Bushcraft Skills overnighter course

Had a great weekend just gone, teaching a group of seven adults all about the basics of bushcraft, with a chance to sleep out in the woods and enjoy the experience for longer. We were busy long into the evening and many a dutch oven was filled and emptied over the 24 hours.
Its worth all the preparation, teaching, and setting up when there is so much positivity within a group and folks start to take in the new skills as well as relaxing and chatting around the fire in an evening when the work is done.

Its very rewarding work.

Anyway, a few pics as per usual...

Large group area for cooking and teaching.

First time with Tarpage and some new knots learnt.

Trying out the bivi for the first time

Fire by friction successes

Evening meal all cooked as a group. Pizza, chilli, curry, flat breads and rice.

Relaxing with a brew and chatting long into the night.

Cooked breakfast on the way

Black Pines. I still like to climb when I get chance, and these are great. They're very tall and you can usually sit on the very top of the canopy due to the table top like upper surface.

Decorated eating spoon designs post Spoonfest 2015

Last weekend I attended Spoonfest in the village of Edale part of the wonderful county of Derbyshire, Uk. Its such a great thing living close to an amazing international event. Many of the worlds top spoon (and other woodcraft) carvers instruct there and its made a wonderful place with all the folks that attend to see, and carve spoonage. Camping out for the whole event, you really get to soak up ideas and inspiration.

I've not been happy with my eating spoons. There ok, work perfectly well, and are durable, but I wanted to make them a little more distinctive, and to revisit some of the chip carved and kolrosed designs from my previous spoons. I made nine spoons over the first three days back, tweaking the design and leaving them around the house grabbing a look from different angles as I went about my chores. After finally picking out my favourite, I matched up the others as best as possible and went for it with the frosts 106 and carved in some patterns long into the night.

I'm into Sami symbols again and elements - wind, fire, earth, water and trying out a few ideas. I cracked out the milk paint and ochre pigments again to add a little colour. I was a little unsure if I should follow this imaginary, but it feels right, I'm drawn to it constantly. Plus the Mrs likes it which helps!

What do you think? Be honest now or I wont be able to make for the customer.

Cheers,
Paul.