Building a Dragonfly End Table

Layout Table

How we build furniture here at the shop has always been shrouded in mystery, and people have been speculating we have been dabbling in alchemy.  I want to set the record straight, Inge and I love creating new works and are always pitching new ideas to each other.  The Dragonfly end table is one we had been thinking about since we finished the Butterfly table almost a year ago.
Inge is the designer of all the metal cut outs, they are cut out for us by Custom Metal Specialists inc..
She incorporates swirls into the designs to represent, the evolution of the universe and the desire to achieve balance in the inner consciousness and the outer self.  Swirls are incorporated in the Dragonfly on the tail and on the wings.

       We are committed to creating items for homes that have a  
                              connection with its owner.

Welding the table frame

As with wood, the more accurately you cut your material the easier it is to make it square.  Having a nice flat surface to work on and lots of clamps also make the job a lot easier.

Adding the Dragonflies

Clamps, clamps and more clamps!  There are few things as frustrating as welding up a series of parts only to find that something had shifted before you finished.  Grinding is not the fun part of welding.

Half way there

As this picture shows, we have it almost finished - still have to add some more dragonflies and swirls.
After that I go through and grind the welds and prep it to go off to the Powder Coating Shop.

                                    TO BE CONTINUED
I will work on the Curly Maple wood top and assemble the top & frame together for a finished piece!

Sept. 17-18 th, 2011 Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival

Our 2nd day at The Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival, has been a great weekend.
It is always amazing at the people you run into - old friends & the connections
that we find we have with people, through people and places we know.
The new booth design/layout has worked out well, it display many frames and mirrors.
Inge's new designs have been an eye catcher and the wine racks have attracted all
the wine drinkers.
Lots of good comments!

Believe

   

What word or image do you use to get you through the tough times?  Something that wakes you up and tells you that things can't possibly be as bad as all that.  A trigger that immediately stops the downward spiral of negative thoughts. 


> Believe that opportunity is always in front of you. 
Whats behind you are experiences both good and bad,        
that  you can use as tools to help you make better use of 
all the situations you will face in the future.


> Believe that opportunity is malleable and 
multi-dimensional, like a new universe to explore.


> Believe in yourself and the power inside you to take advantage of the opportunities you will find throughout your life.


Here is one truth to help you visualize the power that is inside each and everyone of us!


          If you could instantaneously liberate all the potential  
          energy from your body - you would explode with the 
          same force as thirty very large hydrogen bombs.


So, there really is no reason to let anything get in your way.

Home Accents

Even the smallest things...

Painted fish on the veranda


Often to make a statement, you don't need to raise your voice.  
For the most part,  a few well placed words can be more important than the volume at which they are expressed.

As is the case with adding color to your home or office.  To prove my point, I will use my artsy painted fish and a Deco-Bauble as examples.

The painted fish create an inviting-home feel to this balcony seating area.  The wood of the fish emits a warm feel and the colorful painted designs on them add an artistic interest to the table.  The art on the table becomes a visual interest competing with the waterfall in the background - this tension gives the scene life.

Deco-Bauble on the Patio

The branch of seashells as decoration on this patio was an ideal place for a Deco-Bauble to show off its captivating colors & shape.

The cool colors of the ocean and sky need a warm contrast
to break up the monochromatic view.
The color in the foreground gives depth to the scene and more definition to the seashells on the branch.

                 Color is Life

Colors affect so many aspects of your life, sometimes with just a glimmer on a table top, a shelf or hanging in a window.

Every Deco-Bauble we make is completely unique.  The shape, the colors in the wood and the beading are tailor-made to capture a memory or a celebration of a special event in your life or the lives of others.

          

Musky Day "Fly In" - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin 2011

Life just blows past me   
like a hurricane,
 or at least that's how it feels when I realize that another opportunity was missed to learn about somebody who had lead a very interesting life.


Robert Payzer was the latest in a long line of people I wished I could have known better.  He passed away last winter, but hopefully his Musky Day "Fly in"(Boulder Junction, Wisconsin) will go on for a long time to come.  This year his absence was celebrated by the naming of the Boulder Junction Airport to Payzer Memorial Field.

Float Planes on Boulder Lake

Float planes have always held a great deal of interest to me. I think it's the way they look, like it shouldn't actually work. Quite a few showed up this year and they make an impressive sight lined up on the lake shore.

Stearman PT-13 9 cyl. radial Lycoming

The old Stearman biplane always the center of attention of the fly in, probably has a lot to do with its great history.  Also that engine makes an impressive sight, and you can't forget the sound.

This day draws in many older planes and quite a few experimental planes, which are facinating to me in there construction. They all are built to a very high quality of fit and finish. You can learn a lot about design and function from looking them over and comparing similar features and how one designer accomplishes a task compared to another.

After all this talk about planes you would think I love to fly, nothing could be further from the truth.  I haven't been in a plane since I was about 14 years old. I just love machines.
If you would like to learn more about Robert Payzer, he made a website to catolog a bit of his history and it's quite fascinating. Go to ,  payzersplace.com

The Lovely Days in Paoli Wisconsin

This is a view of the park and seating area next to the "Lovely Days in Paoli" art gallery.





Next weekend,  Paoli is having "Art in the Mill Park" in the lawn/pathway seen in this picture above.
It is Sat. August 20th, 2011, 
10am - 5pm
around 30 Artists, Live Jazz & Good Food on the banks of the Sugar River
Bonus:  there is a live auction benefiting the Autism Society of Greater Madison

      We went there this morning to deliver a  sample of our work;  for display and sale.
       In all the years Inge and I have lived in Wisconsin, we had never taken the time to stop in Paoli.  What a giant mistake that has been,  Paoli is a gem of a town that has been hiding right under our noses.  I regret that we didn't have more time today to explore, but we will be coming back as soon we can.  It is so close to Madsion!

www.visitpaoli.com

The gallery is packed full of wonderful work done by local artists.  There is a good selection of jewelry, stained glass, fine paintings & photographs and wood workings.

Another fantastic day in Wisconsin

The picture says it all. I took this photo this afternoon at Tippery Point boat landing on Lake Wisconsin, while on a bike ride.

I suppose I could have written about grinding the mill scale off of steel parts or about sanding and varnishing wood, but I think I will just show you how wonderful a summer day can be in Poynette, Wisconsin.