Once you finish carving your first gnome, the little guy will surely want you to carve some more elfin friends for him It's a good thing Al Streetman has included 15 different patterns for well-dressed elves and gnomes of all shapes and sizes--drawn up with the beginner in mind, but with plenty of potential for the experienced carver's creativity to build on. With step-by-step instructions and color photography, Al demonstrates how to carve and paint the first project from start to finish. He also provides some helpful general advice about technique, finer details, and painting; his...

41 exciting, creative new Santa patterns in one book 41 Santa Patterns for Woodcarvers provides beginning wood carvers with projects which they can accomplish with a minimum of tools and frustration. For the intermediate and advanced carvers it offers a wide assortment of Santas in different poses. One project is followed in a step-by-step, fully illustrated manner, so even the beginner can pick up on basic carving techniques. The patterns in this book are full-size, and include approximate dimensions of the side and front views. Santa carvings are an ever-popular item with carvers, as well...

Veteran carver and instructor Al Streetman cleaned up his shop and came up with yet another hot book, this one presenting a thin cast of characters carved from leftover wood scraps. Streetman takes novice and advanced carvers alike through a step-by-step process of carving and painting these unique creations made from piles of narrow leftovers. The task is made simpler with 126 photos and more than 25 illustrations, including the cutout patterns for 20 unique figures, such as Santas, elves, and the featured pirate project. In addition to sharing Al's tips and secrets regarding head, hand, and...

Here's a heavenly project, filled with delightful, though sometimes impish, angels. Al Streetman's reputation as a caricature carver and teacher has grown with his increasing library of books. Here he provides enough patterns for a heavenly host, with step-by-step instructions about carving, painting, and antiquing. This is the perfect book for the new carver looking for the wisdom of experience and for the veteran carver seeking some new ideas and techniques. The results are angels that are at home any time of the year, but especially at the Christmas holiday. They make perfect gifts and,...

Having an Al Streetman book is liking having your own personal carving instructor sit down on the back porch with you. His easygoing Oklahoma ways and his patient, soothing voice are evident in the simple instructions, as though he were right there with you, carving blade in hand, leading you through the simple step-by-step task of characterization. And that's where the Streetman's true brilliance lies--he is a master of the character, and this book is rich with them. There are 30 patterns, with something for every holiday of the year, in here. Streetman's instructions, clear photos, and...

Al Streetman takes devoted readers and beginning carvers alike back to the wonderful world of folk carving, which leaves less to "the rules" and more to the imagination In older days, folk art was a way of transforming plain everyday objects and materials into decorative accent pieces to brighten the home. Here are 20 patterns for bird and fish, with a simplicity that makes the carving process quick and enjoyable, and the final product charming and elegant. In full-color photography, Al guides the carver step-by-step though the carving of a bird and a catfish, providing not only careful...

Wire and canvas decoys were popular around the Eastern shore of Virginia and the Carolinas near the turn of the 20th century. Because an abundance of good carving wood was not handy, decoy makers in this region used ingenuity to create clever replicas of large birds such as the Canada Goose. This book includes patterns for ten different breeds, a colorful gallery, helpful reference charts, and a lot of tried-and-true advice for carvers motivated to take on these projects, or to design their own. Al Streetman guides the reader step-by-step through making one of these wire and canvas decoys,...

Here is an assortment of carving projects unlike any other This book captures the magic and fun of a street-corner band, with eight different personalities jamming away, heart and soul, for passers-by. The whimsical characters are irresistable--you'll want to clap your hands and sing along with them. Al guides the reader step-by-step through the carving of "Hurricane" Brown, the saxophone player for this wonderful ensemble, from using the pattern, to carving the figure, to painting and finishing it. In addition to the actual project instructions, some very helpful tips and techniques are...

One of the most sought-after and respected carvers of wooden Santa figures shares 20 new and delightful patterns. Al Streetman takes the reader step-by-step through the carving of a "windblown Santa," holding a lantern and grasping a walking stick as he tries to make his way through a Christmas eve storm. This and other whimsical creations offer hours of fun, challenge, and creativity to carvers of all ability levels. In addition, for carver who wish to sell their work, Santas have a proven marketability among Christmas collectors. The carving steps are illustrated with clear color...

Leprechauns are some of the folk-lore creatures that have always fascinated the author. He claims that he once caught one, just long enough to sketch him for a carving. Now Al Streetman shares 25 of his leprechaun patterns with other carvers who may not have been so lucky. In addition he shares many of his tricks and carving secrets in clear photographs and captions. The methods he uses and teaches will give the reader some new insight into character carving techniques, and will make carving easier and more fun. After you get a few carved and painted, they will make a colorful addition to...