Santas and stuff

I've been busy the past several weeks since I finished the cane, just working on miscellaneous fun things. My daughter is refinishing an old dresser she rescued from the trash and I had to replace a couple of missing drawers. So I got to figure out how to use the dovetail jig someone gave me (it makes a big difference if you use the correct size bushing!). I used my table saw a lot, so I decided to make a Gripperz style push-block that turned out well. That, combined with some different methods, should improve shop safety. I got a web page set up for my carving club and have had a few inquiries from that. My neighbor gave me a partially charred carving of a frog, which was damaged when theri garage burned down. She though I might be able to use the teak it was made from, but I was able to scrape and remove the charred portions and still retain the frog shape. I am still in the process of repainting it and will probably mount it to a piece of wood since the base was rotted a bit. My Chief Financial Officer (wife) has approved my attendance again at the War Eagle carving seminars in Spetember, so I have registered for a class with Adina Huckins again. My plan is to carve as many faces as possible before then for practice and as a warmup. She said that I should be pretty good at it after carving a hundred or so! I am only up to about 20, so I better get to work! I have did a couple of female faces and am showing a little improvement. Here is a Santa I am almost finished with. I am getting a little more concious of shadows and effects that I can create. I enjoy doing Santas but I get a little burnt out after a while, so this is my first since last November? The ornaments are easy to produce and sell good, but I may try a few figures and see how they do. Thanks for looking!