Rushing a job doesn't work well in wood turning. I tried to complete some pens that I wanted to sendback to the UK with my cousin as gifts and had a disappointing Monday night session. However, failure is seldom wasted if used

as a constructive learning curve and the following week I managed to turn out - with help, advice and some amazing pen blanks from Vince - two very beautiful and yet very different pens. The wood used for the first is dark and strong and the grain on the other almost shines out from the wood. I was very proud of them and have ear marked who they will go to for Christmas. Vince has made two end pieces - his magic mushrooms - for assembling the pens. I've borrowed these clever stoppers for the week. The metals ends make use of an embedded coin so the pen doesn't sink into the wood when pressing the pen pieces together. I will have to make myself a pair when I get the chance.

My mum has a birthday trivet heading back to her with my cousin, who has been here on a trip. The grooves around the edge are created with wire (held between two pieces of dowel) which burns into the wood. The centre is turned from corian which is a type of kitchen work surface. It is not nice to turn compared with wood but when finished offers a spot for hot items to safely sit on. The finish on the trivet is incredibly smooth and the base is as interesting to look at and feel as the top surface. My cousin and her friend had a wood turning demo one evening in the garage where they watched the creation of a little honey dipper on my lathe. We went up Mount Tambourine to visit craft shops and an early Christmas market but were surprised to see virtually no wood turned products.