43
Wood Works
Crafty couple sells hand-carved Kris Kringles
A large carved Santa will cost you about $100, but ornaments sell for around $20.
KINSMAN — As Dennis Piper uses a knife to deftly carve a small block of basswood, he insists he’s not artistic.
“I can’t draw,” he says as he turns the wood in his hand and the shavings tumble to the floor around his feet. “I’m not an artistic person at all.”
The rest of the world would probably disagree.
Since the mid-1980s, Dennis has been carving wooden Santas, and his folksy, one-of-a-kind creations are whimsical, charming and yes — very artistic.
There are grumpy Santas, somber Santas, silly Santas and skinny Santas.
Some are painted red, and some are painted white, and they’re all on display in the retail store at Pine Brook Alpacas, the Kinsman Pymatuning Road farm owned by Dennis and his wife, Jacque.
“Each Santa is unique,” Jacque says of the vast collection of Kris Kringles. “It’s hard to part with them after they’re finished.”
But parting with them is what the Pipers do.
The Santas are bartered in the cozy Pine Brook Alpacas store along with various alpaca-related sundries such as handwoven scarves, socks and mittens.
Tabletop-sized Santas start at about $35, and ornament-sized Santas sell for about $20. An exceptionally large Santa has a $100 price tag.
Dennis said it takes him about five hours to carve a table-top Santa. After the carving is complete, he gives the figures to Jacque, who paints them with acrylics and then applies an antiqued finish.
The results are distinctive and enchanting.
“A lot of detail goes into the painting, especially the faces,” Dennis said. “The faces are also the most challenging part to carve.”
Dennis said the mugs of everyday folks often inspire him.
“I get ideas for faces in the people I see,” Dennis said, adding with a laugh, “Grumpy-looking people are especially inspiring.”
It’s easy to tell that Dennis has a wry sense of humor.
Many of his Santas look grim and grouchy, and one St. Nick is even seated atop a chimney and using it as a potty.
“We tell kids this is what Santa will do at their house if they’re bad boys and girls,” Dennis joked.
Dennis, 60, learned wood carving from a friend and former co-worker. He retired from Delphi after 35 years as an engineer and recently took a job at Youngstown Thermal.
Carving is something he does in his spare time, and he’s completed about 500 Santas since embracing the hobby.
“I’ve lost count of how many I’ve done,” he said. “We have about 100 for sale now.”
Dennis uses basswood from a linden tree that was chopped down by an Amish neighbor.
“Basswood is very soft and easy to cut,” Dennis explained. “I usually start with a 4-by-6-inch block of wood.”
As Dennis demonstrated some carving techniques, the snug atmosphere of Pine Brook’s retail store wove a pleasant spell.
Yellow flames hissed in the fireplace, Yuletide music played softly on a stereo, and a spicy candle emitted a delicious aroma.
A collection of carved St. Nicholas ornaments dangled from a Christmas tree displayed near the store’s entrance, and fleecy scarves and mittens piled atop antique tables begged to be touched.
The Pine Brook Alpacas retail store is located inside a quaint two-story barn next to the Pipers’ home. With hemlock siding and a green metal roof, the barn looks rustic and snug and is a perfect refuge for the Pipers’ growing herd of alpacas.
Jacque, a part-time librarian at Kinsman Library, became smitten with these docile, furry creatures after seeing them at the 2002 Cleveland Home and Garden Show.
It wasn’t long before she and Dennis had transformed their 15-acre property into an alpaca haven. The Pipers started out with three pregnant female alpacas in 2002 and now have 14.
They just returned from an alpaca show where they collected an armful of ribbons.
“They are such wonderful, gentle animals,” Jacque said.
Dennis said he enjoys sitting in the barn with the alpacas and carving Santas.
“It’s very calming. I like to listen to the alpacas hum while I work,” he said.
Alpacas do indeed hum.
They also enjoy graham crackers and venturing into freshly fallen Ohio snow.
These timid creatures are native to the mountains of South America where they are prized for their fleece and also serve as pack animals.
Alpaca fleece is incredibly soft and warmer than wool.
Some of the merchandise in the Pipers’ store has been woven from the fleece of their very own alpacas.
In addition to Santas, Dennis also carves golfer statues, ducks, geese and walking sticks. These are also sold in the store.
Pine Brook Alpacas is located at 9401 Kinsman Pymatuning Road. The store is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. Call (330) 876-6365 for more information.