On The Cover Again!

On the cover of Woodcarving magazine for the third time! This time with a lovely picture of my boy doing some carving with me. He was pleased to see his picture there. 

This issue of woodcarving magazine I also write the opening letter for the issue (always a fun bit), I got to interview am amazing carver from America called Bob Yorburg, and I carved up some vegetable fridge magnets (more about them in another post).  

Cover Star - Again! Wood Carving Magazine Front Cover

I've managed to make it to the front cover of a magazine again! It's the second time I've been on the front of Woodcarving magazine! 

My wife took the picture of me sat in front of my workbench a while back. 

My articles make up the first 21 pages of this issue. 

Kolrosing Article - Woodcarving Magazine

I'm quite excited by my latest article series, this is a two part one really which details kolrosing. A type of wood tattooing. 

In this article I show how to make a simple kolrosing knife and then how to decorate a spatula using it (you stain the cuts with coffee grounds). 

This Months Magazine Articles

Having all three magazines I write for land not too far apart is always nice. Reminds me of some projects I did a while ago.  

This months magazine articles projects made and written by myself are -
@woodworkingcrafts 78 - Small router table
@woodcarvingmagazine 191 - Larping chest/Bible box
@woodturning__magazine 377 - Christmas baubles

There is also another woodturning article for the magazine that came out in the month that woodworking crafts and woodcarving have off (they're every two months)

On Another Magazine Cover - Woodworking Crafts issue 75!

 Each month I get sent the magazines I have articles in. I look forward to opening the envelope and seeing my article in there (which I later cut out and keep in a folder). 

But I was utterly surprised when I opened it yesterday to pull out the most recent copy of Woodworking Crafts to find myself on the cover! 

In this issue I'd written a piece about making the rose arch for my garden and without telling me they'd put one of the pictures on the front cover! I was gobsmacked! I have to admit to quite liking this picture, I look like a proper woodworker! 

Two magazines in the newsagents with my mug on at the same time! What an honour! 

On The Cover Of Wood Carving Magazine!

Okay, So it's not the cover of Vogue but I was pretty excited to see myself on the cover of Woodcarving Magazine this month! 

I've been writing for them for a while now and when I got asked if I'd be keen to be the guest editor for a month I jumped at the chance. I got to write the welcome page, interview a carver (managed to get Chris Pye to say yes which I was super excited about), as well as a review and an article about making carved butter moulds. 

I was walking on cloud nine until my eldest came back from school, looked at it and said "Looks like you're sucking a sweet!" then flicked the page over where she knew she was in the magazine! Good to have them keep me grounded. 

I really enjoy writing for magazines and this is one I used to buy 20 years ago when I was an apprentice. I have well over 50 articles published now in a variety of magazines but write regularly for Wood carving magazine, Wood turning magazine, Woodcraft magazine and Country Smallholding. I love that it helps make up the weird and wonderful way I can make a living! 

I think starting blogging over a dozen years ago helped me get to this point with writing, although I very much still need my wife for proof reading! 

I also love writing fiction and I'm 57,000 words into my first novel (very grim dark though so might not be to the taste of some readers here!). Funny as I always found English so hard growing up and at school. 

If you buy a copy let me know what you think! 

Creative writing

Not sure what has happened but it seems like time has been sped up at the moment! 

I think I might be neglecting the blog a bit at the moment - I will try harder!

I like to find some time to write nearly every day and I'm still managing to do that, but I've been doing more magazine articles (which is great as it does mean some income) and I've been doing a creative writing course via zoom once a week, rather than blogging I guess. 

This course is for fiction writing, although I'm sure it will improve my non fiction writing as well, and I've been really enjoying writing some, to the point where it's all I want to be doing at the moment! I've written a few short stories and had some really good feedback so far, really makes me want to carry on and try my hand at some longer stories.

It's nice to branch my hobby of writing into something fun and creative like this. I've always wanted to do it but somehow never got very far with anything. 

I'm tempted to post some of my creative fiction writing on here or find somewhere to post it where people might read it. Of course I get imposter syndrome and worry about it though, and my favourite genres might not tie to my lifestyle here. 

 Anyone else like to write? Probably a silly question to put to bloggers as I'm sure everyone enjoys it that does it for a hobby! 

The Last Hedge

I've not had the best week, having spent a large part of the last seven days in bed with the flu. It really has knocked me for six but I'm nearly back to my old self. 

One thing that did make me smile was when this issue of The Hedge (it's last issue ever unfortunately) turned up.

I wrote this near the start of the year and I was unsure whether it would get published or not. It does make me wonder if I should think harder about my titles in future though! It's a subject I'm passionate about though so always happy to talk or write about it.

I've enjoyed my writing this year, if you're interested in seeing what I've written and had published then check out my page In Print at the top of this blog or click here.

Anyway luckily I've managed to get a few days outside to build the kids Christmas present, it was getting a bit close at one point, dad came on the Sunday and nearly got stuck. Watch this space to see what I built them - but only if they like it!

Winter Stories Wanted!

In this post I'm after a bit of help! 

I'm currently writing an article for a popular magazine about being prepared for hard winters - A kind of batten down the hatches and stock up piece. 

Last winter will be one we remember for a long time! 

I want to give lots of advice but also contain some stories from hard winters in the past, especially on farms, smallholding and homesteads. Winters like 1963 or 1982 spring to mind, although they were before my time so it would be great to have some first hand accounts and stories.

Also I'd love to know what unusual items or ones most people wouldn't have thought of that you now keep in stock because of a hard winter or a problem you had to overcome.  

If anyone has any old pictures from winters past it would be great if I could use them? I'd love some pictures of people and animals snowed in or pictures of heavy snow - I bet there's some great pictures out there! 

You can leave comments here or email through pictures via my contacts page or through social media and you'll have my everlasting thanks and a mention! 

The Hedge Magazine

When at the seed swap earlier this year I was asked if I'd be interested in writing for "The Hedge" magazine. One was slipped into my hand to read. 

When I got home I sat down for half an hour and read it cover to cover. 

It was beautiful. Full of poems and well written monologues about rural life as well as some stunning illustrations as well. I loved it, it really felt like a lovely publication, I was only too keen to write to the editor and say I'd love to write for them. 

It's locally based (Herefordshire) not-for-profit publication released twice a year and as they say in their own blurb - "it's place to recognise how the local affects the global"