimes the value and beauty of the handmade object. Your scoop is positively stunning - full of character and charm. Funny to say that about a wooden scoop, but oh so true. = )

Margie Oomen said...

geninne, arounna and i bought some beautiful hand carved wooden spoons from the market and street vendors or mexico.
alas none of them hold a spoonful of sugar to your masterpiece:)

Sonia / COZY MEMORIES said...

Oh Jeff ..... your ears must be hurting (as we say in French, when someone talks bad about you) I quite don't agree with you at all.
This spoon holds the treasure of time spent & love poured, as well as being made from a locally grown specie. Nothing can compare to that, let alone 3 spoons for 1 dollar. Besides, this wood was free, right ? ;-)
xoxoxoxo

Heather M. said...

I have a rolling pin that was hand carved by my great-grandfather many years ago. It is a family heirloom as is the loving spoon carved by my father. No-one ever passes down a dollar store anything.

Mousy Brown said...

Its beautiful to me too! I am so inspired to have a go...

Anonymous said...

It is a beautiful spoon! And you can't find one at the dollar store that will look as lovely, or be as smooth:-)Or mean as much.

BTW - you can ignore the email that the computer at work sent without a message. Touchy mouse.

Pauline

Anonymous said...

Rose~

If you make another I would love to see it from very start to finish. I need lots of stage photos. I very much am in love with your lovely spoon and with all the fallen poplar trees from the twister a while back best to make lemon aid out of the fallen lemons so to speak. Teach me for a day I'll eat for a life. <3

Valerianna said...

Oh and I'm absolutely SURE that the love and stories of the land are infusing the sugar bowl with good energy... and I bet your husband prefers the feel of your spoon in his hand waaaay more than any dollar store spoon, I know I would!!

Jan said...

Oh Lisa! Your spoon is much, much better than one from a store! More beautiful too and so much more for your soul to have made it yourself. I just love all that you do and who cares if it took longer to make BUT it's the making that is why you do it! Jan x

diegoagogo said...

Love the spoon!! I am sure I am not the only one who would love to see a tutorial & a tools list.
Beautiful.
Lush
London, UK

Bricolente said...

Your spoon is absolutely fantastic !
Magnifique !

joanie said...

Oooooh! I have tool envy. What a cool carving tool and what a beautiful spoon! You are the coolest. I love the shape you created, so pretty.
Have a lovely weekend.
Jx

PS, now I know how you take your coffee, pop on over so I can brew one up for you... and bring your spoon, mine aren't as pretty :)

tami said...

You are such a superstar! We just had to take down an ash and a silver maple on our property and i'm going to need to do some research on what those woods could be used for! Thanks for your constant source of inspiration.
Your spoon is simply beautiful.....and besides, a wooden spoon should cost more than a dollar! Each and every one should come with a story!

Lisa said...

Really lovely! (Did you dry the wood, or carve the fresh wood?)

Doreen Frost said...

Greetings from Vermont. I am SO HAPPY to have found your site!!! LOVE everything about it :)

Your spoon is wonderful!!!

Wishing you a lovely day, doreen

monique's mess said...

Your spoon has texturally pleasing lines and nothing can say I love you more than a hand made gift or show thoughtfulness and appreciation of what is within our mist than a hand made item. It utilizes items within the nearby vicinity that would otherwise be rendered useless. A beautiful piece and worthy of the effort and TLC that you have expended to produce it. Poetry in a spoon.

HollyM said...

I think the spoon is absolutely beautiful! I wouldn't even know how to start such s thing.

Amber said...

Oh, such a scoop would be perfect for my granola canister!!!

Lori said...

This is beautiful, but so is everything I've seen that you've made.

I wanted to tell you: I've always thought I'd like to one day work with wood (either building or carving) but lately that feeling has been getting more persistent. I think lurking at your blog has been feeding the feeling more and more. I think I need to just dig in and try it. Thanks for sharing your work.

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