What’s New in the Shop

SPOOKY SEASON

This hat definitely has a little attitude.

I took a plain hat and gave it my own spin with a whole crowd of horror characters around the brim. The engraving is packed with detail, so getting everything to work together on the curve took some figuring out.

Then I added the red-and-black band and the big red flower with the feathers. It went from a plain hat to something that feels very me.

A QUIETER PIECE

A little bit of peace in the middle of the workshop.

This cross started with the shape and an existing scene, then I put my own spin on it and worked the image into the cross. The little touches of color bring the forest, water, flowers, and mountain to life without taking away from the wood.

It’s a completely different feel from the horror hat — which is exactly what I like about making things. One project can be dark and playful, and the next can be quiet and peaceful.

THROUGH THE LENS

Some scenes just belong inside a camera.

This one combines an old-school camera with a covered bridge scene tucked right into the lens. I tweaked the artwork and made it my own, then added color to the scene so the bridge and landscape really stand out.

It’s one of those pieces where the more you look, the more little details you notice.

BOOKISH & USEFUL

Books that hold more than a story.

We’ve been playing around with these book-shaped coaster sets with storage. We took the original designs, made a few tweaks, and put our own spin on them with different colors, finishes, and details.

They look like little books when they’re closed, but open them up and there’s a place to tuck things away. Because apparently even coasters can have a secret compartment.

SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL

A voice you can keep.

We’ve also been experimenting with voice-recording ornaments. They’re a way to put a little more than a picture or a name into a keepsake — you can actually save a voice with it.

One of them is especially meaningful to me. I made one for myself using BugZee’s bark.

Sometimes the things we make aren’t really about selling them. Sometimes we make something because we want to hold onto a memory.

AND A FEW LITTLE DETAILS

Bookmarks are getting some attention too.

We’ve been putting together bookmarks in different shapes, colors, and styles — including ribbon bookmarks with engraved wooden pieces.

Some are personalized. Some are just pretty. And some are simply the result of seeing a piece of material and thinking, “I wonder what that would look like as a bookmark?”