Christmas GnomeI love woodcarving and I love teaching it. It's my passion to get as many people interested in it as I can. One of my favorite teaching projects is this Christmas gnome. Once you learn the basic steps, you'll be able to make a gnome in under ten minutes.

Shelf Sitter Elf

Floyd Rhadigan loves to create projects that incorporate his two passions: fantasy literature and caricature carving. Floyd's elf shelf sitter blends the two together perfectly and is guaranteed to incite a smile. "Fantasy caricatures are a lot of fun because they allow you to take creative liberties," said Floyd. "While there are generalizations, such as pointed ears on an elf, there are no hard rules that must be followed."

Carving a Scandinavian-Style Troll Queen

Harley Refsal shares step-by-step instructions for carving and painting a Scandinavian-style Troll Queen. The Troll Queen is the perfect mate to the Troll Harley carved for a previous issue. An expert in Scandinavian culture, Harley teaches the techniques of Scandinavian-style flat-plane carving across the United States and in Norway. In this minimalist folk-art style, large, flat areas called "planes" are left intact on a finished carving. As in other styles of whittling, carvers frequently use just one knife for their work.

Carving a Fisherman

The figure will be a bald fisherman with beard, holding a sou- wester in one hand with the other held palm up, as though feeling for rain. There are white stains on the sou-wester and on the fisherman's forehead, and a seagull sits on a pole above his head. The title is "Why Fishermen Wear Sou-westers". A block of soft carving wood, 4" x 4" x 10" will be used for this example. Other dimensions may be used, simply by adjusting the measurements. The cuts need not be precise and accurate, since they are merely to act as a guide for the placement of features.

Carve a Christmas angel

The angel can be a wall hanging or, in a smaller size, a Christmas tree decoration. I have shown two versions because I know not every carver has the facility to cut an accurate outline but the order of carving is the same for both.

Carving the “Cellist” – Caricature Carving

According to a definition, “Caricature can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness…” (Vikipedia). Instead of trying to exaggerate the most obvious – cello, or the cellist’s proportions or position, I decided to exaggerate the essence of a cello player - hands (long fingers) and face showing complete obsession with music, the way she got lost in it…. I did not want a young girl, I wanted a mature, strong and independent woman – sensual, loving music and becoming part of the music she was playing.

Chess Set Pattern

Left click on part one, right click on picture,left click print picture, left click Print. Do the same for part two.