This last saturday I went and picked up another 5 deer hides from the place I usualy buy them from. This time for 3 dollers less for each one then the previous year. Seems like I just finished turning the other hides into buckskin and now there are 5 more to work on.

The bowl that I finished for a commission just a little while ago has garnered 3 more commisions for me. I have to wait for springtime to come before I can work on those bowls.

I have almost finished the intermediary class taken from the guild of metalsmiths. In which we are making (each person a seperate one) a decorative gate/grill. I can't wait to finish it. Lots of notes have been taken and plenty has been learned. I need to make new tools and work over many of my old ones to get them to work better and last longer.

I signed up for two new classes within this next month. One on how to make strap hinges and the other on making a specialized type of tongs.

the weekends that I am not at those classes I will be helping to teach the beginners blacksmithing class for the guild of metalsmiths.

I have been meaning to make some coil baskets from day lilly leaves but have been tired and very buisy.

Just finished another batch of soap and started working on rebatching the two into some nice finished soap.

Yesterday we also made wontons and eggrolls. A large batch and very tasty

I have about 3 staves waiting upstairs to try and scratch a bow out of.

Started work on another aspect of the large painting/drawing that I have been working on for so many years.

Tons more of things to be worked on. Just have to find the time.

That we have just totaly skipped over fall here in minnesota. Still totaly green foliage now is covered in snow. LOl!!! Not even enough leaves to think about raking. Wonder how long it will stick around for.

The leafe blank for the bowl I am making is now cut out and I have all the cold texturing and thining of edges to do. Luckily that part I can do inside. Well if it stays like this I won't be able to get anything more done outside. LOl.

I have plenty to get done indoors anyways.

This last weekend was the first intermediary class for the guild of metalsmiths. I really enjoyed it. We are making a decorative gate that will include; forgewelding, colloring, tennoning, splitting, drifting, punching, upsetting and more.

This coming weekend I am looking at going camping again with my girlfriend. I have thursday and friday off this week and hope to be able to accomplish a lot on those two days.

Pictures of the blacksmithing things I have been to lately coming up when I can get around to sorting through them.

Well I enjoyed my weekend camping with my girlfriend at glacial lakes state park. We wound up walking something like 16 miles over the whole weekend. It was lots of fun. Then as soon as I got back to work from the weekend I caught whatever was that has been going around and still have a little crud left from that. Now I am back to forging some tools and making a commissioned bowl for someone at work before it gets to cold out to work. This next weekend starts the intermediary class that I am taking through the guild of metalsmiths and I am excited for it I have tons of tools I want to make and some changes to some of my previous tools. Mostly on the hammer end of the tools which reall consists of some indexing that should make it easyer to hold and use the tools. I have done some more work on my hammer handles making them more comfortable and better for me to use. My first hammer head is just about ready for heat treatment. Its around this time I really start to wish that I had a indoor shop. The days are now almost dark when I get home and cold. Makes working outside a more difficult proposition.

The buckskin has all been trimmed and soon I will glue them into hide sacks and hopefully smoke them.

The commission and the buckskinn I have to get done before it gets to cold out to work. SHoot I need to strain out the bones I was cleaning while it still is warm enough.

So much to do and my fall rush to get things to a stoping point before winter forces me inside has begone. Heres to hoping that I will get them there.

Lots of fun tons of stuff done and now I am off to go camping. Lots of pictures from the fall conference for the guild of metalsmiths. Had tons of fun. Got two new books and plenty of other stuff. Hoping to smoke as many hides as possible this weekend.

Well I am now on vacation or will be in aproximatly 25 minuets. I will be off for a week and a half. During that time I have: 2 hides to brain and soften and 2 more to soften, many small animals to skin, and hopefully some blacksmithing/metalworking in there somewhere. Hopefully I will be able to get some rest as well.

Its great to get paid for time doing stuff I love and not stuff they want