This Post includes the following stories:
- Ready to Carve
- New Chip Carving Classes Scheduled
- Chip Carving Sea Turtles 

Ready-to-Carve; As promised in earlier posts, a new item was officially added to the Carolina Mountain Reefs online store today, also launching a new product line specifically designed for Chip Carvers.
The item; 3D “spherical Illusion” pattern professionally printed on a 10" Flat, Plain Edge Basswood Plate.
The Product Line; “Ready-to-Carve” project items for Chip Carvers who want (or need) to skip the layout work and dive right into carving. will increase in number over time, initially focusing on unique patterns printed on flat basswood stock. As interest and capabilities increase, so will the line of products.
Cost: Based on the current cost of printing, items in the “Ready-to-Carve” line will be quite cost effective. For example, my charge for the same design drawn by hand (the “old-fashioned way”) on a 10” basswood plate was $ 37.25 plus tax and shipping. I’m now able to offer it for $ 23.25 plus tax and shipping. That’s more than a 30% cost reduction.
Limitations; Some limitations will affect the items offered. At this time, the physical size of the basswood item is limited to about 10-1/2” in width and length, and about 2” in depth.
Gearing up for Classes!
I'm excited about finally getting two classes planned and scheduled following a few months of travel to Shows and a pretty significant (and lengthy) home remodeling project. Both classes will take place at the Klingspor Woodworking Shop near the Asheville, NC Regional Airport. Click on "Classes" in the navigational menu at the top of this page for the essential information (dates, times, chip carving project, etc.). You'll also find a link to the details for the July 2017 class there. Once the class project for the September 2017 class is decided on, details will be posted in the same location. Additional classes are being discussed for the rest of 2017 and early 2018 in various locations.
Interested in Chip Carving a Sea Turtle? 
I've had numerous requests for an class on embellishing the surfaces of a Sea Turtle with chip carved designs and motifs. If you're seriously interested, please let me know.

Ready-to Carve!
Following the appearance of the "Chip Carved 3D Illusion" article in Woodcarving Illustrated (WCI) this Spring, I received requests for a pattern from several people who didn't feel they could do the drawing and compass work or were uninterested in doing it. They did want to do the carving.

I'll admit it, I was disappointed at first, thinking perhaps the directions weren't made clear enough. Most people recognize that a Publisher's most precious commodity is editorial space. For that reason, directions sometimes need to be condensed and photos consolidated. In my experience the WCI editors were diligent about keeping the article clear and informative. They also provided me with multiple opportunities for review. In fact, they felt strongly enough about clarity to increase the number of pages devoted to the article. So any lack of clarity is mine to bear. That said, if you have given it a fair try and are confused in any way over the information provided, please contact me directly. I'll spend as much time with you as needed to clarify instructions and answer questions. 

It seems however, that the actual pencil and compass work was the problem among those who requested a pattern. This is something I hadn't anticipated, but completely understand and respect! It's easy to see how dexterity, eyesight, lighting, time available, and many other factors could contribute to frustration - especially given the precision required in this particular project. The first 2 or 3 requests for a pattern struck me as the perfect "jump from the fire into the frying pan" analogy. Many people are successful and happy with graphite paper (aka transfer paper) to transfer a pattern onto the wood to be carved. I use it at times too. But I don't like it on large or complex designs that require precise measurements, stationary patterns, a very steady hand, and X-ray vision to know, at all times, that the pattern is still perfectly aligned with what has been drawn so far. Okay, I was kidding about the X-ray vision - but not the rest. I could go on, but suffice it to say, I've always preferred to draw, with pencil, ruler, and compass, directly onto the wood to be carved. The heat, or more dangerous chemical, transfer methods might work better than transfer paper, but I'm skeptical when it comes to this particular array of lines, vectors, and circles.
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So what's the answer?  I'm working on a unique way to provide those who are interested, with a "Ready-to-Carve" solution. If you want a sneak peek, you can click on "Store" in the menu bar at the top of this page, then scroll to the bottom row and click on the "10" Basswood Plate with 3D Illusion Pattern - Ready to Carve". By next week, I'll know if the new approach to this solution will be even better .... and perhaps less expensive!
 
Your Feedback Please!
One last thing. If you're receiving this Blog but found yourself uninterested in this particular topic, please know that I'll still include information about upcoming Shows, new carving underway or completed, classes being offered, etc.. Please let me know what I can do to make each post of more interest to you.
Thanks,
Bill