One of my other hobbies is scroll saw work. This is a closeup of the detailed fretwork of a small wooden bowl. There was no staining or painting involved. Different woods were used to give the variation in color.

I made a number of these little bowls for Christmas presents a couple years ago. They about drove me insane!! The thickness of the wood is around 1/16 inch. The overall bowl is around 6 inches wide. Because it was so thin, the wood was very fragile & had a tendency to break. After each layer was glued together, the many, many, MANY layers of wiping gel (varnish) needed to be applied. Each little opening needed to have the varnish removed before it dried.

In the end, the bowls were beautiful. Everyone was thrilled to receive one as a gift. I was able to keep a couple for myself. Which is good, because I don't think I'll be making any more soon. :)