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Those works I have permission to take pictures of (or I remember to do so)...
Ceremonial Cacao Grater
Completed 9/2023. Gosh, I love drinking cacao. I was first introduced to ceremonial-grade cacao in Costa Rica; her spirit is just so gentle, warm, and accepting. Drinking a cup just... makes you feel at peace, like you're exactly where you need to be. I later found that cacao of that nature comes in large bricks, and the fastest way to ensure even melting in hot water is to grate it with a microplane. I've wanted for years to have a dedicated tool for cacao... and it was worth the wait. This grater unscrews from the handle for ease of cleaning (non-negotiable). The handle is mini pinecones cast in Alumilite (blank by Muttblanks), and well, just look at the pictures. It came out fantastically. Every pinecone presents at a different angle, caught certain colors of the resin/mica, and were turned to different depths. Totally worth the price for the blank.
Here's what I learned:
How to use epoxy (and do/correct the glue-up three times).
Stop cheaping out and re-using sandpaper, otherwise you need to sand it all the way down.... again...
There are numerous small voids scattered in a blank like this that need filling with CA, and they like to catch the carbide. A new cutter blade makes all the difference.
Sunlight during the golden hour is incredible.
I'm sure the next cup I drink will be out of this world.
Galaxy Letter Opener
Completed 9/2023. Made of this stunning stabilized blue box elder burl (yes, that's wood and not acrylic!). The colors play off the gunmetal especially well. This is part of a two-piece gift to my partner who started his MBA program. Finally, we can open packages in a classy way instead of with our teeth and nails, like savages with bachelor's degrees.
Here's what I learned:
I need to look closer at the drill bit I'm using even if it's been put away into the "right spot". I accidentally used a 1/2" instead of a 31/64.
Chatoyance comes from the French word 'chatoyer': meaning 'to shine like a cat's eye'. It's an optical effect observed in certain gemstones and woods - seen as a bright band of light that moves across the surface of when it's viewed from different angles. This particular wood piece has that in spades.
The card in this picture is from The Heart and Hands Tarot by Liz Blackbird, a deck I'm currently coloring with markers. This one is the Ace of Swords, which symbolizes clarity, breakthroughs, new ideas, and mental strength. It signifies a time of insight and intellectual power, suggesting successful dealings with obstacles through decision and strategic thought.
Antler pizza cutter
Completed 9/2023. Supposed to be a gift to a new mom friend who kindly gave me two of her husband's deer antlers. They intended to do something with it but never got around to it, so I wanted to make them something nice in gratitude. The leather sheath is handmade and formed to the blade - the suede size is facing us while the top-grain side is facing away. It closes with a hidden sewn-in rare earth magnet which just snaps shut when the cutter is inserted: no fussiness at all. The best part is that the blade unscrews from the handle for ease of washing.
The labradorite cabochon just happened to be the right size for the end of the antler; it getting here from India really took the longest time as I had all of it completed before the cab.
Here's what I learned:
Antler smells when you drill into the marrow, like still living flesh burning (ie. not in the cooking way) along with... this ineffable mustiness, like a basement that hasn't been aired out. Difficult to describe that particular odor.
Epoxying the handle into the hole created by the drill took a little bit of finesse, as the gold washer did not want to remain aligned with the antler rim. I had to redo it a second time, holding it in place until it hardened as not to mess up the line.
My sewing machine can handle straight stitches on two pieces of leather.
Polycrylic seems to be an excellent sealer for antler, will update when/if it gets wet.
Proud about how this one came out and I'm surprised it came together as quickly as it did. I'm delighted to have more pieces of local antler to work with, maybe a hefty letter opener next.
Spiral kitchen tool
Completed 2022. A stabilized double-dyed box elder burl handle paired with a "pigtail food flipper". Essentially the best tool I've ever used for flipping bacon, sausages, and other unwieldy objects on the grill. The grain on that handle is a jaw-dropper all the way around, and has a flat-spot sanded into the front to make it easier to hold which is difficult to see in the photo.
Here's what I learned:
I have to be more choosy about metal pieces that unscrew away from the handle, for ease of washing. Thankfully it isn't too much of an issue here as the only thing that gets dirty is the very tip of the flipper, which can be easily wiped away.
Finishing with beeswax might not be the best for kitchen tools despite the non-toxic nature, as the dye on the handle will bleed ever-so-slightly when it's handled with wet hands. I think I'll try a brush-on shellac moving forward because I need more water-resistance.
This piece of wood in the box of blanks from the widow who sold me her husband's lathe. Buying blanks without the chance to get to use it makes me more aware about death, and that I should use blanks I buy instead of the very real temptation to hoard them.
Weeder
Completed 2019, just after we moved into our first house. As the one who enjoys ridding the garden of dandelions etc., my husband needed a new handle to this tool - which I turned out of an unknown hardwood with a simple beeswax finish. The end of the shaft is shaped like an inverted V which allows it to be driven far into the ground beside those long taproots weeds like to have. It's a mainstay, hard use tool which has been left everywhere in all kinds of conditions.
Here's what I learned:
I didn't expect this to get as much use as it did/does.
People get protective over their tools.
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