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The Carving Completes

11 Nov

Completing the three gnomes took considerable effort towards the end, after missing the first two deadlines in August and September. And my trip to Japan in October set me back even further. Upon my return, I dealt with a persistent cough that left me too drained to do much.

And when I felt better, I was busy playing golf and pickleball, leaving me little time to focus on the pieces. Eventually, I sat down and added several more layers of varnish before deciding they were good enough to gift the intended recipients. The completion was dated 1st November.

The final picture does not do justice to the gloss varnish that I have painstakingly applied. But the colors are so vibrant, I think I did a good job. Ahem.

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The Carving Continues, Part 2

23 Sep

I am at the tail-end of completing the three individual gnomes. I missed the deadline I set for myself, which was the end of August. And it is almost the end of September! I’ve got to get going on it.

Last week, I decided to push myself to complete this with love and dedication. I reduced my golf outings to focus on finishing up the pieces. And I must say it has been so fun and therapeutic to work on them.

Working on all three in tandem, seated at my workstation, I fine-tuned the surfaces and eventually applied acrylic paint. It actually took me only one day for the painting process! If I had known that it would take just a day, I would have prioritized this step sooner! Oh well.

I am very pleased with the outcome. The color choices of the pants are at the request of the individual recipients. At this point, it is only a minor touch-up to even the coat of colors. Lastly, a gloss varnish will be applied to the surfaces to complete the project.

Yay, I am a happy camper with my efforts, and I hope the recipients will be equally pleased to have them in their homes.

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The Carving Continues

19 Aug

Excited about carving again after seeing the Three-Gnome piece evolve, I decided to carve more gnomes, but single pieces instead of a trio. I found three wooden blocks from my stash and decided to work on them simultaneously.

On days when it was too hot to be out on the golf course, I alternated between the four pieces for the past several weeks. It wasn’t a daily process, though, and it took time. And since I completed the Three-Gnome piece last week, my focus is now on the three single gnomes. 

The task at hand is very exhilarating, especially with the new carving tools that I recently purchased online. When an unassuming block of wood evolves and becomes something creative, done with love and focus, the satisfaction and joy are immensely wonderful. 

I hope to complete the three pieces before the end of August!

Three more gnomes coming along swell!

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Reviving an Old Project, Part 3

12 Aug

The Three-Gnome piece is a done deal! Typically, I use oil varnish to give my carvings a nice gloss, but there was a big hiccup at this final step.

The varnishes in my collection

The DecoArt DuraClear gloss varnish that I have used to varnish all my past carvings has gone bad! Four years since my last carving piece, the liquid left unused has somehow separated. To make matters worse, my other bottle of varnish, the Daler Rowney brand, cannot be opened! Something has disintegrated on the push-turn cap mechanism. A full bottle unutilized unless I drill the cap to salvage the varnish.

And I wasn’t sure if my oldest bottle of varnish, a Talens brand from my college days, that’s dinosaur years ago, can still be used. Dang! So many problems.

Taking a chance, the Talens acrylic glossy varnish came to the rescue with whatever I had left! But it won’t last for the next project. So I bought a new bottle of varnish gloss, a new brand called Marie’s. As for the other two, I might drill the cap of the Daler Rowney and throw away both the DecoArt DuraClear.

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Reviving an Old Project, Part 2

5 Aug

It has been time-consuming completing the Three-Gnome piece, with more waiting than the actual time spent working on it towards the end. Being patient is essential, as it takes time for the wood putty to dry before sanding the surfaces down. Then, after putting a coat of white acrylic, I wait again for it to dry. And the cycle repeats to ensure a smooth surface overall. The days pass by so quickly with these steps.

I found myself repeating the process twice before being satisfied with the result and applying the final colors of the gnomes. There was a slight hiccup when I discovered the skin tone acrylic color had dried up in the tube! Oh no.

Top: ready to add color; bottom: new Jaune Brilliant (left) vs old Pink Blush (right)

I ended up purchasing a different brand, so now these new gnomes will look different from the others! Then again, after a four-year break of carving gnomes, a darker shade for the nose would not be so drastic-looking, would it? New start, new colors.

With the final step of applying the varnish, this piece will soon be ready! I’m so proud of pushing myself to complete it, albeit four years later. Better late than never.

Top: original piece; bottom: latest piece. Note the color of the noses.

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Reviving an Old Project

29 Jul

Two months ago, the weather was unbearably hot, and I reduced my outdoor activities, meaning my golf games. Being home, I decided to revive an old and forgotten carving project, rather than spending my time constantly on my iPad playing games. I was playing too much!

It felt good to carve again, as it had been ages since I last used all my carving tools. The piece is not new, but a second take on my Three-Gnomes piece. Slowly but surely, I will complete the piece and not leave it sitting there forgotten.

Reviving this project!

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DIY Project #33, Part 2

3 Jun

I completed DIY project number 33 within a week, just as I had predicted. It took only five days to finish since I played golf on one day and had a full-day meeting with a client on another. I still work, in case this fact is forgotten! Hahaha.

Anyway, project number 33 was such a breeze. Every step was a snap-on or sticker-on that took away some of the challenges. Nevertheless, it was rather enjoyable. My only problem now is my IKEA display cabinet is packed to the max with all the past projects. There is no more space for a new addition.

Leaving it on the table will subject the bookshop to collecting dust in no time if I don’t cover it up. So, I ordered some display casings to protect the completed kit from dust. They should arrive soon.

Will I start project number 34 soon? I may divert to carving instead. We shall see.

DIY project #33

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DIY Project #33

27 May

Over the weekend, I officially started working on DIY project #33. And it has been such a breeze putting things together. I don’t recall the past projects being this easy. And I have done 32 kits until now! By the way, project #32 is my first incomplete kit because I stopped for too long.

Anyway, this kit is definitely an improvement from past kits because I have yet to use glue to bind pieces to become one. Most wood pieces now have interlocking joint extrusions, a feature absent in earlier kits, especially for the walls and flooring. This new feature makes connecting the pieces effortless! But I use a hammer, though–instead of glue–to ensure the interlocking is secure.

The surfaces of the main floor and some walls are pre-printed, so no cutting of paper or gluing is needed. Paper pieces that require cutting are pre-cut with crease lines for folding! And some are as stickers instead. How convenient is that? And pieces without joint extrusions are secured with double-sided tape, provided with the kit! I’m like, what? I don’t need my glue anymore! I love it!

I chose to skip playing golf or pickleball this time and instead focused on crafting, and it turned out to be a good decision, as I made a lot of progress. I anticipate that project #33 will wrap within a short time. Awesome!

Progress of DIY project #33

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It’s a Long Tail

23 May

I thought I was at the tail end of my illness, but nope, it has persisted. I have been feeling so sapped, it’s very tiring, physically and mentally. There has been no will to write or do anything, hence a delayed post this week. This darn virus is so persistent!

But today–after my third visit to the doctor–there’s a breakthrough! I’m feeling slightly better, and what better way to move forward than to begin DIY project number 33! Yay.

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A Lovely Gift

13 May

Mother’s Day is always a family affair, celebrating the three mothers in the family on Sunday – Mom, myself, and my sister-in-law. A sumptuous lunch and fun jabber to catch up with everyone.

This year, I received a lovely gift. It’s been almost two years since I last worked on building miniatures, and this gift is the perfect one to kickstart this activity again.

Project number 32 was the last miniature I worked on from October 2023, but sadly, I never completed it. I had golf, travel, and games on the iPad Mini, keeping me busy. At this point, I’m not sure if I can complete the set because it’s too tiny.

Anyway, maybe it’s long overdue to spend time building miniatures again. And of late, my golf sucks, and I find no joy in playing, so the timing is just nice to go back to doing things that gave me so much joy.

My Mother’s Day gift. Love it!

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