Reflections in the Wood

So it is New Year's Eve and what else does anyone do but reflect on the past year. I can barely remember yesterday so a full year is certainly a challenge. Maybe this just calls for leaves.

• Opened up The WoodArt Studio facebook page. Don't forget to stop by there from time to time, give us a like, become a fan and stay up to the moment on some of our daily turns.
• Began The WoodArt Studio website/blog here in February. Our goal was to post on a weekly basis and I think that we did pretty well and only missed maybe one or two weeks. Our future will hold more exciting news from the studio, inside and out along with some of the happenings in and around the A-frame and possibly a guest blogger or two. We cherish your input on what you would like to see crop up here so please comment and email us. In addition we want our following to grow here so please share with your friends our blog site.
• We attended 99 out of 102 scheduled Farmers Markets in downtown Harrisonburg and organized the first ever unofficial Bonus Christmas Eve Market held in the Turner Pavilion. In my opinion and those of several of my fellow vendors that participated with us it seemed to have been a success and one that will hopefully continue in the future.
• We continue to show at OASIS Fine Art & Craft gallery and expand the gallery market by adding our pieces to C'Ville Arts in downtown historic Charlottesville. We hope to grow with a couple more galleries in Virginia so if you know of a gallery that might be interested in Steve's work please dash us an email with their information.
• We started, after much hesitation (actually several years but that is a whole other blog post), our own store front on Etsy.com. Yes I call it a store front because isn't that just what it is. Inventory needs to be dusted, re-described, prettied up as one might say. We feel that it is very bare walled and that our shelves are light at the moment but it is one of our 2012 goals to fill those blanks with much of the pieces that emerge from the studio.
• The other part of living was spent painting the living room and kitchen, cutting and hauling wood for the woodstoves, mowing the grass, tending the garden, visiting with family and friends, hiking in the forest and overall enjoying life in Virginia.
  
  

  Happy New Year until next we meet ...

  
  
  
  

Gift Giving Season

So this is the week that most everyone has been waiting for. Let the gift giving season commence.

Shopping, buying, wrapping all with the anticipation of giving that special gift that you handpicked just for the one that you care so much about. Your boss, your best friend, your Mom or Dad, roomie or brother it really doesn't matter, we have choices in both exotic and local Virginia wood. Uh oh...you said you forgot about the secretary, girlfriend's mom, sister and the hostess gift for next week's get together, your feathered friends who live outside all year? Well here we are to save the day for you. After all it is only the 3rd day of Hanukkah, Christmas isn't for another 2 days and the neighborhood party is next week. Something for everyone on that list can be found in our inventory starting at $2.00 with our little Cedar Sachet bags and spinning up from there.

We will be at the BONUS Christmas Eve Market at the Turner Pavilion in downtown Harrisonburg on Saturday, December 24th from 9am - noon. We are even going to make our best effort to get there by 8:30am as we know some of you may be traveling that day and need to shop and then drive to your destination. All our usual inventory that we display, plus a couple of new pieces that Steve has been working on will be on the tables. No rest for him and no little elves to help him along sad to say. In fact he hopes to make a showing, if he can get out of the studio, at the BONUS Market.

During your venture downtown remember to stop into OASIS Art & Craft Gallery on Main St. where you can find more of our ornaments, bowls, platters and unusual art pieces. We are right there on display as you walk in the door. If you live or are visiting the Charlottesville area you can find a wonderful selection of pieces in C'Ville Arts in the historic downtown area mall.

If all of these choices are too overwhelming for you call or email us and lets chat about how The WoodArt Studio can fill that gift need for you.

#509 Locust Birdhouse
Sold

Until next we meet Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas...

Wooden Spoon Recommendation

#493 Cherry Stirring Spoon
SOLD

So  you have searched and searched up and down for the gift that will make them shout that is just what I needed, not what I wanted but what I needed! What is it? It is the perfect hand carved wooden spoon, just for you and you have found it here at The WoodArt Studio. It is always a pleasure when you can find something that you are searching for.    

#435 Pierced Cherry Spoon
SOLD

Well not too long ago I had the same issue I wanted to find out if there were many cooks out there in the big world who did use wooden utensils on a regular basis when they cooked. So on to Google and what came up was a superb article; Wooden Spoons – Why Chefs Recommend Cooking With Them. I thought what a fantastic post I need to get in touch with “The Reluctant Gourmet” and get his permission to add this article to our own blog. So here we are, permission granted and we couldn’t have been happier. What distinct shapes and sizes and well used spoons he does have in his collection. Take the time to read some of his articles and you will discover that he is a definite fan of the wooden spoon.

#500 Pearwood Stirring Spoon SOLD
#501 Pearwood Stirring Spoon SOLD

We at The WoodArt Studio would like you to also become a fan of the wooden spoon. Steve started carving spoons several years ago and actually the first ones were small collectable ones. You know like people collect silver ones with different state names on them. Well the ones that came out of the studio at that time were mostly of exotic woods and detailed in various shapes, even down to some that resembled snakes. As time marched on the spoons got longer and simpler. Stirring spoons began followed by flippers, spatulas, spurtles, salad utensil sets, pie lifters and scoops to name a few. Most were of a simple design but every so often one would slip in with a tiny touch of detail. Functional art as we sometime say.

So now that we have you hooked on cooking with wooden utensils we look forward to helping you start your very own collection with one of the hand carved spoons or other utensils that have emerged from the studio. All our utensils are on display when we vend at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market. There will be one more Holiday Market this Saturday, December 17^th and a Bonus Market on Christmas Eve morning from 9am to noon.   

#461 Small Scoop
SOLD

Until next we meet....

Produced from the Heart Gift Basket

#493 Stirring Spoon
Sold

Burr it is cold so get out your long johns, wool socks, heavy sweaters, overcoats and a set of hand warmers wouldn’t hurt. Are we going skiing? No way but we are heading to the Farmers Market tomorrow. You did realize that it is open year round, not just in the summer? We just dress a little differently. Certainly not for show, just to stay warm.

Tomorrow is the second of our Holiday Markets which means officially there is only one left BUT unofficially there is one more dubbed the BONUS Market on Christmas Eve, same hours, same location. We know that many of you are in the full swing of the shopping mode but we also know that there are many of you who will leave things for the day before Christmas. Call it a family tradition or the just I-forgot-one-more-person syndrome whatever you choose to call it we will be there along with about 20 other vendors for your last minute purchases. Breads, Hot Sauces, Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Jewelry, Soaps, WoodArt (yes that’s us), Pottery, Veggies, Plants, Eggs, Dream Catchers, Honey, Lip Balms, Tie Dyed Clothes, Pet Accessories, Paper Bookmarks, Fresh Ground Coffee, Meats and Jams to name a few.

How about creating a wonderful potpourri gift basket dubbed Produced from the Heart? It could be real easy to do. Set yourself a dollar goal. $25.00, $50.00, $100.00, whatever your pocket will feel. Then stroll from one producer only spot to the next picking and choosing the pieces for your basket. You can even take it a step further and make it a theme basket if you want. Breakfast: Produced from the Heart. A dozen eggs, Hot Sauce, Fresh Roasted Coffee, Fresh Baked Bread, Meat, Butter, Jam and a WoodArt Spoon to stir it all up with. Tie it all up with a pretty bow and a hand crafted card from one of the vendors and you have the gift that they will be talking about holiday after holiday. 

So on that note we will see you all tomorrow at the market. We will be at #25 with so many of our beautiful and yet functional art pieces. Don’t forget that now is the time to purchase the piece that you like so much because once it is sold it is gone. There is only one Steve to create these pieces.

It’s December

It’s December and we all know what that means. Chillier weather, shopping, extra eating, more company and the list goes go on. This past Wed. we started the holiday season off with a Bazaar at JMU, that’s James Madison University, for all of you non Virginians. To be in a 103 year old institution with approximately 17000 students was an awesome experience and we will look forward to participating in the Bazaar again next year.   

Today was wood cutting day for the woodstoves. Even in the mildest of winters you cannot have enough wood, especially when you are working with two stoves, studio and home. Cutting also gives us both the chance to clear away some of the trees that have fallen from the past on the property.

Friday is the day that we always prepare for the market and we are looking ahead to this Saturday’s market as it will be the first of the Holiday Market with its shortened hours. 9am to noon. Three markets with three shopping hours each. BUT… we have something else for you. A BONUS market on Christmas eve. Same place, same time so no excuses for not finding the time or us as we will be in the same spot, #25.

Steve has added a few more pieces since last we met. An ornament or two, a key ring cross charm, spoons and a natural edge pear bowl. As we start this holiday season let us thank you for all of your support, comments and purchases.

Until next we meet…