rod termaat - spoon carver

New website

2011-07-31T22:39:00.000-05:00

I have moved the blog to www.rodtermaat.com. I was unable to keep the blogger format and moved to wordpress. I have several new posts and pictures of spoons and some hook knifes that I have made.

I will not longer be updating this blog, but rather continue to expand www.rodtermaat.com.

enjoy, rod

2011-06-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

2011 17 and 18 are Crab Apple Tulip Salad Tongs.

Another staple carving that just never gets old. At the spoon gathering I saw my first clones. Someone had carved a set just like mine. I was pleased that someone liked them enough to emulate. Ok maybe that is a bit vain since they naturally want to be tulips, but I take the little bit of pleasure anyway.
The ones with the balls on the end are 17 just for the record; which this blog is.

2011-06-20T19:52:00.000-05:00

2011 13 - Spatula in Mulberry - I love carving spatulas more then any other spoon variety. This one has a simple chipped carved pattern on the handle.

2011-06-20T19:50:00.000-05:00

Here are 3 Buckthorn eating spoons I carved at the gathering in Milan, MN.

2011 14 - My new favorite and my personal eating spoon. Carved like a small spatula it handles food effortlessly. I highly suggest carving one in this style. I added a small chip carved detail to complete the look.

2011 15 - Another Buckthorn spoon with more brown then orange. A bit of random design gives it more pizazz then it probably deserves, but I like it.

2011 16 - Small spatula in Buckthorn The knot in the handle called out for a sun and I superimposed a moon along side.

2011-06-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Finally, some new pictures of my carvings. I am doing a art showing in July and working to get my inventory organized and labeled.

2011 10 - Boxelder paster fork. Too short, but turned out pretty cool anyhow.

2011 11 - Boxelder spatula. The knot was removed in the middle and makes a great sun burst.

2011 12 - Walnut coffee scoop. Carved with a turtle on the handle just because I like too.

some cool 'how to' pics from a block and a tree limb

2011-06-17T23:21:00.002-05:00

2011-06-17T23:21:00.000-05:00

Almost done posting pictures from the 5th annual spoon gathering. Here are the spoons Ben brought to share.

2011-06-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

Vance and his wife from KS drove up to Milan for the first time. His style really caught me and I admired them greatly. Not to mention they were both great people. His wife spent the hours knitting and he carved. I hope they come again next year.

2011-06-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

And more

2011-06-16T22:47:00.000-05:00

More great spoons from several carvers at the gathering in Milan Mn.

2011-06-15T23:07:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of Rita's spoons. She carves all kinds of wood including some exotic varieties. She also gave a nice talk on spoon carving and her technique.

2011-06-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

Another nice collection brought to share with others. I am a walnut fan and that spoon 5th from the right is a keeper.

2011-06-14T22:56:00.000-05:00

A set of fine tea spoons. The notches next to the bowl are very original. I liked these a lot.

2011-06-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

Here are some very cool spoons from a fella named Gordon. I am not sure I meet him, but cool none the less. I am definitely going to try and carve one of these.

2011-06-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

Here are Tom's spoons. I really like is style of carving. I have tried to emulate a few spoons, but they just do not measure up. He follows a more pure form of Scandanavian design and is another great knowledge base of green wood carving.

2011-06-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of what Harley Refsal brought to the gathering. He is pretty well known in the carving world and a great person. The wooden cup in the bottom right was very nice. I hope I can carve something like that some day.

2011-06-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

Here are spoons and bowls from Jarrod. He is a great guy and one of the friendly people I have meet in my short 40 years. I would like to call him a friend, but that may be a bit brave since we have only met twice. Jarrod turns bowls on a Spring Pole Lathe that he built himself. Turning bowls and carving spoons may be enought for some, but he also builds birch canoes. His wife April makes beautiful baskets. Someday I hope to own one for myself.

Jarrod and April help to organize the Traditional Ways Gathering happening in WI in August. I hope to teach there this year. I plan to focus on wooden spatulas as I think there are under represented. I took the time off from work, but now need to fill out the paper work - something I am not too good at....

I left this year with a bowl and a spoon from Jarrod. I will post a picture later.

Here is a link http://www.traditionalways.org/

Here is a link to Jarrod and Aprils site. http://www.woodspiritgallery.com/

2011-06-12T22:48:00.001-05:00

Here are spoons from Yuri. I managed to get him to trade me the 4th spoon on the right (counting from the large center spoon) for some tools and misc carving gear. I also scored a few Buckthorn eating spoon blanks. Yuri's spoons are beautiful and some of my favorites.

2011-06-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

Ok. Time to post some pictures. I was fortunate to attend the 5th Spoon Gathering in Milan Mn the first weekend of June. I think attendance was around 70. More carvers then last year which was great. It was also great to see some younger carvers and first timers in general. The event continues to grow each year.

Here is my set up. I photo'd all the spoons on display. I did not get to meet every carver, but there was some great variety and talent as always.

Annual Spoon Gathering

2011-05-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

We have come to that point again in the year. June 3rd and 4th in Milan MN people from all walks of life and locations will gather to share their love of spoon carving. This will be the 5th gathering and my 4th. It is one of the highlights of the year. If you have not considered attending do so. You will learn a ton about carving, and not just spoons. I will take plenty of pictures to post when I get back.

I also have several almost finished spoons to post about and a review of a new sanding system I finally broke down and purchased. Too much to get done in order to leave Thursday morning, but will make posting a priority when I get back.

http://www.milanvillageartsschool.org/spoon_gathering.html

Boxelder coffe scoop and spatula

2011-04-17T23:36:00.001-05:00

Ok, not sure if this picture is going to come thru. Picasa is giving me problems. Been a couple of months since I posted, and it was a nice break. I needed to set the carving aside for a spell. Now, I am back and read to carve again. 2011 8 Boxelder Coffee Scoop with chip carved handle 2011 9 Boxelder spatula with kelrosing. I would have normally not carved such a thin spatula, but wanted to see just how it would hold up against other more substantial pieces. So far it is great and looks to be keeper.

Short Update

2011-01-31T08:30:00.000-06:00

You may notice an update to the blog. I just added the ability to buy a spoon from my site using the Google Store gadget. How cool is that. It needs a bit of work before prime time and better pictures. I will work on that tonight after my other job. This will be interesting to say the least. rod

Boxedler and Oak

2011-01-30T21:24:00.000-06:00

2011 6 Boxelder

2011 7 Red Oak

The boxedler spoon turned out very nice with a section of bark left on the bowl. I was able to keep a significant portion of the red grain typical in this wood. Sometimes I am forced to carve out the red while creating a spoon.

The red oak was tough as nails. It was old firewood that was dry and very hard. Even after soaking for several days it was like carving steel.

Both spoons turned out great. I decided to keep the boxelder one as part of my ever growing personal collection. Someday I hope to have enough to display them publicly somewhere.

Kitchen tools

2011-01-09T20:35:00.000-06:00

Here are all of the wooden spoons used in our kitchen daily. We cook 90% of our meals at home. Some of these are many years old and to not get treated nicely. Even so a bit of oil and they pop like new. Yes, there are a few plastic tools off to the left. That is a goal for 2011 - to eliminate all the plasitc utinsels we have.

Alleywood Ladle - 2011 05

2011-01-09T20:31:00.001-06:00

Here is the completed ladle. I not thinking this is maple any longer. The grain was every which way, the color is a mixture of white, green and various shades of black/brown. Not a fun carve. Irregardless, I continued until the end and decided this one was a keeper. Meaning too ugly to sell. I chipped carved my lastname into the handle. These are my first chip carved letters, and they turned out pretty well. In the end all is well. We do not have a carved ladle in our user collection and this one will do nicely. The first 2 pics are before oiling.

In process Ladle

2011-01-03T22:31:00.001-06:00

Here is a new ladle I worked on today - my last day of vacation. It is maple and not nice at all. The grain goes everywhere and I can foresee much sand paper being used to smooth out the details. I planned a square handle, but later refined it into more of a blob. I think once it dries and I finish the process it will not be have bad.

On another note, I went thru my frozen wood reserve and am down to very slim pickings. I have dried out oak that makes my hands hurt just thinking about carving it and some 2nd tier blanks that have been there forever. I need to go a hunting.

First Spoons of 2011

2011-01-02T15:59:00.000-06:00

I just completed my last batch of coffee scoops. They are not my favorites, they are fun enough to carve, but the finish work is tedious since they are small, but with large bowls. I think I will be done carving these for a while as this last batch should complete my obligations on already spoken for spoons

If we look at the top right picture for reference

2011 - 1 Mulberry with Kelrosing
2011 - 2 Alleywood with Kelrosing
2011 - 3 Maple with tiger stripes in the bowl
2011 - 4 Boxelder - not my favorite carving, but I decided to finish it anyway.

Next up is completing the ladle shown in the previous post. It is the work in progress shown on the work bench. After that my wood supplies are dangerously low so out in the snow I shall have to go...

Workbench

2011-01-02T10:55:00.002-06:00

I decided to start off 2011 with a couple of pictures of my workspace. It is not large, but works great for spoon carving. I used to carve in the basement of the house in a typical shop space. It was cold and isolated. After seeing Robin Wood carving in the living room I knew I needed to make a change. I repurposed a rolltop desk of my sons into a carving bench. It continues to slowly evolve.

The top left is a nice overview of the space I work in. I do the rough out either outside on my chopping block or in the basement with my bandsaw.

Top right shows the tools I use most often. There are several knives from Dell http://www.pinewoodforge.com A Left handed Carving Jack from Flexcut, a couple of Japanese tools (plane and spokeshave), and a small drawknife.

The bottom left is another view and the middle picture is a ladle I am working on. I copied the desk vice from an article I found on Barry Gordon's site. http://www.barrygordon.com/
He is a master and I hope to one day meet him and maybe acquire a spoon of his.

Finally the bottom right shows a few accessories. There is a old leather strope, a couple of homemade scrapers, and new this years is a spoon scraper and marking gauge from Lee Valley - thanks to Santa....

Walnut and Apple Splash

2010-12-12T22:35:00.000-06:00

This spoon was a long time coming. I mean I have had the idea for months, but never acted on it. Mostly because I was scared of messing up. Long ago, I tried wood turning buying the tools and setting out to be the next great turner. As it happens turning was not for me as I did not appreciate the noise, and all the chips that landed everywhere. Carving is very Zen like for me - proably why I carve so many spoons. My son actually turned this little 'handle thing' when he was about 10, and I carved the apple scoop a couple of years back and both sat quietly until this afternoon when I finally attempted to drilling the hole. It took all of 30 seconds and was a none issue.

The result is quite nice as the chocolate and golden browns work well together. Most impressive is that it stands on its own base. And it looks cool too.

2010 68 Maple Ladle

2010-12-12T22:23:00.000-06:00

I like the shape of this spoon with the keel running along the back. I gave it an Octogon handle which is hard to see, but there none the less. You can see the darkening that occured as it dried. I scraped and scraped, but was not able to remove all of the discoloration. Kind of depressing, but nowhere near as bad a dropping an almost finished spoon only to have the bowl crack....

Anyway as long as we are palying critic. The bowl needs to be a bit larger to have any real use, but the general S shape gives it good user properties.

If you look close you can see a bit off my workshop. It is a small rolltop desk where most all of my carving is done. I plan to take some pictures of my tools and process over the holidays. The desk works well and the rolltop is great to hide the mess. I only wish is was more sturdy. On my long list is to build one like you would a workbench - a someday project.

2010 67 Maple serving spoon

2010-12-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

One of last pieces of maple in the freezer. I have enjoyed the simple chip carving patterns I have added to my spoons as of late. I went so far as buying a book on technique this weekend only to realize what an amatuer I am.

2010 65 and 66 Chestnut Coffee Scoops

2010-12-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

Here are 2 Chestnut Coffee Scoops. There are 2 sizes. I prefer the longer one since I can reach into those silly coffee bags. Both turned out nice are potential xmass gifts for a couple of people I know.

Spatulas

2010-12-05T22:50:00.000-06:00

Hera are a couple of saute spatulas I recently finished. These are both Boxelder.

1 has a flower coming out of a pot and the other is a vine with flowers.

I recently carved 2 other saute spatulas one in Mulberry with a chipped carved handle and the other is Elm with a small frog on the handle. In my haste I forgot to take pictures before selling them. I had big plans to photograph all 4 together since these pictures did not turn out as well as I would have liked. Luckily, I plan to stick to carving and not selling pictures....

I have 2 small coffee scoops to finish off this week and will post them soon.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

Here is a final festive picture. This particular spoon is maple. It turned out nice with a slightly curved handle. I added the chipped carved ribbon on the handle. One of the better spoons I have carved in some time.

61 - Maple with Chipped Carved Ribbon.

Trick or Treat

2010-10-31T20:50:00.001-05:00

Here are the finished spoons. We have in no particular order.

56 Chestnut Burl - I carved this close to the surface. The back of the bowl is the natural shape of the wood. I saved a nice section of burl that forms a nice thumb rest on the top side. In all a pretty nice spoon.

57 - Walnut spoon. Just a nice user
58 - Alleywood - another user, but I like how th two spoons work together. If you try hard you can see a nice male and female form as they stand beside eachother.

59 - Oak - red oak spoon with an oversized bowl. I like the nice organic look.

60 - Small Redbud server. The last of the redbud. This is the last piece of my small collection of redbud.

In process

2010-10-18T23:51:00.000-05:00

Here are a few spoons in the process. I am drying and finishing them. This means lots of scraping, and some sanding when needed. I am working to keep these more natural with only the bowls sanded and the rest scraped.

Not the best spoons I have ever carved, but my supply of materials is down to 3 pieces in the freezer. Getting nervous....I think I may have a problem.

Top to Bottom
redbud
alleywood (or rather unknown)
walnut
Chestnut

The Chestnut has a nice burl on the backside, so we will see if it becomes a gem or just another user...

Coffee Scoops

2010-10-18T23:46:00.000-05:00

Here are 4 new little spoons to replace that little plastic coffee scoops I find being used.

On the top right picture they are

2010 55 - Redbud (top left)
2010 54 Alleywood (top right)
2010 53 - Cherry (bottom left)
2010 52 - Cherry (bottom right)

These are a fun way to use up scraps, and they always sell first. They are small, but still take awhile to finish. I think the small size slows me down.

2010 Chestnut teaspoon

2010-10-18T23:40:00.000-05:00

I carved this as my contribution to Norman's spoon collection. You will find a smaller version I carved for my son somewhere in the blog. It is a tad over 7 inches long. Unfortunately, it needs to be closer to 9 inches. This has been a real struggle for me. I just carve and what gets created, just does. Trying to carve adhering to specific deminsions has not been easy.

Oh well, I carved 2 similar spoons and should be able to carve a third. Anyhow this one turned out pretty nice. I still like the little 4 inch one better, but I think is realted to the fact that it just appeared as I was carving and this one was planned.

I still plan to carve a spoon for the collection, but I am again almost out of wood. I need to go out and up my raw materials. I carve so many spoons that I find running out of wood to be my primary hurdle.

This one is not numbered.

Spoon Gathering

2010-10-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

Here are the final pictures. These are from the 4th Spoon Gathering Spring of 2010. This was the largest event to date with about 50 carvers and at another 20 spectators. This has become an annual trip for me. Nebrasks to Milan, Mn in 7 hours. I only wish I could go more then once each year.

Spoon Gathering

2010-10-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the Third Spoon Gathering. The weather was very bad. I only stayed the night and then ran home like a scared kitten. I am not a fan of cold weather. Not sure why I took so few pictures.

There is also a picture of me there, just for those who may be curious.

Walnut Tulip set

2010-10-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Here is another in walnut

RedHeart Tulip Salad Set

2010-10-18T21:24:00.000-05:00

Another picture I wanted to share. This is one of my trademark creations. They started me off in selling my spoons versus just carving and collecting.

Teaspoon Collection

2010-10-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the Second Spoon gathering

Norman S has an extensive collection of teaspoons he has been collection for years. Here shared his collection and I was fotunate enough to photograph many of his spoons. Hopefully he does not take offense to me posting this here. Someday I hope to add one of my spoons to his collection.

Spoon Gathering

2010-10-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

Here are pictures from the Second Spoon gathering in Milan MN. There is a picture of Frank here. He has since past on, but he is among my inspirations. Frank, Dell, Jim, Tom, and Fred have all inspired my carvings personally. They are all great carvers in the scandanavian tradition.

They taught me about carving green wood, making a blank with an axe, scrapers, and finish. I wanted to post these to inspire others, but also my computer is acting wonky and I fear loosing these forever.

2010 51 Spalted Cherry

2010-10-17T22:07:00.000-05:00

Spalted Cherry spoon. Nice peace sign carved in the handle. Curve is almost too much to be a good user, but neat still the same.

Status: Available $20

2010 50 Chestnut spoon

2010-10-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here is another Chestnut carving. Just a simple spoon, but I was able to save some of the interesting grain. A good user and nice to look at.

Status: Available $20

2010 49 Chestnut saute

2010-10-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a Chestnut saute or spatula. I would encourage you to carve one or three. It is a great beginner carving since you do not need a hook knife, and you can use it everyday when cooking. They easily replace metal and plastic spatulas. This particular one has the beginning of a burl on the handle which I was able to keep.

Status: already sold for $20

Early fall Spoons

2010-10-02T15:54:00.001-05:00

2010 46 Crabapple frog

2010 47 Chestnut Chip

2010 48 Maple Leaf

This is the last of my neighbors crab apple tree and although I love the wood I am glad to be on to something different for a while. The hardest part for me is having the time to find wood. I seem to have plenty of time to carve spoons...

The Chestnut is new to me. I like carving that. Took me a long time to ID this wood and it was alleywood for quite a while. I call wood that I can not identify alleywood - as in found in the alley behind my house.

The small maple spoon is a blank I received at the last spoon gathering in Mn. The blank was done so well I barely had to cave it. Something fun for beginning carvers. I froze the rest of the blanks in case someone needs an extra.

I have several more spoons waiting to be finished and a special spoon to post soon.

2010-09-18T15:11:00.000-05:00

One final picture of a few Netsuke carvings. My spoon shaving horse an some older tools I still use. I wll post soon a picture of my knee horse.

Old Spoons

2010-09-18T15:08:00.000-05:00

In addition to the canes. Here are some old pictures of spoons carved several years ago. I sure wish I had kept a few of them. Hopefully someone is still enjoying them.

Canes and walking sticks

2010-09-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of canes and walking sticks I have carved over the years. I still have several of these. Others where gifts.

2010 45 Cherry dipper

2010-08-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

Interesting piece of cherry. I added some chip carving in the rim and on the handle.

Status: available $20

2010 44 Crab apple Tulip

2010-08-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

I just love the shape of the tulip flower and it makes a great spoon. I did some basic kelrosing on the handle which is something new to me. I use this technique to add my signature and number. You then rub coffee dust into the slices. Once you oil the spoon the black coffee is locked into the spoon forever.

Status: available $20

2010 - 43 Cherry Shovel

2010-08-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

A good size shovel spoon in cherry.

Status: available $20

2010 - 42 catalpa coffee scoop

2010-08-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is a small coffee scoop. The wood is very soft and porous. You can see the staining. The lady bug looks better in person then in the picture.

In general this is not a wood that should be used for spoon carving.

Status: used daily

2010 41 Hackberry holes

2010-08-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

Hackberry holes

A nice user spoon out of Hackberry or a near species. A common tree in Nebrasksa - at least where I live. The holes where an experiement prior to chip carving. I was wanting something more, but this was not exactly it.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 40 Apple spreader

2010-08-12T07:40:00.000-05:00

Apple Spreader

Wood from a friend

The spreader is a nice first piece for new carvers since it does not require the scooping motion to create the bowl. I try and keep several on hand for demos and to give to people who want to give spoon carving a try.

Status: mine

2010 - 39 Redbud Frog

2010-08-12T07:35:00.002-05:00

Snake and Frog in Redbud

I had high hopes for Redbud, but it almost too soft, and the color is too similar to Mulberry. The Spoon however turned out aok with a snake and frog on the handle.

Status: Available $30

2010 38 Walnut Saute

2010-08-08T16:23:00.000-05:00

Walnut saute

Another piece of walnut firewood. This one has some spalting on the handle. I added a chip carved design. This is a keeper and gets used regulary.

Status: mine

2010 36 and 37 Sautes

2010-08-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

Mulberry and Cherry saute

36 - Mulberry saute with small relief carving providing a bit of flair

status: avaiable $20

37 - Cherry saute with small relief carving

status: available $20

2010 - 36 Maple snake

2010-08-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

Maple Snake

Small Maple spoon. The natural shape just needed to be revealed and within it hid a small friendly looking snake.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 35 Walnut fork

2010-08-01T09:58:00.001-05:00

Walnut Fork

Native Nebraska walnut left natural for a rustic feel.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 34 Apple Sugar

2010-07-29T19:19:00.000-05:00

Apple Sugar

Small elegant spoon desinged for the smalls tasks of everyday.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 33 Buckthorn Sugar

2010-07-29T19:13:00.001-05:00

Buckthorn Sugar Spoon

Not found in NE, but common in the Northwoods. Orange and brown mix to form a nice palette.

Status: Gifted to a friend

2010 - 32 Oak Oar

2010-07-29T19:08:00.000-05:00

Oak Oar

Simple design, but the best user design to date. The Oar shape stirs, mixes, sautes, and the list goes on.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 31 Cherry daisy

2010-07-29T07:35:00.001-05:00

Cherry Daisy

A Cherry spoon carved into my version of a daisy. I turned off the flash and that improved the pictures. I will try that on more up coming pics.

Status: Available $25

2010 - 30 Tulip Salad set

2010-07-29T07:30:00.002-05:00

Crabapple Tulip Salad tongs

This is one of a couple of spoons that I carve and recarve. They work well in tossing and serving salad and make a nice addition to your spoon collection.

Status: Available $25

2010 - 29 Cherry Leaf

2010-07-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

Cherry Leaf

Another spoon from my backyard Cherry tree. Carved with a leaf shaped bowl complete with veins. Again my mad skills with the camers hides these delicate lines. Not a beautiful spoon, but pretty and very functional.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 28 Apple Ladle

2010-07-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

Apple Ladle

I really wish I had a better camera and maybe some skill when taking pictures. This spoon is another favorite. It has a peach or pink tint to it which does not want to reveal itself to the camera. It was also the first spoon I carved where I had a knot in the bowl. The cracking took me a bit of time to get over. Superglue holds it together for me now.

Status: Private collection

2010 - 27 Walnut chip

2010-07-26T22:25:00.000-05:00

This is another piece of walnut firewood. I am still defining the chip caring on my handles, but I like the added detail it brings to my organic style. Most of my spoons are driven by the wood itself, but the organized chip carving adds another dimension to the piece.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 26 bacon fork

2010-07-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

Unknown bacon fork

this was a small piece of wood given to me by a friend. I can not remember what it is. One of the reasons for this web site is that over the years I forget.

Why bacon? My neighbor brought over a small fork that belonged to his great grandmother. He is about 65 so the fork is probably 100 years old. It had a nice small that is much more conventional then this example. Anyway, he told me he used it to turn bacon in the skillet in the morning. The name just stuck.

This example is pretty organic, but I like it.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 25 Poplar brave

2010-07-26T13:34:00.001-05:00

Poplar Brave spoon.

From time to time I get the urge to carve caricatures. This is a Native American that I found in a carving magazine. Fun to carve and fun to use.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 24 Apple Pie

2010-07-25T15:48:00.001-05:00

Pie spatula in apple wood

Status: Sold 2010

2010 - 23 Mulberry bark

2010-07-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Mulberry bark

A Nice yellow and black spoon made of mulberry. I left a strip of bark on the back to make thing interesting.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 22 Crabapple bamboo

2010-07-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

Crabapple faux bamboo. We have a bamboo grove in our backyard. This spoon and a few others over the years evokes what I love about that not so small little grove.

Status: available $20

2010 - 21 Walnut weave

2010-07-25T11:22:00.000-05:00

Started life as a hackberry spoon, but a crack in the bowl lead to the walnut weave creating a strainer. Not a user, but a favorite at gatherings.

Status: undecided?

2010 - 20 Mulberry

2010-07-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

Mulberry lable with a chip carved rim.

Status: available $20

2010 - 19 Crabapple Coffe Chip

2010-07-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

Small long spoon to get into those evil coffee bags. My hands are too big so this spoon does what I can not. Nice chipped carved handle to add some pop.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 18 Cherry Chip

2010-07-25T10:10:00.000-05:00

I had to remove a Cherry tree from the back yard and this is one of the spoons created. I have also been working on chip carving thus the embellished handle. Overall a nice spoon, but more of a user then a display piece.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 17 Boxelder Pepper

2010-07-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

A large right handed ladle. Red streaks run thru the back of the handle. Another spoon that needs to be touched to get the full effect. Carved to evoke the inside of a pepper, but people usually see something different.

Status: Available $50

2010 - 16 Walnut

2010-07-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

There is nothing overly special about this spoon other then the fabulous color and grain pattern. An old piece of firewood that turned into a great spoon. Need to sell, want to keep.

Status: Available $20

201015 Mulberry Double Dipper

2010-07-22T21:38:00.000-05:00

Fun little spoon in Mulberry. The yellow color is difficult to get on my POS camera. One end if a table spoon and the other is a teaspoon.

Status: Available $20

201014 Maple Spelunker

2010-07-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

This was an experiment where I carved the bowl and handle separately. The result is something found in an unexplored cave, the tools of early humans.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 13 Buckthorn ladle

2010-07-21T08:03:00.000-05:00

Buckthorn is an interesting wood. I did not know it even existed until the first spoon gathering in Mn. It does not appear to grow in Nebraska. It has many colors, but I appreciate the various orange colors most. This is another very large spoon. The bowl has tiger stripes which is rare and really pops the spoon.

Buckthorn is a favorite spoon carving wood in Mn. It is strong, has interesting grain, and finishes well.

Status: Private collection

2010 - 12 Massive Ash Spoon

2010-07-21T07:56:00.000-05:00

Spoon or bowl it is hard to decide with a spoon this size. It took a very long time to carve by hand.

Status: Available $40

2010 - 11 Dogwood turtle

2010-07-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

This spoon started out as just some fun piece to carve at lunch. The turtle came after the spoon was done and it just seemed like something was missing. The Redbud is touch and go. I found the branch on the side of the road. Some places are nice and firm and others can be broken by hand. Not sure if it is just my piece or Redbud in general. Some reading reveals that Redbud is soft, so really not ideal spoon material. Anyway, this really turned out nice. It will be a gift to my son who turns 13 soon and requested something related to turtles which he collects. The underside is also carved, but I forgot to take a picture of it. My camera is very frustrating.

2010 - 10 weathered ash

2010-07-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

Complete with worm holes and weathered handle this spoon has seen many years. Older piece of ash filewood that was given new life as a display spoon.

Status: Personal Collection

2010 - 09 Walnut Sprout

2010-07-18T13:18:00.000-05:00

An earlier spoon from around 2007. Reminds me of a seed that is just opened to reveal the young seedling.

Great dark walnut color.

Status: Personal Collection

2010 - 08 Peace Spoon

2010-07-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have carved this spoon many times. This one happens to be in crab apple. Good user spoon and makes a nice show among your other spoons.

Status: Available $20

2010 - 07 Crab apple

2010-07-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

Crab Apple Ladle from the same tree as number 6. The nice larger bowl size make this a good using spoon.

Available for purchase - $50

2010 - 06 Crabapple

2010-07-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

One of my very favorites. Carved from the crotch where 2 branches meet. A tragic crack in the bowl almost brings me to tears and reminds me that although strong they are not unbreakable.

Status: Personal collection (cracked)

2010 - 05 Ash Ladle

2010-07-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

Same tree as number 4, but more natural carving. This spoon needs to be held.

Status: Personal collection

2010 - 04 Ash Ladle

2010-07-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

The shape, feel, and color are spot on.

Status: Personal Collection.

2010-03 Mulberry

2010-05-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

A very recently carved ladle. Mulberry is unique in the yellow color. Sometimes you get black streaks that give it a bumblebee look. This spoon has a chip carved rim.

Status: Available ($40)

2010-02 Boxelder

2010-05-29T08:34:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorites. A Boxelder spoon from MN. This was carved the summer of 2009. Once I document my current collection everything will be date driven, but I need to catch up.

Status: Personal Collection

2010-01 Ash Ladle

2010-05-29T08:28:00.000-05:00

Although there are a few spoons before this one, this is the first spoon where I had that moment. This spoon is carved from an Ash tree branch found in my yard in the fall of 2005.

Status: Personal Collection

rod termaat - spoon carver

2010-05-27T22:22:00.001-05:00

I have been needing a better avenue to document the spoons and ladles that I carve. I have tried several different methods, but none has worked over the long term. This blog will be simple. I will photo each and every spoon that I carve and label it with a number. Each spoon will be either available, or already spoken for. I have carved at least 100 spoons each year for the last 5 years. It has gotten so that I can not longer remember many of the spoons I have carved and sold. Some will be elegant and others just users, but at least some record will persist. rod