Bottle Stoppers

I have a new lathe, and I've been hard at work making bottle stoppers from local wood.  Those of you in the Jackson/Williamson County area will remember the May 8, 2009 storm.  Our house was spared any damage, but the woods behind our house took quite a hit.  A large maple tree went down, and over time the wood has become spalted.  Spalting occurs when a fungus takes up residence in the wood, leaving beautiful lines and coloration.  I have used some of that maple, as well as other woods, to make an array of bottle stoppers.

Everyone who's seen these has oohed and aahed.  I must admit, I'm pretty impressed by how well they turned out.  Want to see what I've been up to?  These stoppers are available at Dayshift in Carbondale, and at Rustle Hill Winery along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.  I will also have them at all the shows we do from now on, so stop by our booth and take a look.  Our next show is the Holiday Craft Sale at the SIUC Student Center, Nov. 29, 30, and Dec. 1.  We hope to see you there.