This week we’ve been on holiday to the West Coast of Scotland to visit my Dad (Ken) who lives in a teeny tiny little town by the caost – it’s truly picturesque as you can see!
His house is situated at the top of a steep drive and has an amazing view over the Loch and with it just over 6 acres of land, primarily made up of woodland. The whole place is full of wildlife including red squirrels, badgers, wild birds and often you’ll see deer strutting through the garden eating his plants (very cute, but expensive gardening for him I’m sure!).
I had a great week sat in front of his log burner with a glass of wine in hand!
While we were there we collected these most amazing handmade wooden log lamps that my Dad has created from fallen birch trees from his very own garden!
I LOVE them!
The How To, by Ken…
The first step is to find a section of the felled tree that looks interesting (natural bark pattern) and will split into useful individual pieces that can be formed into the lamp base. The timber then needs to dry out sufficiently to allow it to be cut to shape. This rough shape is then sanded to a smooth finish and the necessary holes drilled to take the cable and fit the lamp holder.
My preferred decorations are nature scenes created either by a combination coloured inks and burning with a hot iron to create images that compliment the central theme or using pyrography alone. I find the simplicity of the burnt wood with its subtle tones can often create a strong image that requires no additional colour. Finally, three coats of a clear varnish protect and seal the picture onto the wood.
These are now listed for sale on my Etsy Store and we are also able to offer custom designs with your chosen pattern or photo printed onto the log – I think I might need to get one with our cat Alfie on!
Leave a Reply