Sunday, July 20, 2014

Summer Wood Carvings – Hair Sticks or Hairsticks

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Misty Hollow Carving was launched in October 2008

Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.



Summer Wood Carvings – Hair Sticks or Hairsticks
My summer carving continues… this time it is “Hair Sticks”.  Hair – who?  Yep “Sticks” for use in some one’s hair.

Wikipedia states the following…
“A hair stick (also hairstick) is a straight, pointed device, usually between five and nine inches in length, used to hold a person's hair in place in a hair bun or similar hairstyle.

Unlike many hair pins, which are usually small and quite simple, hair sticks are often more elaborate and decorative, and feature jeweled or carved designs that make them stand out as pieces of luxury jewelry. The price of hairsticks varies greatly depending on the style, materials and craftsmanship - the cheapest pairs of plastic hairsticks can cost less than a dollar, while a single, hand-crafted hairstick by an artist can cost over two hundred dollars.”

Hairsticks have been used for 1000s of years according to what I have found so far.

But I am at a disadvantage in that I cannot wear them – my hair is too short… and really… I am not a Japanese Samurai Warrior.  In my mind yes – body no.
So here they are – ready for your inspection and also for Pinterest and fellow wood carvers. The patterns are included without the length of the shafts. Mine are almost 5 inches in length.
Enjoy



The designs presented for Fellow Wood Carvers - drawn on old Transparencies






~ Murray Lincoln ~

For your inspection


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Monday, July 14, 2014

Making the Tough Call when everyone’s eyes are on you - By The John Maxwell Company

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Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images


These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.                                 
Misty Hollow Carving was launched in October 2008


Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.


                 



Making the Tough Calls - yikes!
The following article arrived to my email In-Box this morning.  After reading this I just had to pass it on.

With World Cup Soccer championship game just completed yesterday the events the Referee faced are very vivid in my mind.

I am a Referee in a number of areas of my life.  This week I have to make “call” in plays that have unfolded in front of me. The plays have left some folk calling for me to “blow the whistle”.  Others are saying they did nothing wrong, “It wasn’t my fault!” declares the other party in the skirmish that is taking place.
And I am the Referee.  Please read this article with these thoughts in mind – you may well be facing a similar problem(s).  Enjoy.

Making the Tough Call when everyone’s eyes are on you
By The John Maxwell Company

Entire countries come to a standstill during the World Cup soccer tournament, as people pause from their daily routine to tune into the action. Part of the excitement comes from the fact that games are often decided by a single goal. One well-timed kick can make all the difference.

With such a small margin separating victory and defeat, the decisions made by referees play a significant role in determining the outcome of a match. This is particularly true when two players collide within the penalty box, and officials must determine whether or not a foul has been committed. If so, a penalty shot is awarded and one team gains a golden opportunity to score a goal.

With tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium, and millions of fans watching on television, referees are under immense pressure to make the right call. Whatever decision they make will be subject to endless scrutiny and fierce criticism.

Like soccer refs, leaders eventually face situations that require making a tough call. Each tough call has the following in common:
- It demands a risk. If it’s easy or comfortable, then it’s not a tough call.
- It will be second-guessed and criticized. You will never make a tough call and have unanimous support for your decision.
- It is costly. You will lose sleep over it, sacrifice finances because of it, and perhaps even sever relationships as a consequence of it.
- If made correctly, a tough call will lead to a breakthrough that lifts your leadership to a higher level.


How do make good decisions in circumstances where the right choice is not perfectly clear and where so much is at stake? Let’s return to the analogy of the soccer referee for guidance. A good referee…

1) Makes a timely decision
A referee does not wait several minutes after blowing his whistle to issue his decision. As soon as he stops play, the official confidently steps forward to signal whether or not an infraction taken place.

If you tend to dread the finality of taking a stand or calling the shots, you may be tempted to put off the decision. It’s easy to rationalize your unwillingness to decide.

For example:
• “That can wait. There’s no reason to rush. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
• “It’s such a tough call. It could go either way. I’m just not sure, so I’ll reflect on it for a while.”
• “It’s a lose-lose decision, where someone’s going to get hurt regardless. So why not put if off and postpone the damage as long as possible?”
If any of these comments sound familiar, your challenge is to condense the timeframe in which you make your decision. Although you may trick yourself into believing that “it can wait,” a cloud of worry will hover over your head until you take initiative to make the call.

2) Refuses to surrender the decision to others
A good referee refuses to be swayed by the crowd, and makes his judgment according to personal observation rather than the emotions of spectators.

Likewise, competent leaders make decisions after weighing the evidence in light of their vision and values. Rather than seeking to please their people or to pacify their critics, leaders ground their choice on what’s best for the long-run health of the organization.

3) Does not say “yes” to everything
Soccer players notoriously try to influence the officials, diving to the turf in exaggerated pain in the hopes of persuading a referee to call a foul. Thus, a good ref frequently denies players’ requests for a foul to be called, refusing to blow the whistle every time a player falls to the ground in apparent agony.

You’re not making smart decisions if you’re always giving the go-ahead or thumbs-up. By saying “yes” to everyone; you’re not being helpful and empowering. Instead, you’re irresponsibly robbing resources from what matters most.

Question to Consider
How has making a tough call led to a breakthrough in your leadership?
Reference – Making the Tough Call when everyone’s eyes are on you

~ Murray Lincoln ~
www.murraylincoln.com

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Monday, July 7, 2014

The Fairy Adventure continues

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Misty Hollow Carving and Misty Hollow Digital Images


These BLOGS are sponsored by my businesses.                                 
Misty Hollow Carving was launched in October 2008


Misty Hollow Digital Images were launched on September 26, 2012.


         
        


A Young Explorer finds the Fairy Door(House) at the Mad Monkey Clothing store

The Fairy Adventure continues
On Saturday I was one of the featured artists at the Laveanne Farm. 

On Sunday I was one of the featured Artists in Port Hope and “The Homes, Gardens, Music and Fairy Door Tour” of Cobourg and Port Hope

In our case the local stores of Port Hope were teamed up with the Artists that were participating in the project to help raise money for a local charity that supports people in Central America.  The local charity is “Horizons of Friendship” (https://www.facebook.com/horizonsoffriendship)

It was great walking around Port Hope looking at the variety of Doors and Houses that different Artists had created.  I have taken lots of photos for my friends to see. They have been published to my Misty Hollow Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/mistyhollowcarving and also to my Pinterest boards.

Take a peek below and see if it encourages your imagination too.

In a number of photos you will see kids looking at what they have found.  These were the best photos I captured.

Enjoy.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

For your inspection

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/ and http://mistyhollow-digitalimages.blogspot.ca/

The Fairy Doors at the Dreamers Cafe - 2 Queen Street

 Murray Lincoln and Roger Bernard - owner/operator of the Dreamers Cafe







 The detail of the small door

The Faun Boutique - 41 Walton Street




The Furby House of Books - 65 Walton Street


Ganaraska Art and Framing - 93 Walton Street


Greenwood Coalition -17 John Street


Holton Flower Shop - 62 Walton Street




Journey Through the Arts - 27 Walton Street




Mad Monkey Clothing - 45 Walton Street



 Inside detail - amazing!
 The other side of the Fairy Door - which is inside the Dressing Room


Mercury Chocolates - 24 John Street


My Bark Avenue - 51 Walton Street
 This Fairy Door was unique in that it was designed for "Animal Fairies"

And you guessed it... here is the Fairy Cat

My Sisters Closet - 41 John Street
A whole island dedicated to Fairy Things and rooms


The Port Hope Public Library - 31 Queen Street
 The Library Fairy House was found at the back of the Library sitting in a window

The Port Hope Tourism - 20 Queen Street

Snapd Newspaper - Stand in Lent Lane



 Summerhill B&B - 127 Walton Street


The Capital Theatre - 20 Queen Street
 The second Fairy House at the Capital Theatre

 The Walldell - 1 Walton Street