Published!

Well, my last post was over a year and a half ago.  A lot has happened over that time and I think it may be time to start getting this going again!

To start off I have exciting news to share...

BK Inspired has found its way into Pyrography magazine!

I am so excited and honoured to be included with so many amazing artists.  This is THE magazine for Pyrography so it is a big deal for me to be in it!

You can order your copy here...

http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/pyrography/pyrography-volume-5-2016

And stay tuned for more updates.  There are more fun and interesting things coming up!!

Happy Canada Day!

To celebrate Canada Day and Independence Day on the 4th

I decided it was time to have a

So what can you win??

Well, how about a custom wood burned sign!  The approximate value is $35 and I will create something one of a kind just for you!  To see some examples of signs I have done, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

The giveaway will run from today, July 1st, 2014 until Tuesday, July 8th, 2014.  I will select one lucky winner from all the entries from now until then.  There may also be some other prizes awarded for those who participate the most.  And I may even giveaway another custom sign if I reach 1000 Facebook fans before the giveaway ends!!

How do you enter? 

That's the easy part.  There is only one required entry and that is to like and comment on the pinned post at the top of my Facebook page.  You can then earn extra entries by sharing that post on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or any other social media.  You can earn even more entries by completing the following on rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner(s) will be announced on Facebook and my blog on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014.

Good Luck and Happy Canada and Independence Days!!

Back to Pyrography

Last week I was working on a wine box for a wedding.  Unfinished wine boxes are very difficult to find unless you want to purchase a HUGE amount.  So, I thought I’d give making one a try.  I’m not a carpenter or woodworker.  I just burn the wood.  I have a few tools that get me by so I thought I could make it happen.  

This is my first attempt.  Not too bad and I learned a lot from it.  The hardest part was the door.

Once I figured out the door I made another, better version and I am so proud of it!

And here is the finished box with the design and wood finish. 

I have more exciting new things to share with you

so make sure you check back again soon!

Catching up...

Well, today is supposed to be a Foodie Friday.  But lately I haven't been creating anything share worthy in the kitchen so there's sadly nothing to post at the moment.  

I did, however, just purchase this tasty looking recipe today and plan to try it out very soon.  Doesn't it look yummy?  I will share the results with you next week if all goes well.

Anyway, instead of sharing culinary adventures I thought I'd share some of the custom work I did before the holidays.  I couldn't show it to you when I created them, as they were gifts, but since they should all have been received and opened by now I think it's safe to share away.  

I have another one of these for my shop but I NEED to take better pictures of it first.

This was for a little girl whose mother love penguins and father is a HUGE Glasgow Celtic fan.  It was a very fun frame to make!

This was for a little girl who was moving to a new home and a new room.

This box was given to a gentleman, from his wife, who was just finishing up his studies with the church.

This was also part of the churchman's gift.  And it was my first attempt at using a scroll saw to cut a shape with the wood.

And a set of bookmarks to go with the box and pendant.

A lazy susan for an Italian Mother-in-law.

Another fun project.   A flowery pencil box.

The other two sides.

I sold several of these to one customer.

This set of four coasters have a wonderful rich stain on them.

This wasn't a custom order.  It was a prize from one of the trade shows I did before Christmas.

 I am always excited to work on custom orders.  And I will try just about anything!  Send me an email and lets get something unique started for someone special in your life! bki[@]hotmail.ca

Tuscan Lazy Susan

Last week I had a special request for a lazy susan with a tuscan design.  I enjoyed putting the design together and this is the final piece.

To see more custom orders I've done please take a look at the "my work" tab at the top of my blog.

100th Customer!

On Tuesday I had my

100th Etsy Customer!!  

She purchased this fun "I love you" frame and for being the 100th customer I added a few extra fun gifts for her.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my small business!  I am having so much fun and I couldn't do it without you!

Laramie

Take a look at this cute shop!  Last week I sent Madalaine her new shop sign "Laramie" and she sent me these wonderful pictures...

I think the sign fits in very nicely, don't you?

If you're in Colorado and near Fort Collins, check out her shop! 

LARAMIE

Vines Vintage Market

1125 W Drake Rd Ste B4

Fort Collins, CO 80526

Thank you for sharing these pictures Madalaine!!

Some custom orders and other projects...

Here's a sampling of some of the custom orders and other projects I've been working on that haven't made it to my Etsy shop.

New Listing!

A friend on Facebook saw my butterfly wall hangings and asked if I could do a dragonfly.  I got right on it and here's the result.  It's similar to the butterflies in the detail.  Since the dragonfly doesn't take up the same amount of space a butterfly, I decided to give it a background to help it stand out.  I think it turned out well and I think I'd like to try another one with a more whimsical theme in the future.

To learn more about this item click here and please take a look at my Etsy shop to see what else is available!

And the end of the school year is here!

I finished this really cute frame just in time for K to give to his teacher on his last day of nursery school.  He had a wonderful year at the little school and enjoyed himself so much.  They went on a field trip almost every month, they did a different art project every day and had so many different and interesting toys and activities to enjoy.  And his teacher couldn't have been more kind, wonderful and patient. 

So, this was a small token of our appreciation to his amazing teacher.

Since it turned out so well I think I'll try to do more like it next year for the Etsy shop and maybe local craft fairs.  They can't be exactly like this one though.  : )

Is there someone special in your life that you'd like to give a one-of-a-kind gift to?  Send me an email and we'll come up with something unique just for them!

New Item!

Yeeeeehaaaawwwww!

I love this sign!  The idea is to motivate you, to get you to step up to whatever challenges you, to pick you up and dust you off and get you back on the horse.  Get out there and give it all you've got!

COWGIRL UP!

I finished this sign a few days ago and I want to do more, more, more.  There is a small rodeo in a town near us that is just starting out.  It's in its second year, and I'm hoping to have enough stock to maybe rent a table there next year and sell some fun cowboy/cowgirl stuff.

This one I did for C many, many years ago.

Please take a few minutes to look at my Etsy shop to learn more about this item and more available for purchase! 

And if you want something but don't see it let me know!   You can email me at bki[at]hotmail.ca 

A little glue and burnt wood go a long way

I made this frame for some other good friends of mine many years ago.  I often lived vicariously through them because at the time they were really into seeing the world and experiencing different cultures.  Every year they'd travel to another amazing Country and come back with the most wonderful stories and pictures.  I decided that a frame for some of those pictures was the prefect gift for them.

I burned their names, and two little images, at the top, and "World Travellers", with two little images, at the bottom of the frame.  And on the sides I decoupaged some really cool paper that had antique looking maps on it.  The result was better than I imagined and is one of my favourite gifted presents so far.

Here's a picture, a little off centre because it was taken with that terrible camera.

Do you have someone in your life who loves one-of-a-kind presents?  Send me an email at bki@hotmail.ca and we can brainstorm the perfect wood burned gift for them.  Or take a look at my shop to see what is available for purchase right now... www.bkinspired.etsy.com

New item!

We are having another great weekend!  The weather has been nice and we've mostly been focussing on celebrating birthdays and Mother's day with family.  How can you beat that?

We took a trip to see my parents and brother's family on Friday.  While we were there I received a couple more custom orders!  I'm very excited about these ones.  I get to work with the wood a little more, rather than just burning and colouring.  The orders are gifts so I don't want to say to much more just yet.

I also had a couple of brainstorming ideas on our drive.  I think I've missed the window this year but I was thinking I could make a bunch of pieces for teacher gifts next year!  And while we were visiting, my Mom showed me a wooden wine box.  I have so many ideas for the box that I'm thinking the hardest part is going to be deciding just what to burn onto it.  My biggest problem is having/finding the time to work on these ideas!  I could be really productive if I didn't have to be a parent some days.  ; )

I've posted another item for purchase on my Etsy site.  Yay!  It's the image of a dragon and pheonix burned onto an oak plaque.  I am so happy with how it turned out!  For more details click here.

Six years ago I did the same image for a good friend of mine who was getting married.  I burnt the image onto a wooden album for her wedding pictures.  It was the first time I'd done something so big and detailed and when it was finished I was very proud to give her and her husband the album.

Please remember I had a horrible camera 6 years ago so the quality of the picture really isn't that good  ; )

Now I've had a chance to do the image again and I'm just as pleased with the result as I was six years ago.  Please take a look at my new item and my other pieces at my Etsy shop, you just might see something you like.