A few boxes

[Lumberman]

One butterfly box is made up of exotic woods Purple heart, yellow heart Padouk and chestnut the other is painted with metallic paints and given an iridescent look. The cabinet is made of Mahogany and the miniature pieces are all hand made.
The Ribbon box is made of Beech and the bows and ribbons made up of a laminate of Purple heart Yellow heart and walnut.

I read with interest about someone selling their Christmas ornaments for £ 8.00 I wish I lived in their area like most people on the forum the price you get for selling projects is not reflected in the time it takes to make them. Making these projects is just a labour of love as I am sure it is for most of us. But well done Geoff I think those ornaments are wonderful I'm pleased you got the price you did I think they were well worth it.

Harry

 

[smoggy49]

Hi Harry,
Lovely boxes excellent detail, Especially like the colours
Chas

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[Woodchips2]

Superb work Harry and love the coloured boxes it really suits them. Regarding selling in the past I didn't even try to sell my stuff from home or near my home mainly due to the fact people won't pay prices for what's basically an ornament (and that was before the recession) I targeted the tourist spots in Yorkshire Dales/Lake District etc where they have coach loads of tourists who don't mind paying bit more for handcrafted items to take home as presents...... I spent most of my spare time touring on my motorbikes and always made an effort to visit and tourist gifts shops 90% of the stuff they were selling was made in China or Portugal even the ones with Dales Made written on! after a few visits i got chatting to the shop owners and casually mentioned that they didn't have many genuine British Handmade items and they usually said "Where do we find them?" my reply " actually I make woodcarvings/sculpture etc " you get my drift and just said if i think on I will bring a few for you to see. Always worked and sold loads of goodies to them and the shop owners were happy because they were selling "British Handmade" items. The time to approach them is over winter with a view to them having a few items ready for the Easter tourist season (don't overdo it and take hundreds of items as that may put them off) another sure winner is to make items relating to their local landmarks etc... like Brontes in Haworth I used to sell 3d ceramic plaques/plates with the Bronte Family images on plus famous buildings there..... I visited and saw again nothing made in UK so spent some time and gambled on them liking it and Bingo they ordered 200 within 6 months. I am absolutely useless at selling things and hated doing craft fairs but i found by doing what i have suggested above it worked for me and it should work for you, just do a bit of homework and see what they already sell and if your items would fit in with their premises.
Sorry about the long ramble but thought it might help yourself or others.
Cheers and look forward to seeing more of your work
Brian
Ps forgot to say above...... by targeting the tourist spots you get a much higher price for your work.

That's enterprise! Well done =D> =D> =D>
Regards Keith

 

[Lumberman]

Thank you Brian for taking the time to reply and give your advice very enterprising indeed, i will digest what you have said
and try and follow your lead.

I find craft fairs pretty hopeless people are just looking for somewhere to browse and are generally looking for
something cheap and cheerful, there are a few exceptions where people are genuinely interested and appreciate the time
involved in making projects. In one respect I do enjoy craft fairs it gives me a chance to display my projects and explain to people how things are made. My wife is much better than me at selling but even she struggles to get people to buy.

Harry

 

[bodgerbaz]

Well done Harry. The boxes show a very high skill level and I'm very impressed with the finish.

Keep up the good work.

Barry

 

[Stooby]

I love the boxes, particularly the butterfly. Is it your own design or is the pattern available anywhere? Also where did you get your exotic wood, they look great in the box.

 

[Waka]

Stunning boxes.

 

[Lumberman]

Hello Stooby I got my exotic woods from Snainton wood supplies near Scarborough.
The pattern isn't my own design (I wish) I got it from Scroll saw magazine cant remember which one but if you want it
i will find out for you. A word of warning though when cutting the segments for the butterfly wings, the author of the pattern
forgot to mention cutting the segments reduces the actual size because of the wood removed by the kerf, consequently
the wings that make up the lid won't fit the box sides without leaving gaps. I discovered this and had to waste the box sides.
I decided to redesign and draw a new box around the shape of the wings. If you do decide to make the box and have any problems let me know. I found the project challenging but very satisfying.

Harry.

 

[boysie39]

Fantastic work ,particularly taken by the Butterflies superb .thanks for showing

 

[Samfire]

Nice work, Harry. I especially like the butterfly box made from the exotic woods. Thanks for sharing.
Sam

 

[martinka]

Great work, Harry, and very professional looking.

 

[nadnerb]

Marvelous work Harry, stunning detail you are a true craftsman
Regards
Brendan