Sunday, September 12, 2010

Bowled Over: Giveaway!!

This giveaway is now closed, but feel free to enjoy my chat with Jim from the Etsy shop "A Fresh Twist," and enjoy his work!

The WINNER of this beautiful, hand-turned red oak bowl is
JENNIFER BARR!

Tune in for upcoming giveaways...including one that is yummy!

I really enjoyed hosting a recent giveaway - it was so nice to share! I am ridiculously pleased to introduce another giveaway - and this one is all about Jim...

Jim makes bowls. Beautiful wooden bowls. (Read more about him here.) And Jim has made a beautiful wooden bowl out of red oak in honor of the Big Red Couch. Jim and I chatted a little bit and I was fascinated to learn more about woodworking.

This is what I love: not only has Jim hand-turned a red oak bowl for the Big Red Couch, he provided photos of the process, so you can see the bowl being born. I absolutely love this.

So, without further ado...


1. So, Jim, I have to ask: did you get an "A" in shop class? How did you begin woodworking?

Actually, my wife bought me a lathe for my birthday a couple of years ago, and I was immediately hooked. The process of "turning" something that is going to be thrown away or burned up into something useful and beautiful is a very rewarding experience.
In the beginning, I read everything I could about turning, and indulged in a lot of trial and error. Sometimes the wood flew off the lathe and bounced around; thankfully things stay on much more now. For Christmas the next year, my wife upgraded me to a better lathe. I had completely worn out the first one, (motor, bolts, belts)!


2. How did you go from crafting bowls in Michigan to setting up an Etsy shop online?

After my new lathe, my output increased. We had bowls everywhere. People would come over and say how much they liked them. My wife bought a cabinet with a glass door at an antique shop for my bowls. When that was full, she and my two boys made a bigger cabinet with handmade stained glass in the front doors. Soon that, too, was full. My wife had bought some pottery through Etsy in the past and she suggested that I sell my bowls there. It was great setting up the store and I have enjoyed it so far.


3. I see beautifully shaped, crafted bowls - but I don't know anything about the creation process. Can you summarize the steps between a hunk of wood and a shiny, curved dish?

The process of creating is different for everybody. Ask three wood turners what their techniques are for turning and you will get three different answers. I use various tools to carve the wood and the process may take a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on the complexity. As the wood spins I guide it to the shape I have in mind. Other times the wood persuades me that something different would be even better.

4. What's your favorite thing that you've made?

That's a hard one. Probably my favorite piece is the holder for my wife's paint brushes. Made of slightly-spalted maple, it curves in at the middle and flares out on the top and bottom. I like the shape of it and the way the wood looks, but I also like that it helps her to create works of art.



5. Do you ever wonder where your creations will end up - how their story continues after they leave your hands?

I think about this one a lot. I hope that people get use, or possibly even inspiration out of my creations. Who knows where a bowl may end up or what use it may have? The longer a bowl is around and passed on, the longer and more interesting a s
tory it has to tell. I hope that people get as much enjoyment out of them as I do in making them.



And now, for the important part!
Enter to win this very bowl!



HOW TO ENTER:
Visit Jim's shop, A Fresh Twist, at Etsy, and share your favorite item from it in a comment below. Be sure to include your email address. That's it!

Contest ends at midnight central time on Friday, September 17, 2010.
Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond once notified.
US and Canadian residents only. One entry per person.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really love the hand-turned poplar bowl! I don't think I've ever seen anything made out of poplar before, and I really love both the grain of the wood and the shape of the bowl.
phoeberom161@hotmail.com

s. said...

My favorite is the Hand-turned poplar bowl. It looks so skillfully done!

Hans said...

I've got one of Jim's bowls and I can assure everyone reading this that he does really beautiful work.

!&# said...

The round hand turned ash bowl is really beautiful. I can almost imagine the texture just from looking at it!

Angela Nicole said...

I love the Spalted Goblet...it makes me wish I was sitting around a round table with some knights and some mead. Sigh.

I am so impressed with lathed bowls, I just began lathing and I must admit I am only at candle stick level! Keep up the good work!

Jenny L said...

Wow! I love the Hand-Turned Poplar Bowl, it's such an interesting color and I think it would make a fabulous centerpiece or gift.

CallMePretty411@yahoo.com said...

i LOVE the Bark-bottomed bowl! It's just gorgeous!

Grace said...

I like the bark bottom bowl and the poplar bowl. So beautiful and natural. Thanks for a chance to win this.

myyearinhaiku at gmail dot com

miller lawn service said...

I really like the Hand turned apple pedestal bowl. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

laura4him@bellsouth.net
I like the hand turned poplar bowl a lot!

Anonymous said...

groovers4him@bellsouth.net
I like the hand turned apple pedestal bowl

jennifer57 said...

Spalted goblet

Really nice stuff!


chevybelair1@Juno.com

Julie said...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/52321916/tapered-red-oak-bowl just one of the products I like-beautiful-

thanks so much for a lovely giveaway
aunteegem@yahoo.com

Judy B said...

I love the apple pedestal bowl- I can see it on my table full of apples, or pumpkins, or pinecones, or whatever!

judychrz at gmail.com

NatalieB said...

How do you pick one? I guess I would go with the apple pedestal.

Wehaf said...

I love the hand-turned poplar-bowl; I'd fill it up with almonds and put it front and center on the coffee table.

urchiken at gmail dot com

Knocked Up and Nursing said...

Wow, what great talent! i love the Hand-turned maple salad bowl.
sarah.robot at gmail dot com

liz said...

Hey dear, please join my f21 peach statement ring giveaway in my blog :)

Wish u luck there <3

Carrie said...

I like the hand-turned yellow birch bowl--mostly because it's shallow. I like shallow bowls. Nice work, fun giveaway!

vwvanatics@sbcglobal.net

Unknown said...

Well, like a lot of others here, I really liked the Hand-turned poplar bowl because of the unusual color, and the thin light look. It is beautifully done! I also liked the Hand-turned maple salad bowl for its size and the color contrast. It is lovely! Also the cool goblet, and the apple pedestal bowl... actually I could go on and on! I really like them all! And the bowl in the "give away" is wonderful! And it is so interesting to see the wood and the bowl in process, and then the finished product! Thanks for sharing such artistry with us!

Emily said...

Definitely the spalted goblet. If I were Indiana Jones, I would choose it and, I'm sure, gain eternal life.

jennifer57 said...

I just sent my address to you. I was very happy to hear I have won the bowl :)

thanks so much! :)