Ok, so this is my very cool kolrosing experiment...
Rubbing raw cacao into the carved lines of the design.
After that, I burnished the lines back into timber with fine wet and dry. It's amazing how it goes back to smooth wood and you can't feel the cuts any more, but the lines are still there as colour.
Not to impressive to look at yet, though...
Then, the moment of truth... Olive oil!
The first trepidatious pass. Will it work? Will it look good?
Yes is the answer! Weeee! I love it!
I'll get you a better photo for next time. this one was taken outside while it was still wet with oil.
The design for this lyre was taken from it's name: Fréowine, meaning 'noble friend' or 'wine friend' (someone you would go drinking with.) I made a border of bees to represent the mead that the Anglo-Saxons loved to drink, and made a design of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn knocking drinking horns for the central image.
The kolrosing looks quite delicate and decorative. Every bee was drawn freehand, so they all have their own character, and the two ravens look like they are having a lot of fun. I love it!
I am still working on the tailpieces and bridges for both new lyres, plus a new tailpiece for Mondream, my original lyre. I am hand-sanding them so it takes a bit longer but I love the meditative state of hand-working wood. There's no hurry.
Other cool stuff? I have finished my non-fiction book on how to write first drafts of novels, the same way I do. It is called "Wild Noveling: The First Draft." I wrote it to be amusing and light and yet useful. My very earliest report back from a first reader is that they loved it! Yay! More on that soon.
This morning we heard our very first rusty crow from our three baby roosters. It was King Pellinore who first crowed, of course. He is half again the size of the other two. He's a nice guy though... So far! I hope he stays that way because he would be handful if he turns agro. He is huge!
I'll try to get you a pic for next time. In the meantime, here is Morgana the more adventurous little hen. She's shaping up very nicely.
The virginia creeper has been putting on its marvellous autumn show for us again.
I think this one below is my all time fave pic of it, and it also sums up how warm and cosy the cottage feels, when you approach it form the paddock on a winter's evening.
There have been some warm days, though, warm enough for picnics.
With amazing skies.
And there is still time to enjoy the extra air and space provided by our new screen door! Yay! The building of the verandah was aimed for this moment, and now it is here!
Next comes raising, levelling and paving the entry area. It never ends, does it!
Mr Kitty would prefer that I did more sitting and crocheting.
Sis Jen and I posted each other matching pics of cats on laps last night. Funny! You can tell the cooler weather is here!
Enjoy your changing season, and I'll talk to you again soon.
