While on a run I discovered a beautiful branch in someone's trash. I believe it is Japanese cherry. It's significantly heavier than the pine I've been using. I'm looking forward to seeing how different it is to work with hardwood. I think the cuts will be more difficult but cleaner which means a lot less sanding and a lot less clean-up.
In other news, I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line. Working on my coasters and researching vendors and artists for our wedding has given me a newfound appreciation of Etsy, blogs, and craft. How great would it be to actually make some kind of income doing something I not only love but do anyway. Today coasters...tomorrow the world!
The love of carving continues. I've added an owl, quail, and squirrel to my team of woodland creatures and Ben got in on the action and carved a trout. I ran into some problems with the squirrel - too many tiny details. I made several mistakes and he just kept getting smaller and smaller.
