An Unexpected Arms

This is the arms I put together for the inspiring character Bilbo Baggins from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. It was a fun change from working on pipes. The materials used are oak, steel, bronze, leather, dye, and ink. This shield can be worn on the arm and also slung over the shoulder.  Enjoy!

An Altar and a Chapel

Not only did St. John Kemble smoke pipes, but he also celebrated Mass. Here is an Altar I designed and made for a small chapel. The design is fairly basic but the arches make it look fantastic. Making the arches was a lot of fun, but I will have to figure out a little bit safer way to route the profile the next time I make something like this. The wood used for the pews and Altar is oak, with a deep red stain. The Altar top is a piece of marble. I also refinished the pews, and modified a pew to be a presiders chair. The Coat of Arms is a Carmelite coat of arms, and the chapel itself is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  The finish and color turned out quite well and the whole project looks great.

I'll have more pipes up soon.