WOODBURNED + CARVED BEADS

the creation of these woodburned beads kept me sane back some years ago, but i can still smell the wood burning....i will go back to do more of these when i get the energy! ...hopefully before my hands become more unsteady. i most love collecting the worn wood beads, like the small square ones that have their original wire loop in them.
i wonder if there is any interest in these for you jewelry artists? :)

woodburned cat & pysanky (eggs)

it began with a small, cheap woodburning iron.  i LOve the smell of burning wood - ok, really, it's one of my favorite things in the world. i sooo miss the small, woodburning fireplace in our last house...

anyway, i used to take scraps and beads and burn patterns onto them. then the carving thing came over me, and i made this by first carving my image then burning the patterns on top.

my dad has done woodwork forever, and took the opportunity to buy me a really awesome iron - a DETAIL MASTER from Leisure Times.  wow - that baby cuts detail like butter - i neeed to get that back out....

well, here is the cat block

 

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then i made some eggs, styled after pysanky, Ukrainian Easter eggs.  they are not finished, they are burned but i think they need a few coats of varnish? any opinions or suggestions?