Saturday, August 14, 2010

DITSY, SANTA'S PROTECTIVE HEAD GEAR TESTER ELF







This is Ditsy,
Santa's Protective Head Gear Tester Elf

Ditsy personally tests all protective head gear to see that it functions properly.
He has just found a defective bicycle helmet.















Saturday, August 7, 2010

NICE LIST RECORDER ELF




The Nice List Recorder Elf

Unlike the Naughty List Recorder that only sees naughtiness all around him, the Nice List Recorder only sees niceness.

She can not bear to have anyone taken from her list and moved to the naughty list.







When she is exposed to naughtiness personified, such as being in the same room as the Naughty List Recorder, she breaks out in hives!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

NAUGHTY LIST RECORDER ELF


The Naughty List Recorder Elf
The Naughty List Recorder Elf is perfectly suited for his job. Unlike the Naughty and Nice List Administrator, who is perfectly honest and practices justice and fairness, the Naughty List Recorder sees naughtiness all around . . . all of the time.
If he had his way, everyone would be on the naughty list.
He puts people on the naughty list on the instructions of the list administrator, never feeling bad, but relishes the opportunity to add to his list.

Monday, July 26, 2010

NAUGHTY & NICE LIST ADMINISTRATOR ELF


The Naughty & Nice List Administrator Elf


This is one of Santa's most important and powerful elves. You don't want to get on his bad side. He controls who is placed on the naughty or nice list and decides if anyone is moved from one list to the other.
If there is any elf you need to impress with your goodness, it is this one!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

GREENHOUSE GAS ELF


The Greenhouse Gas Elf


This elf is in charge of checking
reindeer emissions and adjusting
their diet so that they do not leave
an unfavorable effect on "global
warming."
Does this elf enjoy his job?
His expression tells it all.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

"MA-MA" DOLL FOREMAN ELF


The "Ma-Ma" Doll Foreman Elf

You can tell that this tronie is the "Ma-Ma" Doll Foreman. His face shows that things have not gone well for him for the past several decades.
Things really started to turn sour for the this elf last year when the Baby Spit-up Doll Foreman was given his work space in the main work shop building.
Now, this year Santa informed him that the hot shot kid that is the iPhone Foreman will be taking over his most recent work space in the main building and the "Ma-Ma" Doll Foreman has been assigned a temporary work space in the old reindeer barn where most of the out of date toys are now produced on a limited production schedule.


The "Ma-Ma" Doll Foreman complained to Santa and Santa suggested that he consider being re-trained to fill a position that needed to be filled in the Baby Spit-up section, testing the spit up mechanisms for each doll.
Ah, such is progress. Out with the old, in with the new.

i-PHONE FORMAN ELF

The Hot Shot kid iPhone Foreman
This is a new position created this year when Santa learned that Rush Limbaugh had an iPhone before the release date. Santa is expecting a flood of iPhone requests from Republican states.

CLERGY GIFT REGULATOR ELF


The Clergy Gift Regulator Elf
This too is a new position created this year. The Clergy Gift Regulator insures that all clergy gifts are appropriate and are in good taste.
This elf's job was created after someone maliciously arranged for Santa to put a Whoopee Cushion under the tree of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

2010 CARVED ELF TRONIES



This year my work shop will have lots of elves in it to keep me company. My 2010 Christmas carvings will feature carved elf tronies that will represent the various elves in charge of Santa's toy and gift production complex.

Here are three of the first tronies that have been carved.

Friday, June 18, 2010

SHELF ELVES



Shelf Eves are fun to carve.












They are simple
and have a lot of personality.













Friday, May 14, 2010

WOOD FROM ALASKA - AN ARCTIC TREASURE!

Our son-in-law went to Alaska
on a business trip
a few weeks ago.
He was visiting with one of the guy's
that he was doing business with and he saw some wood
and a walking cane that the business man had carved
and had in his office.
They discussed this neat wood - as there are not
any trees in the area in which they were, at that time.
Our son-in-law told the business man
about his father-in-law being a woodcarver,
so the business man asked our son-in-law
if he would like to take the wood to his father-in-law.
Our son-in-law couldn't take it on the plane,
so his friend, the business man, sent the wood to him.
How breath taking!
To receive wood like this is unbelieveable
and I feel so honored.















The friend from Alaska had sent a paper about the wood.
It is such interesting wood and I am looking forward to carving it.
Thank You again, for the Arctic Treasure!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A PIRATE SHIP FOR MY GRANDSON'S 8th BIRTHDAY


Our second grandson had his 8th birthday last week.
He chose a pirate theme for his birthday party.
He wanted a pirate ship on his birthday cake - which his Mom would make for him.
Our daughter asked me to carve a small pirate ship for the cake and she would make everything else edible.
I was most happy to carve this for her and for my grandson.





This was truly a thrill to carve this "Pirate Ship" for my grandson.
However, I guess I got somewhat carried away. This was much too large and too heavy to put on a cake. However, I proudly gave this to Jacob for his 8th birthday.

Awe! Jacob liked it. He was as thrilled as I was hopefully expecting him to be. He noticed every detail in the carving and showed much pride.






About the cake . . . .
Our daughter makes all of her children's birthday cakes.
She had to make her own pirate ship.
What a neat Pirate Birthday Cake!
Everything on the cake was edible, except for the trees, the coins around the cake and the sails on the pirate ship.
The pirate ship and the treasure chest were made out of chocolate cake while the birthday cake was Confetti white.
The sand was ground graham cracker crumbs. A nice taste on a cake.


Jacob huffed and he puffed and
blew as hard as he could.
It is quite a challenge to blow out 8 candles.
His puffed cheeks and clinched fists tell it all.








Jacob was very proud of his Pirate Cake too!


















Thursday, April 1, 2010

NEW FIRECRACKERS

Our customer ordered 2 more firecrackers.
She always orders them unpainted.
I usually paint them red for the 4th of July.
However, some customers use them for Birthday Candles.
When I found out that they usually use them for the 40th Birthday,
I thought . . . "Oh! Wait until they are old."
40 - Over the Hill?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

THE ST. PATRICK'S WOOD SPIRIT







This was from an odd shaped bark
that I have had for several years and I didn't know what to do with it.








Showing the carving with different backgrounds makes the carving look somewhat different.



The white background shows the details a little more,
but the dark background is the true color.













HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!











Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Who Is It!

Can you identify this person?


Monday, February 15, 2010

WOODSPIRIT FOR SMOKY HILLS PUBLIC TELEVISION

This woodcarving is a donation to the Smoky Hills Public Television, Bunker Hill, KS, for their annual fundraising auction.

This carving in Cottonwood Bark of a wood spirit incorporates the Sunflowers to make it a true spirit of the rare central Kansas wooded areas: the Cottonwood tree being the state tree and the Sunflower being the state flower.

Approximately 120 items will be auctioned during their live broadcast, April 17 and 18, 2010 from the Mall of Hays.

"As a boy growing up in northern Russell county, I can recall the special magical feeling of being in the presence of tree spirits, as I spent time walking along Paradise and Eagle Creeks. Growing up in Northern Central Kansas, with generally few trees, the cool shade and woody smells and sounds that are experienced as one walks among the large red oak trees that line the Paradise and Eagle Creeks, truly provide a back drop for one to conjure up the idea that he is in the presence of Wood Spirits."

Friday, January 29, 2010

HAPPY KANSAS DAY

Kansas is celebrating it 149th birthday today!

Enjoy a tour of the Kansas State Captitol - Topeka, KS

Thursday, January 21, 2010