Get Well Soon!

(stamp size 2.25" x 3.25")

The cooler weather has come in with a vengeance, at least around the PNW, and so many folks are suffering with colds and flu.

For all of you that are feeling a little under the weather, get well soon! Tuck yourself into your cozy blankets, have a hot cup of tea and take care of yourself. In case you have forgotten, here are some tips to help you feel better as soon as possible:

1. Eat chicken soup. It contains an amino acid called cysteine, which thins mucus and breaks up congestion. Plus, the steam from the soup helps open up air passages.

2. Gargle at the first sign of a scratchy throat with either mouthwash or 1 /2 tsp. of salt dissolved in 8 oz. warm water.

3. Stay warm. Getting chilled compromises your immune system.

4. Take aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever and inflammation.
   

5. Drink hot beverages and take hot showers. Steam helps open up nasal passages and reduces congestion.

6. Drink a lot of liquid, enough so that your urine turns clear. Yellow urine means your urine is fairly concentrated. Clear urine means your body is well-hydrated.

7. Use cough syrup sparingly. Coughing is one of the ways the body gets rid of mucus.

8. Suck on a throat lozenge for relief from a sore throat. Choose a menthol-, phenol- or benzocaine-based lozenge; these are the ones that will help to numb the throat. They also help open up nasal passages. Zinc lozenges may also be helpful.

9. Put an extra pillow under your head when you sleep to help your nasal passages drain.

10. Rest. If you have a bad cold, one of the best ways to treat it is to take a few days off and sleep.

Discussing Portraiture

(stamp size 3.5" square)

Between lettering and portraits, I don't know which I like to carve more. However, both are a challenge, to be sure. This stamp was an early attempt at portraiture from a photo I took while hiking a trail on the beautiful Oregon Coast. At the time, my sweet daughter was going by the moniker MoMonkey. Of course, when she changed her trailname, she unwittingly made this rather large carve obsolete.

This stamp definitely has some issues. I was pleased with it at the time, but knew there was room for improvement. The mouth screams at me; way too heavy and teeth will mess it up every time, in my view. The nose, as well, does not need to be completely outlined. Oftentimes breaking up those lines (where light would naturally hit) will lighten up the feature and give more balance to the entire face.

(stamp size 3.5" x 2.5")

The above carve is an early attempt at a self portrait. These early carves are invaluable for learning what works and what doesn't and where the focus needs to be. Definitely the nose and the mouth are having issues in this one. A little experimentation with shadowing in the cloak is a good start and the eyes and hair are working, but the whole face is not right due to the nose and mouth being off somehow. The initial drawing of your image lines and really paying attention to light and dark make a huge difference in a portrait. In this one, as well, you can see I eliminated the teeth completely...does that work? Not sure.

If you are asking how could I have done this one differently, I guess the answer would be to redraw it and pay more attention to the small details; not just outlining the nose and mouth, but to really pay attention to where the light is hitting and where the shadows gather. This portrait needs more dimension, as it comes off looking very flat.

Unfortunately, there was no saving or fixing either one of these stamps. Once that rubber is gone, it's gone baby! But the learning experience was definitely worth the price of admission, in my view. Experimentation, the challenge of harder images, and gaining an 'eye' for what images would translate well into rubber are all skills that are gained from working with portraits.

More Names

(stamp size 2" x 1")

Here's yet another stamp I carved for a gift. This one was for a dear one on her Bat Mitzvah. The Hebrew says her name, Sarah. Name stamps can make such pretty and one-of-a-kind gifts, especially when packaged in a jewelry box with a pretty bow purchased from the craft store.

The name stamp below was, interestingly enough, for Sarah's sister when she got married. Since I had the honor of acting as wedding coordinator, I needed to mail information to the wedding party and volunteers. Every envelope sent was graced with this stamp. When I was done using the stamp for practical purposes, I planted it as a traditional letterbox where they chose to get married. Unfortunately, I think the box is now missing, but happily they were able to go find the box together on their first anniversary prior to it's demise.

(stamp size 2" x 2" square)

Product Review: Modified Staedtler Gouges

reversed 1v, standard 1v and modified 2v gouges

Well, our clever friend Kirbert has been busy again. This time he wanted to do some experimentation on our favorite gouge, Staedtler. Being the curious sort that I am, I was very interested in sending him a couple of old gouges that were just rattling around in my tool box.

standard set of three Staedtler tools

Staedtler sells sets of three carving tools, as you may know; a green (1v), a blue (2v) and the pink (5u). Kirbert suggested modifying the green tool to a reverse nib. The 1v typically has the sides of the V leading (as you cut) with the point of the V recessed a bit. Reversing would have the sides of the V angling towards you with the point of the V leading. Here is a pic of a standard, unmodified green 1v gouge:

standard 1v

And here is a pic of the modified pinched and reversed green 1v:

reversed 1v

Kirbert also wanted to give the blue 2v a new look by attempting to make a 1v out of the 2v. Since I rarely use this tool (the V is much, much too big and clunky to actually use for any detail work), I sent it down to him to play with. Here is his modified 2v, now changed to a 1 v and sharpened:

modified 2v

I was excited to receive these re-vamped tools in the mail a couple of days ago. Kirbert was so fast! I was anxious to sit down and give them an earnest try. The next item on my carving to-do list was to work on some itty-bitty 1/2" stamps for an upcoming LTC project - they would be the perfect acid test for these new tools, demanding precision and small detail work.

Here's the results, all of which measure 1/2" square. (They are symbols found in the Star Wars universe...I know you're shocked!)

Gungun and Mandolorian symbols

Republic Senate and Rebel symbols

Republic and Imperial symbols

Royal Naboo and Jedi symbols

I absolutely love the reversed 1v - it totally rocks for small, intricate detail. I was able to get such control, much more so than with the needle or wire knife, no doubt. It is so, so sharp, too...from the first pass, this carver was oooo-ing and aaahhh-ing out loud. What you lose by changing the shape of the V in the way of the sides, you gain in control and a smaller cut.

The modified 2v, now a 1v, is much sharper, as well. I really like the sharpness of it, but when going back to more normal sized stamps with bigger areas to carve out, I reverted back to the standard 1v. It somehow had more control and something about the smoothness of the metal tip made a difference for me (perhaps it is a texture thing - the way it feels when you are removing the carved bits from the nib. The unmodified is much smoother, but this is probably just me being weird.)

So, the bottom line? I highly recommend giving Kirbert's reverse nib a try. It is definitely different from the Speedball reverse nib I had tried in the past. It is absolutely fabulous for small, intricate detail - at least in this carver's opinion.

Young Handmaiden

(stamp size 2.25" x 1.5")

Handmaidens to Queen Amidala were composed of young women of a similar age and with a striking similarity to their mistress. These handmaidens acted as bodyguards, decoys and confidantes to her, roles devised by Amidala's head of security, Captain Panaka. Despite their beautiful and delicate appearance, they were heavily trained to be vigilant and able to protect the Queen's and their own life. All of Naboo's handmaidens were members of the secret Order of Sanctuary.

Sabé is Queen Amidala's top handmaiden and it is rumored that they are best friends. Because of her physical similarity to the queen, whenever there is any sign of danger towards Amidala, Sabé is the first handmaiden chosen to act as Decoy. Once in full makeup and dress, she is virtually indistinguishable from the queen. She also imitates Amidala's voice and speech patterns and is encouraged to give orders so that she may keep up appearances.

In The Phantom Menace, Sabé imitates the Queen twice. The first time is during the escape from Naboo. Yes, that is HER in the black dress; not Amidala. She continues to be the decoy until she arrives on Coruscant. She then returns to her normal role as a handmaiden for the Senate scene and remains that way way until the return to Naboo, where she wears the queen's battle dress and attempts to appeal to the Gungans. Unfortunately, despite her training, she lacks the political finesse of the real Amidala, and they are forced to let the Gungans, Jedi, and the rest of the Naboo traveling party in on the ruse.

Sabé as the Queen's decoy with Padme as a handmaiden

Thinking Ahead

(stamp size 1.5" square)

With the gift-giving season coming upon us soon, a lot of us are thinking of making gifts for our friends and loved ones. If you are thinking about creating custom photo frames either by making them yourself or by decorating those found in craft stores, consider carving a 'place photo here' stamp to use where the photo would be placed. I carved this one, and one other, for a 'boxing friend at her request (she was in turn giving the stamps to another friend to use in handcrafted photo frames that she sold). Good idea, huh?

Another idea that I absolutely love is carving custom name stamps. I oftentimes carve name stamps for new babies. They can be used for everything from the baby gift thank you cards to graduation cards. Here's a few that I have carved and given:

(stamp size 2" x .75")

(stamp size 2" x 1")

(stamp size 1.75" x .75")

And one more for a special little boy by the name of Jareth Kenobi,

(stamp size 2.25" x .5")

Mastery

(stamp size 2.75" x .75")

A wonderful quote from Yoda that I try to apply to my own life. Carved in orange PZKut for the upcoming Quotations LTC swap hosted by my friend Onefourth.

In probing and pondering this idea of mastery further, I found some writing by a Jedi named Valerius that I found interesting. Perhaps you will, as well.

“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge - know thyself.”
~Plato

Plato said that human behavior tends to come from desire, emotion, or knowledge. We must understand this for many reasons...if we understand the desires and emotional tendencies of others we will better be able to understand and predict their actions. This, however, is not the main point of understanding where our actions as people come from. We know that we should train to understand our own desires and attachments so that we may act not out of base lusts or emotional outbursts, but from the core of our being...the part that acts out of the best knowledge we have in a given situation. We then must practice the doctrine of "Know Thyself."

We must understand and probe the depths of our own beings, and understand our so-called "hot buttons" to find harmony with our own deepest fears. When we understand the root of our own fears and attachments, we can train ourselves to act out of knowledge and not from desire and emotion. This has a multi-fold benefit including deepening our relationship with both loved ones and strangers because we can move past our own blockages and love and support others, as well as allowing us to make a small difference wherever we can.

When we can indeed rise beyond our own weaknesses to reach out to others, we will have gained that elusive mastery of self that we are seeking.

Like a city whose walls are broken down

is a man who lacks self-control.

~Proverbs 25:28

RIP

(stamp size 4.5" x 3")

The pelican, the seagull and the sandpiper are all local residents of the Oregon Coast. It was also the home of a wonderful and unique letterbox called The Locals, planted by my friend X Marks the Spot. Famous for planting 'boxes that feature wonderful clues taking you to breathtaking places, X is also an exceptional woodworker and enjoys utilizing his talent to make unexpected containers for his plants. Thus was the case with The Locals letterbox.

Planted on the beautiful Oregon Coast, it was a thrill and a treat to all who had the pleasure of finding this letterbox. I was (and still am) honored to have been able to contribute in a small way by carving the stamp for this gem. It was vandalized once and we were so happy that it was able to be restored after some TLC. However, the future was not bright for this special box. It was attacked again, and unfortunately the remains are gone, gone, gone.

Though all of us here in the PNW are sad for our loss, I want to say thanks to our friend X for the fun and inspiration. We look forward to the next time you come back out to the West Coast.

with our friend X Marks the Spot down in Alabama in Spring '08

(L to R: Padawan, Nep Enot, Cowgirl, SHH, T-4-Turtle, Hkrtrkr, X Marks the Spot & Meemaw)

The Dance

(stamp size 2.25" x .75")

When I was involved in postal letterboxing, I was always trying to go above and beyond, just to give surprise and enjoyment to the recipients.  I would add a bonus stamp usually, and this is one of them.  If I remember correctly, it was for a postal project called Grab Bag, hosted by my friend MoWizLiz.  The theme was anything you liked, so I carved The Dance.

(stamp size 2.25" x 2.75") 
 

The band starts up, and the couples form as if by magic...

swirling and dipping around the floor; 

come join the observers as they admire The Dance.

A Change

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that there has been daily posts from almost the beginning of it's inception.  It has been really fun for me to share my carving efforts with you...I have carved so many stamps that it is really not difficult to feature a different stamp every day.

However, I have decided to change the posting frequency to three times a week.  Why this change?  Well, my life gets a little more hectic as the fall marches into winter, as it probably does for many of us.  And looking ahead, winter gives way to spring and hopefully another cross-country road trip for us.  Unfortunately, I don't have as much free time to carve and create these days, so I don't have as many new offerings as I would like.  The older stuff is fun, but I much prefer to feature whatever I'm working on currently.

And why three times a week?  I figured posting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday would spread things out nicely, plus it would facilitate planning posts a little easier for myself.  (This is probably too much information, eh? lol!)

So, once again, I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to my regular and occasional readers - y'all are awesome!  It makes my day to read comments, knowing that I'm contributing to our hobby in a small way.  Keep reading, continue to comment, and I'll continue to post what I'm working on, what's in my stamp portfolio, and interesting tidbits about our hobby and the fascinating people in our community.

Happy carving!

Good Advice: Not Too Close!

Pretty self-explanatory, in my mind. There are plenty of great places to plant letterboxes, to be sure! And if you get the urge to plant a letterbox in a park that already has one or two letterboxes resident, it is good form to speak to the planters prior to placing yours, just out of courtesy. The only time this wouldn't be necessary is if the park is very large and able to accommodate many 'boxes without feeling crowded. (This is a good general rule to follow; however, there are always exceptions.)

This bit of good advice is another hitchhiker that's out traveling about the country, measuring 2" x 1.75".

Point Robinson

(stamp size 3.25" x 2.25")

Point Robinson Lighthouse sits on a sandy beach with verdant bluffs as a backdrop.

Located on the northeast corner of Maury Island in Puget Sound, the lighthouse marks the halfway point between Seattle and Tacoma. Before 1925, Maury Island was only accessible by boat or bridge at high tide. Now, however, the island is easily reached from the larger Vashon Island, via a paved road on a narrow strip of land.

Often shrouded in fog, Point Robinson began as a fog signal station on July 1, 1885. The original boiler and 12-inch steam whistle came from Oregon's Point Adams lighthouse. A light was added to the station in 1887. The lens lantern, shining fixed red, was attached to a 25-foot post. In 1894, the post was replaced by a wooden tower which shown the light at 31 feet.

In its picturesque setting and closeness to civilization, Point Robinson was a preferred station among keepers and their families. Originally, it was tended by a single keeper.

In 1897, one keeper noted that the whistle blew for 528 hours straight. After shoveling 35 tons of coal to keep it going, the keeper requested an assistant. Six years later, in 1903, a second keeper was assigned to the station.

The first keeper's dwelling with characteristic green shutters was built in 1885, when the fog station went into operation. A second dwelling was not added until 1907, four years after the assistant arrived. The present oil house dates from 1913.

The current lighthouse was built in 1915, with a 38-foot tower and fifth-order Fresnel lens. With these specifications, the light could be seen 12 miles. The tower is a twin of Alki Point Lighthouse, with diagonal astragals in the lantern room.

Though the light was automated in 1978, it still shines two white flashes every 12 seconds from the original fifth-order Fresnel lens. More specifically, the flashing pattern is on for three seconds, off for one second, on for another three seconds, and off for five seconds.

In the early 1990s, local residents caught wind of a plan to lease land on Point Robinson to a seafood-processing plant. The citizens joined together to form the Keepers of Point Robinson and, coupled with the Vashon Parks Department, they were able to negotiate a fifteen-year lease on the property with the Coast Guard. Starting in July of 2003, one of the two keeper's dwellings was made available for weekly rentals, and the second dwelling has since been made available as well.

The lighthouse's Fresnel lens remained active in the lantern room until 2008 when, after more than ninety years of service, the Coast Guard replaced it with a replaceable plastic beacon, mounted outside the lantern room. Joe Wubbold, a retired Coast Guard Captain and volunteer keeper at the lighthouse, helped persuade the Coast Guard to keep the original Fresnel lens in place.

(Lighthouse information courtesy Lighthouse Friends.com)

my photo of Point Robinson

Happy 16th Birthday, Morgan!

(stamp size 2" x 1")

Today is my sweet daughter's birthday - 16 years old!

I can hardly believe it.

One Sweet Ride

(actual stamp size 3" x 1.75")

I have to admit that I am still pining over a lost love affair.  I know, just put it behind you, Liz... 

This love affair was with my 1984 Fiero.  It was beautiful; white with brown and tan stripes along the sides, tan interior - just perfect.  I remember the day that I came home to see it sitting in front of the house - a surprise gift from a very dear friend. 

I loved that car from the moment I sat behind the wheel.  The way it sounded and hugged the road, feeling like a jetplane hitting the runway as I entered the freeway.  I have sweet memories of 'threading the needle' through traffic on I-5, racing to beat my friend in his matching white Fiero.  A good girlfriend says her first impression of me was driving in that car, zipping into the parking lot of our office with my long hair streaming out the window.  Yeah...I'm still in love with that car.  *sigh*

It's long gone now, though.  It got traded in long ago, against my better judgement.  I must have a pic of it somewhere around here...

This stamp was my contribution to an eighties postal ring long ago.  Interestingly, I think I was the oldest participant in the ring, because most of the stamps were of eighties toys.  It is a sad thing for me to say, but this stamp is also long gone, lost to a postal black hole.  I don't get attached to my carvings much, but this one was close to my heart.  At least I have the image - I'm happy about that.

Gumballs!

(actual size 1.5" x 1.25")

It's Bobby Jack!  Back when my daughter was the age that likes characters such as Bobby Jack, she wanted to host a postal ring in his honor.  We did it together and it was a great success...lots of fun, too!

This little guy was a bonus stamp for my contribution to the ring.  Isn't he cute?

Just the Right Tool

FACT: Carvers are very loyal and passionate about their carving tool of choice.

I, for instance, am a devout gouge carver. And not just any gouge, but the Staedtler is my choice. I have tried just about every other carving option, and I have found it to work best for my style of carving.

There are several options, though, and I'll attempt to list them here, just for the record.

The X-Acto Knife

an angled x-acto knife with safety cover

Just your basic x-acto knife, except the one with the sharp point is the one easiest to use for carving rubber. Nitrocat created an excellent tutorial on knife carving HERE.

The Wire Knife

Similar to the x-acto knife in theory and execution, it is much smaller. Created by Kirbert, these are only available from him (see photo below). I have given this tool a try, HERE is my review.

Needles

needles of different gages, one inserted into a pin vice

There is always much talk and mystery surrounding using needles. Simply, they are hypodermic needles used for large livestock (horses, cows, etc.). Definintely a good part of your carving toolbox, I have found, for very small detail and for sharp corners. Here is my REVIEW of needles. They are available at any feed or farm supplies retailer and also online (HERE is one site I found just googling a bit).

If you are going to use needles, you will need to fashion a handle of some sort. The most popular choice is the pin vice (pictured above), but you can also use a drafting lead holder (pictured below).

wire knife inserted into drafting lead holder

The Gouge

the set of three Staedtler gouges

Another carving option is the gouge; a sharpened v-shaped metal tip attached to a handle that you push through the carving material. Cutting both angles of the material in one pass, the gouge differs from the carving technique of knife carving that only cuts one angle at a pass.

a Speedball gouge with a variety of removable nibs

There are two choices for gouges, Speedball and Staedtler. As I have stated before, I prefer the Staedtler; the metal seems so much more smooth and the design seems far more 'engineered' than the rather rough Speedball gouge. The bottom of the cutting 'v' is sharper and thinner on the Staedtler than on the Speedball, as well. The advantage to the Speedball is that the nibs or carving tips are removable, so they are easily replaced. Not so with the Staedtler, when the blade gets dull either you sharpen it or buy a new one.

I found this opinion interesting, again from our friend Kirbert, on comparing the Staedtler and the Speedball:

"...Then I tried a Speedball #1. After working on the precision instrument that is the Staedtler 1v, just looking at the Speedball with the magnifying lens makes you think "What a piece of junk!" Cutting a sample groove, I am astounded that -- having just made a hair-width groove with the Staedtler -- I am completely unable to cut a groove anywhere near that fine. It's gotta be three or four times as wide at least, and I was trying hard. It's just not happening..."

Noteworthy Alterations & Tricks
The first and most discussed tool alteration is the 'pinching' of the #1 Speedball nib, thus making it smaller or thinner. This is achieved by heating up the nib and giving it a squeeze with some sort of tool, such as needle-nose plyers. This is tricky business, however; I've heard of folks going through several nibs trying to get the heating just right so the nib doesn't crack.

I have tried this tool, and since it's made with a Speedball nib, I didn't like it any better than the regular #1 Speedball nib - but I know that some do, so it may be worth a try.

the pinched Speedball nib

Another alteration is the reverse Speedball nib; instead of the 'v' shape that is typical, the reverse nib leads with the sharp bottom of the v, with the sides angling back toward the carver. (I actually had one of these and gave it a try, but quickly determined it was not for me. Unfortunately, I cannot find it to get a better photo.)

a "reverse" nib, filed back the other way

Something else to add to your knowledge is different ways to create circles or texture in the rubber with various household items. The tip of a mechanical pencil is an excellent choice (push back the lead all the way, then insert the tip and push down into the rubber, thus creating a perfect tiny circle). Paper clips have also been used with success and come in various sizes. Rough sandpaper has been used, as well, for roughing up the rubber for added texture. With a little imagination, you can come up with more ideas on how to create unique looks on your stamps with things right around your house.

Sharpening Your Tools
In my personal experience, I have not had any luck sharpening my carving tools. I have tried it myself and also had a friend give it a try, to no avail. Since you can now purchase Staedtler 1v gouges from WEBFOOT for minimal cost, I just buy a new one when I feel that the tool is getting too dull (which isn't frequent, that's for sure - the Staedtler holds an edge for hundreds of stamps). As far as knife carving tools and needles, they are also so inexpensive that sharpening is just not necessary.

[UPDATE: our friend Kirbert will sharpen gouges for you for minimal cost/postage. Contact him HERE]

Making the Choice
I highly recommend trying all the types of carving tools I have highlighted above. Newer carvers need to find what works best for them and the more experienced would do well to expand their horizons by trying a different tool or technique. Your personal carving style, material of choice and carving environment all play a role in your choice of carving tool. Many veteran carvers, such as myself, have a whole arsenal of tools at their disposal to make just the right cut.

Happy carving!

Sumatran Tiger

(stamp size 2.25" x 3.25")

The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a subspecies of tiger found on the Indonesian island of  Sumatra. Recent genetic testing has revealed the presence of unique genetic markers, which isolate Sumatran tigers from all mainland subspecies. Currently, there are only 100-400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

Originally carved as a layered stamp, this beautiful tiger lives in a traditional box planted in Staatsburg, New York, by my friends 3 Blind Mice.   It was inspired by a photo I took at our local Pt. Defiance Zoo.

Good Advice: Don't Plant in Sensitive Areas

(actual size 1.5" x 2" )

Another snippet of good, common sense in the form of a hitchhiker.

But wait...what is a sensitive environment, anyway?

Any parcel of land, large or small, under public or private control, that already has, or with remedial action could achieve, desirable environmental attributes. These attributes contribute to the retention and/or creation of wildlife habitat, soils stability, water retention or recharge, vegetative cover, and similar vital ecological functions. Environmentally sensitive areas range in size from small patches to extensive landscape features. They can include rare or common habitats, plants and animals. (Source: DUNSTE)

Hmmm...sounds like my house. My children could be considered wildlife, right?

Nat'l Breast Cancer Awareness Month

(stamp size 3.25" x 2.25")

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I'd feature my stamp of a breast cancer pink ribbon quilt stitching pattern I carved for an LTC swap centered all around awareness of this form of cancer. I have not been touched in my family from this insidious cancer, but I know so many that have been - I hope they find some answers sooner rather than later.

At my local Curves they are holding an auction and fundraiser this month, with the collected money going towards breast cancer research. I have decided to donate my carving skills to the endeavor; two certificates for custom hand-carved name stamps for the winning bidders. I hope the certificates generate lots of bids!

So, I guess I don't need to encourage you, or your loved ones, to perform regular self-exams and to get screened, do I?

Bucket

(stamp size 3.5" x 2")

Costumers who take the time and effort to dress as movie-accurate Stormtroopers call their helmets 'buckets'. An interesting term; I've had a bucket on, and I can see where they come up with that descriptor.

I carved this bucket - well, half a bucket - for an upcoming LTC project. I found this illustration of a bucket online and thought it was intriguing and perfect for the project. I'm still contemplating carving the other half...there is a PZ Kut drought going on, y'know, so I want to use what material I have wisely, for sure.

A Dutiful Friend

(actual size 2.25" x 3.25")

Carved in honor of a dear friend, this stamp gives nod to a more civilized accompaniment. Ever ready to lend a hand, some things just go better with Merlot.

If you have not tried Sterling Merlot, I highly recommend it.