Author Archives: stevetomlin

Lisa Hammond interview

Here’s a terrific interview with Lisa Hammond who set up Maze Hill Pottery and makes salt glazed pottery. I bought one of her mugs 15 years ago and it became a firm favourite up until the time it was dropped … Continue reading

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Learn to scythe book feedback

Learn to Scythe courses are currently on hold as the UK deals with the coronavirus. I’m fully supportive of the measures but at the same time can’t wait to be back out in the meadows with a group of new … Continue reading

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Hand carved birch scoops for tea & coffee

If you’re like me then the first coffee of the day is a bit of a special occasion. I use it to punctuate my morning and the process of making it (cafetiere in my house) is a relaxing ritual to … Continue reading

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Pounded ash pack basket finished

My latest ash splint pack basket is complete and I’m super pleased with it. All the splints for this were pounded in the UK from sustainably managed english ash (Fraxinus excelsior). They are graded, cut to width and shaved smooth … Continue reading

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Making a new ash splint pack basket

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been making a new ash splint pack basket with the ash that I pounded earlier this spring. Here’s a few photos from the process. First, preparing the splints by sorting them for thickness, … Continue reading

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Cranked eating spoon carving instructions

An eating spoon is often seen as the peak of wooden spoon carving. Making a spoon which fits the hand, feels comfortable to the mouth and also looks good is a demanding and rewarding challenge for green wood carvers of … Continue reading

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Fan bird carving instructions

Carved wooden fan birds are one of my favourite greenwood projects and a wonderful demonstration of the properties of wood. I first learned about them on a trip to Czech Republic where I bought a pair of birds in a … Continue reading

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Spoon carving instructions and templates

I have been teaching people how to carve wooden spoons since 2004 and it’s been amazing to watch the popularity of this craft explode over the years. Spoon carving is a fantastic hobby and a brilliant introduction to carving wood, … Continue reading

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Pounding english ash splints for basket making

It really felt like spring is in the air this weekend. I was down near Derby pounding a couple of english ash logs to make ash splints for my baskets and courses. Hammering the log breaks the bond between the … Continue reading

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Ash splint basket making workshop in Wales

I was invited to north Wales to teach ash splint basket making to a group as part of the Halkyn Mountain Living Landscape project which is educating people about their local area and crafts associated with the landscape. Ash splint … Continue reading

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