My Heart Process

Rosewood and Zebrawood

Rosewood and Zebrawood

I don’t just purchase some basic wood, predone, I choose the wood for it’s detail and individual beauty, in raw forms. These Rosewood and Zebrawood pieces have been resawn from a block.

Spalted Tamarind

Spalted Tamarind

This Spalted Tamarind was also a block and was resawn and I chose the wood for it’s spectacular detail.

Spalted Tamarind

Spalted Tamarind

I use imperfections in the woods, actually hope for them because they make such interesting designs. I’m thinking of putting these 2 pieces in that heart shape and making it 2 hearts separate but one….hmmm.

Cocobolo

I get wood from different souces, but I love going to the mill and choosing pieces like this Cocobolo with its heart and sap wood so strikingly different.

Myrtle

This Myrtle that I was able to purchase came in a square block and this is the resawn pieces.

Myrtle

Even with the small squares, I choose a section of the piece that has the most interest, or use a heart size or sizes that best shows the effect.

mixed wood pieces with drawn hearts

mixed wood pieces with drawn hearts

This shows the variety of types of wood that I try to have and the different sizes of hearts I will draw.

Ebony, Yellowheart, Olivewood

Ebony, Yellowheart, Olivewood

Whatever size wood piece I have, I can cut a size of heart from it….or multiples. The Yellowheart is small, the Olivewood a little bigger and the Ebony is about 3”.

Rosewood with drawn hearts

Rosewood with drawn hearts

This piece of resawn Rosewood that I showed earlier, shows different size hearts and also placed in reverse to use as much wood as possible.

Zebrawood for hanging 3 heart piece

Zebrawood for hanging 3 heart piece

I make my 3 heart hanging piece from one piece of wood and this is the piece with the hearts drawn and the “x-ed” out sections to be cut out to make the hearts.

cutting Zebrawood hearts on scroll saw

cutting Zebrawood hearts on scroll saw

After all the choosing and drawing, I cut the hearts out on my scroll saw. The 3 hearts are cut from this single piece and I have to drill a hole, remove the scroll saw blade and insert through the hole.

I cut any size of heart that I make on my scroll saw. So far I haven’t gone bigger, but it’s an idea for the future.

I cut any size of heart that I make on my scroll saw. So far I haven’t gone bigger, but it’s an idea for the future.

These are all the raw cut hearts that I showed earlier with hearts drawn on the separate long pieces.

These are all the raw cut hearts that I showed earlier with hearts drawn on the separate long pieces.

raw Redheart and Bocote hearts

raw Redheart and Bocote hearts

I cut these 2 hearts to include the knots and holes because it adds such interest the way the grain swerves around them and then I cut the heart elongated for a funky look in addition to the holes.

raw Ebony and Rosewood backs

raw Ebony and Rosewood backs

These 2 hearts are not even polyed yet, but are so deep and beautiful already. See the difference in the Ebony and the Rosewood grains.

side grain of Zebrawood

side grain of Zebrawood

I choose to make my hearts on the thicker side if I can purposely to show how the grain follows from the front to the back of the heart.

sanding the hearts

sanding the hearts

After cutting the hearts out, there is a great deal of sanding, machine and hand, on the edges and fronts and backs.

hand-sawing the pearl

hand-sawing the pearl

A lot of planning and creative thoughts go into what design to cut the pearl into. I began with the split heart in the heart and realized as I went on that pretty much any design can be made for the hearts.

hand-sawing the pearl

hand-sawing the pearl

Whatever the design I choose, I draw it onto the pearl pieces and cut it out and then sand any imperfections.

scoring the pearl on the heart

scoring the pearl on the heart

I then score the cut pearl pieces onto the hearts being extremely accurate.

routing out the cavity

routing out the cavity

Then I rout out the cavity for the pearl constantly going back and forth to fit each piece as close to perfection as possible.

split heart pearl gluing

split heart pearl gluing

I glue the pieces of pearl into the cavity and sand smooth including final sanding and then coating with multiple coats of poly.

Rosewood and Zebrawood

Spalted Tamarind

Spalted Tamarind

Cocobolo

Myrtle

Myrtle

mixed wood pieces with drawn hearts

Ebony, Yellowheart, Olivewood

Rosewood with drawn hearts

Zebrawood for hanging 3 heart piece

cutting Zebrawood hearts on scroll saw

I cut any size of heart that I make on my scroll saw. So far I haven’t gone bigger, but it’s an idea for the future.

These are all the raw cut hearts that I showed earlier with hearts drawn on the separate long pieces.

raw Redheart and Bocote hearts

raw Ebony and Rosewood backs

side grain of Zebrawood

sanding the hearts

hand-sawing the pearl

hand-sawing the pearl

scoring the pearl on the heart

routing out the cavity

split heart pearl gluing

I love wood! It comes from a beautiful tree in nature and each showcases it’s own incredible grain and color. I put my focus on the wood by leaving one side of my hearts without any inlay and by not painting or staining just polying to enhance its natural features.

DiZigns Hearts

larger hearts with carved inlay designs
small dot inlay hearts
“giveaway” hearts
personalized initial/remembrance hearts
scroll down for the above choices

3” Purpleheart wood heart with Mother-of-Pearl rose inlayThe finish looks rippled, but the surface is smooth and those are reflections. — 3” Purpleheart wood heart with Mother-of-Pearl rose inlay
The finish looks rippled, but the surface is smooth and those are reflections.

3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl split heart inlay — 3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl split heart inlay

3” Rosewood heart with small, solid Mother-of-Pearl heart inlay — 3” Rosewood heart with small, solid Mother-of-Pearl heart inlay

3” Spalted Tamarind wood heart with solid Abalam heart inlay — 3” Spalted Tamarind wood heart with solid Abalam heart inlay

3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl poinsettia inlay — 3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl poinsettia inlay

3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl tree mosaic inlay — 3” Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl tree mosaic inlay

3” Ebony wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl rosebud inlay that hangs askew — 3” Ebony wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl rosebud inlay that hangs askew

3” Purpleheart wood heart with green tinted Golden Mother-of-Pearl split shamrock inlay — 3” Purpleheart wood heart with green tinted Golden Mother-of-Pearl split shamrock inlay

3” Ebony wood heart with white Abalone dog paw inlay — 3” Ebony wood heart with white Abalone dog paw inlay

DiZigns’ “Key to my Heart” line with an approx. 1” Yellowheart wood heart with Abalone inlay on key ring with antique skeleton key (can substitute any small dot heart) — DiZigns’ “Key to my Heart” line with an approx. 1” Yellowheart wood heart with Abalone inlay on key ring with antique skeleton key (can substitute any small dot heart)

7” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and Mother-of-Pearl solid heart inlay in small heart — 7” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and Mother-of-Pearl solid heart inlay in small heart

7” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and Mother-of-Pearl solid heart inlay in small heart — 7” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and Mother-of-Pearl solid heart inlay in small heart

6” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and solid Abalam heart inlay in small heart — 6” 3 heart Zebrawood hanging piece with beads and solid Abalam heart inlay in small heart

6” silhouette

Dot Inlay Hearts

I first made small dot inlay hearts to go with my small drawstring bags and I called the line “Pearl of my Heart” bags. After that I realized that the inexpensive price of these small hearts was a way to lure my customers into my world of the love of wood and their colors and grains. I incorporate all my criteria for the larger more intricately inlaid hearts to these beauties. They can vary from a little over 1 inch to a little under 2 inches. They are small enough to get multiples and use as gift embellishments.

Lacewood hearts with Abalone dot inlay — Lacewood hearts with Abalone dot inlay

Bocote wood hearts with Abalone dot inlay — Bocote wood hearts with Abalone dot inlay

“Pearl of my Hearts” made from Marblewood and Tiger Caspi (put with my drawstring bags, I made them for the 2016 Made in NH Expo for their marketing campaign) — “Pearl of my Hearts” made from Marblewood and Tiger Caspi (put with my drawstring bags, I made them for the 2016 Made in NH Expo for their marketing campaign)

Olivewood heart with Abalone dot inlay — Olivewood heart with Abalone dot inlay

mix of dot inlay hearts, some with Abalone and some with Golden Mother-of-Pearl inlays, with Mahogany, Bocote, Osage Orange, Rosewood, Myrtle woods — mix of dot inlay hearts, some with Abalone and some with Golden Mother-of-Pearl inlays, with Mahogany, Bocote, Osage Orange, Rosewood, Myrtle woods

Mahogany heart with Abalone dot inlay — Mahogany heart with Abalone dot inlay

Osage Orange heart with Abalone dot inlay — Osage Orange heart with Abalone dot inlay

Rosewood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlay — Rosewood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlay

Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlaty — Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlaty

Tiger Caspi wood heart with Abalone dot inlay — Tiger Caspi wood heart with Abalone dot inlay

Mahogany, Rosewood, Purpleheart and Marblewood hearts with Abalone and Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlays — Mahogany, Rosewood, Purpleheart and Marblewood hearts with Abalone and Golden Mother-of-Pearl dot inlays

Marblewood hearts with Abalone dot inlays — Marblewood hearts with Abalone dot inlays

Olivewood heart side grain — Olivewood heart side grain

Bocote wood side grain — Bocote wood side grain

Tiger Caspi side grain — Tiger Caspi side grain

My Giveaway Hearts

I like to try to have a special heart to giveaway and I love these super thin ones.

Spring 2017 Giveaway Hearts: Rosewood, Mahogany, Curly Maple — Spring 2017 Giveaway Hearts: Rosewood, Mahogany, Curly Maple

The thinness of this Rosewood heart — The thinness of this Rosewood heart

Mahogany thin hearts with jewel embellishment — Mahogany thin hearts with jewel embellishment

Mahogany thin hearts with jewel embellishment — Mahogany thin hearts with jewel embellishment

These Mahogany Thins were made for the Art Jam Bridgefest 2017.

These Mahogany thin hearts are my Giveaway Hearts for the 2018 Holiday Season.

Mahogany thins with heart cutout and jewel embellishment — Mahogany thins with heart cutout and jewel embellishment

Mahogany thins with heart cutout and jewel emebellishment

DiZigns Remembrance/Initials hearts

These hearts can be someone’s initials or name or even nickname. They can represent a person who is loved that is living or who has passed away. They are cool, smooth and stunning and can be very comforting if they are given in remembrance. They are usually made to order.

Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay — Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay

Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay — Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay

Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl “MOM” inlay — Purpleheart wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl “MOM” inlay

Ebony wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay — Ebony wood heart with Golden Mother-of-Pearl initials inlay