The Forest Treasures Blog

They're ... NOT ... too nice to use!

2012-01-21T08:18:00.000+10:00

Forest Treasures - a selection of cooking utensils - by Bob Gilmour.

One of the comments I hear frequently when I'm selling my utensils face-to-face is "oh, they're too nice to use". I usually reply with some tongue-in-cheek comment involving plastic spoons or such … and get disapproving looks as the commenter leaves the stall.

This sort of comment gets me thinking a bit about how we, as the most advanced race on the planet, have evolved and some of the strange habits we've come to accept as normal. One of these habits is our obsession with old or used objects and items with flaws or defects … endearing features as we call them. Often, these objects are poorly designed, well past their prime or are simply inappropriate for the task at hand … but, we hang onto them because they're 'worn-in' and 'not too nice to use'.

The simple … and rather interesting ... question is ... for what reason did we lose the appreciation of having nice tools to use in our daily endeavour? In times prior to the industrial revolution, utensil and bowl makers were revered and were highly respected members of the community … as were coffin-makers, but that's another story. Domestic utensils and vessel-ware were made with pride, were often highly decorated and were, in many cases, prized by the owners. Archaeological recoveries also show that many highly decorated pots and utensils showed visible signs of extensive wear … so, they 'weren't' too good to be used. So, what changed?

Most likely, the advent of our 'throwaway' society provided the biggest stimulus to accepting less than ideal tools and gadgets. Reduced costs and mass production gave us items which deteriorated more quickly than hand-made ones and didn't do as good a job due to the design restraints imposed by the very processes that enabled large scale production. It became very evident to me that the $5 utensils that our kitchen was full of just weren't capable of providing a nice user experience … and, were pretty much throwaways each year ... due to either breakage or mould growth.

In 1999, I decided to make some utensils for myself. I was doing all the main meal cooking in the household at the time and had spent a fair few years cooking for paying guests on my charter boats previously. Having just given up that business, I was now spending more time at home … and, had more time to spend.

I was tired of using the poorly made mostly imported utensils available from kitchen shops and supermarkets and, I hadn't really run across any utensil makers who actually spent time in the kitchen themselves.

The goal of making my own utensils was to improve the pleasure of cooking … by having nice tools to work with. The process was an immediate success for me and several friends asked for some as well. After a while I decided to sell my utensils at the local market and now, 11 years later I make a living from the process. During these years, demand for my hand-made utensils has been strong ... and I have a well established loyal customer base.

I don't believe that 'anything' is ever 'too' nice to use for its intended purpose. Additionally, tools that are well designed and tested offer better and more efficient function … resulting in ultimately better cooking and greater enjoyment.

As demands on our time increase exponentially, it's becoming too easy to side-step the old-school activities which made 'living' sort of real … like spending time in the kitchen to cook the Sunday roast, or even just the nightly meal. Any form of drudgery in the kitchen is a good catalyst these days to eat out … or open a tin of beans - not a very healthy or socially wholesome experience.

To me, the idea of having nice tools to work with just enhances the experience of being in the kitchen … nice utensils, knives, flatware etc, all help to make everyday activities seem less mundane. This helps make time spent in the kitchen enjoyable which, in turn promotes the inspiration to create great food … instead of dialling out for pizza.

The full range of Forest Treasures cooking utensils is currently available in my Etsy store -> Forest Treasures @ Etsy.

Another glorious day in this creative life

2012-01-12T10:01:00.000+10:00

Forest Treasures - the morning view from the workshop - by Bob Gilmour.

Considering we are currently in the middle of summer here in Far North Queensland (Australia), every morning I open the workshop doors at the moment I'm confronted with a view which I'd normally have in winter. Sure, the temperature is much higher, but the air is clear, sky's blue ... and it all just 'feels' clean ... like winter's days here in the north.

My workshop is located in a rural environment and has green views on all sides ... 360 degrees. I often take the time to recognize how blessed I am to have ended up in this location. Everything about it is calm and inspiring ... a perfect place to live a creative lifestyle.

My 'trip' to work takes me about 30 seconds from my office to the workshop ... oh, and the 'office' is part of the house I live in, so I can ditto all of the above for lifestyle as well.

Forest Treasures - the morning view from the workshop - by Bob Gilmour.

In the past, I've contemplated moving south to one of the major cities to gain more exposure and further my work prospects, but the notion of losing freedom of lifestyle and the beauty of our environment here is difficult to swallow. I would certainly sell a lot more work in a city, but the detriment to my lifestyle would be too much to bear.

A long time ago I realized that happiness in life requires a fine balance between having 'stuff' and enjoying lifestyle. I chose to go without a few things I had to pay for with money in favour of the riches nature provides me ...

Forest Treasures - nature's jewels - by Bob Gilmour.

Resin Cast Soap Dishes - New from Forest Treasures - By Bob Gilmour

2012-01-05T12:16:00.001+10:00

Resin cast soap dish by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia

The first few items in my new Forest Treasures bathroom range have rolled out. Cast in epoxy resin, the first member of this new family is a leaf shape inspired soap dish. Although I've yet to name this dish, it will most likely simply become 'Leaf'.

So far, I've created the 'Leaf' soap dish in a couple of solid colours and several clear/opaque tints, including blues and greens. It is my intention to produce the range in cool water colours and warm earth tones.

'Leaf' has water draining slots molded in ... reminiscent of the veins in a real leaf ... which take water away from the soap. The slots are vented to the outside beneath the hollow bottom.

Currently, the retail price for the 'Leaf' Soap Dish from Forest Treasures is AUD75. Soap dishes are available from my market stall (Robert Gilmour Artforms) at the Port Douglas Artisan's Market every Sunday in Port Douglas, Australia, and by direct email contact. They will be available online in my Forest Treasures Etsy store soon.

Resin cast soap dish by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia

DETAILS ...

'Leaf' Soap Dish from Forest Treasures, Australia

Designer: Bob Gilmour
Material: UV stabilised epoxy resin
Dimensions: 170mm (6.7") x 80mm (3.2") x 20mm (0.8")
Price: AUD75 ea.
Availability: Port Douglas Markets @ "Robert Gilmour Artforms", direct from Bob Gilmour

New Work from Forest Treasures - week ending June 25, 2011

2011-06-27T10:29:00.002+10:00

I decided to record some images of a complete and fairly typical week's output for my Market Stall sales at the Port Douglas market. At this time of year, sales are strong, so my weekly output has to remain as high as possible to keep the market stall fed.

Forest Treasures stirrers - "Pickled Jane" and "Bev" - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures stirrers - the paddle, wok stirrer, the flat spat and the classic stirrer - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures salad servers - large servers in Queensland black walnut and acacia cedar - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures salad servers - small servers in Queensland black walnut and figured blackbean - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures salad servers - small servers in two-tone raintree and acacia cedar - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures muddlers - muddler mojito - by Bob Gilmour.

Forest Treasures bowl - serving or salad bowl in black wattle - by Bob Gilmour.

http://www.foresttreasures.com

http://www.foresttreasures.etsy.com

The Port Douglas Markets - Forest Treasures - June 26, 2011

2011-06-27T08:43:00.001+10:00

Yesterday was yet another great day in my market stall in Port Douglas. It was the first week of school holidays ... which run over the next month staggered across the states of Australia. This time signifies a big influx of visitors to the Cairns and far North Queensland area ... on top of our normal seasonal rise of Australian and international visitors.

It was all about utensils in the most part. I had good sales right across my range of cooking stirrers and a few pairs of premium salad servers. Several regular customers from New South Wales and Victoria visited and stocked up on gifts to take home and send overseas.

On top of a great sales day, the conditions were wonderful also. Although it looked a bit like rain early, the day cleared away to mild near-perfect weather ... winter in the tropics ... gotta love it.

I'm carrying thoughts constantly at present of resin and metal casting ... and, yesterday provided at a few more interesting pieces to the story. My potter friend Shireen gave me some clues to picking up a second-hand kiln to post-cure my resin and Alan, "The Brooch Man", provided a very handy tip on acrylic lacquer coating of metals, notably pewter ... information I'll definitely be using down the track when I get that far.

Next weekend sees some of the southern states join in on school holidays, so I expect another great result then. In the meantime, it's back into the workshop creating stock ... Forest Treasures.

http://www.foresttreasures.com

http://www.foresttreasures.etsy.com

Small Serving Dish in Quarter-sawn Australian Silky Oak by Bob Gilmour

2011-06-25T09:53:00.000+10:00

I recently bought some perfectly quarter-saw northern silky oak - Cardwellia sublimis - from one of my timber suppliers. My guess it was originally cut as guitar wood but couldn't find a market so finished up as cabinet timber. I already had an order for three pairs of salad servers in figured silky oak, so this was perfect.

I created this small dish from a left over. The wood was only 25 mm (1 inch) thick so there wasn't a lot of scope to go too big.

The dimensions are 25 cm (10") x 9.5 cm (3.7") x 2.5 cm (1").

The wood is extremely highly bar-figured and has nice warm colour with pink tonings. I opted for a functional finish, so this dish can be used for serving or presenting food on. The finish is fine with 'wet' food items and the dish can be washed with water and normal detergent … please keep it out of the dishwasher, though. The finish is the same as that which I apply to my cooking utensils, and is quite robust.

I suspect that most people would opt to keep this piece as a small display item due to the unique appearance of the highly figured wood.

This item is available for purchase @ Forest Treasures on Esty ...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76510582/small-serving-dish-in-highly-figured?ref=pr_shop

For news of new work and exhibition dates, please LIKE my facebook page for Gilmour Artforms ...

http://www.facebook.com/gilmourartforms

Salad Servers by Bob Gilmour

2011-06-24T10:51:00.000+10:00

Salad Servers waiting to be signed

I've made 6 pairs of salad servers this week to replace stock I sold last week in my stall at the Port Douglas markets. they are currently on my packing bench waiting to be signed off and packed for market.

Great day at the Port Douglas Market

2011-05-24T09:50:00.002+10:00

I just had an extraordinary sales day in my market stall at the Port Douglas markets. It was one of those days where I couldn't do or say anything wrong.

I'd just finished up an exhibition of general work in Cairns … "A Curved Line Flows" ... and was in that tired adrenaline-driven state where just about anything is possible. By the start of trading, I was that 'hyped' I don't think I really even had to try and sell anything … people were lining up to buy work before I was fully open for business. My neighbours even made comment on the abounding energy which was drawing people into my market stall and converting sales.

Love it when it happens!!

Forest Treasures on Etsy

2011-01-29T10:42:00.000+10:00

There's been some re-stocking going on in Forest Treasures over on Etsy ... Check it Out

I have uploaded most of my stirrers and 3 of the muddlers range.

Small Muddler for Caipirinha and Caprioska by Bob Gilmour

2011-01-28T10:08:00.000+10:00

This Caipirinha and Caprioska muddler (by Bob Gilmour) is the smallest of my bar and kitchen muddler range and is designed for use in small to medium glasses (medium glsss shown in image). It's also a great muddler for Old Fashioned and similar drinks.

Besides being perfect for muddling ingredients for most small-glass cocktails, the short muddler is also great in the kitchen. Grind up spices straight on your cutting board or on the bench top ... or, better still, ask me about my garlic mortars. A muddler is a wonderful stylish tool for making nice smooth garlic paste or breaking down basil or coriander. You'll find plenty of uses for it.

You can use this muddler for breaking food items straight in the pan or wok for fusion-style east-west dishes. Then, go ahead and use it as as stirrer. The short muddler is very comfortable to use and is very strong. It is double sealed, so you can use it in the bar as well as the kitchen ... although it's better to have one for each.

Like all of my utensils, your muddler is finished to a very smooth finish and fully sealed with two applications of food grade 2 part sealer. Unlike utensils which are only coated in oil (vegetable or mineral) which washes off the first time you wash them, the sealing process that I use ensures that your utensils will keep their color and look great for several years.

The sealing process also creates an effective moisture barrier which preserves the wood, preventing cracking or mould growth. It largely prevents the wood from absorbing liquids from your food, hence eliminating the risk of growing bacteria or other nasties.

Your muddler is pretty much maintenance-free. If it finds it's way into the dishwasher by mistake ... don't panic ... it will be OK, as long as it's only occasional. To clean up, treat it like any of your hand-wash items and wipe dry after use. If you plan to use you muddler purely in the cocktail bar, PLEASE DON'T OIL IT ... nobody likes an oil slick in their cocktail.

I've been making utensils since 2001 and have sent them all over the world. Many of my customers purchase from me regularly ... so I know all of my designs are well recieved. Furthermore, every utensil shape I create is an item which I have originally designed and made for my own personal use ... so I know they work.

My muddlers have been purchased by cocktail bars around the world and luxury hotels including the Washington Marriot and the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Been a bit quiet round here lately ...

2011-01-28T08:57:00.001+10:00

It gets pretty difficult maintaining all these websites and blogs and stuff when you actually need to spend a fair bit of time making stuff to write about. Well, like a lot of art and craft people blogs, things do get pretty sparse in blogging terms from time to time.

It's been 5 or 6 months since I've posted anything here, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Our busy season in Port Douglas (where I physically sell work) was pretty good and wound up before Christmas. Holiday season sales were strong.

Just in the last few days, I've started re-stocking my Etsy store at www.foresttreasures.etsy.com.

I took 6 weeks out to create a large sculpture installation for public display. The results of that can be seen at www.dance-me.com. This was an abstract figurative work celebrating (in my mind) freedom of life. I'm working on where to go next with that.

Forest Treasures continues to roll along. The time out for sculpture work impacted on my stock levels and I'm just getting stocked back up again now. There were quite a few web sales during that time, so I ran out of some Forest Treasures items.

We are in the middle of our monsoonal wet season right now here in Northern Australia ... although it would seem that the whole of Oz is getting the monsoon this year. This time for me is one of re-grouping, re-stocking ... and trying to spend some time on creative directions. I have a couple new product lines for Forest Treasures which I'm slowly introducing ... and am still creating some one-off serving ware ... hopefully, some of which might make it on-line this year.

Anyway ... 2011 looks like being another big year here.

Forest Treasures Facebook Page

2011-01-28T08:35:00.000+10:00

Finally got around to starting a Facebook Page for Forest Treasures.

New web hosting for Forest Treasures

2010-08-17T10:12:00.000+10:00

I have just completed migrating FOREST TREASURES across to it's new home at InMotionHosting. The site had previously been hosted at Powweb since 2003 ... but, their service and performance has deteriorated significantly during the last 3 or 4 years. So, it became necessary to cut the tie and move on to a better providor.

InMotionHosting so far has proved excellent. I moved a couple of my other sites (ROBERT GILMOUR ARTFORMS :: BOB GILMOUR dot info) a year ago and they are performing much better ... 3 or 4 times faster and no issues with php and mysql for which Powweb is notorious.

In the week or so since I've moved FOREST TREASURES, the site is running faster, in line with the other sites I had already moved. I have also just installed a dedicated security certificate as well.

It had been my intention to complete a full update of the site prior to migration, but just haven't had enough time this year so far. So, I'm planning to do a series of rolling upgrades to update the look and feel of the site and also further improve it's performance.

FOREST TREASURES can be visited HERE

Good times ...

2010-07-09T22:07:00.000+10:00

Once again, tourist season has well and truly kicked in here in North Queensland. Port Douglas is full of people and all's good.

My Sunday market store has been very busy. The month of June just past was my best June ever sales-wise ... and July has started very well. So for the next couple months, I'm working 6 days a week to keep the store fed with 'turnover' stock items ... and claw back my overdraft.

It's a pretty funny life ... market life ... and, in fact, artist/crafts person life. Times are all boom or bust. During the early wet season months, it's definitely bust ... there just aren't enough people visiting the region to make big sales, so the emphasis is just to do the best you can. The upside, of course, is that there's spare time to play and explore creative stuff .. or, just do nothing ... which happens on occasions.

When 'the season' kicks in though, sales and volume of items sold leaps ... and anyone who's not adequately prepared with plenty of stock misses out very quickly.

Some call this means of earning a living a 'lifestyle job' ... but, quite frankly, I work much harder than a lot of people I know with 'real' jobs. I'm not comfortable at all with the prospect of having a real job, so I choose this lifestyle any day.

I am honoured and blessed that I have the ability to earn my income from an activity that I like doing ... and one in which I can change direction at any time I like. Even when I'm busiest making utensils and homewares, I can still work on sculpture or artistic forms. To me, that's part of the freedom of operating within an alternative economic lifestyle.

The Classic Stirrer

2010-06-19T15:26:00.000+10:00

I named this implement the classic stirrer. It was the first utensil I ever made ... 10 years ago ... and I've never changed it. It's very much the versatile all-rounder of my range ... so it's sort of become MY classic.

The classic stirrer evolved one night in late 1999 cooking spaghetti sauce while ... after a couple glasses of red ... I was frustrated with the useless supermarket-bought wooden cooking spoon I was using. I vowed to make myself an implement that would be a pleasure to use ... and look at. The next morning I produced the prototype of the classic stirrer ... and I've never had to change it. In fact, I still have and use that prototype from 1999 ... and I've made several thousand since then for people all around the world.

This utensil is curvy and sensual ... appealing to both senses of touch and sight. It feels wonderful to hold and is sensational to use. Its shape is made up of compound curves which arouse interest visually.

When I originally designed the classic stirrer, I wanted something that would work in all of the primary pots and pans that I use. The implement had to be good for stir fry and general pan use as well as being adaptable in a wok occasionally. It also had to serve well in saucepans ... hence the pointy bit at the end, which is really good for cleaning out the bottom corners of the pots. The curved back edge slides effortlessly around the inside wall of the pot to scrape the contents down whilst cooking. This gadget sort of had to be the swiss army knife of my utensil collection.

Above all, I also wanted a tool that is sleek and not cumbersome to wield. I wanted the blade to be very thin so it would slide easily through the food ... and be easy to taste off. The utensil had to be light, yet strong, last well and look good for a long time.

The classic stirrer is by far my most popular utensil.

The classic stirrer can be purchased in my Etsy store by going here.

Why Buy Hand-made?

2010-06-16T23:09:00.000+10:00

The implements section of any supermarket or homewares store is loaded with kitchen gadgets. There is a tool or utensil for every task in our modern must-have-everything kitchens. Sometimes, there's multiple replication of similar devices in different materials, or there's the addition of a 'soft' handle or funky texture moulding.

The broad choices and range is designed to attract attention and generate sales. All of the items in the large stores are mass-produced ... almost excluselively in China and mostly are inexpensive or appearing to be 'affordable'.

Why then, would anyone consider purchasing a hand-made item of something so mundane as a kitchen utensil? Why would a person buy a cooking stirrer for say $35, when he or she is confronted with a range in the supermarket made of wood, plastic or stainless steel and priced uder $10.

The answer lies somewhere rooted in our experiential expectations. This discussion really applies to all things in life, I guess.

A lot of people are pretty much happy to use anything ... as long as it 'does the job' ... which is perfectly fine.

A small number of people, however, have a conscious expectation of design and quality of experience which surpasses that of the wider community. These are the group of people who would actively seek out hand-made items for their home or work.

A well designed and constructed custom kitchen utensil is more than a funky spoon shape drawn on a piece of wood. There are quite a few design and function aspects which have been considered by the maker.

First, the maker generally has to be an active 'cook' to understand intimately how kitchen utensils need to function in their various tasks. Like using an angle grinder or power saw ... the maker ... the cook ... needs to be totally fluent in the language of utensil use. When that's true, then the ultimate design is fluid and useable ... like an extension of ones own arm.

Secondly, the maker needs to be able to recreate his or her design in a form which is not only functional, but visually and tactilly pleasing to use. The tool needs to be comfortable in the hand and not be a strain to use. A hand-made kitchen utensil needs to 'beg' to be held and caressed even while it's just lying on the bench.

Finally, the utensil maker chooses quality material like stable hardwood and finishes the product in such a way that it will maintain it's qualities for a long time, age gracefully ... and, of course, adhere to our modern society's politically correct food and environment safety best practices and standards.

With regard to just wooden utensils, mass-produced store bought tools are almost exclusively made from soft woods .. pine ... which are easy for replicating machines to process. They generally have no protective coating whatsoever and, they have little in the way of visual or tactile refinement. Store bought tools are made to a mass-production lowest price model.

The advantages of purchasing a hand-made high quality kitchen utensil lie chiefly in the quality of design, construction and material and in the care and attention to detail in which the maker has engaged.

Hand-made utensils in hard woods will last longer physically than mass-produced gadgets ... they are much less likey to crack or break. They will not grow black mould because the cell structure of hardwood is finer and more closed than that of soft woods and they will generally not change their appearance substantially either, especially if the wood is sealed to begin with.

Hand-made tools will deliver an experience more pleasureable with less strain. The comfort and 'ease of action' that hand-made kitchen utensils deliver helps make most kitchen tasks a more rewarding experience.

As related in my posts elsewhere, I've been making custom kitchen utensils for around 10 years. The views I've discussed in this article are borne out of both my own usage and the countless comments I receive from my regular customers ... both amateurs and professionals.

All of this makes me realise that there is something important in the whole design quality thing which is popular at present ... and, I think it's a bit more than just 'product snobbery'. Perhaps an appreciation of quality and a yearning to incorporate this in our daily lives and endeavours results in a better life experience after all ... even if only in tiny bits.

A warm fuzzy feeling ...

2010-06-15T11:45:00.002+10:00

I had a great day at market on Sunday just past. It was a public holiday weekend and Port Douglas was pretty full. The market ground, similarly, was crowded with visitors from pretty early in the morning.

Despite the size of the crowd, however, the day got away sluggishly for me. It appeared the majority of people were just strolling around or buying 'cheap' bargains ... which I don't have. Perhaps also, a lot of people were doing the one thing you're supposed to do on holidays ... sleeping in!

Things picked up considerably after 11:30 AM and the next two hours produced an outcome as good as it should have been at this time of year.

I took my new spoon rests (see this article) down and sold one to a lady who just fell in love with the shape. She intended to use it as a little dish to place garlic on ... a very worthy fate in my mind ... and likened the experience of her discovery in my store to that of a small bowl she 'found' in a market in Africa. I told her the story of how the small rest came to be and she, in turn, related a funny story about the purchase of her African bowl ... and so, the two pieces were suddenly connected by a story thread. Nice.

I had some really nice people buy multiple items through the late couple hours of the day ... including locals, which is always a great thing.

It's such an uplifting experience when a day at the market with good sales is augmented by warm interaction with visitors to the store. It reminds me that what I do these days is so much more than just an occupation or means of making a living. To say I'm doing it for the money is the most farthest thing from the truth and would serve as a good reason to stop doing what I do. If I was making things purely to exchange for money, then it would be time to go get a real job.

One of the great gems of selling work in the market, for me, is that five or 10 minutes, or whatever, of interaction with certain people. It doesn't happen with everyone, nor do I expect it to.

Every now and then you strike up a rapport with a person or group and a sort of 'bond' forms which becomes this friendship between strangers. I get visited by such 'friends' going back as much as 10 years. In fact, the very first person who purchased one of my larger bowls visits every year when she holidays in Port Douglas from Perth ... and I always look forward to seeing her. So too, my very first ever market customer from Day 1 at the market 10 years ago also revisited several times over the years when out in Australia from the USA.

There are lots of reasons why I choose to live on the fringe and generate an alternative income stream, but the human aspect is definitely one of the main ones.

More Spoon Rest Pics

2010-06-08T21:25:00.003+10:00

Here are a couple more images of the utensil rests I recently made.

Please go to my Etsy listing for this item if you'd like to purchase oneor more spoon rests ... http://www.etsy.com/listing/49058354/spoon-rest-in-queensland-kauri

Shed Door Spoon Rests

2010-06-08T20:59:00.001+10:00

I'm making two small side tables from a salvaged shed door ... a very old wooden door which was rotted off at the bottom when I acquired it. I cut the rotten section off the bottom and an equal amount off the top to balance it ... and then cut the remainder in half to form tops for my two tables.

Once I sanded the layers of paint from the door pieces, I discovered the underlying wood was Queensland kauri ... very old and relatively 'hard' kauri at that. The small offcuts from the top layed on the shop floor for a few weeks ... something wouldn't 'let' me throw them out.

So, while making utensils last week, I had the idea of creating some small spoon rests to add to the homewares range. I have made rests on occasions before and they are a popular addition to anyone's kitchen-ware range.

The end result was a group of 7 small very organic looking forms which compliment the smooth lines of the utensils very nicely.

Getting ready for market

2010-06-05T19:42:00.000+10:00

Another Saturday night ... and I'm running out of time again. After 10 years of selling work in markets I would have thought that Saturdays would have gotten easier by now. Well, think again ...

I kind of like to spend Saturdays catching up on some reading with coffee and then a few hours at the computer doing stuff that I never seem to get to do during the week. But, most weeks these days, there's stuff to finish off on ... and things to do around the house. And, since I only recently moved into this current place, there is a list of things to do including making a few additonal furniture pieces ... all things that don't just happen overnight. In fact, I have two side tables in progress right now which I started a month ago.

Then, late Saturday afternoon and evening is taken up with signing off on the week's products and packing them up, loading the truck, hitching up the trailer etc. But, it's all just part of leading an alternative lifestyle with an equally alternative income stream. Beats having a real job by a country mile.

I'll be in bed tonight by about 9.30pm with everything ready to go for morning and then up again at 3am ... out the door at 3.30am ... and on-site at 4.15am to start set-up. So, off now to find some dinner.

Forest Treasures on Etsy

2010-06-03T10:43:00.005+10:00

The Forest Treasures Etsy store is located at http://foresttreasures.etsy.com.

The most popular items from the collection, all created by Bob Gilmour, are generally available in the Etsy store. In most cases item listings include free shipping worldwide.

New Blog for Forest Treasures

2010-06-02T21:49:00.001+10:00

Welcome to my new blog page for Forest Treasures. The main website is currently at http://www.foresttreasures.com and has been running in it's present form for about 5 years. I'm just about to start a major re-vamp on it so thought I'd get the blog part of it running here on Blogger ... since it will be ages before the new site is ready for public viewing.