Who Are You Calling Crafty?

I remember the first wood burning kit I got was from my grandfather for Christmas one year.  My mom was less than pleased with my grandfather.  Giving a child (I think I was 10 or 11) a devise to burn things with, never pans out well.  Thankfully for my parents sake I was not that fond of wood burning.  I would pull it out every now and then but I didn’t like the fact I couldn’t fix my mistakes, so it stayed in the box.  I moved away to college and was very, very poor and was looking for “cheap” Christmas gifts for my family.  In a box my parents brought to Georgia was my old wood burning kit my grandfather gave me.  I thought I will get some wood boxes and do a scene on them.  I bought one for my grandfather and did a woodland scene on it.  I stained it and I filled it with candy I got from work (you should see the candy you get at a hotel during the holiday season).  I mailed that and all the rest of the gifts home and I flew home for the week of Christmas.  My grandfather was thrilled that I finally “made” him something and he knew I would use that kit someday.  A year after giving him that box, my grandfather passed I was 2,000 miles away.  I remember it like it was yesterday and it will be 9 years this Christmas.  After Christmas 2001, I wanted nothing to do with Christmas which was sad because I loved Christmas.  I was mad at my grandfather for dying Christmas Day because from that day on I knew I would never celebrate Christmas the same way again.  Every year I would go through the motions of “being in the spirit” but I wasn’t, I acted like I was but Christmas will always be bitter sweet.  It wasn’t until my daughter was born did I start getting excited about Christmas again.
My daughter’s First Christmas was a blur.  I remember I wanted to make everyone’s gifts but I worked 40+ hours a week and had a new born baby so I was barely sleeping.  The only thing I wanted to do was make a photo album for my mother-in-law and my mom but I wanted to use my wood burning kit.  I had used the kit my grandpa gave me for a school project in 2004.  Sadly the wood burning gun (not sure if that is the right term) he gave me started sparking and smoking during this project and I had to get a new one (at midnight the night before it was due) but I know my grandfather would have approved of this purchase.    

Front of the box – 2004 (Note this is stained it was for a class project – lol!)  This is the side the wood burning “pen or gun” started smoking note the very, very dark spot in the middle – I almost set the whole thing on fire.

Top of the box – Please keep in mind this is the first time I ever wood burned people.  It isn’t the best I am aware of that but I am showing it anyways – 2004.

Back of box – 2004

My dog Monet Picasso in the style of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Logo on the side of the box – 2004

The National Trust for Historic Preservation logo on the side of the box – 2004

Now I love wood burning, only around the holidays.  I only do for Christmas presents and if you ever get a wood burning piece, I really like you.  Wood burning is time consuming, hard (both mentally and psychically) and tedious work but so rewarding in the end.  I will say I am horrible about staining pieces (actually finishing them I am really bad at) but I think the time and effort is appreciated.
This Christmas is no different I plan on wood burning several items and unlike past years I am excited to do it.  Maybe this year I will find it more rewarding than in years past.

The wood burning I did for Jeff for Christmas 2008 – it is still not stained!

I took this picture in January 2006.  My favorite picture of Jeff I have ever taken.

I added this post to The Fave Crafts Blog Hop.  I am aware that this project has not been done in the past 30 days but wood burning is an amazing gift and I wanted to share what you can do with a wood box and a $10 kit.