I came across this great video and article by Sean McCabe that echoes my ideas on copying other peoples work.
http://seanwes.com/tv/043-how-to-be-inspired-without-copying/
Pinch dogs
Sods law

I plan my year out with shows at easy intervals and what happens? A few big commission jobs come my way and throw everything into chaos. Running low on stock and then having to work between shows on these commissions. Lots of things have had to be put on hold, for example my shave horse book. It has been written, but as I am self publishing it takes a lots of time laying it out in Indesign, a program I am still slowly learning.With any luck it may be published in time for christmas. Tool making is also on hold, but I have made the first prototype of my perfect drawknife.
For a bit more info on the Bodgers Ball see Marks blog
Tool box and spoon rack

Some tool boxes
Skinning trees

Just back from demonstrating at the Stafford show with Gudrun, Owen, Jeremy, Sherwood and others. I demonstrated fan birds as well as a few other greenwood crafts. Pete felled a few oaks and I thought I would choose a few tripods and forks to skin, and use for future projects. I got children involved in the debarking using simple wooden spuds. Children loved it and I would recommend it as an activity for children of all ages. It is satisfying and safe, no sharp tools are used, just wooden spuds that need to be sharpened every now and then. The oak was a bit sticky, but came off reasonable well.
Wooden flowers

This is the first time this has ever happened, willow sticks that have dried at different rates on each side of the stick. This is what happens, the dry side curls more than the wetter side.
I have finally learnt how to make flowers the traditional way, with just a knife. I was getting very lopsided flowers and thought it was my technique. I put the same wood on the shaving horse and got the same result. These mutant flowers rather appeal to me, they tell a story that only a very few people would notice.
Another film
This Norwegian film moved me a great deal. It is easy to romanticise the past, to long for the simpler days. To me this is dangerous nonsense, a false idea of history. Life was hard in so many ways that we can not imagine. What impresses me is the way that people could turn their hands to anything, they had years of training in using body arm and hands, something I see missing in so many people these days. So many of us are hand illiterate.
The film is full of little gems for the green woodworker, and the same for anyone who works the land.
Norwegian traditional woodworking films
As it says in the title. Settle in for an hour and watch these films. Who’s says we need concrete to build with, fence posts soaked in poisons, skis made from plastic and epoxy resins. They are in Norwegian but craft does not need a spoken language to understand. Enjoy.
Even professionals can cut themselves.

Before making every cut ask yourself
what happens if I slip?
Use this as your mantra, every time you make a cut.
As I get older I get more scared of the machine tools I use, and for good reason. Flesh and bone is nothing to them. I have been told of some very nasty injuries over the years, with scars to prove them.
Edge tool injuries do happen and are usually minor cuts, most of my cuts come from the wood itself, from manhandling it, again minor.
So I picked up my newly sharpened axe to use as a mallet, and somehow my little finger got in the way. Just a small touch on the edge of the axe, really the very lightest touch.
Sharp axes as hammers or mallets are not a good idea.
Heres another, of an apprentice, who thinks he knows it all, knows exactly where the tip of the tree will fall. Had to cut him out. Unfortunately he no longer works for me. Should have used my mantra!
Where do you get your wood from?

I have answered “trees” to this question, and have nearly got thumped.
Everywhere is the answer, from firewood piles to expensive wood merchants. I bought 3, 4 meter lengths of steel which came supported by a length of pallet wood of about 18mm thick by 75mm wide. The grain was tangential and so perfect for making fan birds with. 3 have been made so far I think I can get 10 to 20 out of this bit of wood. It has large knots in and lots of short grain as well. So hopefully I can turn this bit of waste wood into a few hundred quids worth, or more of fan birds.