Cowboy Christmas 2017 - Don't Miss It!

It's that time of year again!

The funny thing is that I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, but the Cowboy Christmas show puts me in a whole new mindset for the holiday season.

I wouldn't miss it for the world! 

This year was better than ever, 

I've never been disappointed at this huge show at the Convention Center.

 There are more saddles, 

belts, 

buckles (on steroids!)

hats, 

(big and small!)

 and home accessories, like these bottle stoppers 

and woodcrafts.... did I mention the woodworking? 

Here's my favorite booth,

mostly because I like the owners and their artistic vision. 

This salad set is gorgeous. If you can't miss the show, here's a link to check them out.

I do love the home accessories -  

they're kitschy and common-sensical, like using these horseshoes for tray handles. Ingenious! 

This humongous ottoman's hand tooled leather was amazing. 

And this bench ... wow.

Just walking around the convention floor, you'll be in awe of the sights - like this fabulous  bronze sculpture of two cowboys shaking hands. I forget the exact name of this piece, but it was something like "gentleman's agreement" - someone's vision of an old fashioned "contract" in the field. Nice.  

I love these cigar store Indians,

apparently the booth's owner does too!

Looking for western clothing? 

There's an abundance of stuff for everyone, from jewelry - 

more hats! 

rustic "blanket" purses, 

these "all gut, no butt" suspenders were selling out!

I really love these metal yard sculptures, "protecting" your property. 

Check out this video!

And this chair with its tractor seat and wagon wheel sides - I just love their creativity!

 I ran into Sundie and Brad, of Vintage Sculpture from Norwalk, Iowa, who make sculptural felt wall art. 

It's always nice to catch up with them, and their booth (as always) was filled with amazing new work. 

Their pieces always draw me in for further inspection.

 My photos of their booth sucked, but they graciously texted me these images ... WOWZA! Seriously...  check out their website, you won't be sorry. (These pictures don't do their work justice, BTW.)

But my favorite booth in the entire show is this one - Zeller's Trunks.

Chuck and Sherry Zeller make the finest steamer trunks I've ever seen. Their trunks have so many things going on - sliding compartments, hidden spaces, GORGEOUS tapestry lining, custom hardware.... 

I swear,  there aren't too many pieces of other woodworker's work that I want in my home, but I WANT one of these trunks. 

SOME DAY...

this is their latest model - the Hump Back Embossed Tin Panel Trunk. 

Read about it here... you won't be sorry. 

Look around and you'll find some charming sites -  like the Ms. Behavin' store.

Want to pose on a life-sized steer? Climb on up! 

Speaking of steers, these young kids already have a great start to their roping career.

These metal sculptures of cacti just floor me... and since one of my neighbors has some of these on the corner of his property, I get to enjoy them often. 

There's even a Cowgirl Hardware Store! 

And a genuine tee-pee.

 Meanwhile, upstairs at the Outdoorsman show, there were more mainstream  pieces, like this Harley Davidson portable fire pit. 

This show seemed less about retail, and more about education. The display on animals and how they shed their antlers was interesting,

 and the bear pelt with its massive paw was something I'd never seen this closely. Amazing. 

My best recommendation? 

The Cowboy Christmas show on the main floor is a MUST for getting holiday spirit on, but don't miss the show upstairs.  Both offer different perspectives on a Christmas experience, even if you're a bah, humbug! kind of person!

Hope you're enjoying a wonderful Christmas season!

It's Watch week!

It's Watch week!

It's been a great year, and as we head into this last month, it's time to make some wristwatch clocks in the shop.

 This might be one of the most requested projects that we offer, and it's always a great gift to give. They're a little labor intensive to build, and really cool to personalize - who wouldn't want that challenge? 

If you didn't get into the Instant Gratification Woodworking class this session, you're really missing out!

 I've said it more than once - becoming a good woodworker is all about PRACTICE. It takes some practice to be able to be able perform simple woodworking operations, like drilling straight holes, or developing an eye to see where wood needs to be sanded. Scratches often don't appear until too late, like when you're applying the final finish!

 My best advice? Don't overwhelm yourself with huge projects right off the bat. Start small, grow your skills, become competent in resolving problems.  

Oh - and make some great pieces!

Some random thoughts and a word about my LLL3 interview

It must feel like I constantly say this - but it's been a little hectic around the shop lately. I've been working on some intriguing commissions, like building a cabinet that mimics one of these speaker stacks. 

It started like this, 

and it currently looks like this.  

When I'm done, it will have more bells and whistles that this! 

We're still adding components, but I'll keep you posted. It's another one of those "top secret" projects, so I can't divulge too much about it, but suffice it to say ... it's quirky and fun as hell! 

As always, the shop always needs attention, so my boy wonder (Denny) and I have been tearing apart tools and getting them back in shape for the classes that just started.  

We tore down the SawStop, and gave it a good cleaning.  

The air compressors got some love this week, too... 

with new drain plugs, and some much needed maintenance.

Speaking of Denny, he's had his CNC smoking this week with very cool work for the shop... from these Genie lamps that we designed and cut for a local fraternity, 

to these Star Wars medallions. These are for sale, BTW - very cool, and perfect for the Star Wars lover in your life.  

The Festool tracksaw has been getting a workout, and with a little luck, 

 I'll actually get some progress made on a table I'm building. This isn't for an order, I'm just  fooling around with this slab, because... well, sometimes I just need to fool around on pieces. 

Meanwhile, I had the good fortune to be interviewed by Kri Edholm, a local force in the podcast world, and owner extraordinaire of The Leadership Excursion Company. 

Her work (and enthusiasm) for the community is amazing, and I'm so honored to be featured as this week's guest.  

Click here to listen to it, should you be so inclined. 

If you'd like to follow her Instagram feed, here's a link, too... 

Here's what's so amazing about this - I've literally heard from people all over the country (and a few out of the country!) who listened to this interview. Including my old high school woodshop teacher, who lit this fire in me. It's truly a testament to the power of the internet, and how vast our networks can be. 

Thanks Kri, and thanks to all who sent good thoughts my way.. it's always nice to hear from people in your corner. 

Eye protection?

This is one terrific video - don't be put off by its length - grab a cup of coffee and check out how FrankMakes!

So you think YOU can carve?....