NiTay614

It has been a while due to surgical intervention for issues with my hands. Had carpal tunnel surgery in November and December of last year for my right and left hands, respectively. I am doing much better and looking forward to making saw dust again.

Nicely done.

I have been working on this for a couple weeks. I am still having issues with my fingers becoming numb and sometimes it exhibits some sensation of pain as well. Despite the issues with my hands, I am very pleased with my endeaver. This is a pattern from Patrick Spielman & Paul Meisel's book, Country Mailboxes

I generally agree with Travis on the extended warrany subject. However, I do purchase this coverage on certain items. One example is these new flat screen television sets. They are relatively new on the market and therefore could potentially be prone to issues. Experience being the best teacher, when I purchased a CD player. I had it for about a year and the lazer crocked. It was an expensive ordeal to have it replaced. However, with the warrany extention, the company sent me a brand new and improved CD player, which is now almost 10 years old and still functions!!! So, there are times when I think it is a good idea to consider the coverage.

Thanks. I have been finding this true for myself. I have issue with my respiratory system due to high humidity. I have found myself more dependant upon my respirator. It has also resulted in physical fatigue. I am drinking alot of water and or gatorade. I have experience heat exhaustion and it is not fun. I am limiting my outside activities as much as i can.

I showed some of my scroll saw work this past weekend. I discovered that the location was not the greatest. I learned that I need to come up with a better method for displaying my portraits. When the wind blew, they would fall over and some were scratched as they landed face down on a CONCRETE SIDEWALK. I did get some exposure and that was my goal. I have also entered three portraits in the County Fair. I would be very appriciative for suggestions in the area of showing work. I will be doing another in September.

Over two years ago I had surgey on my neck due to herniated discs at C5, C6, and C7. This was causing issues with a nerve and subjected me to excrutiating pain. I was forced to sacrifice my pursuit of an education and my GPA and membership in the National Honr society. Following the recent experience, it appears that this is still a problem. I am still struggling with numbness, but I am using my humor to deal with it. Last week, my husband and I did some home improvement. We painted the trim on our home. We have lived here for over 13 years and could not decide what color to paint the trim. Needless to say, our home was an Easter egg. As I was struggling to manage to hold the paint brush, I was over come with laughter. I am threatening to spray paint the front yard green due to the abscence of grass, but I am painting the backyard which does have grass brown everytime I drop my brush or the roller. I also learned that no matter how muchsun screen one uses, when you subjct yourself to the sun being reflected off white vinyl siding, YOU ARE GOING TO GET A SUN BURN!!!! I look like a fresh cooked lobster.

Life is fun if you choose to make it such!

I have not been able to do much lately due to numbness and swelling in my fingers and hands. I have seen the doctor and am scheduled for tests to determine if it is carpel tunnel or issues with the discs in my neck, AGAIN. I am working on finishing a potato bin as my hands will cooperate. I am still around and have not abandoned ship, just have some physical issues that are interfering.

Frankly, I keep asking friend and family members '"HOW THEY LIKE THEIR EGGS, scambled or sunny side up" I can only imagine the fire if someone were to ignite the grill seeing that her nest is 100% straw. It's a sacrifice of the LIVE AND LET LIVE value system. After all, birds do afford beauty and harmony in the earths ecosystem. It is affording me laughter because the cat is determined to concure this exuberant frotress. The labs they do not seem to notice. I am growing expectant of her presence everytime I venture outside to work on my scroll projects, now that the weather is functionally fit to do so.

You do very beautiful work. I can only hope to be able to produce such someday. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks Paul. I am really pleased with it. The first cutting made Jesus look kind of ghostly, and the second made Him appear sort of child like. It took a lot of observing and Filters to bring out details. It is not an exact replication of Jan's portrait, but art is not about replication, it's about what one makes another see.

Every spring, I find it humorous as the birds begin their nesting. This year again has brought the opportunity to laugh. There is a robin who has chosen after being evicted three times, to utilize the protective nature of our gas grill as a bird house. I think we made it easy for her to make this her shelter. My husband replanted grass seed and covered it with straw a mere distance from the grill. She has used our straw to erect her villa, and I surmized consumed the grass seed, seeing that the area remains bare. Even our cat is aware that she is in there, but has not determined the mechanics at getting to her. The last two years, we taped off the front door, because a swallow built her nest over the front door. To prevent any meesy catastrophies there was a sign stating, "LOOK OUT BELOW, BOMBING IN PROGRESS." I guess were going to have to find an alternative to grilling for the next couple months for it is now her HOME TWEET HOME!!!

This is a toughy!!!

I like to be creative especially challenged by it, I think that's why I choose the projects I elect to pursue. I find that if the project is too simplistic I become easily bored and loose interest. I have done cross stitch, crochet, knitting, clothing, alterations, quilting, and more. I found that I enjoyed that through applying variation from the norm, doing what others suggested could not be done, primarily because they were intimidated to try, was were I found my pleasure. Art is not just about doing what others do and doing it there way, it is about making other see what you see or cannot be seen. I do this with writting short stories and poetry, as well as the various craft items I have designed. I enjoy science and the why and how approach of what makes things work. Mathematics, specifically geometry, and physics. Watching nature and the way it works in a haronious rhythm. Even this goofy bird who is determined to make her nest inside our gas grill (I have evicted her three times, but she's back again). Observing people and how they interact or do not interact with one another.

As for liesure, fishing, gardening, watching and playing with my labradors and their endless comedy, Chasing and capturing the numerous varmit Phsycho, our cat, brings into our home to demonstrate her worth and value (mice, birds rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional garder snake). Discovering the humor in life. Reading a good book. Doing suduko puzzles, being weird and goofy, making other people smile. Dressing up in my clown costume (which is not a good idea if you need to go to the bank). Tinkering with my car, although now my husband feels that's his responsibility. Being with supportive family and friends. Listening to my husbands hunting and fishing stories ( some I feel are exagerations). Trying to see the logic in the illogical. Finding the best time to make our bed, as determined by the cat and our black lab who tends to sleep until noon. Making game out of the monotonous tasks of housework and paying bills. Dabling in various activities take a new, scroll sawing and wood work. Being active in my neighborhood, assisting in watch programs and assisting when appropriate in their lives and activities. Doing unexpected nice things for strangers. Having absolutely nothing pressing to accomplish so I can spend the day in total peace and leisure (extremely rare).

Thank You Helen, I am very proud of how it turned out and pleased that I did not scrap it.

I think I know the web site your talkinh about. I attempted to observe it without success, as well. Then I found SSV.

Thank you! i DID A LOT OF STUDYING AND OBSERVING AND PULLING OUT MY HAIR. i EVEN QUESTIONED WHY I CHOSE THIS PROJECT. My answer is because what the original art work provided for me when I needed support.

Me, I kind of do what I do, when I feel like doing it. I am still trying to tackle creating patterns. I have several ideas, but lack the no how. I am learning.

Now that I have cut the pattern, it is my desire to mount it to a oversized backer board as a memorial tribute. I am not sure if I were to glue it to the painted board and then apply a sealer. Or apply the sealer and then glue it to the painted backerboard. If anyone has created a similar item, let me know how you approached this concept.

Thanks

This is the cut portrait. I have included an example of what I was suggesting when I expressed my use of tape in the posting asking for advice on thin cuts. This has been a real work of heart and test on my patience and artistic capabilities. I am questioning adding detail to Jesus' hand and arm. Other than that I am pleased. I have sent an email to Jan Szafranski who is the artist who drew Christ with lamb. Will post the pattern when I hear from him based on the changes I made to my original. I have made three cuttings as I worked through this pattern development. If anyone is interested in seeing the progession let me know. Again thanks for the advice and suggestions afforded.

This is an example of how I tape a scroll saw portrait as I cut. When I remove the pattern and Packing tape. I will retain these inset pieces and again retape them on the back side until after I have finish sanded the finished product. The tape is utilized to protect those long pieces of eposed and unprotected wood peninsulas. I used blue painter tape so I could demonstrate the concept. Tis is the pattern I have posted int the pattern mentor section if you would like to see the why I chose to protect these areas. Hope this helps!!!

I have experienced issue with the spray adhesive as well. I swithch to either Duro or to 3M general purpose. I also apply the pattern while it is wet. I think this affords better adhesion as it dries. If the paper does flop around, I have used pieces of broken blades or a tiny screw drive to keep the paper in place. When doing this you need to watch that the blade does not strike the implimented tool. Hope this helps!!! Do not give up. the more practice and patience the greater your chance for success.

I kinda think it is neat with the exception of the photgraph that spouts horns. I even like the music. I guess I am just weird!!!

Thanks. If I can get the printer to cooperate and this contruction efforts of Marysville sewer line through my front yard do not interfer with my safety and ability to concentrate, I just might make some saw dust. I think the digging portion is finally beyond the limit of our property and thus the sensation of vibrations due to boring efforts, breaking augers, and various implimations of equipment to install pipe after the boring equipment broke underground. They were digging two feet from the front of my home. In the contract, they were to bore this length, that is until fate said otherwise.

I have had the same experience where The wood broke, for what ever the reason. When I first started using the scroll saw, my family penned the nick name "Tooth pick maker". It was a disaster. That was when I really began to utilize different tecgniques and search for other peoples advice. I even stopped purchaseing lumber from the local lumber yard.

I use several tricks that seem to help. First, I stack cut, using 2 pieces that I put box tape over the wood with a small amout tapered over the edge to hold the wood together, and secure the pattern to the tape. The bottom board gives the upper one added strength. I also cut the small areas first using either a #3 or #5 skip tooth blade or which ever blade I find serves the need. I do not use spiral blades because I have a hard time contorlling where they cut and they have a tendency to splinter the wood (personal preference). I have found that when the larger areas are cut it has a tendency to weaken the wood. When drilling the holes, I use a tiny wire bit and place scrap wood beneath to prevent splintering. As for the long thin lines, Generally I cut down one side back the blade out, and then cut down the second side. I do this because sometimes in turning the wood, the blade thickness results in straying off the path. There are times when I am cutting that I find the fibration of the area being removed is vibrating a lot, and I use scotch tape over the cut areas to reduce this. I do so because I have found that the more the wood vibrates, the gerter the opportunity for it to break a weak wall.

As grandpa shared, do not push the wood, let the blade do the work. The more one forces the wood the odds of breakage of lumber and blades. Yes, even with these tricks, things brake and I have to glue them.

The real trick is to be patient with yourself and the learning experience. The more I try to cut things perfectly, the more stress, and the more strees, the more frustration. Just have fun with it. Try an easier project for a while and come back to the portrait. It will still be there.

My two sense!

I made some changes to the my shepherd pattern. I change the left eye (antitomical right eye), redid the hair, fixed the lamb's eye, drew wrinkles in the garment, etc. I need to contact the artist again to make certain that with the changes, I still have his permission. Therefore, please do not download this to reproduce it for sale until I post the pattern. I created this for my personal use. Again, I used a lot of artistic license in thi due to the poor image quality obtain from a copy of a charole drawing. The image was downloaded from the internet. I can find my original,OOPS!