Here is an update on Dec-Jan projects.These photos are also in the gallery. I will follow with details on some key projects. Comment or email me if there is one of these projects you would like more information on:

Advent wreath	Artificial stone	Acrylic
Shaving brush travel set	First ever Pepper Mill	Segmented Bottle stopper
Chisels for Dad!	For Mom!

Below is an inventory of stuff I worked on as gifts. Some of them I will expand on in future posts so stay tuned and if you haven’t gotten a feed from this site make sure you do, so you don’t miss the new stuff!

I also added a new page to the right that outlines stuff that is “work in progress” in the shop.

BTW if there is some wood turning challenge that you want me to attack or just have questions don’t hesitate to use the comments sections on each post.

Wine Glass: Atlantis: Milo’s Return dvd I made a set of wine glasses. Note the hand etching. The wood is Cedar and finished in polyurethane. Hey there is a free instruction method on making these.
Travel Mug: I decided to try out the travel mug that was in the Winter issue of American Woodturner, “Java With Style”. It is make from 8 types of hardwood and was a gift to a wood turner. I will share what I learned from this project in a future post.
Pens: one pen from acrylic and one from malachite. Both finished using plastic & metal polishing technique. These are patriot pens.
Flower Arranger: made using a flower arranger and myrtle wood. Finished in polyurethane. Myrtle is a fun and easy wood to turn.	Village of the Damned ipod
Open form: this was my first time turning Madrone Grace trailer Phantom Force trailer and it was a delight. The inlay is a new material I tried and will highlight in a future post. You won’t believe what it is. This was a gift to my wife.
Ring holder: this Masur Birch piece is popular with the ladies. Sitting on the back of the sink it holds their rings while washing hands. Masur was a pleasure to turn but is very expensive. The wood is burnished and polished with Tripoli and buffed with wax.
Bird House: I previously turned two birdhouses for my wife (on the left and right) leaving an empty hook. The middle birdhouse turned from Holly and Spalted Maple completed the set. The birdhouses are finished in a high gloss lacquer.
Salad Bowl: I owed a co-worker for bringing me a some large pieces of Silver Maple. This wood was very hard and to my surprise very dry. The wood was harvested this summer. I’d rather turn bowls this size… wet! It is finished in Walnut Oil from the salad section of the grocery store. Note some cracks formed near the pith and were filled with black CA. I still wonder if the notion that all dried finishes are food safe is really true. I will do some research and post on the subject.