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Simple Guide to Wood Craft Finishes – Free PDF

Simple Guide to Wood Crafting Finishes
The when, why, and how each sealer product is used by Lora S. Irish

Simple Guide to Wood Finishes – 1.2

Absolutely FREE – Just click the link to download!!!

Purpose of finishes
Preparation
Questionnaire
Aerosol  v. brush-on sealers

Acrylic sealers
Polyurethane
Paste wax
Boiled linseed oil
Tung oil
Mineral oil
Burnishing
Polished craft paints
Reworkable fixative sealer
Furniture polish

 

Wood Burned Tiki Wind Chimes

Bamboo is a great media for wood burning!  Use well dried, two year old or old sections.  Wash the bamboo section with soap and water, then use a sharp utility knife to scrap away the outer layer of the bamboo.

Measure and mark your length, allowing at least one-half inch above the node. The node area closes the bamboo section to create the sound chamber and it is an easy area for your hanging accessories.

Cut your bamboo piece into the desired lengths with a fine toothed saw.  Lightly sand the entire piece with 220-, then 320-grit sandpaper.  You are ready to trace your pattern using graphite paper and to have fun wood burning the design. Add your wind chime elements.

Bamboo does not need a sealer or finishing coat, so once you have your chimes or bell knocker installed your project is ready to hand.

Here’s the link to my Tiki Chess Set free craving project.

 

ArtDesignsStudio.com News

There are four new pattern packs added to our wood carving, wood burning, and craft pattern warehouse this week!!! Plus three new discount coupons that you can add to your cart.

cp146  Tiki Patterns

Twenty fabulous Tiki Line Art Craft Patterns based on the Polynesian icon of the First Man. Patterns include designs for wind chimes, garden flags, bar decorations, and quilt projects. Have fun wood burning or wood carving these delightful male Oceanic art images.

Also include is the pattern pack with images and line patterns for your own Tiki Chess Set. Sixteen different designs to chose from for you King, Queen, Rook, Castle, Knight, and Pawns.

 

cp147 Barbecue Spoon Patterns

36 patterns for small wooden spoon carving. Created for wood blanks that are 8″ long or smaller, and 1/2″ or thinner. Wonderful one evening wood carving projects for beginners.

Also included is the Garnish Set of Wood Carved Spoons, which includes 9 different patterns, plus the photos of each finished spoon.

 

cp148 Celtic and Tribal Patterns

24 large-sized craft pattern for Celtic Tribal Animals, Butterflies, Sea Horse, Dragon, Cobra, Hearts, and more.

Enjoy the challenge of interlocking lines with the bold impression of Oceanic art tattoo geometric designs.

Ready for wood carving, wood burning, or paper crafts.

cp149 Wood Carved Wooden Spoon Bowl Shapes

This package is for those wooden spoon carvers that need a little inspiration in creating new bowl shapes for their designs. Included are 41 grid line art patterns that focus on classic as well as modern bowl, and ladle shapes. These bowl shapes can be used with any wooden spoon handle design.

Coupon Code  —  59ccp
Complete Pattern Collection by Download

Get the Complete Collection by Download, including the four new pattern packs for only $59 USD.   Use the coupon during Check Out!

 

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Free Carving and Pyrography Patterns

I have two Freebie Alerts for you today.

Our Bird House Sign has two full sized patterns – one vertical and the other horizontal.  Plus an set of numbers to customize your carving or pyrography patterns.  Available on my pattern website – ArtDesignsStudio.com

Still one of my favorite, this free pyrography and carving pattern pack has twelve fun characters for your delight.
Available on my pattern website – ArtDesignsStudio.com

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Free Beginning Wood Carving Project

Beginner Wood Carving Project – ‘No Vacancy’ Birdhouse

Let’s have a little fun!!!!  I am starting a new, free wood carving and pyrography project and will be adding to the instructions over the next few days.

The first post features the supply list, wood preparation instructions, and in-depth instructions on how to center and trace a wood carving pattern to a round-top basswood board.

The free pattern is also posted today, June 5th, 2024.  So please stop by the project page, and please share on your favorite social media outlet.

Free Beginning Wood Carving Project Read More »

Decoy Fish Wood Carving

Is it too early to be talking about the Fourth of July?!?

 

Wood Carving Fish Decoys

Ice Fishing Fish Decoy Gallery

 

Ice Fishing Decoy Gallery Two

Burning & Carving Fish

Sun Fish Decoy

 

Posts:

Burning and Carving Fish – Free pattern included
Wood Carved Ice Fishing Decoys

Pages: Learn how to wood carve your own Ice Fishing Decoy, a free wood carving project by Lora S Irish. Folk art fish decoys can become much more than realistic wood carvings of minnows and fishing bait.  This gallery of wood carvings by Lora Irish offers more samples of what you could do with your own whittled fish decoy.

Ice Fishing Decoy Carving – Four page free tutorial
Ice Fishing Decoy Gallery One
Ice Fishing Decoy Gallery Two
Sun Fish Carving – Includes free pattern

E-Project: Learn folk art ice fishing decoy carving with this in-depth step-by-step project taught by Lora S. Irish. This sixty page e-book includes an introduction to the history of ice fishing decoys, the six basic carving cuts needed to create these fun fish, and two complete projects. Complete your decoy with the painting steps and by creating a simple wire hanger. 60 pages of instructions, patterns, and ideas included are 20 small decoys patterns with fin variations, 4 long minnow decoy patterns, and 21 large full-sized decoy patterns accompanied by full-colored photos of the carved samples. Comes in Adobe Reader .pdf format!

Whittle Fish E-Project by Lora S Irish

Fish Related Digital Patterns: ArtDesignsStudio.com patterns by L S Irish

Fishing Lures

Fresh Water Fishing Patterns

Hook, Line, and Sinker

Just Goldfish

Decoy Fish Wood Carving Read More »

Crafting with Gourds

Gourd Art at LSIrish.com

Gourds make a wonderful base for many of our favorite crafts – wood carving, wood burning, decoupage, and sculpture painting.

In these projects we will learn how to clean, cut, prepare, and decorate dried craft gourds.

Bee, Bug, and Seed Gourd House Roof Decorations

Begin this free, online dried craft gourd art project with our Basic Constructions step-by-step page. Then enjoy how to create your roof accents on our Bee House Roof Accents page, and the Bee House Gallery page.

In-depth tutorial coming soon!
I am working on posting over the weekend – March 29, 2024
Discover how easy and fun it is to cut and glue gourd together to create new shapes.  In this free online project we will explore the basic steps needed to make your own crafty bird gourds.
String House Decoupaged Gourd Art

Free online gourd art beginner’s project

Any natural fiber material can easily be collage to the surface of your gourd using archival white water-based glue. This fun bird house uses paper coffee filters, cotton cheese cloth, burlap, garden twine, and cotton cord to create a riot of texture. When the collage work is dry we will use oil pastels to brightly color the high ridges of the texture.
10” high, 8” diameter, 23” circumference kettle gourd

 

Crafting with Gourds
Lora S Irish
Available at Amazon.com
Crafting with Gourds
Building, Painting, and Embellishing Birdhouses, Flowerpots, Wind Chimes, and More (Fox Chapel Publishing) 14 Step-by-Step Projects for Natural, Seasonal Décor from Lora S. Irish Paperback – October 8, 2018Transform ordinary gourds into extraordinary art!14 step-by-step projects with bright, beautiful project photography
Learn to make delightful wind chimes, birdhouses, pitchers, flower pots & decorative figures
Covers a variety of color media, including colored pencils, watercolor, acrylics, oils, pastels, gel pens, & more
Explains all the gourd basics including selection, cleaning, cutting, shaping, surface prep, transferring designs, & finishing

Crafting with Gourds will teach you an amazing array of techniques for creating unique and attractive décor! This complete artist’s guide to gourd crafting provides useful tips & techniques on a wide range of color media, from craft acrylics and artist’s oils to pastels, watercolors, colored pencils, gel pens, and more.

 

Braided Raffia Gourd Rim
This step-by-step Autumn Bird Nest Gourd project focuses on a simple braided raffia rim that you can use for your gourd art.
Free online gourd art projects
Wood Spirit Gourd Mask
Some hot glue, copper foil, electric wires, vintage and damaged jewelry pieces, some thick cotton yarn, and a pair of old glasses quickly turned a practice gourd scrap into an Urban Warrior Gourd Art Mask.
Wood Spirit Gourd Pencil Jar
This Wood Spirit Colored Pencil Gourd is worked along the same technique as our free online gourd art project, Wood Spirit Gourd Mask, an in depth tutorial that will take you through all of the steps to create your own acrylic paint and colored pencil face painting.

 

Lora S. Irish patternsCreating Gourd Art Musical Instruments – Banjo

What happens when you unite the joy of gourd art crafting, the joy of bright and vibrant colors, and the joy of music?  You create this joyous gourd banjo with copper wire strings.

An extra large kettle gourd with some damage around the stem area inspired this fun gourd musical instrument project.  While I did not take step-by-step photos … I was too involved in the fun of creation to remember … I will share four easy ‘secrets’ that made the construction quick and accurate.

 

Coloring Wood Carving, Pyrography & Gourd Projects

Our navigation page for all coloring instructions for wood carving, pyrography, gourd, and craft projects

Color Theory by Irish
Free PDF Download

 

Elk and Wildlife Patterns by Lora IrishWildlife Elk PatternsMushroom Wood Spirit Patterns by Lora IrishMushroom SpiritsHeart Shaped Flower Patterns by Lora IrishArchitectural Icons
Visit our pattern website
ArtDesignsStudio.com
for more fun patterns, ideas, and designs to use
in your next craft project.

 

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