I think the roses are my favorite. I have always tried to cut good roses! I know that I will never be an elite engraver, but I can cut cleanly and do some nice pieces, and still be affordable.
a really nice look to these pieces. how do you do the celtic layout style? i know there was software to aid in this design style, but have never tried using such.
There are many wonderful examples of Celtic Knots. The two I use the most are "The Book of Kells" and the "Lindesfarne Gospels". These wonderful Irish Manuscripts have been around for 1500 years, or more. There are a lot of lesser known reference books that depict the ancient knot engravings of the Irish, Scottish, Picts and Vikings. Each has something to offer.
When I don't hAve a pre-determined pattern, I generally start with a minimalistic design, a simple sine wave, and slowly add complexity, an element at a time. For some reason my mind is able tp perceive them...some people can't.
I have tried techniques similar to Tom Sterlings, and they work well, but I haven't personally used them much. I'm just lucky (or persistant) I guess!