Another Day Of Realizing What I Have

After you live somewhere for thirty years, you forget what you have. Here is a collection of photos of the arts and crafts show and the surrounding views. This weekend (6/26-6/28) we are at Kings Beach (Lake Tahoe), California. We live in Truckee, which is only 10 miles away. I worked for 30 years for the telephone company and 23 of those years at Lake Tahoe and Truckee. It was not unusual to be 20 feet up a pole working and looking at these same views. I have been so blessed to live here and experience all of this ... even the winters. You see, I did have an outside job.

Here is our booth about 30 minutes before opening. Later the right side was removed.

This is a view down the isle towards the lake.

This is the little greenbelt area across from our booth.

Visiting other booths along the walk.

This is the other end of our isle.

More views down the walk.

This is the promoter's booth. She sells jewelry she makes.

Another view of more booths.

I took these next pictures standing 100 feet from our booth.

Yes, this is beautiful Lake Tahoe.

I am taking these from the North Shore looking mainly south.

As you can see, this is a very large lake.

An Answer To An Often Asked Question

Hello There ... Here is an attempt to answer a question I'm often asked. When I answer their question, they are very surprised by my answer. Here is a little video that answers how I open a box after I have glued it completely closed.

My Shop During ARTour

This is what my shop looks like during ARTour. Artour is a local event where the public is given maps to artists studios, one weekend, in order to watch the artist create. I set up my mini lathe behind a plexi-glass shield to protect the visitors. They watch me turn small bowls and wooden pens.

Can you see that "street sign" in the background ? It always gets a good chuckle.

Sue's Quilts On Display

Here are Sue's quilts as you would see them upon entering our booth. On the left are the baby quilts, and on the right are the decorative quilts. Her quilts are also displayed around the top edges of the booth.

Our First Arts and Crafts Show of the Year

This is our typical set up. Our first show was in Kings Beach, California on Memorial Day Weekend. Kings Beach is on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Normally this is held in Truckee, but the crowds have been way down there. The Promoter decided to move it this year. The crowds were there, but now we have to convince them that the economy is OK.

We are asked quite often, "Why don't you come to our town to do a show". With that I always give my standard answer, "I don't need to ... you're here". It's great being able to be in a show in a tourist resort.

And again for the Quilter

And to the sewing machine the three layers of the quilt go for quilting. In the middle here Sue is stitching in the "ditch". She is following the pattern in the fabrics. The blue around the border will get a random swirl pattern. This will become a small decorative hanging quilt complete with a hanging sleeve in the top back.

Let's Hear it for the Quilter

Hello on a beautiful Monday evening. Above is a quilt in progress. If you look closely, you will see the special safety pins Sue uses to hold the three layers in place. The three layers are the “pieced” top, the batting in the middle, and the back. This quilt is a small decorative hanging quilt.

The Finished Tiled Salad Bowl

As you can see, there is something similar about this post and the last post. Can you see it? Look closely ... this is the same bowl as the previous one. You have sort of before and after pictures posted here. I put that mess posted before on the lathe and turned it. Hitting all those corners with my gauge makes a heck of a racket in the shop. Once all those corners are gone, it's smooth sailing from then on ... or until I start the inside. This bowl measures 13" X 6" and is treated and designed as a food safe salad bowl.

A Tiled Salad Bowl

The last post, you saw what could happen when cutting these segments. This is what a tiled salad bowl looks like before it's turned on the lathe. You can see a finished one below in the slideshow or visit our web site.

Be Alert ... Not a "LERT"

I’m coining a new word here boys and girls.
LERT = someone that is not alert. And I are one too !

We all know when “IT” happens, we’re usually doing something repetitive and get hypnotized by the moment. I was cutting pieces for a tiled bowl. They’re always cut at 22.5 degrees and these were 40 in number at 5 1/8” in length. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure how “IT” happened, but the piece passed the table saw blade and went flying in two pieces. I usually grab the pieces after they pass the blade then pull the meter gauge back to the starting position. I think I may have tried to do both at the same time. The result was all hell done broke lose.

The aftermath was a bent blade, a meter gauge that had to be completely re-calibrated, a piece of a project in two pieces, and a wife that came running in shock to see if I was alright. The noise of the action and me yelling Odie's favorite word brought Sue very quickly. And yes, I still have all my fingers.

So, be ALERT out there … not a “LERT” like me.