Bathroom Cabinets, oh my!

Some time ago I made a large Over John cabinet for Camper daughter.  They have a tiny main bathroom with no storage at all.  They'd been hemming and hawing about what they wanted for so long that I decided I'd build them something that they could use - or not.  I figured if they didn't want it, it would be easy to sell.  Remember this from an earlier post?

Well, it was BIG, and ended up being too big for their little space (I've since found them a much smaller cabinet - thrift store find - and it's hanging in their bathroom now until they find something else they like better!).  So, I listed this cabinet on our local FB Marketplace site.  I had a couple of nibbles, but no one was willing to pay what I was asking - which was really reasonable given the size of this cabinet (and compared to what you can buy in retail outlets!).  I'd gotten to the point that I was seriously considering turning this into something else!  And, then I got a message from a young woman who wanted it at a price I was willing to accept for it.  But, then she didn't come get it.  I messaged her and learned they did want it but had been tied up with family and illness and hadn't been able to get out to pick it up - they live over an hour away from me!  Then she asked me if I'd been the one to make this, would I be willing/able to make another on similar, but larger, not as deep, and with mirrored doors.  And, I did.  She came out to pick up both cabinets this week.  They've already been installed, and she loves them.  (I know this because I forgot to give her the shelves for one of the cabinets and had to deliver them to her yesterday - it was a nice drive and I got to see my sister, so ...)

Anyway, patience paid off with this cabinet, and then they both went to a good place!  

Angels, Angels, Angels

A 2017 Christmas project that became gifts for neighbors, friends and family.  This was a fun project to build and to give.  I love Angels💗

Another late Christmas post - Serving boards

My good friend sent me a picture of a serving board that was huge.  It made a grand statement on a buffet table and it was something she really liked.  She sent me the picture with a question "What do you think"?  (it was similar to this one, just a bit bigger and even more expensive Serving Board)  Well, it was pretty impressive shown on a beautiful, full table of appetizers.  But, the price on this impressive board was $199!!!!  What??  Well, it was supposedly made from 100 year old wood from a building in Europe.  So, what did I think? 

I told her I could make one that looked like it for a whole lot less.  And, I did.  In fact, I made two for her, one for her to use and one for her to give as a gift.  These were lightly stained with Minwax Ipswich stain, then sealed with shellac, which is food safe.  It will yellow over age, but then natural wood will also yellow, so all's good with that!

My friend purchased a big bag of leather pieces and we used a shoe-laced size piece of leather for the holding strap (through that hole in the "handle").  This was 40" long, about 1.5" thick and 11" wide.  BIG! and HEAVY! 

I'd make one for myself, just because they look really cool, but I have no place to keep it when it's not being used.  Pretty impressive, right?  And, the cost to make?  Materials were, nope, not going into that - let's just say she insisted on paying me $40 for each one.  And, if I get a request for another one I'll be very happy to take $40 for it!  

Granddogs - oh what fun!

So, do you have a dog?  Love having a dog?  Think everyone should have a dog?

I don't have a dog!  I love not having a dog!  I think there comes a time in your life when you shouldn't have a dog!

I'm at that time in my life.  I'm old, impatient, what to go when I want to go, don't want to clean up messes, don't want to have to worry about someone taking care of a pet, don't want to spend the money on dog food, and most importantly, don't want to risk a broken hip or other bone because of a pet that is always in  your way!

But, I do love my granddogs!  They're sweet and loving and they bring great pleasure to my kids and grandkids.  I have often kept my granddogs for the day or days.  (I still worry about tripping over them though!).  I love having them with me for short visits, and, I'm always glad to see them go home where they belong.

My granddogs always get Christmas gifts from me, and this past year it was my intention to make them raised dog food/bowl holders.  But, I just didn't get them done!  I had bowls, I had lumber (scraps I'd saved for this particular purpose), and I had time.  Still, I didn't even get them started.  What can I say, I was just too lazy to start them.

But, I made up for it recently.  I figure if you get a gift within a month of the gift-giving event, you get a pass.  (and I completely forgot my son's two "boys" - they've been grumpy, outside dogs for a couple of years so I don't ever see them, but I do feel bad.  I think they'll get a steak bone on my next visit to them.)

Top: Just a tray to hold Penny Rose’s tiny bowls. Penny is a mini apricot poodle that weighs in at about 5 lbs now-I think she can reach them!! 
Middle: tall with food storage is for big black labs, Bailey and Cabela-I think they’ll share nicely (they eat each other’s food now!). And the other, sans storage, is for our big yellow lab, Gracie. She drags her bowls all over the yard so this may deprive her of a favorite game-but at least they won’t have to search for a bowl to put her food into though! (Update - Gracie manages to pull her bowl out of the stand and still drags that bowl all over the yard!)
And bottom: for our little bear-like Schipperke  bowls of her own that hopefully the big dogs will leave alone! 

Pretty Corbels

Something sort of new that I worked on last year.  I'm always-well, most of the time-ready for a challenge. My daughter's friend is on the look out for corbels.  Since I'd attempted one this year, that turned out okay, I told her I'd make a couple and if she liked them she could buy them.  It was interesting making them. I used a pattern from another builder (prettyhandygirl.com).  I had to reset my band saw twice, and then one morning the blade snapped.  But, so worth the work to get that saw working again!   I like them. They were already rustic and "aged" looking (thanks to my sadly lacking band saw skills), but the old, chippy finish is just what logger-daughter's friend is looking for.  I hope to deliver these to her on my next visit - in a week or so if everyone, including me, can stay healthy (this flu is a real pain in the patooty!)

I think I like making things look old!