Dan Tracy won September's challenge for decoration with two entries.  One was a vase with a pictuer of Sanderlings burned on it.  Sanderlings are birds for those of you like me who did not know that.  The second vase he did a fern that he photographed in his yard.  I'll let Dan explain the technique:

On both vases, I used David Ellsworth's hollowing tools.  He has a great book out now, Ellsworth on Wood Turning, which gives details on bowls and hollowing.

After the vases have been sanded and dried, I looked for photos that I had taken and try to match it to the wood pattern.  My photos are on my computer.  The fern on the Chestnut vase was taken from in front of my house (right). The Sanderlings (front page) were photographed on Lake Ontario shore line.  To reduce the ink usage for the fern photo, I taped it to 8 X 11 sheet of white paper and took a photo of the fern.   I'll then make a copy of the photo and place it on the side of the vase.

At this point, it’s trial and error, to size it.  With the right size photo,  I cut a piece of Sally's Artist Graphite paper and place it to the underside of the photo (it's cut just a little larger that the photo, then tape the graphite paper to the photo) (make sure that the graphite side is down for tracing). 
At this point, I tape the photo to the vase.  Using a red pen, I trace the outline and any details on the photo.  (I use a red pen so you can see what you've traced.)  After completing the tracing, remove the photo from the vase.  Make sure you have made two copies of your photo. Now I compare the tracing on the vase to the photo.  You may have to add features that were missed or you want to add.  

To burn, I use a Razertip SS-D10.  This has two pens and has adjustable temperatures settings.  I have 8 different tips, but there are many that you could purchase.   A suggestion with burning: take a scrap piece of sanded flat stock and try on that first.  Every tip gives you a different texture.

At the January meeting, Fred demonstrated a 3-sided box. Due to the limited time available for the demo, it was really a 3-sided bowl, but add a lid and it would be a box.

To start with, you need a "cube" of wood - same dimension on all sides - about 3 inches. Take two opposite corners and sand them flat. The wood will be held between centers at these corners.

Fred then turned the end at the headstock to form a spigot to mount in a chuck so he can later hollow out the bowl on the opposite side. On this side you also form the bottom of the bowl. Be careful to keep the 3 corners intact and sharp. I you have your shape and one side still has a flat spot, sand if off by hand.

Remove as much material as you can from the top of the box (tailstock side) before removing the tailstock. Once you have the bottom shaped and have a spigot to mount in a chuck, you can mount it in the chuck and remove the tailstock to finish the top and inside of the bowl.

Make a jamb chuck to mount the piece in so you can finish the bottom.