Hobbit Jars

See these little jars with lids? I call them Hobbit Jars as they look like something Frodo would have lying around his home.

Matt made them from pieces of an Australian Cedar branch that was sawn into rings. He hollowed out the centres and joined them together then made lids for them. A couple of coats of gloss lacquor and they look pretty good.

They have now been sold along with the coasters in the front of the picture as I had a craft stall last weekend with Loretta outside Fusspots Cafe.

I also sold a few of my "Greetings from Ebor" souvenir cards and a few other scrapbook related products and managed to put $110.00 into the money box. Not a bad effort for a weekend.

I had the Lute/Guitar on display as well and his guitars in the car so when a lady enquired about having Matt make a guitar for her, he accepted his first commission. YAY!!

He has spent the last week in the shed making more coasters and hobbit jars in anticipation of another stall in a few weeks.

I am also selling bookmarks and cards at the post office and at the cafe so I am picking up a little pocket money each week. Nice .....

Matthew a year apart

This is a digital scrapbook layout of Matthew I made recently to show his physical changes over the space of one year.

The beard is getting progressively longer now and will no doubt keep his face warm in the coming winter.

He hopes to let the beard grow all year and maybe he can volunteer to play Santa in this year's Carols by Candlelight celebration.

Gotta love that man of mine........

My hand made greeting cards

This is a set of 6 greeting cards I have made using a music theme. I have used products from "Darkroom Door", a stamping and papercraft company owned by the wonderfully talented Photographer Rachel Greig.

They are for sale for $15.00 the set and come with envelopes and sealed in cellophane bags.

The Carving

Here is the stage coach and horses carving Matt has started. It was a solid piece of timber when he started and is working on it every now and then.

I will post a picture of the finished product some time this year.

Eeeek... there is a viking climbing through the back door

I now know what Matthew gets up to at night after I have gone to bed. He recently took a series of self portraits and managed to create a wooden viking using his own face and attached it to the back door.

It cleverly covers that part of the door which he had yet to finish painting and I reckon it looks fabulous.

He then made a sword and attached that over the painted version of the sword. He makes me laugh. He is so clever.

The Lutar

This is Matt's latest project - a Lute/Guitar also known as Lutar. He got the idea from a German web site.

This picture was taken early on in the construction, before the sound board was fitted to the front.

He has made a mould which is shaped like a half egg and has bent the strips of wood into the lute bowl shape around the mould.

The sound board is made from Australian Cedar and the sound hole and bridge are carved from Jarrah.

He has used hardwood, blue gum and some pine in the construction of the neck, nut and back.

It is strung like a regular 6 string guitar and you play it the same way.

The instrument is now finished and sounds just like a regular guitar. It is best played sitting down for ease of use.

I am very impressed and I wonder what he will think of next to make.

Cheers