ornaments set sail

This weekend I harvested some birch bark.  Earlier this fall we had a large limb fall and I've been meaning to get out and pull the bark off of it but just hadn't gotten to it.  When I went out there yesterday it became apparent that the mushrooms got a jump on the job.  That'll teach me.

It worked out alright though, I was able to harvest what I needed, and got to hang out with the fungus in the meantime.

A whole fleet of tiny canoes are headed off to Bookhou where they will be in the most excellent company.  If you're in the Toronto area, stop by and have a look, won't you?

I've been up to some other woodsy shenanigans this weekend that I'll share with you soon.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend and having some shenanigans of your own.

Necklaces

I've been working on a few pendants recently and put just a couple in my shop yesterday.  There were two in my stitched birch theme and one of oak and moss (wool moss anyway). 



look! a shadow!  That means sunshine!  (briefly anyway)



The next few weeks will be pretty busy as I finish some project proposals, prepare for a visit with a friend (soo excited), and work on pieces for an artists' mart in April.  That and chase these increasingly energetic children of mine of course.  (I'd say that most days these lunatics have the keys to the asylum.  Spring can't come soon enough so that little rodent better be right about an early spring...)

Have a good weekend, everybody!

Damn It's Cold and A Bit About My Process

What do I do when I wake up to temperatures like this?

I stay inside and update my Etsy shop.  That is just what I did yesterday.  I had a few brooches completed so I took a few photos and added them to my shop.  I have a few other pieces in the works (new stuff!) and will be adding them to the shop sometime next week. 

Yesterday's additions were brooches, a few birch bark pieces and a few oak and wool. 

I was glad to have some time out in the barn last week to cut wood because with these temperatures there's no way I could stand out there and work.  The pole barn is unheated and my fingerless gloves just don't provide the warmth I need.  My gloves actually started off with fingers but suffered one too many run-ins with the belt sander so they are now mostly fingerless.  (thank goodness I'm not)

Each of these wood brooches has been cut from a downed branch that I've hauled out of the woods.  All of these are oak which is a nice sturdy wood to work with.  I cut them, shape them, sand them, drill them, wax them, and embroider them.  I gather the birch bark myself and then peel it into layers and use it as a veneer.  I make the wool felt by hand.  It's a labor of love.

It's important to me that these feel natural and unique.  I want them to feel like something plucked from the forest floor.  I cut them in organic shapes and leave angles and planes on the wood to remind the hand that holds it that it is handmade.

I can't wait to share what else I'm working on.  Soon.

What are you working on this weekend?

What's On The Workbench Today

I finished up some wool stones over the weekend, a project that I really enjoy.  These were a request from a customer of mine and something that I haven't carried in my shop in a while.  Since I had so much fun making them I decided to do a few extra and they'll be in the shop later this week.  These are made with real stones in the middle and I like them as natural decorations scattered around the house and as photo props.  My kids really like hauling these around too and stacking them up.  I think there's something about the soft wool and the heft of the stone, it makes a nice combination.

I'm also working on few more birch brooches today.  I cut discs from downed branches, shape and sand them, and then apply a thin layer of birch bark like a veneer on top.  I then drill holes and embroider designs on them.  I finish the sides and back by rubbing it with local beeswax.  They're simple and natural which appeals to me.

Since I had the tools out I put together some small birch tags for my packaging too.

And yes, I'm making that mess on my kitchen table, much to my husband's dismay.  I know.  I know.

What are you working on today?

Tiny Birch Bark Canoe Tutorial

If you find this, or one of my other tutorials, helpful and would like to make a monetary contribution to help me keep wool in my basket and ideas flowing, I'd be so grateful.  By clicking the "Buy Now" button below you can choose your own price for the tutorial.  It's completely optional, but oh so appreciated.

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As promised, a birch bark tutorial! 

Since so many people seemed to love these tiny birch bark canoes, I thought I'd share how I make them.

What you'll need:

birch bark (bark, not birch paper)

raffia or waxed thread/artificial sinew

a sturdy needle

scissors

small twigs

clothespins or small binder clips

I've found it really helpful to soak the birch bark for several hours or overnight before doing this project.  It makes the bark more pliable and seems to keep it from tearing quite so easily.  If your bark starts to dry out while you're sewing you can dunk it in a bowl of water or steam it with your steam iron (which is also a nice way to convince pieces of bark to lie flat since the bark wants to curl up.  Perfect for making gift tags.).

Cut a rectangle of bark to the length and twice the height of the boat you want to make.  The piece I've cut is about 2 1/2" x 2".  Gently fold it in half but don't try to crease it.  I lay my finger along the center and use even pressure when I fold.

Cut the top curve of the canoe while holding the top edges together, making sure to get a symmetrical cut.

Clip a clothespin on one end of your canoe to hold it in place while you cut the curves at the other end of the canoe, again making sure the two sides match up evenly.  Repeat for the other side.

You now have your canoe shape and can begin to sew.  Use the clothespins or binder clips to hold the ends together while you work or to hold the piece together if you have to leave the project for a minute.

Thread your raffia or waxed thread onto your needle and prepare to sew.  You'll be sewing the entire canoe with one length of thread so make sure  you snip a long enough piece.  I cut about 20" for this tiny canoe.

note: if you have a dremel tool with a very tiny drill bit you can pre-drill your holes.  This makes the job much easier and the bark is less likely to tear while sewing.  If you don't have one it's OK, just sew carefully and keep a distance between your stitch holes and the edge of the bark.

Begin stitching at the bottom of one end, sewing through both layers of bark.  Sew up the curve and over the top of the "point" using a whipstitch.

Hold a twig flush to the side of the canoe and whipstitch around it and the top edge of the canoe side. 

When you reach the "point" on the other end of the canoe, stitch through both layers of bark, down then back up the second curved end, making an "x" or shoelace pattern.

When you reach the top of the curve your needle should be on the unfinished side of the canoe.  Sew a twig to this side as you had done on the other side.

Sew the "x" pattern down the end curve, and tie a small knot at the end.  Trim any excess twig and you have a canoe!

I choose to add some decorative stitches under the twig supports, but you can leave it as is if you'd like.  You can add a loop to use as a hanging ornament also.

You can also simplify the process by just sewing each end and skip the twig supports.  This style is more prone to tearing so handle these with care.

I made one of these canoes out of a cereal box for the boys to play with and the cardboard is a great weight to practice with.  I think these would also be really sweet made out of felt.

This is a decorative canoe and won't float as is.  By sealing the holes and weighting it properly though, it could be.

If you give this a try, I'd love to know how it turns out.

Happy sailing!

My PSA:  I think it should be noted that I gather my birch bark from trees that fall in our woods.  You can read about that process here.  Although I've read that you can harvest birch safely from a live tree, it seems unnecessary and destructive to me.  That's not my kind of thing.  Birches are plentiful where I live, but if they're not plentiful in yours, I'd bet you can find some suppliers of sustainable bark online.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday