Practice Carving

[Crystal]

I dug this out of the "box of the unfinished and abandoned". I never finished up around the outside and never could think of what to make it into. Could never decide how to color or dye. So- I think I will leave it as is and stick it in a frame someday and hang it on a wall in my workroom. (Just to make more room in the box.)

Anyone else have things that never get done?

Crystal

[Daniel Tyack]

Well I don't have anything that cool that isn't done Seriously though, that is one fine piece of craftsmanship! I really dig the engravers style.

[funnygirl62221]

Wow it really is beautiful. It would make a lovely clock face.

[albane]

WOW....What was it going to be?

[whitebeard]

A really nice piece of carving. Love the design. How big is it?

[DaveJohnson]

That is a really great piece of work Crystal - if that is the "practice" piece, I'd love to see the "real" pieces !!

Depending on the actual size, I would work it into a panel as an inlay - like a panel in a hope chest or another piece of furniture that would do it justice and keep it around for many years to come.

I've been trying out some of Paul Bernett's Victorian Style carving exercises, which are similar, but am still a ways off from this quality -- great inspiration though - thanks for sharing it.

Dave

[EngineCo1]

WoW! That is an awesome "practice" piece! Again, what is the size? Would look beautiful ANYWHERE you place it imo.

[TomSwede]

That is an amazing piece of work, perhaps there is a clockwork mechanism in fitting size. The flower is just begging for it :-)

Excellent carving!!

[Crystal]

Thanks for all the nice comments, everyone! I really appreciate it!

A CLOCK! Never thought of that and I think that is a perfect idea for it. It will have a purpose. Excellent idea. I will be shopping for parts and pieces to see if I can get that together.

Edge to edge it's 16" x 12" and the carved part is about 12" x 9".

Dave- I actually did think about using it as an inlay in an old end table I had. The chest idea... that has my brain a spinning now. Thanks so much! This was a piece that I tried and tossed and tried and tossed...

I was able to make a trip to Paul Burnett's last August and he helped me work on how to carve this design, so it was very fitting that you mentioned him. If any of you are able to make it down to Paul's for a lesson or a class, you will find it time well spent. He's an excellent instructor.

If anyone has any more ideas on what to make this into, keep 'em coming. I just may have to carve it again.

Crystal

[hidepounder]

Hi Crystal,

Nice job! That took a lot of time and patience and it shows. Definitely put some kind of finish on it.....a light antique would really help set it off!

Bobby

[Kevin]

I guess I'm just kind of traditional, that is a beautiful stand alone, work of art as it is. The shading and beveling are impecable, anything else is gilding the lilly and obscures what you already have. But that is just my opinion. I don't like to use the word perfect, but I sure don't see anything wrong with it.

Kevin

[Crystal]

Hi Crystal,

Nice job! That took a lot of time and patience and it shows. Definitely put some kind of finish on it.....a light antique would really help set it off!

Bobby

Thanks, Bobby! I was thinking about using antique. My coloring usually either ends up a happy accident or a total disaster... I'll be sure to post a pic when I finish it up. Cross your fingers for me.

Crystal

[Crystal]

I guess I'm just kind of traditional, that is a beautiful stand alone, work of art as it is. The shading and beveling are impecable, anything else is gilding the lilly and obscures what you already have. But that is just my opinion. I don't like to use the word perfect, but I sure don't see anything wrong with it.

Kevin

Thanks so much, Kevin. It does have boo-boo's and not so good's in it, I am just getting better at hiding them!

Leather is the most amazing medium that I have found. Can't think of anything else that can be used in as many different ways for such a mutitude of purposes, art pieces being one of those. I look at the saddlemakers and the amazing things they do with those saddles and I always think of them as functional art. I am going to go ahead and make this into a clock and call it "art with a job".

And I will be thinking of your suggestion and wishing I had listened if I end up punching a hole wrong somewhere or mucking up the color when I put it together.

Thanks for the comments! I really appreciate it.

Crystal

[Leather Ink]

This reply might be a little late, but I was thinking antiqued and recessed into the top of either a jewelry box or recipe box.However you use it, I'm certain it will stay beautiful.

Edited August 5, 2010 by Leather Ink

[leatheroo]

stunning!!!

[Ron Ray]

That is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen carved in leather! Whatever you decide to make out of it, it will be beautiful and catch a lot of attention!

Only thing about a clock is, the numbers (or figures) for the time would take away from its beauty; unless you can 'inlay' the figures in the inner 3 rings, just outside the central floral design. 

Incredible!

[Ankh]

Wow. That is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[Crystal]

Thank you, everyone!

Ron Ray- I ordered the hands for the clock so they would hit just about where you mentioned. I'll have to play around to see what I can do to mark in the hour points. Thanks!

Crystal

[David]

If that's a practice piece from your scrap box, I'm selling my tools.

Do NOTHING with it. Frame it and enter it at IFOLG..... smile when they hand you a ribbon.

Dave

[Fredo]

That is simply amazing, the detail realy makes me want to go home and practice.

My scarp box is full of well scrap. Yours must be full of art.

[skippy]

very very nice

how do you get it so dark where youve used the matting tool?

[Crystal]

If that's a practice piece from your scrap box, I'm selling my tools.

Do NOTHING with it. Frame it and enter it at IFOLG..... smile when they hand you a ribbon.

Dave

Thanks, Dave. Parts already ordered, so I am still going to try the clock assembly. If that turns out ok, I might send it out as a clock.

Crystal

[Crystal]

That is simply amazing, the detail realy makes me want to go home and practice.

My scarp box is full of well scrap. Yours must be full of art.

Thank you, Fredo. My scrap box is very full of junk. I just had a couple of things I never finished and have vowed to leave no project left undone anymore!

Crystal

[Crystal]

very very nice

how do you get it so dark where youve used the matting tool?

Hi Skippy! You can get a nice dark color like that with a backgrounding tool and good moisture content in the leather. If you look again at the pic- the background is darker at the 3 o'clock area than it is at 9 o'clock. The left side was drier and didn't come out as dark. I used a Barry King medium checkered backgrounder size 1 for this.

Crystal

[WolfMaiden]

Love!!