As a child, I watched my grandfather use rainwater to loosen the bark from a willow limb to form it into a flute. Thus began my interest in wood crafting. When I was in high school, woodshop only heightened my interest.

Over the last 33 years I have made wooden toys, wood furniture and handcarved knick-knacks like butterflies. After the addition of a sunroom onto my home, I enjoyed cultivating flowering plants. It was then that I began hand carving flowers from wood like the one pictured here that Winterberry is famous for. My inspiration came from the Lotus flowers that I carefully cultivated.

The "Eternal Bloom" handcarved flowers may be created from a variety of woods or from a single type, depending on availability. The following woods may be used:

• black walnut
  
• spaulded maple
  
• western red cedar
  
• red oak
  
• pecan
  
• sassafras
  
• rock maple
  
• and mahogany

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