Wednesday 21 September 2011

Saturday 4 June 2011

Getting close

3 1/2 days and I will hopefully be at or close to my new home. Loads of work been done for me by the sound of it. Can't wait to see it. New life beckons LOL

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Not long now

One more week. This time next week I will hopefully be unloading the van at my new home. Feel like a kid leading up to Christmas....can't wait but have to LOL

Saturday 28 May 2011

Going Home

Just 10 days and 15 hours and I will hopefully be in my new home, starting a new job and a new life. All exciting !!!!!!!!!! Also have a new workshop to set up so hope that is cleared and ready to get started on.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Odd requests

Being a woodturner means that every now and then you get some unusual requests. This week I have been asked to make a pair of wedding rings in Lignum Vitae, a handle for a sword for a martial arts exponent and some bobbins for a spinning wheel.. Oh well, they say variety is the spic of life. I'll post some pictures when done.

Monday 11 April 2011

Bean tree wood: rustic bowl

 This bowl is approx 10" diameter and 8" tall and is made from a bean tree (or part of one anyway LOL) I love these pieces with loads of contrast in the look and feel of them. This was really hard wood and I have some more bits of it so watch this space

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Liberty's says no

I have just heard that Liberty's have decided they don not wish to stock my work. Oh well c'est la vie. Looked promising for a while but never mind. We had a great weekend in London with my daughter and co so no harm done. At least I tried.

Monday 4 April 2011

Libertys

Well that's over. Had my assessment at Liberty's on Saturday up in London and it was hopeful. The lass who assessed me seemed impressed with my goblets and was asking about those and is going to talk to her manager in the buying department about them. Fingers crossed, they will decide to stock them and have some from me. Hope so.

Sunday 27 March 2011

New site

OK, as a shop, it is now open for business. Crafting tools and equipment only at www.bodrighy.co.uk. Anything else I make goes into www.bodrighywood.co.uk. They are linked one to the other so hopefully I will get some more sales via one or the other. Wish me luck

Saturday 26 March 2011

New website

OK I have the beginnings of my new website for crafting tools and equipment up online. It is a work in progress so still has typos etc . If you see anything gal;ring wrong or not working let me know please as while it may look fine from my computer it needs to look great on everyone elses LOL

Monday 21 March 2011

Loads of spindles

OK I have now got loads of different spindles up in my shop here
A fair variety so far with different types etc. They all have their weight in the description  so can be sussed out for your personal use.

I am in the process of making a new shop just for crafting items but until it is online all my crafting items are in the shop with everything else.

Sunday 13 March 2011

New spindles

Having joined Ravelry, a fabric form, I am researching different types of spindles and have made several which are now in the shop. More to them than meets the eye. Fortunately I have a couple of keen experts locally who are more than happy to advise and critique my work so am able to work closely with them.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Oh good LOL

The customer likes the salad bowl so it will be going out soon.  Just a quick word about things made for food. Make sure that the wood you use is a safe one. Avoid any that are potentially toxic like yew, laburnum, iroko etc and always use an oil that is food safe.Olive oil can apparently go off after a time so I don't use that. A simple supermarket cheap brand is fine, you don't have to got the expense of the specialised stuff. It also means that the item is easily maintained.

Monday 28 February 2011

Large salad bowl

I was asked to make a large salad bowl for someone. This is th end result. It is 15 1/4" diameter and stands 6" high. It is made form macrocarpa or Monterrey pine and has been oiled.



Sunday 27 February 2011

Handmade Monday

Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts runs a link session on her blog at http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/ every Monday. Worth a look for the various different crafters, some beautiful handmade work is displayed. Go have a look.

Saturday 26 February 2011


This is an unknown wood I got my hands on and is just under 14" diameter and 4" deep. The wood was really punky on one side and I nearly didn't bother but then decided to be different and use the tear out as a feature. Sanding it was like sanding in a fog LOL. Have I wasted my time or was it worth the effort? Maybe someone will like and buy it

Friday 25 February 2011

Urgent request

A lady ppped in the other day and asked me to make her a platter, to be collected the following morning. Fortunately I was able to oblige and so had a happy customer the following morning.

Cedar, 14" diameter

Thursday 24 February 2011

New spindles

This is a pair of Russian spindles made of mahogany ansd stained. They are 10.5 and 11 inches long and weigh 18 and 22 grams.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Hand spindles

Three different types made today, well four actually LOL


These are two bottom whorl and one top whorl drop spindles, all about the 20 gram mark









 These are replica French hand spindles. They are smaller and highly decorated. Based on one I was shown recently
These are made for someone who had two roman and one medieval lead whorl that she wanted mounted on shafts. The whorls are genuine ones that had been found somewhere.

Tools of the trade

For some time I have been making various tools for other crafters, things like spindles, crochet hooks needles and a few other bits and pieces that I am asked for. I was recently introduced to someone who both spins and colects spindles however and my eyes were opened firstly to all the faults in my work (in a really positive constructive way) and to the massive variety that could be available including some that seem to be rare. I am going to look into specialising in making the spindles and seeing if I can make a collection of different types from around the world as well as the variations. I'll post some as I do them. Some differences are fairly subtle and some really obvious so it should be an interesting excercise.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Rustic acacia


This piece is 9" tall and 6" max. dia. Partly hollowed. Acacia is one of those woods that has gorgeous colours and as often as not crazy grain patterns. This on also has some burred parts and loads of bark inclusions giving it plenty of character. A very hard wood that shines to a really high gloss contrasting with the bark and natural textures.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

 These two bowls were turned from a slab of dirty old wood I found buried in my workshop. I am not too sure but it looks like Bubinga and is a deep red with a few black streaks in it. Both have some gilding on the rims. Th first one is turned to about 5mm thick and the second is left more chunky. Both are approx 6 - 6 1/2" diameter and a couple of inches tall.

Monday 14 February 2011

Back to my first love

Which is making things from the wood that others would throw away. This piece of hawthorn was well deformed and so I had to have a go didn't I? It may not be everyone's cup of tea but the combination of the natural wood, bark and lichen with the polished surface of the turned bowl is something I really like.

Check out the lovely work at First Unique Gifts while you are at it. 



Saturday 12 February 2011

Catching up with bits and bobs

Been finishing off a number of pieces that I started some time ago.


 A yew pot with textured and dyed rim: 7" tall and 6" wide with a 1 1/2" rim









 This is a 22 1/2" platter that I started before Christmas. Made of Macrocarpa or Monterrey Pine.



Thursday 3 February 2011

Getting sorted for a presentation

Started putting pieces together and getting them ready for a presentation to impress a potential outlet. Look much nicer like this than just standing up on a table or something...at least I think so.

Thursday 27 January 2011

New bowls.

Managed to finish off a couple of bowls that have been hanging around since before Christmas. a 6" spalted beech one and a 9" acacia one. Beautiful wood on both.









Wednesday 26 January 2011

Miscellania.

I am in the process of designing and making a caddy for beaders. It is loosely based on the type of caddy used by the Victorians  for sewing. This particular one is in American walnut. but I doubt they will all be in the same wood. It is waiting on some tubes and the ones in it at the moment are just the ones the beads came in. Thanks toJean at http://jeantalkingbeads.blogspot.com/ for the bits and pieces for this one. 


There will be a pincushion on the top as well when it is finished








While waiting for things to dry etc I made a few of these. Will do a load I think using up some of the offcuts etc I have. Very tactile, make good stress relievers LOL

Sunday 23 January 2011

Candle sticks

Based on a couple of designs sent to me by someone who knows more about that sort of thing than ,me LOL

Yew, 9" tall                                                                                                                                  Walnut and pear, 12" tall

Wednesday 19 January 2011

More bits and pieces

This is acacia and is 8 1/2" and 3" deep. Lovely hard wood this stuff.










This is a piece of old oak that I have had hanging around for ages. In the end I blow torched it leaving all the saw marks etc intact and then turned the bowl inside. I love the contrast but it isn't everyone's idea of fun LOL







This one is cedar, gorgeous smell that gets everywhere when yo are turning it LOL. It's 6" dia and approx3" deep. Usually pretty bland but this one has a bit of character to it.

Monday 3 January 2011

Making goblets

I enjoy making goblets but do find the replication the hard part. I am trying to get a pair made for a shop that are as identical as possible and it ain't easy LOL.

1st attempt Made from
Chaperno ( a mexican wood












2nd attempt made from Zebrano












3rd attempt made from walnut












The last one is the best match so far.

Saturday 1 January 2011

Happy New Year

May 2011 be a good year for us all in the crafting industry. Could be exciting things ahead as things seem to be picking up in the recognition with some promising things planned have a look at Robin Woods blog for details.