Restoration Piece Is Finally Home!

Restoration Piece Is Finally Home!

Nov 13

 

 

The restoration piece finally made it back to Bob Mills.  It had quite a trip getting back home.  England was in the midst of a postal strike and then customs also became a problem.  However, the nutcracker is at it’s home and Bob emailed us to let us know he received it…..

“Well, he’s finally arrived, what a GREAT job! He looks fabulous, how on earth did you manage to get the patina to match so well ? presumably the ‘new’ boxwood was a much lighter colour originally ?

The fact that he stands without support is definitely a bonus, he looks very happy in my cabinet amongst some other treasures.”

 

 

 

Now that we know Bob is happy with the restoration I can show our payment for the work done.   Brandon originally contacted Bob in July regarding purchasing a couple nutcrackers for our anniversary.  Bob and Brandon bartered for the restoration work to be done.  In return for the restoration Bob would give three nutcrackers for our new collection.  These are the three…..

We are absolutely thrilled with the three pieces we received.   Brandon made some awesome stands for them so they can be displayed on our mantle.

Thanks to Bob for the wonderful opportunity of working on such a great old nutcracker.  It was an exciting project and it turned out to be a very special piece.  Also, thank you for helping our new collection grow!

.

Skull Nutcracker Looking For A Home!

Skull Nutcracker Looking For A Home!

Oct 23

Brandon has been busy and completed another Skull Nutcracker for the Halloween Holiday.  It is now listed on Ebay.  This nutcracker is the forth skull he has done.  This is one of our favorite pieces and it gets a lot of attention.

The restoration is moving right along.  The carving is just about complete and next will be matching the finish.  I will post pictures later this weekend of it’s progress.

A Nutcracker Restoration and a Custom Knife

A Nutcracker Restoration and a Custom Knife

Sep 11

Last month Brandon started looking into buying a couple nutcrackers for our anniversary.  He discovered a few on Bob Mills’ site that he was interested in.  He contacted Bob regarding the nutcrackers and it ended up that Bob needed  restoration work done on a rare 18th century nutcracker.  This week we received a package from across the pond.  The nutcracker is here and it is going be Brandon’s next project.  Here are pictures of the nutcracker in it’s current condition…..

This nutcracker is petite and very special.  The front handle had broke and someone did a fix with nails and some metal.    There are none like it in existence to compare to so Brandon will be working on designing an appropriate handle for it.  Stay tuned for progress pictures.

Brandon has also been working on making a few custom knives.  Here is a folding knife he has just recently finished and delivered to it’s owner…..

He has a few more that he is working on that I will post at a later date.

New Skull Nutcracker and Etsy Store!

New Skull Nutcracker and Etsy Store!

Aug 23

Brandon has completed a Skull Nutcracker and I will be listing it on Ebay today.  It is numbered 003 and has some differences from the first two he created.  This one has a wood pin and he added a recess to hold a nut.

Also new for Ardoria Studios, we have created an Etsy Store.  Currently you will find an Ardoria Studios Bear Figural Nutcracker and some other items.   Stop by and check out our listings.  We really like that Etsy is all about handmade and also that it’s not just about selling import items.  There are really creative items on this site and you can spend a lot of time looking at it all.

Nutcracker Collection and A New Skull Nutcracker

Nutcracker Collection and A New Skull Nutcracker

Aug 05

We joined the Nutcracker Collector’s Club a few months back and were amazed to learn that Susan, the editor of the club’s newsletter, lives within 25 miles of our home.  She invited us to her home to see her collection and we eagerly accepted the invitation.  Susan’s collection is quite extensive and diverse and she is a wealth of information on nutcrackers.  We had a great visit and learned a lot from Susan and her collection.  Here are a few pictures of her collection.

There we so many different types of nutcrackers to see and so much to talk about that we stayed for hours.   It was great to meet Susan and her husband, Dave and a big Thank You to them for having us to their beautiful home.

Brandon has been carving a skull nutcracker and it’s nearing completion.  Once done it will be listed it on Ebay.

Check back soon to see the completed Skull Nutcracker and see what Brandon’s working on!

Figural Nutcrackers On Ebay

Figural Nutcrackers On Ebay

Jun 15

This week we’ve listed a couple Nutcrackers on Ebay:

Brandon hand carved the Traditional Bear out of Black Walnut.  His expression is enhanced by his glass eyes.  It also has a hand rubbed waxed finish.

Also listed is the Greyhound Figural Nutcracker:

The Greyhound Nutcracker is carved out of mahogany and also has glass eyes.  He is a sleek, smooth and detailed piece.   It would be a wonderful addition to any collection.

Brandon spent some time this weekend updating the website.  Go over and check out the 360 of the Stylized Horse Nutcracker.  It’s pretty awesome!  He also has been carving on some nutcrackers so check back to see what he’s been working on.