Timber Jigsaw Puzzle

Here's today's woodworking distraction for your enjoyment.

Click on and enjoy!

160 Wood

Coconut Timber Line

Coconut timber has finally joined our ever expanding list of timbers in our jewellery range.

Coconut is a gorgeous timber with dual results: spotty or streaky.

It's also a very tricky timber to work with as it has a tendency to be a little temperamental in the cutting process but being the professionals in woodworking that we are, we only produce the best.

Bees wax brings out the very best in this wood.
Varnish/Resin is always available for durability.
The choice is yours.

This year we have added a new line - ADJUSTABLE silver rings. No sizing required♥

♥ More in store - custom orders are welcome ♥

Check in to our store on Etsy for our latest Coconut releases: www.woodnpiece.etsy.com

Coconut Wooden Bangle

Silver Coconut Wooden Dress Ring - Adjustable

Coconut Wide Side Wooden Ring

Great DIY Plans for Wooden Furniture

Ana White's website is one of the best Do It Yourself home furniture sites I've ever had the pleasure to find. Full of easy wood working plans that are absolutely FREE!

Check out the Plan Catalog at: http://ana-white.com/plancatalog

Not only does Ana White supply free plans, but also boasts a great forum, video, brags, and a children's apron shop.

Oh and did I mention...the plans are genuinely easy and really well set out.

Absolutely worth a look if you love woodworking as much as we do at Wood 'n' Piece.

Adjustable Wooden Rings Release 2012

New ring styles are on their way for 2012. We have always loved the look of silver settings with wood, and now we have found a great style that we think is real style and elegance. These are beautiful Dress Rings.

The main issue around choosing a ring is choosing the correct size. This new ring line takes care of sizing problems completely by being fully adjustable! {Hooray!}

The timber is sanded to a very fine grit to create an almost glass like surface which is such a beautiful look.

We look for our best pieces of timber with real character, grain or depth of colour for the center piece.

We have two timber finish options:

• Varnish to high gloss
• Bees wax to bring out the wood grain

I'm a real fan of the bees wax finish as I have found that if the ring has any little scratches on it from regular wear, a quick reapplication of bees wax easily covers any imperfections. I love to test-drive all of our products before listing so that I know that you will love yours as much as I do.

I have one available now in our MadeIt store - a pre-release.

Silver Ebony Dress Ring

Do you like this style?
Let me know. I value your feedback.

:)

February 2012 Timber Haul

Our latest timber haul includes Coconut timber. What a find! Yes, this is an imported piece and is very rare to come by in Australia. Found at a local timber yard. It was the only piece they had as it came with other timbers. This one has that wow-factor.

Rosewood is now back in stock. Their colour variations are quite distinct, but all the more lovely to cut into. We also sourced a small piece of Kwila (hardwood).

Coconut and Rosewood timbers

Kwila timber

Still trying to source more Blue Gum and Huon Pine. It takes a lot of searching to find the best pieces, preferably salvaged and repurposed for environmental reasons.

Many of our timbers come from Adelaide home renovations as well and the timbers have been cleaned up for reuse. We thank our local builder/renovator who kindly drop off his occasional wonderful finds to us. We are very happy to take good quality salvage.

:)

Woodworking Plans PDF

Are you looking for some simple ideas to try out with timber?

Here are some easy to understand woodworking plans.

Great for a beginner or just to try something a little different.

Courtesy of Kansas State University.

PDF file: Woodworking Plans

:)

Amazing Wooden Sculptures by Randall Rosenthal

We love to see what can be achieved with timber and a great imagination.

Randall Rosenthal, a wood sculpture from New York creates impressive pieces of art that you just have to see to believe.

We love this and just had to share it with you.

From this...

...to this...

To this. Yes, made entirely from wood!

Amazing talent!!!
You can check out his website here.

:)

Woodwork Project: How to build a Tardis

Want to build your own Tardis from Doctor Who?

Of course you do!

I love this video by Sillysparrowness.

Adjustable Ring Sizers in Store

Multisizer plastic adjustable Ring Sizers are now available in our Etsy store.

www.woodnpiece.etsy.com 

Currently available in Numerical measurements (USA).

Letter measurement ring sizers will be available soon (UK/AUST).

♥ We handcraft wooden rings in any size. ♥

I have had may customers asking how they can find out their correct ring size without visiting a jeweler. The Multisizer is one of the best ring gauges on the market, as they are fully adjustable, take it with you in your handbag, share it with a friend.

Never be caught out again over someone's ring size.
Use them again and again!

At only $2.00 they are an essential tool.

Like more? Just contact me at the checkout.

Wood 'n' Piece on Etsy

:)

What's New in Store December 2011

Now available in our Etsy store on-line:

www.woodnpiece.etsy.com

Wide Side Construction Wooden Bangle

Jarrah & Norfolk Pine Multi Layered Wooden Bangle

Maple Wide Side Wooden Ring

Japanese Cherry Wide Side Wooden Ring

 
Go direct to Store Sections

• Bangles
• Rings
• Necklaces
• Bracelets

Wood 'n' Piece on Etsy

New Wooden Rings In Store 2011

Brilliant news just in time for the Christmas party/New Year party season.

New wooden rings are now in our Etsy store. CLICK HERE

These are beautiful UNISEX dress rings.
Order one in your size at no extra cost.

Our Australian grown Maple is in short supply, so taking any further custom orders on the maple is unfortunately unavailable.

We've tried to make use of every single piece of left over timber to create something beautifully unique and handmade. We believe in respecting timber and using it to it's fullness with as little as possible being discarded.

If the timber type is unavailable, we have a selection of other timbers to choose from that are similar in colour but may offer something a little different in the way of character. We haven't had a disappointed buyer yet!

Japanese Cherry Organic Wood Ring

Maple Organic Wooden Ring

Maple & Jarrah Checkered Wooden Ring

Ebony Classic Wooden Ring

All available in our online Etsy store.

www.woodnpiece.etsy.com

;)

Top 10 Favourite Etsy Stores

I think there is so much exceptional talent online these days; certain enough to give the physical stores a run for their money. So many hand-crafters have been smart enough to try out their target markets through online selling websites such as MadeIt, Etsy, Big Cartel, and so many more. There are more and more sites popping up everywhere these days as everyone is looking for potential buyers; be it retail direct or wholesale.

Honestly, eBay is so last decade!

I have increasingly found myself becoming a sincere long time fan of so many hand crafted online stores through their quality and reasonable prices. Be prepared to become addicted to great quality and uniqueness.

The Benefits

Many of the online hand crafting stores even custom design which far out weighs what a physical retail store can offer. And there is always the potential to get to know the artist/designer/creator behind your favourite pieces which adds such a special dimension to the online shopping experience.

Listed below are all some of my very favourite stores, all of which I have found on the Etsy website (www.etsy.com). Each one of these stores are worth sitting up and taking notice of!

My Top 10 Favourite Stores (2011)

1. The Morbid The Merrier
   www.themorbidthemerrier.com/
   (Previously on Etsy)
   Unique handmade perfumes, oils, lip balms, lotions, etc.
   
   
2. My Bearded Pigeon
   www.etsy.com/shop/mybeardedpigeon
   Australian made map/atlas cushions. Destination Homewares.
   
   
3. Flourish Bath & Body
   www.etsy.com/shop/FlourishBathBody
   Awesome roll-on perfumes, lotions and soaps.
   
   
4. Cricklewood Chocolate
   www.etsy.com/shop/CricklewoodChocolate
   Australian handmade gourmet chocolates.
   
   
5. Rosie's Armoire
   www.etsy.com/shop/RosiesArmoire
   Hand-printed textiles, home accessories and gifts (envelope & old document styles).
   
   
6. Time Machine Vintage
   www.etsy.com/shop/timemachinevintage
   Got a desire to dress in lovely dresses from the 20's, 30's, 40's 50's or 60's?
   Each one is a reproduction, handmade in your size.
   
   
7. Red Leaf Bath & Body
   www.etsy.com/shop/RedLeafBathandBody
   Superb handmade bath & beauty products. Well known for their bubble bath doughs.
   
   
8. In The Seam
   www.etsy.com/shop/intheseam
   Amazing cushions! Manhole covers are a 'must see'.
   
   
9. Jane Lizbeths Skirts
   www.etsy.com/shop/janelizabeths
   Handmade skirts (mine never blows up in a gust of wind!).
   
   
10. Spoontaneous
    www.etsy.com/shop/Spoontaneous
    The most amazing hand carved wooden spoons I have ever laid eyes upon!
    

Check out YouTube for 'Etsy Haul' videos for more info about all the great things available online.

;)

November 2011 Updates

We've been busy organising our wholesale orders for the past two months to meet Christmas demand, so I apologise that we have been neglecting our online updates of late. I'm starting to sound like a bit of a broken record, but it is wonderful that we have so many orders going out this year without the heavy footwork of attending craft markets.

Wholesale orders are still being taken.

If you would like a copy of our Wholesale Line Sheet, Catalogue and Order Form please contact us as soon as possible via our official website at http://www.woodnpiece.com/

Our pieces are currently instock at Adelaide Leadlighting (Brighton, SA), Coosy.com.au , The Shop at Fresh (Launceston, TAS).

Our bangles will also be available at selected artisan markets in Queensland soon.

Our other stockist will be listed soon.

And speaking of craft markets, this is a the best time of year for some truly exceptional markets anticipating the Christmas shoppers.

We attended the Bowerbird Bazar at the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide city centre a couple of weeks ago, which was also sponsored by the Australian arm of Etsy. So you can imagine the level of quality and excellence amongst the traders. Very Etsy.

Bowerbird Bazar comes around twice a year, so keep an watch for when it comes around again.  But make sure you go to Bowerbird Bazar as early as possible to avoid the line ups. It's seriously hot stuff, top line.

Ring Sizing Chart

Ring Sizing Chart. When ordering a ring, please use the size guide to quote your size.

The internal size is the correct measurement.

 

 

Construction Timber now back in stock

Great news today.

We have been able to secure some more construction beam timber for our Construction Bangle line, once again.

They are now available for order.

Adelaide Craft Markets 2011

October/November are a hot time for craft markets in Adelaide, so keep a watch for some hidden gems.

♥♥♥

Bowerbird Bazaar

28 - 30 October 2011

Opening Times: Trade Event Friday 2 - 4pm

Public & Trade Friday 4 - 9pm | Saturday 10 - 5pm | Sunday 10 - 4pm

Queen's Theatre

Playhouse Lane, Adelaide
(off Light Square)

Adults $2, children free

Exhibitors Guide

 ♥♥♥

October Gift & Craft Fair

14 - 16 October 2011

10am to 5pm

Adelaide Show Grounds

Wayville

(moved from Morphettville Racecourse)

Free Admission

$6 parking on Rose Terrace

 Details are available here

Exhibitors Guide

 ♥♥♥

Lollipop Markets

Sunday 20 November 2011

10am to 3pm

The Westpac Centre

AAMI Stadium

Entry off of Westlake Blvd or Brebner Drive

Westlakes

Admission is a gold coin donation

♥♥♥

If you know of more markets happening on October or November, please let us know.
Post it here and spread the word!

♥♥♥

Timber Characteristics Part 2

We love our timber range, the feel, the weight, the grain and most especially the glorious smell of each individual timber.

We want all of our customers to love them too, but many not know just how beautiful these timbers can be.

So to help you make your timber choice a little easier, here's a handy guide about some of most popular timbers in our range of bangles and wooden tankards. Pendants and earrings can be made from these same timbers.

Walnut, Papua New Guinea Walnut

 
Botanical Name:  Dracontomelum magniferum
Colour:  The colour of the true wood of this species is grey-brown with streaks of darker brown. The sapwood, growing to a width of up to 100mm, is distinctively creamy. The texture of New Guinea Walnut is moderately coarse but even. Grain is often interlocked.
Characteristics:  Walnut is mainly used for furniture, paneling, turning and carving. Its most common form is as a decorative veneer. Commercial availability of this timber is limited. Walnut is slightly more porous which makes varnishing time a little longer than normal.


Rosewood

Botanical Name:  Pterocarpus indicus
Colour:  The sapwood of Rosewood is up to 60mm wide and of a pale yellow colour, while the heartwood can be either golden brown or a dark blood-red.
Characteristics:  The grain is variable and the texture is medium. The burrs, which gets its name 'Amboyna wood' from the Indonesian island of Ambon, are highly prized in furniture-making. It is also used for knife handles and guitar-making. It polishes well, but the heartwood is hard to stain. Varnish may appear slightly more uneven.

October's New Listings

New listings have been far and few between lately, so I apologise for that.

This month we have added a few new goodies to our MadeIt store just in time for Christmas shopping.
I'm hoping to add a few more things before then too, so stay tuned.

Jarrah and Norfolk Pine Striped Wooden Bangle

Australian Blue Gum Wooden Tankard Mug

Australian Acacia Wooden Tankard Mug

Rosewood Wooden Tankard Mug

In store now at www.madeit.com.au/WoodNPiece

Long Weekend Postal Delays

Just a quick reminder that October 1-3 (2011) are a Long Weekend in South Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

All orders received since Friday will be posted on Tuesday, October 4.

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers!

♥♥♥

Don't forget Christmas and the office parties are coming soon.

Drop by to one of our online stores to checked out some wonderful ideas for the perfect way to dress up your outfit.

Wood 'n' Piece on ETSY

Wood 'n' Piece on MadeIt

♥♥♥

Start To Grow Blog

My gardening is taking over my life, so I have decided to devoted an entire blog to my growing efforts.

For obvious reasons I needed to separate timber creations from gardening.
Check out my new site:

Start To Grow - Your Australian Garden

http://starttogrow.blogspot.com/

• Learn the basics
• Follow my progress (including all my failures and why they happened)
• Learn about all the new gadgets I have tried out and what genuinely works in the real world - in particular in Adelaide, South Australia.
• I even feature my recipes on how to use up your homegrown produce when it all becomes too fruitful!

Oh yes, I've thought of everything!

"Oh no, not another gardening blog," I hear you say.

Start To Grow is a gathering of information for all of my family, friends and garden visitors who have been inundated with my handy advice and need pictures, step-by-step guides and reminders.

You'll never know what you might find there.

Please pop over and check it out. I'd love some feedback and a follower or two.

Timber Characteristics Part 1

We love our timber range, the feel, the weight, the grain and most especially the glorious smell of each individual timber.

We want all of our customers to love them too, but many not know just how beautiful these timbers can be.

So to help you make your timber choice a little easier, here's a handy guide about some of most popular timbers in our range of bangles and wooden tankards. Pendants and earrings can be made from these same timbers.


Tasmanian Oak, Mountain Ash

Botanical name: Eucalyptus Delegatensis
Colour: Light in colour, varying from cream to light brown with shades of pink
Features: Tasmanian Oak is the name used for three almost identical species of eucalypt hardwoods. It is used in all forms of construction and is a popular furniture timber
Characteristics: It works extremely well and produces an excellent finish. It is recognised for it’s excellent staining qualities, which allow ready colour matching with other timbers, finishes or furnishings


River Red Gum

Botanical Name: Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Dehnh
Colour: Pinkish red to Deeper red tones
Features: River Red Gum is the most widespread eucalypt in the country, found mostly along the rivers and streams of the Murray Darling basin. Its heavy durability and high resistance to termites made it a popular resource for the early European settlers for railway sleepers, wharves and mine shafts. Today a lot of it is reclaimed and recycled.
Characteristics: River Red Gum is difficult to work with due to its hardness and interlocking grain , but the benefit to any consumer is that any furniture piece made from this timber will not only have a beautiful and lustrous finish, but will be enjoyed for generations to come.


Jarrah

Botanical Name: Eucalyptus Marginata
Colour: Dark Red to Dark Brown
Features: Jarrah is unique to Western Australia. It is probably one of our best-known and highly regarded timbers. It is hardness, resistance to fire and termites have seen it being exported internationally for construction and structural work.
Characteristics: Jarrah is one of the hardest timbers available. It is extremely strong and hard wearing with a course texture that finishes well to deep rich colour.


Spotted Gum, Lemon Scented Eucalypt

Botanical Name: Corymbia Maculata
Colour: Quite varied from light honey to dark brown with grey tones and sometimes purple streaks
Features: Spotted Gum is used in heavy structural applications due to it being one of the hardest timbers in the world. Also used to take high impact forces such as tool handles.
Characteristics: Spotted Gum has an attractive well pronounced grain, sometimes with a fiddleback pattern and gum veins.

These definitions are curtsey of  http://www.naturallytimber.com.au/timber-details.html

 

30 Kids in the Garden

In my ongoing efforts to live "The Good Life" (oh my heros, Tom & Barabra!) I invited my eldest daughter's school class to come to our house for a visit to check out our vegetable garden and semi-permacultured backyard.

All government primary schools in South Australia have been eagerly creating their own school vegetable gardens and researching healthy eating. It's enough to make celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver proud! So we jumped on the wagon and invited 30 kids into our backyard to get some Good Life inspiration.

Adelaide in September is an awesome time to do it. Ideal weather and the garden is full to bursting with great produce; some just sprouting and others ready for harvesting.

So we had a Turnip Harvest!
Almost everyone had a turnip to pull and twist the leaves off. Some children were not use to doing the hands-on gardening, surprisingly the boys were most concerned about the dirt. The different varieties of lettuce were grazed upon, I am happy to say as I really believe in a Pick-And-Eat garden to inspire children to eat healthily.

We kept our free-range chickens couped up while the children were here, but their enclosure was constantly surrounded with happy faces. Our one year old ginger cat was as happy as a pig in mud with so many hands to pat him.

The day before, I mowed the lawns and sprayed the spiders before anyone arrived, but I guess I should have checked where the cat had been. Oh the delight of owning a cat who has figured out what sandpits are for. NOT.

They also had massive fun on the trampoline, swing set and sandpits. Who could resist?

I must say that is was really fun. We had a great day and I really urge everyone to welcome a school group through their backyard to teach kids about growing vegetables and fruit. They enjoyed themselves so much that they really didn't want to leave.

Thank you Sheidow Park Primary School! We'd love you all to come again.

For the uninitiated, here's a sample of "The Good Life" . . .
(This is in lieu of  'Sue & Giles Live The Good Life' - tremendously funny)