Archive for September 2015
There was a time that I thought cutting boards should be 12″x16″ … that was a really popular size when I started making them in quantity last year.
And then I started making big boards.
People kept asking me if I made bigger boards … and I do, but I didn’t want to carry them.
Because then I have to carry them to events. And carry them home if they don’t sell.
It’s inventory humor.
In any event, I got enough requests that I finally decided that I needed to carry the big boards, and deal with it. That meant I needed to get large boxes to carry the big boards to the events. I learned earlier that if I had a piece not in a protective box, then the piece would be damaged in the Jeep on the way to the event. Or at the event (yes, I damaged pieces both ways before I got smarter). I now buy big boxes by the bundle, and….
I can’t keep large cutting boards in stock. I’m carrying boards up to 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″, and people are buying them out of the garage woodshop before they’re even done. I’ve made several as we approach our string of fall events, but I fear I haven’t made enough. Of these, two are pre-sold. That’s great, truly, but these large end grain boards are a lot of work. They have at least one (and sometimes four) more glue-ups, and sanding them flat can take an hour on each board. That’s just flat … smooth is another process.
There is more sawdust in my future, which is a good thing as long as I am not breathing it.
Cutting Board 15 – 072. Cherry, Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Hard Maple, Padauk & Purpleheart. Edge Grain, Juice Groove. 15″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board 15 – 053. Black Walnut. Edge Grain, Juice Groove. 15″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board # 15 – 075. Jatoba & Hard Maple. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board # 15 – 071. Hard Maple, Cherry, Jatoba & Purpleheart. Edge Grain. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned piece.
Cutting Board # 15 – 067. Hard Maple & Jatoba. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″. Two of these were made.
Cutting Board # 15 – 074. Hard Maple, Jatoba, Yellowheart, Padauk, Black Walnut. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board # 15 – 073. Black Walnut. End Grain. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″. Commissioned piece.
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I was asked to make a large Lazy Susan for a lady that needed one 20″ in diameter.
That’s a big Lazy Susan.
I made 2 big ones for that customer to choose from (#16 & 17).
Needing to make a couple means I might as well make a bunch … so I made a new set of Lazy Susans. I got creative, and used some Canarywood that I bought very recently. I seldom get to work with that expensive exotic, but it is a gorgeous wood. That Lazy Susan (#23) is really unique
Another totally unique piece is the one with the quilted Black Walnut in the center (#18).
I love it when I can find a unique piece of wood, and then find the perfect home for it.
We’ll see if anyone with such a perfect home wants these at today’s Agua Dulce Country Fair!
Lazy Susan # 15 – 016. Red Oak,x Teak, Black Walnut & Hard Maple. 19″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 017. Red Oak, Walnut, Hard Maple & Cherry. 21″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 018. Black Walnut, Cherry, & Jarrah. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 019. Red Oak, Black Walnut, Purpleheart, Cherry & Hard Maple. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 020. Black Walnut & Hard Maple. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 021. Red Oak & Purpleheart. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 022. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry & Yellowheart. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 023. Jarrah & Canarywood. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 024. Black Walnut & Yellowheart. 17″ x 3/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 025. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry & Yellowheart. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
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I’ve been working very hard all year with one goal in mind: I need to get out in front of demand before the holiday season hits. I need to have adequate inventory through December, or I’m going to disappoint a lot of people.
After all, that’s what happened last year. I ended the year with a total inventory of 19 pieces, and since I take about 80 pieces to most shows, ending with 19 means I didn’t have much to show in the final weeks leading up to Christmas … the most important shows of the year for gift-giving.
This year, I’ve already sold 279 pieces, so it’s with great pleasure that I unveil the board that gives me an inventory TODAY of 200 pieces. That includes boards of all shapes and sizes, from Lazy Susans to very large end grain cutting boards with juice grooves. Sous chef boards to pig cutting boards. Elegant cheese servers to surf boards.
And this board, finished just 2 days ago, put me at 200 pieces in inventory. Do the math, and that means I’ve made 460 pieces so far this year. That’s great … but it’s clear I have a lot more work to do. That’s ALSO great … but this post is about celebrating this board, the 200th piece in my inventory.
Well, I guess I should say it was in my inventory, as it shipped out on Thursday for its new home with a professional chef.
I got to touch the milestone of 200 pieces in inventory, however briefly. And I am happy!
Cutting Board # 15 – 049. Jatoba, Honey Locust & Hard Maple. End Grain, Juice Groove. 16″ x 20″ x 1-1/2″. Pre-sold from the shop.
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At our first event … 18 months ago! … I was mainly selling cheese boards … but it’s been a while since I’ve made them. Mrs M has been after me to fix that … and, eventually, I did.
You see, I do listen.
As far as she knows.
Well, we’ve been married for enough years, we all know that she believes she knows about my listening habits, and nothing I say will change that!
Cheese Board # 15 – 027. Black Walnut, Canarywood and Purpleheart. Edge Grain. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 029. Black Walnut, Red Oak, Padauk, Hard Maple and Yellowheart. Edge Grain. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 030. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. Edge Grain. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 028. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Jatoba & Canarywood. Edge Grain. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 026. Black Walnut, Hard Maple & Padauk. Edge Grain. 8″ x 10″ x 3/4″.
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Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall. Picture by Erik Stensland. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/14/15.
Located at the crossroads of the Cascade, Klamath, and Siskiyou mountain ranges, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon has long been recognized for its ecological importance. The convergence of three geologically distinct mountain ranges resulted in an area with remarkable biological diversity. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail meanders 19 miles through the monument, offering challenging hikes with stunning views. Photo by Bob Wick. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/15/15.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska is the largest national park in the U.S. Four mountain ranges run through it, with nine of the 16 highest peaks in the country. Its Malaspina glacier is bigger than the state of Rhode Island and a diverse array of wildlife thrives in habitats from the mountains to the coast. At this time of year, the park is losing over five minutes of sunlight each day and autumn has already arrived. Enjoy these fall colors. They won’t last long. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/16/15.
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Everglades National Park. Photo by Robert Chaplin. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 8/3/14.
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Everglades National Park
Unique Scenery
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Otters at Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. Photo by Becky King. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/12/15.
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Glacier Bay National Park
Fairweather Mountains
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The colors of fall begin to appear in Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/10/15.
Witnessing sunrise from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is truly breathtaking. Kathleen Buenviaje took this photo of Reflection Canyon on the Utah side of the park just as the sun was breaking through the horizon, turning the sky into a kaleidoscope of colors. Kathleen captured the photo after a 10-mile backpacking trip through the Utah backcountry in thunderstorms and 30 degree weather. Of the experience, she says, “The hike was grueling with no trail to follow and the terrain shifting every hundred feet, but it was also one of the most unique and beautiful hikes because of those challenges. Not a hike for the faint of heart, but a worthy one for anyone who makes it.” Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/10/15.
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A perfect afternoon with my kindle, under the umbrella on Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach.
The Lady gave me a great Christmas gift in 2010. It changed the way I read.
It was a Kindle 3, with the ability to download and store more books then I need.
I am a voracious reader.
Prior to December 25, 2010, when I went on a business trip, I had to carry many paperbacks with me so that I had enough books to read while I was gone. If I was going to be out for several days … I carried several books. Four books was kind of my default. If I needed more than six books, I would take six and buy the rest at airports along the way.
But there was a better way.
With the kindle, I could buy books when I wanted, load them wirelessly, and read at my leisure.
I stopped buying paper books in 2011. I was not alone: Amazon.com is now the leading book retailer, and in 2014 they had a 65% share of electronic books.
I love my kindle. And then … one day, it wouldn’t wake up. I charged it. I searched for online solutions. I took it apart. I charged it again. Nothing worked. My kindle was not dead – the screen still had the screensaver – but it would not boot.
No kindle for my next trip.
Luckily, I had recently upgraded my smartphone, and part of my new package was Samsung tablet … and I quickly found a kindle app for that. I downloaded all of my books, and I was ready for my trip. Got to LAX, checked my bag … which had my tablet in it. I realized 3 minutes too late that my perfect plan for reading on my tablet was done for.
Plan B: I could read on my smartphone. Again, I had an app for that. And, come to find out, the smartphone automatically synced my titles in the Amazon cloud, so I always had an electronic bookmark in the book I was reading, whether I was reading on my tablet or the smartphone.
Come to find out, 5 year old technology (kindle 3) is sometimes not as good as new tech. My reading experience is now MUCH better, as I seamlessly move from smartphone to tablet & back again.
It’s good to learn new things … like how to read. Can’t imagine what I’ll learn next!
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There was a time that I thought cutting boards should be 12″x16″ … that was a really popular size when I started making them in quantity last year.
