Amazon goes nuts...

I checked pricing on two of my books on Amazon and learned that they've jacked the price up over the suggested retail. I don't know the reasons for it as most publishers find Amazon's strategies to be inexplicable. In the meantime, LeeValley.com has my Guide to Woodworking with Kids, Making Classic Toys that Teach, and my new book The Wisdom of our Hands available for immediate shipping. These are the links:

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/books-and-dvds/111950-the-guide-to-woodworking-with-kids

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/books-and-dvds/75487-making-classic-toys-that-teach

and https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/books-and-dvds/114136-the-wisdom-of-our-hands-crafting-a-life

There are times when Amazon offers the best price and times when you'll want to ignore them and choose to shop elsewhere. In this case Amazon is hurting my sales by pushing the prices up to their benefit, but not mine.

end of busy week.

The photos tell an interesting story. Henry finished his chess box in the Clear Spring School wood shop. The  school Froebel blocks  found a new use at the Clear Spring School end of year program, providing seating for the audience. In years past chairs were brought out, but that's old school. And yesterday I taught a class at ESSA to make their own spoon carving knives. Much fun.

Happy Fathers day to those who are fathers, and to all those who have them or lost them.

Make, fix and create...

Designing on SketchUp

 

I find that it is far easier to simply make boxes than to design them, but that using design software to present their making to readers is useful. I began using Sketchup at the request of an editor at Taunton Press to communicate with their illustrators and editors. By laying things out in SketchUp they could measure the parts I prescribed to see that they conformed to the cutting list, that they actually fit together and that nothing was left out. 

Now given some time to mess with things I'm attempting to get better at the use of Sketchup. I'm taking my drawings to a higher level of refinement  in anticipation of doing a book on box design. 

This pen and ink box is an example. I thank David Heim and his book on SketchUp for helping me to take my illustration work to a higher level. David's book is available on Amazon.

Make Boxes.