I posted these pics over in A.B.P.W., but I since I wound up hosting them on the web anyway I figured I'd post them here as well.
I made this lap desk as a gift for my wife:
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is made of maple. The finish is a dye stain and multiple coats of shellac rubbed out to a satin finish. I even managed to figure out how to sew up the fabric pad on the bottom, which is filled with micro- beads to allow the bottom pad to conform to your lap. The interior is lined with felt.She is quite pleased with it.
-Mark