Denise DeRose conducted a day long demonstration on April 8th for members and guests of the SPSW. Denise provided us with three tutorials and a list of sources and supplies which have been added to the Learning Center. The tutorials include turning a handheld clamshell handbag, turning a canteen flip top bag with center feature and turning a treasure chest style bag.
You can find them under Tutorials/Denise DeRose Demo.
I let you know last month about an event being held by the Northwest Washington Woodturners called the Camping and Turning Rendezvous. This is an opportunity to combine your love of camping and your love of woodturning.
If you prefer something a little higher end, then your event is coming up in August.
The “world famous” Woodturning CruiseTM is scheduled for August 15 through 27. You can sail on the M/S Gann from Stavanger, Norway and visit 12 cities along the way including Bergen and Trondheim. You will experience the Land of the Midnight Sun as you approach the Northern most point in Europe that you can visit.
Along with the cruise experience, you will also be able to attend demonstrations by world class Woodturners. Those who attended the last SPSW membership meeting were able to see Bonnie Klein, one of the eight turners demonstrating on the cruise. Other turners include:
There will also be several other demonstrators and courses on the cruise covering chip carving, wood carving, pyrography and knife making.
On top of this, passengers will get free tuition and lathe use on the cruise. Three expert Woodturners, Stuart Mortimer, Knut Andreas Lien and David Muckle, will provide woodturning instruction at all levels.
There is no way to detail all of the events and activities that are planned for this cruise. You can get all the information by visiting http://www.woodturningcruise.com.
The Inland Northwest chapter in Spokane Valley has their membership meeting on the 5th of May featuring SPSW Board member Jack Wayne as their demonstrator. Jack will be demonstrating making a bowl from a board. Jack is also conducting an all-day workshop the next day.
Inland Northwest is also conducting The Great Russ Fairfield Memorial Tool Sale at Russ’ shop in Post Falls, Idaho.
The Northwest Woodturners is moving to their new meeting location at the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware store in Beaverton, Oregon. Their May meeting is scheduled for the 8th and their demonstrator will be Don Derry who will be the demonstrator at the May SPSW meeting.
The Seattle Woodturners membership meeting is scheduled for May 12th where John Schrader will demonstrate metal inlay.
The Cascade Woodturners in Portland, Oregon will hold their regular membership meeting on May 19th with Merryll Saylan as their demonstrator. Merryll will be conducting an all-day demonstration for the members of the SPSW on May 26th at Nancy Sweazey’s shop.
The Olympic Peninsula Chapter will be holding their membership meeting on May 25th. Their featured demonstrator will be SPSW Vice President Eric Lofstrom.
[note]The following is a message to members of the South Puget Sound Woodturners from SPSW President Dan Stromstad[/note]
Last Thursday, April 21st, we took a vote and the vast majority of those in attendance wanted the club to improve our lathe and sound system. At the board meeting on Tuesday evening, April 26th, it was approved to purchase both items. Your board of directors donated enough to purchase the sound system which totals $1500.00. Jack Wayne was authorized to finalize the purchase of a Powermatic lathe. We were assured that transporting the new lathe would not be a major problem and we already have a power source at the Fife meeting hall. We will no longer be embarrassed by malfunctioning lathe issues. We will no longer have complaints from our demonstrators regarding the sound system or the lathe. We also saved around $2000.00 off of normal retail on these two purchases. We are working hard to improve the club experience for everyone.
Last Thursday it was mentioned that we would like to have you consider donating to the club so that we can make all the improvements to enhance our meetings. Now is the time for you to step up to the plate and help the club. All donations are tax deductible. Any amount will help, whether it is $20.00, $50.00 or hundreds. We are taking bold steps to improve our meetings.
Our next area of improvement is the video system so that all will be able to see the demonstrators much better. We hope to improve the lighting as well as the projector and camera system. We are planning / hoping to test systems before we buy.
We also have many items for raffling including the signed egg made by Bonnie Klein at our last meeting. All raffle proceeds will help us improve your meeting experience. We are giving to ourselves.
Dan Stromstad
Send donations payable to SPSW to:
Les Johnson
915 Milton Way
Milton, WA 98354
If you are a woodturner who lives in Ireland (I know, but we actually get visitors from Ireland) you have an opportunity to be in a reality TV show. Big Mountain Productions, along with the Craft Council of Ireland, is creating a 6 show series to find the Mastercrafter of 2011.
The first five shows will feature fifteen apprentices in an intensive two-week residential course in the craft discipline of their choice. The disciplines are ceramics, glass, metal (blacksmithing), textiles (weaving) or wood (woodturning). The apprentices will be under the guidance of a relevant Master of Craft.
The efforts of the apprentices will be adjudicated by a panel to narrow down the contestants to just one in each discipline. The sixth, and final, show will be recorded in Dublin on July 26th and 27th with the winner of the title Mastercrafter of 2011 announced the afternoon of the 27th.
So if you meet the elegibility requirements to enter, you could be the next Mastercrafter. You can find information and the application form on the Big Mountain Productions website, www.bigmountainproductions.com.
The members of the AAW chapter in Great Falls, Montana have been hard at work planning for a symposium in September. They have just announced that they are bringing in Jimmy Clewes as their demonstrator and they are very excited about the opportunity. And they are willing to share that opportunity with you.
Jimmy Clewes is an internationally acclaimed woodturning artist and instructor. Originally from England, he now makes his home in the United States and, when not travelling to give demonstrations, offers woodturning instruction in his new, fully-equipped workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada. When asked what drives him, Jimmy Says:
“My energy comes from those around me. When I can stir the creativity of one’s mind, that for me is very satisfying. As with any artform, expression is only limited as one’s mind and I want to ‘raise the bar’ and create an awareness of the artform that has been virtually unknown to most people.”
The Great Falls Turners Symposium is scheduled for two days, September 24th and 25th, 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Registration is $95 for the symposium with a $15 discount for registration before August 15th. Information, including hotel discounts, and the registration form can be found here.
