Shadow Butterfly

Cut this beauty out this past weekend. The pattern is by Steve Good. I cut the butterfly and then mounted it on a 1/2 inch small piece of wood and added that to a plywood backer and a pine base. The neat thing about it are the shadows it casts depending on the angle of the light.
This one is a prototype for future efforts. I would like to make a variety of them in different

woods like cedar which has some great grain patterns, oak, or cherry. I also need to make a few at a time because the cutting time on the butterfly is about three hours and I need to get the cost per unit down where people can afford to buy them.

Butterflies symbolize different things to different people. Some see them as a symbol of renewal and rebirth since they begin as a pupa and hatch from a cocoon into something totally

changed and a thousand times more beautiful than they were before.

The woman who sits next to me at work told me the story of why butterflies are special to her. She said: When they got to the cemetery for her father's internment There were dozens of beautiful butterflies at the grave side and even though it was a sad occasion it sort of symbolized to her what he would now become. Something new and beautiful and reborn. Kind of touched me. Hope it does you too.

Finally! A New Post!

So where have I been for the last three weeks. Well the lack of posts here doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Quite the opposite, actually. Hadn't been in the shop for about 2 weeks because of illness and now am trying to catch up. I have so many projects I want to do but I keep getting orders from my wonderful co-workers. Made the above piece from a pattern in the latest edition of Creative Woodworks and Crafts and took it into work and got an instant order from the lady that sits next to me. Have also had a lot of orders for the "Live Laugh Love"

word art and orders for the simple coat racks I sold last winter. I got orders for five of them in one week! Needless to say, if I can find the time to spend in the shop it will translate into orders.

This week I am concentrating on Easter things: Bunnies, chickies, eggs, and then there are the religious items as well. I have a number of beautiful crosses that I hope to sell and a really nice portrait of the cross and the scripture "Why seek ye the living among the dead. He is not here.

He is risen." Have had the pattern for a number of years and just haven't cut it.

I have also gotten a lot of good wood toy patterns lately, cars, trucks , farm implements. All very simple cuts from 2x4 stock but very popular. Will try to post some pictures when they are done.

The illness story. In the spring I have a tendency to get this upper respiratory virus and this year I got it worse than ever. For two weeks I was coughing hard enough to break my back (though I didn't). Had to stay out of the shop all that time. Got some antibiotics from my doctor and I am finally fighting my way out of it.

Spring has finally come to Michigan. It was almost 80 degrees today and yesterday was pretty nice as well. Pam and I went for our first bike ride of the spring on Saturday. I have a new bike and I really like it. And the way the price of gas is going I may be riding it to work soon. (I am serious about that).

Thanks for sticking with me. I have no idea who's reading this stuff, but keep checking back in.