Mosaic Key Chain

So I made some of these mosaic key chains for family for Christmas. Got the idea from Wood Magazine. Just chose random pieces of wood that we had around the shop. The Center is a 4 layer Bamboo plywood. Wrapped around that is African Mahogany. The third layer is black walnut. Accenting the walnut is Maple. Finish is natural and flat. I still have a few more of these left from the stock. If you are interested in one email me and I can send some to you. I do request $ 5 per key chain to pay for finish, chain, and shipping. You can email me at woodsheddesigns@gmail.com. Comments are always apreciated. Thanks.

Erick Wood

Upcoming Projects !!!

Two new projects are now on the table. One has been in the works for maybe 20 years if you ask my mom. She has always been looking for a perfect entertaiment center, and now she can have one custom built. Mom has decided to go with a Knotty alder wood with a mid color finish. Finish sample has yet to be approved. At least the layout drawing can actually become shop drawings and the cutting and building can begin.

The next project that I am working on, I am really excited about. For Christmas we told my brother in-law and his wife I would build them a much desired end table for the home. They have chosen Black Walnut with a natural finish. To add a special touch I am accenting it with birds eye maple and box tail joinery. I am way excited to start this one. Pictures will be on the way as the projects get on their way.

Erick Wood

Ikebana Vase

This Ikebana vase was a design featured on woodmagazine.com. My dear wife has a friend on a social website that has been gracious to us. In return I found this design and decided to give it to her as a gift.

So I decided to learn what an Ikebana vase is. It comes from Japanese culture and focuses more on simplicity and other parts of the flower besides just the petals. Ikebana, according to Wikipedia, is more of a type of arrangement. Ikebana vases are meant to hold live flowers similar to that of a lily. Usually the flower has to be able to grow in a small amount of soil. (Small and strong root base.)

Now the vase...

The vase is made of Black Rift Walnut with a medium Walnut Stain. The base is Bamboo Plywood. If you look closely you can see the layers in the plywood. Bamboo is finished naturally. A votive candle candle holder is inserted into the top of the vase.

Erick Wood

The Start Of Wood Shed Designs

Something like this has always been a dream of mine. Now that the dream has started, hopefully no one will wake me up from it. I guess it started when I was younger always interested in woodworking. I remember watching Norm Abram when I was little on Sundays. I think I was trying to use his woodworking show to fall asleep with, but always found myself watching the craftmanship instead. Other projects that stimulated my interest was a scout project I did with my dad. Dad always wore boots when farming, so what a better thing to make than a boot jack for dad. I remember one time I wanted a hockey stick. So I made one out of plywood. The first version was something screwed onto the end of moms yard stick, not a good idea. The next one I made with the plywood i even took the time to figure out what the angle of the blade was supposed to be with the stick. Thankfully I moved on to better things as I got older. In my teens I was able to help build a couple of Murphy beds for my moms new addition to the house. Ah the times of having a adventurous mind and patient parents.



The first project that really got everything off the ground started sometime in the fall of 2007. From there we have done more projects, and currently have several projects in the works. Wood Shed Designs is unfortunately not big enough currently to keep myself employed full time. All the projects built are done in my spare time. Thankfully as a millworker at a cabinet shop i do have all the sophisticated expensive tools available to me. If it were not for this, I do not know if Wood Shed Designs would have ever come to be. More will be said of Wood Shed Designs as more occurs. Hopefully it will continue to as exciting as it has been so far.

I do have to thank my father in-law by helping me establish this. He took a brave step forward and asked me to build a mantle for his showroom. I need to thank my mom for planting this seed in me. Helping my mom build Murphy Bed's was the best project I could have done with her. I need to thank my loving wife for pushing me forward and helping me continue this dream. It is nice to have a women's perspective in woodworking. Us guys sometimes don't know what looks good.

Erick Wood