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.

Lighthouse Residential Sign Completed

Lighthouse Residential Sign Completed

May 28

The residential sign Brandon has been working on is completed and ready to go to it’s home.  Here are some progress pictures and the completed sign:

The sign is midnight blue, the lettering is gold leafed and the lighthouse has been hand painted.  The owners should enjoy their sign for many years to come.

Now Brandon is on to new projects. Creating some nutcrackers and whatever else comes along….

****Blog News!**** This will now be Brandon’s blog and I now have my own blog.   We both have different audiences and it’s just awkward sometimes to do both in one blog.  Sometimes there will be some overlap as we work on many projects together.  Check it out by hitting the above link.

TA-DA! The Horse Nutcracker Is Completed!

TA-DA! The Horse Nutcracker Is Completed!

May 16

There is no other way to say this except, this is an awesome nutcracker! The amount of detail of this nutcracker is astounding.  Brandon has completely outdone himself on this one.  I know the collectors who had it commissioned are completely thrilled with it.    I was, however, quite sad to see it leave our home but I know that it is going where it will be appreciated for the work that went into creating it and for the work of art that it is.

So without any further ado here are some pictures of the completed Stylized Horse Figural Nutcracker!

Brandon will have a 360 display of the horse on our web site in a few days.  Make sure to stop over at our web site and check it out.

Now that this project is completed there are numerous projects Brandon will be working on and finishing.  So make sure to come back and check to see the new projects.

 

Spring Update!!

Spring Update!!

Mar 23

It is time for an update!  First off I have to say this has been a great March.  This is the first real spring we have had since we moved here in 2001.  Every year it has snowed until at least the end of April and has gone directly into summer.  This year we are getting sunshine and springlike temperatures.  Beautiful!

Brandon is working on a couple of projects. He is working on a commission nutcracker for a collector.  The collector had a picture of a carved meerschaum pipe he wanted turned into a nutcracker. Brandon designed the stylized horse figural nutcracker for him and has been working on that.  Here are some progress pictures…

This nutcracker has a lot of detail with the reigns and mane and is going to be a spectacular piece when completed.  I will be posting more pictures as it nears completion.

Brandon is also working on a custom hand carved residential sign. The sign has a nautical style with a lighthouse.  The sign will be painted and the lettering will be gold leafed.  Here is a photo of the sign is it’s early stage….

I have been painting.  I just completed the Bat Wing Mantle Clock II (the sequel).  Brandon carved the wings and added them to the mantle clock.  It is painted black and a moody gray blue shade.  It has a couple spooky scenes like the haunted mansion on the front and the witch riding by the crescent moon on the top surface.  This clock makes quite a statement and is perfect for Halloween.

The Bat Wing Mantle Clock II is currently listed on eBay and will close next Sunday.

I am now painting a few spring items and also a different style clock too. I will post pictures of those next time.

Melissa

Feburary Already?

Feburary Already?

Feb 10

It’s been a long time since our last post.    January was a long, unbelievably cold, extremely snowy month.  It was so cold that Brandon was unable to work out in the workshop very often.  Once it’s below 20 degrees it gets almost impossible to heat his workshop and you can’t carve with numb fingers.    Now that the weather is much warmer he’ll be in his workshop much more.

I spent the month of January trying to get our house in some sort of order after the holidays.  I then decided the wallpaper in the kitchen had been there long enough.  We moved into this house 8 years ago and every room had  wallpaper of some sort.  The kitchen was the last room to have wallpaper.  It wasn’t awful, but I just wanted it gone.  So it was on to the wonderful job of removing wallpaper, fixing walls, painting, and installing new lighting.  It’s all done and I believe it’s a great improvement!

Since that’s done, it’s back to more artful projects.  I have painted a few Valentine’s Day items:

Next on my agenda is painting a few clocks that have been patiently waiting to be painted.  Also, this next month is a busy month with family birthdays (5 birthdays in 2 weeks including our son’s).  I will be busy getting a party planned.

Brandon is currently working on a commission nutcracker.  It is a very beautiful, impressive piece and we will post pictures of it when it is completed.  Then he’s on to his next project, a nautical sign for a home.

Until next time,

Melissa

The Holiday Rundown

The Holiday Rundown

Dec 27

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  Christmas Eve was spent at home getting ready for the  Big Day!  Last minute baking and some precooking.  I managed to burn up another mixer!!!  It kind of sent me into a tizzy since I had plans to make a dessert for after Christmas dinner but that was not going to happen.  Then it was all about getting everyone’s gifts together and under the trees and hanging the stockings.

This year I painted paper mache sleighs for gift baskets for our parents.  I like putting together gift baskets and this year I found these sleighs and thought they would work out great.  I like how they turned out but like everything around the holidays, I tend to push things to the last minute .  I am vowing that next year if I paint or make any gifts that they will have to be done a lot earlier….

We had a very nice Christmas.  Our son every year announces, “this is the best Christmas ever!” and this year was no different.   He is a Christmas fanatic.  We spent Christmas day here at home with my parents and Brandon’s parents.  We had a very nice day.  I look forward to having everyone at Christmas.  We eat lots, open gifts, visit and eat some more.  Then when our parents go home there’s no time to relax because it’s time for Brandon and me to play with our son and all his new things.  We all received wonderful gifts and I got a stand mixer!!!!!  No more burning up my mixer every time I bake.  It at least has a two year warranty so if I do burn it up I can return it!!

Here are some assorted pics of our Christmas decorations and some gifts….

This year our son got sick with a cold prior to Christmas and now Brandon is down with the cold/flu and I am getting it.  Every year someone has to be sick over the holidays, this year it’s all of us…. argh!  But now it’s time for us to get well and get back to the normal daily grind, well at least until New Years….

Happy Holidays!

Melissa

Gingerbread Houses and Holiday Hub-Bub

Gingerbread Houses and Holiday Hub-Bub

Dec 19

It’s been a while since I posted but with the holidays approaching there has been so much to do.  We attended Brandon’s holiday party for work.  This year it was held at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  What a beautiful site for a party.  It was beautifully decorated with lighted live Christmas trees, window displays and gingerbread houses.  Each year they hold a gingerbread competition and  I have always wanted to go and see them but never have.  I am so glad I got to see them this year.  They are amazing!  I took my camera and it seems that the gingerbread houses are pretty much all I took pictures of.

Last weekend the son and I made our second ever gingerbread house.  I found the saltbox house pattern online at Bob Villa’s site and used Martha Stewart’s gingerbread recipe.  The only problem we had was we destroyed my mixer.  It wasn’t a very good mixer anyway.  We were finishing mixing the gingerbread and the mixer started smelling,  then made some grinding noises, then started smoking, then no more mixer.   So here is our Gingerbread House….

I have been busy painting Christmas gifts, tags and a floor cloth for my kitchen.  I am trying to get most everything done before the end of this week so I can get to baking cookies.   The son was off from school  today due to an ice storm so he started his Christmas vacation early (17 days off, argh!!) and Brandon will be on vacation next week.

Brandon has been busy working on a commission nutcracker.  He has been busy with designing the piece and now will be hard at work carving.  I’m very excited to see it completed it will be very unique to what has been done before.  More to come with that as it progresses….

I will post soon with pictures of our decorations and things we’re working on…

Happy Holidays!!

Melissa