Travis

Hahaha.....that is true, especially if you do craft shows. I release in November because most people aren't in the mindset of Christmas yet. But I guess there's last year's pattern kits for those who want to get working on their inventory.

Hi All. I just wanted to post this because I get this question every year. I talked about it in the video as well as the product page, but it seems to get missed. If you are trying to open the ornament kit and it opens in your web browser with nothing on it, it probably means you don't have Inkscape installed on your computer. Go to inkscape.org and download the latest version and install it. From there, you can open Inkscape, then open your SVG file to edit your ornaments. Please Note: This ornament kit is meant for folks who have a working knowledge of Inkscape. You don't have to be an expert, but you should have the basics down. If you'd like to learn more about Inkscape, you can find my free online course here. Hopefully this helps. I don't want anybody downloading the ornament kit and wondering "what the heck!?" Enjoy!

The last couple of years has been rough. But despite everything, I think we still have a lot to be thankful for. I think that's why I love this season, it allows us to focus on what's important and be mindful of gratitude and the blessings we have in our life. This scroll saw challenge is a bit open for interpretation. It can be fall, harvest, or something you're grateful for. Inspirational signs, special gifts, or ways to mark the special moments in your life. When you post your project, share something you're thankful for. When you count your blessings, you'll be amazed how many there are.

So last year, we were blessed and got 8 designers to donate a total of 40 new ornament patterns. This year, I'd like to reach 10 designers. I know it can be done, because we've done it in the past. How great would it be to get 50 new ornament patterns in this year's book? The last couple of year's has been tough, so this is a great way to give back. You don't have to be an amazing designer. All skill levels are welcome. The goal is to create a really cool eBook that will benefit those in need. I'm designing. Who's with me!?

Hi All! We're continuing our tradition here at Scroll Saw Village by publishing our annual e-Book full of Christmas ornaments. This popular e-Book was featured in the Holiday 2014 issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. Our ornament designs are exclusive to this eBook and designed by SSV members. Anyone can download the ebook in exchange for a donation to their favorite charity. Our hope is that we'd be able to raise some money for very worthy causes and provide some cool patterns at the same time. *** But we need your help! *** We need some volunteers to design some ornaments. Each designer will provide 5 patterns (no more, no less) I ask that the designs are not made available anywhere else (this gives value to the e-book) They have to be designed specifically by you (no posting other people's patterns) Designs must be emailed (or PM) to Travis by Wednesday, November 24th (info below) A few things to keep in mind: Religious and secular designs are accepted. Other religions/traditions also celebrate this time of year, so let's not forget them. Keep detail and size appropriate for an ornament. Don't submit copyrighted or licensed patterns. The due date will sneak up on you quicker than you think. Please get them to me ASAP so I have time to work on them. What do you get in exchange? Credit for your design. The warm fuzzy feeling that you're helping others in need. Submitting your ornaments: Email the ornaments directly to Travis (travis [at] scrollsawvillage.com) or PM me. Formats accepted are JPG, PNG. Please keep the pattern in black & white only (no gray) . That way I can convert them easier when putting together the ebook. I prefer Inkscape files (SVG) if you can. This is ideal if you know how to use Inkscape. That way I don't have to manually convert them.

Hi All. For the last couple of years, I've been creating custom ornament business kits. It basically is a scroll saw business kit with everything you need to promote, create, and sell personalized Christmas ornaments. Everybody seemed to really like it, so I created another version with all new designs for 2021! I also got a lot of feedback from folks who wanted something for pets lovers. So we also have a Pets Edition! I like to think of it as a mini scroll saw business-in-a-box. With this kit, you can create as many custom ornament patterns as you want. You can easily personalize them with someone's name or date. You can sell your custom ornaments to friends and family, online places like Etsy, or for craft fairs and church bizarres. You can also sell custom patterns to your fellow scrollers! Here's an overview of how the kit works: I'm releasing it earlier this year because I had a few folks who wanted to get a jump on the holidays (I don't blame you!). I'm also putting the 2021 Custom Ornament Business Kit and the Pets Custom Ornament Business Kit on sale for 50% off through Cyber Monday! So right now, you can pick one up for only $10 each, which is a screamin' deal! It's my way of saying Thank You for being a part of SSV and making it such a great place to be. I hope you find it useful. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Hi All. I'm gunna bump this thread just as a reminder about SSV's policy on political commentary and discussion. For the love of all things, please don't. I'm also copy/pasting my follow-up comment that really sums me up: Thanks all. And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Every year, between first part of Aug through Oct, I'm crazy busy at work and hardly able to get into the shop. But I was able to knock these out, which was a lot of fun. Wooden Jack-o’-lanterns made out of some cedar fence boards. Playing around with different finishes. The darker one is burnt with a torch before staining it, which adds a nice effect.

It's that time of year! Post your Halloween scroll saw projects and show us know how you're haunting your house this year.

Nice little surprise when I opened up the most recent edition of SSW&C this weekend. It's funny that they call out the YouTube channel, when all the good stuff is here on the website. But I'll take it! We're also on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for those interested.

This is one of those things that as an Admin, I don't know how to handle. This news breaks my heart and it has personally affected me in ways that I wasn't expecting. He was a good friend, a fixture at SSV, and I'll miss him a lot. This thread evolved from our fellow scroller sharing some personal information that progressed to a tragic end. Instead of creating a new thread as a tribute, I wanted to maintain this one since so many has shared their grief and condolences here. It doesn't seem fair to put people through that again. I also moved it into the General Scroll Saw forum so it doesn't get lost. Be at peace, my friend.

OMG. This weights heavily on my heart. My love and thoughts and prayers to his family.

I'm so sorry to hear about that, Les. I hope you a speedy recovery. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family.

Last week, I headed back to Montana to visit my family. It has been awhile since I've been home. We had a great time reminiscing about the good ol' days. So I think this month's scroll saw challenge is about nostalgia. Post a project that brings back memories of the good ol' days. This is pretty open to interpretation. Old cars, trains, farm houses, scenic, etc. When you post, let us know what kind of memories it brings back for you. It will be fun to see what people come up with.

I can't help but to share everybody's amazing projects. I like to highlight projects on Instagram, FB, and Pinterest. You guys do amazing work.

In my neck of the woods (Vancouver, WA), temps got to 114 degrees last weekend, which is an all time high. Holy schnikes, that's hot! If I was smart, I would have head to the beach to cool off. Well, since hindsight is 2020, how about we throw our own beach party? This month's scroll saw challenge is enjoying the beach. Post your beach, coastal, nautical, or fun in the water projects! Tell us a little something about the project, like who you made it for, or why, or a story behind it. I really enjoy the stories behind projects. It will be fun to see what y'all come up with.

This is something new I'm trying out. I'm posting these short little videos on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. I'm just sharing some scroll saw tips. I might delve into other topics too, but the point is there're super short and easy to watch. This will also be available in the Articles section. I hope you like them.

Howdy all. Looks like SSV crashed. Thanks to @meflick for letting me know. If SSV is down and you can't access it, feel free to email me at travis[at]scrollsawvillage.com to let me know. I only pop in a couple times a day to check on things. This week, I'm on holiday, so I'm a little less frequent. Otherwise, I won't notice until I try to log in again. An email will allow me to get thing fixed right away. Thanks all!

Changed Pattern Types to Fretwork, Boxes/Bowls/Baskets, Clocks, Home Items, Other Changed Free or Paid to Mostly Paid

I just put up a bird feeder outside my office window and I'm patiently waiting for my bird friends to discover it. So until they do, this month's scroll saw challenge is bird themed! Post your scroll saw project that is related to our feathered friends. Bird portrait, eagles, puzzles, clocks, bird houses, bird feeders or whatever! I can't wait to see them. When you post, tell us a little something about it. Or maybe share which birds are coming to visit your house. Have fun!

Holy Cow! I've been a member since Dec, 2008! Thanks everybody for the kind words. It's nice to know that folks are finding SSV useful. We're a small and humble community, but the folks here are what make this place great. A community is made of amazing people....not the house where people meet. I think there are a lot of great communities out there. Forums like SSV has fallen a bit out of fashion as communities move to social media platforms. But I think they'll swing back this way. With social media, the content is very fleeting. Conversations and content is only visible for a short amount of time, before it disappears into the ether. It's also easy to get lost in the crowd and feel isolated. Creating friendship with strangers on those platforms is difficult and you'll find that toxicity that can easily grab a foothold in those groups. Specialized interest groups like SSV offer an alternative. I think it's easier to build stronger friendships and much easier for us to organize and find information, which is what a lot of folks are looking for. Here's a little insider baseball for y'all. Online communities naturally follow what's called the 90-9-1 Rule (it's a real thing, you can look it up). Basically what it means is that 90% of people in a community are consumers. These would be the lurkers and folks that come to read the articles, browse user galleries, and download free patterns, etc. They don't participate, they're just here to enjoy the site. 9% do participate, usually at a casual level. They are the ones who join the conversations, leave comments, likes, etc. 1% are the ones who actively participate in the community. These are often called the content creators. So they are the ones who start brand new discussions, post tutorials, fulfill pattern requests, and post their own patterns. So, when you see that there are 120 people online, but only 14 logged in.....that's about what you'd expect. Out of those 14 or so people logged in, you'll probably find 1 or two that are active posters. Honestly, this really doesn't bother me. I knew this going in. I wanted to build a place that had a lot of great information and a place for like-minded folks to share ideas, projects, and friendship. I want it to be a resource for those who are new to the hobby, so it can fuel their excitement. I want a place for seasoned scrollers to pass on their knowledge and have fellowship with other woodworkers. I think hobbies are really important and I want to help as many folks as we can to find ways to enjoy our free time and be creative. My goal is to be helpful and useful. I'm happy to provide a clubhouse for people to hang out at. But it's the amazing members that make this place a community. As long as I can keep this site sustainable, I'll continue to serve the scrolling community. SSV memberships go a long way in making that happen. So thanks to everybody who chose to become an SSV Patron. It makes a big difference.

Slow, but sure. Here's another one I moved over to the Project Workshop. A great one for Thanksgiving....in fact, I think this is my only Thanksgiving decor I have....LOL This one doesn't have a design tutorial, but the pattern is available to SSV Patrons. Enjoy!