The start of 2011

It's March! Last entry was in November and a great deal of woodturning has happened since then. Many Christmas presents emerged from my lathe, mostly pens and honey dippers, a beautiful bowl made from a wood that sounds like a rock band: “Black Heart Sassafras”, a gorgeous platter made from camphor laurel and a set of knife handles with a lovely smooth finish. My girls each received a ring on Christmas Day. They were made with sheer determination as opposed to skill, so it just goes to show that anything is possible when you set your mind to it.

January hosted the student turning course down at the club. I helped teach the 10 wood turning kids, one being my daughter Shona. One of my other daughters, Jessica, joined the pyrography course. They ran at the same time, over 3 days. It was quite nerve-wracking, making sure everyone left with the 10 fingers they arrived with! They were such great kids. It's so good to see kids out there trying something different. 

My eldest, Kirsty, used the images from the 3 days to put together a slideshow to music (Walking on Sunshine & Time of Our Lives) which looked great and sounded so upbeat. The efforts of the organisors and tutors was excellent. Passing on of skills across generations is very satisfying. 

I managed to write up the burl turning article at long last and just have to finish it as we continue with the turning. Shona has joined the beginners class, I got promoted to intermediate and Jessica joined the pyrography class. She created a wonderful Aboriginal dot form turtle which I love. 

This week she added fairy doors and windows onto one of my mushrooms, which was something new compared with creating pictures on a flat board. It's becoming a family affair now, with all three of us down at the club on a Monday night. 

Mudgeeraba Show is coming up in June. I will have been turning for a year by then. My ambition last year was to enter something great in the show this year, so I will enter my burl bowl and see what else I can come up with between now and then. Watch this space.

I have also been turning  growing bowlfuls of mushrooms and honey dippers etc which I would like to put out on the stand to see if they sell. They won't make my fortune but might pay for some new tools etc. I bought a bandsaw from Anne so am enjoying the independence of cutting up my wood now and getting it onto my lathe. 

Our 6 bicyles were moved out of the garage to create more turning space, chickens had to move homes to accommodate the bikes but it all worked out. 

The wood I collected from various neighbourhood sources last year is being put to good use. Branches are turning into mushrooms and larger pieces will become bowls.

I mastered the art of bangles and this week undertook a hollowed sphere. The first exploded, under the tool of the tutor not with me. Couldn't be annoyed, as if it hadn't been him, it would surely have been me. Started again this week and managed a fair attempt. Digging out the inside, through a small hole in the top, while keeping a uniform thickness, is no mean feat. Eddie designed a tool which has a kind of handle half way up the tool shaft which sits on the flat tool rest, guiding your cut which works really well. 

All the smaller projects relate to the larger ones. Learning the cut to make, the tool to use, the curve required, are all interlinked. Practicing many smaller things leads to a better understanding when tackling a bigger or new item. The only agony is "crawling" when you want to be running already. So much to learn, so little time! 

Turnfest is coming up. It's a woodturning festival on the Gold Coast  with overseas and Australian turning experts who demonstrate their skills. Looking forward to seeing what the professionals turn out and to being inspired in new directions.