Little Free Library at Winterset

The latest Little Free Library from Fossil Forge is ready for sharing! This Library is located in the Winterset neighborhood in Lee's Summit, Mo. It is located at the community park and swimming pool. This Library was a collaborative effort between the neighborhood, developer and Fossil Forge. The design captures the elements of a garden shed. Flowers decorate the top and sides of this special Library.

The Library is made of steel. It is painted with enamel paint for added durability. Special graphics add personality.

This Library is large. It can comfortably hold dozens of books. There is even a shelf inside to better organize the books.

Sidewalks and streets lead the way to this community-centered box. Time to share books!

Colorful graphics for a vintage trailer

Here at Fossil Forge Design, we do more than just metalwork. A recent project offered a chance to create some eye-catching graphics for a 1960s vintage camper. The business, Blue Heron Design, will be using this as a mobile retail store. A great idea for a cool trailer. The graphics use the colors and designs found in the store, but have the added twist of looking distressed and weathered.

Circles make for a interesting garden gate

The same homeowner that has the metal tree (earlier entry) needed a special garden gate to the backyard. Using some of the tree's geometric design, we created this custom gate. Over time, the gate will also turn a rich rusty brown...a perfect look in the garden.

A simple locking latch is easy to open.

Metal tree sprouts from azaleas

Nature is painting this sculpture a beautiful rusty orange and brown. Its geometry looks nice against the house and the surrounding garden. The vintage farm implement adds a pretty touch of green to the scene.

Elementary school Little Free Library debuts

What a gorgeous day to read and share books! Today was the unveiling of the Madison Place Elementary (Olathe, Kan.) Little Free Library. The library is a legacy gift to the school from the 5th Grade class. The library showcases the school colors and their mascot: a maverick. The kids gave me drawings for inspiration, lots of horseshoes and horseheads. I incorporated the horseshoe...it spins!

The Library can handle lots of books. The kids placed almost 80 books in it today.

The Library is close to a new neighborhood. Perfect for walkers to check it out.

Fun to have all the kids gather around the Library for a group photo. Thank you, Madison Place Elementary in Olathe, Kan.

Beautiful entry railing is complete

Wow. I'm glad to finally get these twin railings installed. These are huge. But for the location, they are perfect. These railings are almost 10 feet long. I cut a steel plate to reflect the design of a tree and a bird. The entire project was powdercoated in a wrinkled bronze finish. The railings are installed using expansion bolts into the concrete. It is sturdy and ready for use.

Little Free Library for Unity Village

The latest Little Free Library is ready for use. This one is located near the coffee shop and bookstore at Unity Village (Missouri). The Library reflects the beautiful architecture of the campus. This library has two shelves inside to organize the books.

Custom retirement gift

I was honored to be able to create a one-of-a-kind retirement gift for a former colleague of mine. This is for a newspaper editor. It was made from the parts of a now defunct printing press. I applied a laser cut plaque to the main gear.

I like how the measuring marks look like a moustache!

Remembering a special pet

Here is a simple and beautiful way to remember a beloved pet. This metal and glass sculpture is perfect to hang in the garden or home. Pretty slag glass reflects the light. This sculpture is handmade from recycled materials. Contact me if you would like one for your memories.

Church donor wall display installed

We installed this church donor wall display this weekend. This display honors the people that have given money and time to make several changes at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Lee's Summit, Mo. The graphics were designed and applied to the glass. A steel symbol of the Jerusalem cross is mounted to the glass for color and added dimension. The bright red paint is eye-catching.

Let Art Play A Part

The message of Fossil Forge is being spread. This sculpture is perched on the stump of a shagbark hickory. 'Let Art Play A Part' is a simple slogan for life that has been the spirit of our shop and garden for years. I am happy to see it spreading to other yards and neighborhoods. This sculpture is handmade from steel. It can be rotated on the shaft to show off the message in any direction.

Handmade door handles ready to hold

These solid steel door handles offer a great first impression. These are made from 3/4 inch solid bar, heated and turned. The handles are welded to a plate. A matching handle is on the inside of the door. These are finished in a dark bronze paint.

A great way to display house numbers

Here is a simple way to add some style to your home...update your address numbers! The numbers are cut from 1/8 in. steel and painted with a hammered finish. They are offset from the wood background to create a shadow for added effect. Why not let Fossil Forge create your address in a one-of-a-kind font and design? We can make these for you in a variety of finishes. And, we can ship them to you...they are easy to install.

Interior signage shows off personality

The Stanley Event Space is a pair of beautiful buildings in downtown Lee's Summit, Mo. It is a fine combination of old and new. Here are two examples of signage we made to distinguish the interior spaces. The signs are printed on metal and use a variety of materials. Metal cutouts of their aspen logo accent one of the sign styles. Offset fasteners are used for attaching to doors and walls. Both signs incorporate existing branding elements. Several variations of these signs can be found throughout their properties.

Classic sign for classic cars

Summit Classic Autos is a business that deals with vintage and hard-to-find newer sports cars. I was commissioned to make a sign for the inside of the business. This double-sided sign is printed vinyl on MaxMetal. The 'Classic' words are handcut and rusted, then given a glossy acrylic coating. The sign elements are offset to create some interesting shadows and depth.

A sign is a reflection of older style flange signs that could be found at service stations and general stores. The sign is approx. 32 inches wide by 24 inches tall.

Metal birdhouse made of many things

This funky found object birdhouse sculpture was created for the benefit of Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street for their 25th anniversary celebration. The sculpture was part of a silent auction, showcasing downtown businesses and services. This metal birdhouse is a collection of parts, bolts and stuff from my shop. A large hook allows it to hang, or it can just sit on its bottom. The greenish blue eyes are large marbles.

The back of the birdhouse has a flap door. Here, you can access the inside to clean out an old nest, or hide something! This sculpture is made to go inside or out. However, if placed outside, it will eventually get a rust coating.

Custom speaking podium stands tall

Made from steel and wood, this custom podium is ready to share the stage. This speaker's stand has a simple lip to hold notes, laptops or tablets. The warm cherry wood makes a fine contrast to the podium's strong metal frame. This podium was built for a church in Raytown, Mo. Their logo is displayed on the sign. A big thank you to Tom Merrell for his expert woodworking skills on this project.

The stand has a handy water bottle holder. It will keep the drink in a safe spot, out of sight from the audience.

Four casters make this stand easy to roll on hard surfaces or carpet. The stand top is 20 inches wide.

The podium frame is powdercoated satin black. This stand is built to last, using quality construction and materials.

Rustic door handles for a garden shed

Finished a pair of rustic door handles recently. These are hardware for a newly constructed garden shed. The handles are combination of old parts and new material. We used a portion of a vintage horse bridal for the handles, which dangle from the plate...and make a cool sound when they clang on the plate! A sturdy metal backing plate makes it easy to attach to the shed doors. Each handle is distressed, rusted and coated with acrylic sealer for a great look. These are approx. 13 inches long and 2.5 inches wide.

Bottle Monster garden sculpture on the prowl

Another Bottle Monster is loose in the garden. This spiny creature is ready for its colorful plummage of bottles. This bottle tree-style sculpture has 18 spines for all kinds of bottles. The sculpture stands about 8-feet tall and is about 10-feet long.

This beast stands in a newer garden. Imagine how beautiful it will be in the springtime!

Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired gate ready for service

Spent a cool, but beautiful day installing this new entry gate. The gate's design is a combination of Frank Lloyd Wright and Craftsman style. The client's home has some of those same characteristics and our goal was to create a gate that captured those details. These two gates span an opening of 21 feet. Each gate is is more than 10 feet wide and amost five feet tall. 

The gates are made of all-steel components. Each piece is welded together, creating a gate that will last.

The gates are powdercoated satin black for a durable, long-lasting finish.

The gates are anchored to two posts. The posts are attached to the existing brick columns and in the ground for incredible strength.

The angles and lines of this design make a stunning entryway to the home.

Automatic gate openers will be installed soon. The openers allow the gates to swing toward the house.

Thank you, Dianne, for the opportunity to work together on this project! The photo below is a photo of me, tired, but relieved. A big thank you also to Ed and Freddie from The Fence Man for all their help and guidance.