Busy, Dusty Times 2.

[Photo: All dressed up with some place to go]

Between now and August 20 (date of 'birdhouse sale' at Gathering on the Green 2 - GOTG2) I will add details to a few birdhouses while making a few more from scratch.

Painted white pine catches the eye.

Wren and chickadee houses are ready to finish:

 Six wren houses need a touch of trim.

 The Workshop is filled w aroma of western cedar.

Fresh paint and a few pieces of trim - coming up!

Second coats will be applied this afternoon.

More to follow as the Aug. 20 deadline approaches.

Please link to Busy, Dusty Times 1.

Photos GH

Busy, Dusty Times 1.

For Wrens and Chickadees, and More.

[Photo: Six at a time!]

Inside The Annex (aka "The Odds and Sods Dept."), next to The Workshop, I found two cedar boards with damaged edges.

Perfect, I thought.

I was out of a certain type of birdhouse and the two boards - eight feet long - would cut up nicely for six of them, including the trim.

 Western cedar, so lovely to smell and assemble

 Easy paint job, first thing this p.m.

I assembled three before supper and think all six will be finished today except for the trim (all ready for two coats paint). Once finished I'll continue work on many other items standing at the ready as well.

Two birdhouses, a cedar feeder and little free library need work.

Dusty times, for certain.

Please link to The Production Line - Cedar Birdhouse Models (3) 

Photos GH

Farmhouse - Upscale Paint.

A Little Paint Goes a Long Way.

[Photo: Basic cedar house likes a splash of red.]

No doubt about it. Though I like to have a few unpainted birdhouses in my collection - some folks prefer them that way - even a wee bit of paint can sometimes catch your eye. On one basic cedar model I only painted the window ledges and wee birdhouse roof.

Looks good, in my opinion

On other models, like a sturdy farmhouse (below), formerly all unpainted white pine, I added quite a bit of paint. At a recent birdhouse sale, it was one that caught the eye of many passersby. And two like it sold before the day was done.

Z-Door is now a stand-out.

So, now I need more farmhouses, and I will repeat the 'upscale paint' idea on all future models.

Please link to Birdhouse Repair: One Old Farmhouse (3)

Photos GH

"Tall Boy" Library (6).

Tight Fit.

[Photo: Will it fit inside a Honda Civic?]

My latest model of a 'little free library' is slightly bigger than the previous version but I still drive the same size Civic. And I forgot how tight the fit was when I squeezed the last one into the back seat!

However, yesterday, after a bit of wiggling and wobbling and pushing and pulling, the library was set for delivery to London Parks and Rec.

Note to Self: Subtract one inch from each dimension (i.e., L x W x H) or buy a pickup!

Please link to "Tall Boy" Library (5).

Photos GH

Western Cedar Bird Feeder (3)

Already in the Ground.

A recent project, i.e., a tall cedar feeder, was delivered on Wednesday and - thanks to someone who was very handy with a shovel - this photograph arrived in my mailbox on Thursday.

Hopefully, local birds will find it in short order, and a few more colourful photos will follow.

Please link to Western Cedar Bird Feeder (2)

Photo by Client.

Upcoming Projects: Artsy Slates 1.

Up on the Roof.

[Photo: Natural art work, slate from St. Paul's Cathedral, London]

I was given a number of slates from a local church (roof under repair at the time) and used a few for birdhouse roofs and a mailbox project. None of the slates are as distinctive as the one shown in this short blog entry.

Link to a mailbox project.

I call this slate "The North Country" and will finish framing it inside a shadow box this afternoon. I will then place it on sale at a Saturday "Art in the Barn" event in Dorchester (tomorrow). If it doesn't sell I will hang it in my house.... because I really do like this artsy fartsy piece of nature's work.

Workshop Process:

 Two coats of varnish will lock in nature's grit and stains.

 Slate rests upon a western cedar platform... seems fitting.

 Slate and platform will be attached to painted (black) plywood backer board

 Western cedar frame will show off "The North Country"

I have more projects like the one above in mind. And don't be surprised if I one day frame the lid to the varnish tin. I'll call it "Moonscape No. 1".

: )

More to follow, once "The North Country" is framed.

Please link to Upcoming Projects: Libraries and a Shadow Box.

Photos GH

A Dress Up Day (1).

From White Pine to Red.

This white pine farm house is very nicely made, has a stack of firewood outside the front Z door and a lovely tall birdhouse (free for the asking) sitting on the porch. But for some reason - perhaps the $45 price tag - no one has wanted to take it home.

So, yesterday I tore it down - easier said than done - and started to dress it up with a bit of paint.

Red and blue and yellow might do the trick 

After second coats and a rebuild, we shall see what we shall see.

More to follow.

Please link to The Workshop in Review, 2016 (2).

Photos GH