farewell my flock:

While we were out of town this past weekend doing a show in Lynchburg, a pesky, scheming fox dug his way under the fence of the chicken habitat and depleted my entire flock of chickens sometime Saturday afternoon.

It was a very very sad day. 

I could tell Robert was very hesitant telling me the news after he talked to his father that morning who had gone over to feed and water them, only to find them dead.

The drive home was hard.
I didn't exactly know what I would find and got more anxious the closer we got to home.
They were my first flock.
I got them 1.5 years ago as baby chicks and have learned so much from them and about them.
A very very depressing sight met us. The yard was covered in feathers, the habitat and coop a white mess, as though it had snowed. In the midst of it all I was able to see my four reds, laying lifeless, eyes closed. dead. The whites were nowhere to be found.

My sweet birds. 

Now they are gone.

Gone. 

Lucretia, my favorite chicken, gone. 

Every. Single. One. 

Gone. 

Heartbreaking. 

Thanks to Anita I came home with new baby birds that day. 

She had a few hatch 3 weeks ago, and a few last weekend, so she gave me 6 sweet chicks. 

They are a cross between Black Australorp rooster and a Buff Orpington hen.

they are cuties.

Their peeping and happy chirping made that drive more bearable, and they have been a huge joy and comfort to watch and have around.

Thanks dear friend.

"Timber & Jam"

Anita and I have been friends since we were 16. 

Anita & Tina - 1995/1996

We have known each other more than half of our lifetime. It's pretty incredible to have friends like that and I dare to say that our lives are better because the other one is in it. We have gone our different paths, yet we have made it a point to see each other as often as possible and make those paths cross. 

During these encounters we have always been able to pick up where we left off. 

Those kind of friendships don't come around too often. 

Recently, we have been in the same state and have only been separated by 2 hours, which is a first in a very long time. It has been wonderful. For once there are no continents and oceans between us, and seeing more of each other has truly been inspirational. 

We both love making things from scratch. May it be from rough sawn lumber, stuff that grows in our garden, or simply because it is way better if we make it than if we were to buy it. 

This passion sprung into the form of a new little collaborative endeavor in which we celebrate the handcrafted and homemade. 

We call it "Timber & Jam."

"Timber & Jam" is a collaboration featuring Anita's homemade delights such as jellies, jams, breads and scones and my original handcrafted wooden wares such as cutting boards, spreaders, serving trays, small pieces of furniture, and a few canned goods as well. 

Together, these items are beautiful, fun, cohesive, and complementary and make wonderfully delicious gifts!

Anita's husband Neil designed us a fantastic logo, we threw together a Facebook page you all should check out and "like" and follow us and see where this little project will take us.

We had our debut this past weekend at the "Vintage Lynchburg Spring Market" and it was a big hit. We have had so many people interested in our idea and it was a fabulous event. 

Thank you all for your support, we love making things for you!

dovetailed jewelry box:

a very nice gentleman came to me with a specific request: years ago he had salvaged some very old wormy chestnut out of his uncles dilapidating barn in Maryland. with this wood he wanted me to make his daughter a gift for her upcoming college graduation: 

a jewelry box.

    

he only gave a few guidelines: he gave me certain dimensions, make it rustic, and highlight the natural beauty of the wood. as much as i love these open projects sometime they make me a little nervous, as you never know what kind of an image they already have in their head. 

the chestnut has so many "flaws" that make it unbelievably gorgeous. oxidized nail holes and spots were hinges used to be, worm holes galore, holes from pegs, cracks and splitting that give this wood so much character and beauty. 

to highlight all this, i kept the overall design very simple and minimalist, so that there would not be any competition between design and material.

laying out all the wood, i selected specific sections from the wood for the individual parts and gave them a sort of purpose. a peg hole became the hole to open the box, really beautiful oxidized nail holes the featured top, a huge spot that must have been left by a hinge became a detail on the back, and so forth

it was challenging at times to work with the chestnut, as it get brittle due its cracks etc, but at the same time it was a very fun and fulfilling project to make. 

he loved it, and i hope his daughter will treasure it for years to come.