Busy Summer

Well this is shaping up to be a busy summer. I have a load of work to get through without my apprentice as he is in New Zealand till the end of July. We are hoping to be at the Johnsmas Foy in June. I am also going with my wife to her exhibition at the new designers in London in June. In July I will be taking part in an event in Norway. They are going to teach me how to make a timber weaving loom in the tradition way using axes. I can't wait! I will also be demonstrating some Shetland crafts skills. This is going to be a season of adventure and hard graft. Bring it on!

The beach, a great place for being creative.

This weekend we were up in North Roe at the in laws. There is a great sandy beach there, I have be working on a design using sand patterns as inspiration. The picture I had found on the internet were all of desert sand. When we were strolling along the beach there was a wonderful pattern created from melt snow running over the beach. We then went to another stony beach which also gave me idea for new bespoke wooden furniture products. Shetland is such a good place for finding creative ideas for work.

Graduation day

Over the last 3 years I have been training Andrew Watt as a Furniture maker. The day came at last when he has achieve his NVQ Level 3 in making and repairing hand crafted furniture and furnishing. He needed a graduation photo for his Grandfather's wall of fame, much more interesting then the university ones!!!

The enjoyment of being creative

Well, I think I have re found the passion for being creative. This last year has been interesting to say the least with the recession and all. Before the recession I was trying hard to build a larger business but with all of that not working the way I hoped, I had to just get on with keeping the business going. I have had a few good commissions come my way and I have remembered why I like doing this so much. It's getting the inspiration for a good idea that the client also really likes. I was able to come up with a design with a customer a few weeks back in their living room, the idea just came from talking with them about their interests. So here's hoping for lots more creative commissions.

The gluing puzzle

I wonder if you have ever experience the gluing puzzle when you are making a piece of furniture.
Everything is fitting tight before your glue up. When the glue goes on it's like the timber changes size and it doesn't fit as well as before. Sometimes you could swear you are going crazy. Clamps have to be manipulated at strange angles and occasionally they all have to come off and then go on again. There needs to be a glue invented that doesn't do this. Anybody that could do this would be rich!!!! Don't worry I got the piece glued up and it looks great!

A few months makes all the difference!

Well its amazing the difference a few months can make. In the summer work was really slow and I thought the 'recession' had got me. I had to lay off my apprentice and I was not a happy boy. Now after want seems like walking through mud I have lots of orders again and have found a new vision and excitement about the next season. Andrew coming back to work soon and hopefully things will be a lot busier for the next few months. It amazing what preserverance can do!

Shetland Ideal Homes Show 2009

Over the Weekend of 19th & 20th September I exhibited at the Ideal Homes Show in Clickimin Centre, Lerwick. The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Shetland. Here are 2 pictures of my stand.