Birch Coasters Seeled in Beeswax

A 4:1 ratio of oil and pure beeswax makes for a fantastic wood sealer.  Looking forward to gifting these over the holiday. 

Woodcut Notecards

I was lucky enough to get the book Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill as a birthday present a couple of months ago.  Since the life-size actual prints will set you back a pretty penny, you can opt to purchase the book OR buy the set of Woodcut Notecards now available through Papress ($16). 

Woodcut by Bryan Nash Gill

Consider for one moment the changes that a tree goes through and all that they overcome to morph from a tiny seed into a tree towering above you.  Drought, harsh weather, strong winds, animals, invasive species, disease, many succumb others hold fast and grit through the harshest environments and thrive.  These stages are captured in each print, a canvas symbolizing the tree's changes by it's rings.  Woodcut is beautifully done.

Bryan Nash Gill's original prints vary in size but some measure to 4 FEET.  Now, for those of you interested in the work of Gill, consider the book as a small glimpse into the actual world of cross-section tree/wood printing.  This book is 10''x10''inches apprx. and is about a half an inch thick.  Chock full of meticulous prints of various wood species and text to accompany the pages.  I would consider this to be one of those books that I always wanted but never pulled the trigger.  Thanks to my sister for the great birthday present, I look forward to going through each page slowly but surely.

One review sums it up, "If you want to grasp the special sense of time and change held in the hearts of trees, buy this book."  

Would-Be Cabin Essentials

Yeti Mountain Bike  |  Sebago x Filson Boots  |  Best Made Co. Blanket  |  Designs by Floris Wubben  |  Kershaw Knife  |  Poler Headlamp  |  Lands End "Fair Isle" Scarf  |  Bushnell Binocs  |  

Summer Picks

mini catastrophic glass-contained memories by thomas doyle

"american sculptor thomas doyle is noted for his ability to craft microcosmic idyllic scenes and isolated spaces having been overturned by catastrophe. the artist believes by completing his sculptures at a scale of 1:87 or 1:43, the destruction portrayed within the confine of a bell-jar evokes feelings of omnipotence in the viewer, as if they are recalling an event of the not so distant past." MORE



Pomanders

As a kid I recall making these with my grandmother.  We would tediously poke holes in an orange with a toothpick and jam in the cloves, sharing with each other how excited we were for the holidays.  

These fill your house with a fresh, pleasant scent for weeks or longer if you try the traditional recipe.  This time of year it's really nice to do special things with your family, things they'll always remember(yay, traditions).  Do this before the big day or  you can even save the orange from your stocking and keep the Christmas spirit alive through the new year! 

A bit of history:

"Pomanders were originally metal or ivory filigree balls filled with spices fixed with ambergris, hence the name (from the French "pomme d'ambre", or apple of ambergris)."

Harris Tweed

If you haven't been following the tales from The Croft, you're missing out.  If you want to read about Mike Donald, whom recently started on a sponsored scheme to learn to become a certified Harris Tweed weaver, you're in luck.  There's a great interview over at Kaufmann Mercantile (interview by James Fox of 10engines).  It's always intriguing to learn about somebody learning a craft, especially one tied to the people and the land in which you came from.  These pictures were taken from The Croft Flickr set here.  Happy Monday and enjoy.