Desk & Coffee Table

 Live Edge Furniture

A while back, I bought two slabs to try my hand at making some live-edge tables.  I bought one piece of curly maple, and one piece of black walnut. 

 

As it turned out, the maple was to become a new desk for Ginger and the walnut, a nice coffee table for the living room.

 

One of the first things you need to do when working with these large slabs is to cut off the ends that may be checked or split.  Since this thing cost quite a few bucks, I was careful to only cut off what was necessary.

 

  

I had to build a “sled” and table where I could use my router to pass back and forth across the slab, making it nice and flat on both sides and getting it to a universal thickness.  This was the most painstaking part of the work and each slab took me about 6 hours of milling with the router. 

 

Once the slabs are milled, I took notice of any cracks that I may need to address or overall features or figure that may make for a spectacular finished product.  One thing I love about woodworking is the mystery that lies beneath the rough-sawn wood

 

 

I had read online about how in the ye oldie days, cracks in wood were repaired or held together with different wooden joinery, primarily “bow ties” that span the crack and help keep it from getting wider.  Today, many woodworking outlets sell nice jigs you use with your router to create the perfect slot and the perfect bow tie to put into the slot.  I thought about buying one and decided to hand-make my own.  Personally, I feel that the more you can do by hand, the better.  Going too far with all the neat toys…I mean tools, and it kind of takes away from the “hand-made” idea of the project.  I’d feel like I cheated or something.

 

 

Since I had both maple and walnut for these two projects and some cutoff pieces of both, I figured they’d be good for making bow ties and not having that wood go to waste.  I’d use the maple in the walnut, and the walnut in the maple for a nice contrast.
 

As you can see in the following pictures, not only did the grain on both pieces come to life, but the hand cut bow ties contrasting with the opposing species of wood really stand out.  On the walnut piece, I had a long crack that ran the length of the slab.  It was fairly stable, but I knew I’d want to bow tie that together as well as fill the crack in a little. I used the maple from the desk to make 5 bow ties to place along the crack.  Why 5?  I’ve been told that odd numbers look better…so there ya go….  Dealing with the crack, I discovered epoxy….

 

 

After the bow ties were fitted into the walnut slab, I mixed some charcoal dust with my epoxy and injected it into the crack with a syringe so I wouldn’t make a huge mess trying to pour it.  Once it was all set, I went back with my cabinet scraper and scraped it flush with the surface.

 

Now it was time for finishing.  I chose to use a product called Waterlox.  It was pretty expensive however; it is made to be very water resistant (perfect for a coffee table) and very durable.  I still recommend using a coaster on all your wood tables regardless of the finish.

 

 

These turned out to be some of my favorite and finest projects.  I have another walnut slab in the shed that is waiting to be made into the next project (I’ll take commissions…hint hint :D).

 

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures along the way!

Mr. Sawdust

Spirit of March

 

A New Orleans Celtic Mardi Gras

 

I wanted to make something different for the month of March. Something that had a bold, cheerful, and joyful fun feeling. I gave it a bit of thought and remembered when Mr. Sawdust and I lived in Biloxi, Mississippi. We would take weekend trips to New Orleans. 

Oh what fun we had and what great Cajun food we devoured!

 

I made this Celtic stained glass panel with the spirit of New Orleans, I used specialty Celtic cathedral glass which is gold and green with a purple glass to fuse the themes together. 

 

 

The center has a Celtic Tri-Circle Bevel Cluster with 30 pieces of beveled glass framing the entire window. 

 

 

This handmade stained glass window has several rainbows splash across the room when the sun shines on the bevel pieces. If you love to decorate with bold splashes of color, enjoy Mardi Gras, or want to add some Celtic flare, this window would be a perfect addition. It is available for purchase on the Etsy shop.

 

How do you celebrate the month of March? I would enjoy reading in the comments below.

Ginger Dawn

Dalecarlian Horse Suncatchers

 

Dala Horses

I have had a whole “Dala” fun this past few weeks creating new stained glass items. These Dala horses were a perfect change for me and opportunity to create with different textures of glass and for adding beadwork to my creations.

Originally, Dala horses were made as toys for children to play with. They were produced in the Dalarna region, near central Sweden in small villages, where people lived surrounded by forests. This is where the name stems from. The toys gained popularity first in the region, but were also sold to other regions in Sweden.

 

 Did you know that soldiers would carve these horses to barter for food? Thus, the Dala horse is said to have helped the Swedish Army survive the long winter. 

 

I created these handmade Swedish Dala Horses out of respect, love, and inspiration by my neighbor. She has shared many wonderful Swedish dishes and stories that have filled my life with joy and connection. For this reason, I wanted to share it with others by creating these unique Stained glass sun catchers. These would make a wonderful gift or home decoration. They all available on our Etsy shop.

 

Do you have any special family traditions or maybe one that you have tried? I would enjoy reading about it below.

Ginger Dawn

Pressed Flower Suncatchers

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

Mr. Sawdust and I want to wish everyone a Very Happy Valentin’es Day! Although we both are not considered mushy romantic types, we still celebrate the day with a sweet treat.

 

 This year I made two stained glass pressed flower hearts that are both available in our Etsy shop.

 

These handmade pressed flower stained glass suncatchers were made with the intention of celebrating the unique love of nature brought indoors. The top piece of glass is a beveled heart and the bottom is a wavy clear rose glass. They also has a decorative soldered edge. 

 

I have always enjoyed the beauty of nature and the textures that each fern, flower, and petal provides. 

 

This would make a lovely birthday gift, Valentine's Day, or even Mother's day gift for that special person in your life.  How will you be spending Valentine's Day?

Ginger Dawn

Happy Chinese New Year

 

Year of the Ox

I have so many fond memories of celebrating Chinese New Year. It is by far my favorite holiday during the month of February!

 

I am sad that we will not be able to attend the festival in Washington Dc this year because of Covid. However, I wanted to decorate my home for the special occasion.

 

 

I made these pair of stained glass Ox suncatchers as a honor for this Chinese New year.They are both available for purchase on our Etsy Shop.

 

 

Oxen are honest and earnest. They are low key and never look for praise or to be the center of attention. This often hides their talent, but they’ll gain recognition through their hard work.

They believe that everyone should do what’s asked for them and stay within their boundaries. Though they are kind, it’s difficult for them to understand persuasion. Rarely losing their temper, they think logically and make great leaders.

 

This year we will celebrate at home with our favorite Asian takeout and our son will receive his “Red Envelope” at his college dorm mailbox. Do you celebrate Chinese New year? Please share a favorite recipe or memory. 

Ginger Dawn

Cardinals in Magnolia

 

Cardinals in a Magnolia Tree

 

I created this 18x 18 stained glass window as a reminder of the strong love of two friends had. They both have passed and are missed by many. I always enjoyed watching the cardinals with them and every time I see a cardinal, I think of Grammie & Poppie!

 

 

This window would make a wonderful gift for someone who is getting married, memory of a loved one who has passed away or even a handmade gift for a birdwatcher.

 

I selected Magnolias as the flower because magnolias symbolized dignity and nobility. In ancient China, magnolias were thought to be the perfect symbols of womanly beauty and gentleness. In the American South, white magnolias are commonly seen in bridal bouquets because the flowers are thought to reflect and emphasize the bride's purity and nobility. 

 

This window is available for purchase in our Etsy Store and would make a wonderful gift or decoration.

Ginger Dawn