Apparently woodturning and making baskets was a lot more interesting over the last two years than writing blog posts. I’m still here crafting, mostly woodturning, although things have slowed down a bit over the last few weeks due to a stress injury in my foot from running.

A lot has happened in the last two years; I’ve gained a lot of proficiency and skill in turning, woodworking and basket making, by spending hundreds of hours working in the shop and at the lathe. I’ve had countless hours of professional woodturning instruction over the last two years, mainly through the Chattahoochee Woodturners Club, where I also volunteered some time to help teach kids to turn. After showing off my work to family and friends, giving many items away for free or as gifts, I now get so many requests for various crafted items that I have turned my crafting into a very tiny business.

A limited selection of my work can currently be found in two local stores:

Homespun Baking Co. and Country Store in Gainesville, GA

Lotta Mae’s Supply Co. in Athens, GA

Occasionally you can find my work at the Quinlan Arts Center gift shop on the Brenau University Campus in Gainesville, GA but I do not currently have anything for sale there. One of my favorite kinds of wood to collect is old and historical. When my husband sees a tree service cutting down trees on the Brenau campus where he works, he will ask the tree service if we can have any of the wood and the answer is usually yes. We’ve loaded up on oak from various locations on campus, and more recently maple from the lawn in front of Pearce Auditorium. When we have more items made from the campus wood, they’ll be available for sale in the gift shop. We’re able to get the wood back into the hands of the people of Gainesville and Brenau that will appreciate it most, and the Quinlan gets a commission for each piece sold.

I’ve also started doing a few craft shows every year, a small one at Brenau last December, and the Pottery, Art and Brews Festival at Left Nut Brewing in Gainesville, GA. I enjoy getting the opportunity to get out, meet people, and talk about wood. We have met some really interesting people this way, and occasionally get a contact for some good wood. Collecting wood from family, friends, and people we meet still being the main source of material for my work.

I’ve got quite a lot lined up for this fall; I’ve got projects to finish for people out of wood we’ve collected, and quite a lot to do in the shop to build up inventory for the holiday and craft show season ahead. There are always trees falling, filling up any blank spaces on an already full calendar. Be on the lookout for a list of events that I’m planning to attend this fall, where you’ll be able to get your fill of wood goods and other hand-crafted items.