If you happened by the Furniture Project area at the New England Home Show last weekend, you may have found me carving a set of thin figured maple panels. I transferred a tree pattern as a rough guide for carving a tree, and after a few hours of carving with terrible convention center fluorescent lighting, the tree took form.

Back in the shop, I went back to a technique I dabbled with as a diversion a while ago, and talked about in a previous post, where the surface is sealed with shellac, then coated in black…um, colorant? (Minwax express color, a waterborne product of unknown type, dye? pigment?…). Once dry, the excess was scraped off, leaving just the carving colored on a figured maple background. The finish is blonde shellac and wax.

The end product is a 3-wine gift box to be presented as a wedding gift , with a custom carved set of lids with the wedding year in the center (the original plan was for the couple’s initials). The box is dovetailed by hand and made from a pommele Sapele with a ton of chatoyance.

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If you’re interested in an extra-special customized gift for a wedding or other special event, please contact us and we’ll create the perfect item to meet your needs. (Some Options: custom sized to fit for any other bottle, single bottle or multiple, hinged lid, lock and key, etc. )