On The Cover Again!

On the cover of Woodcarving magazine for the third time! This time with a lovely picture of my boy doing some carving with me. He was pleased to see his picture there. 

This issue of woodcarving magazine I also write the opening letter for the issue (always a fun bit), I got to interview am amazing carver from America called Bob Yorburg, and I carved up some vegetable fridge magnets (more about them in another post).  

Cover Star - Again! Wood Carving Magazine Front Cover

I've managed to make it to the front cover of a magazine again! It's the second time I've been on the front of Woodcarving magazine! 

My wife took the picture of me sat in front of my workbench a while back. 

My articles make up the first 21 pages of this issue. 

Latest Woodturning Magazine Article - Taglatelle roller

I saw a rolling pin like this while we were visiting a manor house in the summer, on holiday in Wales.

When I saw it I just knew I had to make one and thought it would make an interesting article.

This Months Magazine Articles

Having all three magazines I write for land not too far apart is always nice. Reminds me of some projects I did a while ago.  

This months magazine articles projects made and written by myself are -
@woodworkingcrafts 78 - Small router table
@woodcarvingmagazine 191 - Larping chest/Bible box
@woodturning__magazine 377 - Christmas baubles

There is also another woodturning article for the magazine that came out in the month that woodworking crafts and woodcarving have off (they're every two months)

On Another Magazine Cover - Woodworking Crafts issue 75!

 Each month I get sent the magazines I have articles in. I look forward to opening the envelope and seeing my article in there (which I later cut out and keep in a folder). 

But I was utterly surprised when I opened it yesterday to pull out the most recent copy of Woodworking Crafts to find myself on the cover! 

In this issue I'd written a piece about making the rose arch for my garden and without telling me they'd put one of the pictures on the front cover! I was gobsmacked! I have to admit to quite liking this picture, I look like a proper woodworker! 

Two magazines in the newsagents with my mug on at the same time! What an honour! 

On The Cover Of Wood Carving Magazine!

Okay, So it's not the cover of Vogue but I was pretty excited to see myself on the cover of Woodcarving Magazine this month! 

I've been writing for them for a while now and when I got asked if I'd be keen to be the guest editor for a month I jumped at the chance. I got to write the welcome page, interview a carver (managed to get Chris Pye to say yes which I was super excited about), as well as a review and an article about making carved butter moulds. 

I was walking on cloud nine until my eldest came back from school, looked at it and said "Looks like you're sucking a sweet!" then flicked the page over where she knew she was in the magazine! Good to have them keep me grounded. 

I really enjoy writing for magazines and this is one I used to buy 20 years ago when I was an apprentice. I have well over 50 articles published now in a variety of magazines but write regularly for Wood carving magazine, Wood turning magazine, Woodcraft magazine and Country Smallholding. I love that it helps make up the weird and wonderful way I can make a living! 

I think starting blogging over a dozen years ago helped me get to this point with writing, although I very much still need my wife for proof reading! 

I also love writing fiction and I'm 57,000 words into my first novel (very grim dark though so might not be to the taste of some readers here!). Funny as I always found English so hard growing up and at school. 

If you buy a copy let me know what you think! 

Winter Stories Wanted!

In this post I'm after a bit of help! 

I'm currently writing an article for a popular magazine about being prepared for hard winters - A kind of batten down the hatches and stock up piece. 

Last winter will be one we remember for a long time! 

I want to give lots of advice but also contain some stories from hard winters in the past, especially on farms, smallholding and homesteads. Winters like 1963 or 1982 spring to mind, although they were before my time so it would be great to have some first hand accounts and stories.

Also I'd love to know what unusual items or ones most people wouldn't have thought of that you now keep in stock because of a hard winter or a problem you had to overcome.  

If anyone has any old pictures from winters past it would be great if I could use them? I'd love some pictures of people and animals snowed in or pictures of heavy snow - I bet there's some great pictures out there! 

You can leave comments here or email through pictures via my contacts page or through social media and you'll have my everlasting thanks and a mention! 

The Hedge Magazine

When at the seed swap earlier this year I was asked if I'd be interested in writing for "The Hedge" magazine. One was slipped into my hand to read. 

When I got home I sat down for half an hour and read it cover to cover. 

It was beautiful. Full of poems and well written monologues about rural life as well as some stunning illustrations as well. I loved it, it really felt like a lovely publication, I was only too keen to write to the editor and say I'd love to write for them. 

It's locally based (Herefordshire) not-for-profit publication released twice a year and as they say in their own blurb - "it's place to recognise how the local affects the global"