If you ever need to create a piece of art and don't feel like you have the artistic ability here is a trick. Use shapes from nature. Leaves, trees, mountains, and lakes can all make instant art. Nature is a great artist.
For these art tiles, I chose three different leaf shapes. I glued them to 6" X 6" wooden tiles using 1/2" long standoffs. The standoffs give a nice shadow effect.
These are small but you could easily take these up to 12" tiles and still look nice. They can be made to hang on a wall or use thicker tiles and sit them on a shelf or mantle.
The nicer the grain on the tiles the more natural and artistic the pieces look. You do want to use contrasting woods. I used 1/8" Baltic birch plywood for the leaves and walnut for the tiles.
Projects cannot get much simpler than this. In just a few minutes you have nice artwork for almost any room in the house.
Using the standoffs is very important for this project. It adds an extra dimension to the art and makes it pop. It does make the art more fragile but I think the trade-off is worth it.
Metro DataVac Electric Duster Review:
This is one of those products that I show every year because I use it so much. I have owned the Metro DataVac for a few years. I would buy another one today if this one broke. I use it that much.
Don't be confused by the name. It is not a vacuum. It is an air blower. Cans of air are very expensive and they run empty way too quick. This plugs into a wall outlet and is always ready to go.
The DataVac will blow a freckle off your face. That may be an exaggeration but just let me say it is powerful.
I use it for all type of jobs. I blow the dust off of projects after sanding to make them ready for finish. I use it to speed up oil finish drying. When I dip a project in oil I can use this to blow off the residual oil and be ready for spray lacquer in ten minutes. I use it to clean my tools when I am blowing out the shop. I take it to my office and dust my keyboard and more.
One great feature is the very long power cord. I can reach most of my shop from just two power outlets. I don't use some of the accessories. I keep the cone nozzle attached and don't know what I did with the other attachments. You may find a use but I was fine with the cone. The accessories are hard to attach. They could make that easier.
Okay, we have to talk about the price. At $84.99 it is expensive. That does not mean it is not a good value. Canned air runs $4 to $7 a can and doesn't last very long. An air compressor is useful but much larger and even more expensive. My air compressor leaks all the time so I always have to wait for it to fill up before I can use it. I just grab the DataVac and it's ready.
$12 per sheet of 12 coins plus $3.50 shipping
Inlay with a 1" Forstner Bit.
The perfect way to sign your work.
Email Newsletter Readers: Remember that the Newsletter is just a copy of the daily blog post. To see the post in it's proper formatting click this link. If you ever misplace a pattern or any item you see here you can always find it on the blog. Everything stays on the blog forever.
Products for your consideration:
Every Scrollsaw Workshop Pattern from 2007-2018 in DVD
This DVD has over 2,600 patterns published from 2007 thru 2018.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
The DVD is $20 plus shipping. Ships to 60 countries around the world.
If you use the DVD on a Windows PC there is a simple viewer program to browse through the patterns.
The DVD also works fine on a MAC. The viewer program is not MAC compatible but there is an included PDF with all the patterns shown as thumbnails for easy viewing.
All the same file but on an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
Now Available on USB Thumb Drive
Don't have a DVD drive on your new computer. No problem. Buy the catalog on a USB thumb drive.All the same file but on an easy to use a thumb drive. The USB thumb drive option is $23 plus shipping.
Scroll Saw Pattern Design Tutorial: DVD
Let me teach you to create a beautiful wooden portrait pattern. I will show you everything you need from start to finish. The video will show you the free software program you can download for Windows or Mac OS. I will show you how to install the program and configure it for best results.
Let me teach you to create a beautiful wooden portrait pattern. I will show you everything you need from start to finish. The video will show you the free software program you can download for Windows or Mac OS. I will show you how to install the program and configure it for best results.
Then I will show you the technique to take your photograph and make a pattern from it. When the pattern is complete we will go in the shop and cut it.
The DVD is $10 plus shipping. This is a data DVD that you will use on your computer to watch the video tutorial
Want to create beautiful wooden vases on the scroll saw?
My two "Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw" books make it easy.
The books are $12 each and available for instant download after purchase. Click for Video Demonstration.
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