Offcuts and Misfits

My family loves coffee. We love the process of making it, drinking it, and the joy of sharing it with the ones we love. One thing I don’t love is the site of a half used bag in my coffee shelf. Enter “The Bean Box”. Fashioned from a variety of hardwoods, this six sided magnetic top box looks great on your shelf, feels great in your hand. Most importantly it is the perfect size for you favorite 12-16 ounce bag of beans.

I spend half my life looking for things that I have put in “the perfect place”. If I could recapture the time I have spent looking for my car keys and a tape measure, I am certain I could write the great American novel…well maybe not. Salt makes most everything taste better. Don’t waste time looking for it in the pantry. This stunning six-sided, spin top box is meant to be left on the counter, right next to the stove where you make the magic happen. Now go write that novel!

I know, I know - every woodworker is selling cutting boards. Fact is, they are relatively easy to make. We can buy long pieces of hardwood and batch out a bunch of beautiful product, minimizing labor and maximizing profit. Since my cutting boards are fashioned from random offcuts, the wood that is available to me will define the size and design. Therefore each cutting board is unique full of quirks and character. Just like us. Enjoy!

As the offcuts of wood get smaller, I get faced with the challenge of what to do with them. This is one of my favorite dilemmas. Enter: The Twin Tea Trays. It starts with one piece placed into a mold and then it grows from there. Each subsequent piece defines what the ultimate mosaic will be. The thickness of the tray is then split down the center to create a matching pair. By the way, my family loves tea as well.

In this work that I have put my hand to, when all is said and done, all that is left is dust. Partnering with a local church I take the used candles from their Christmas Eve service, I melt them down, and combine them with my left over chips and saw dust to create fire starters. These fire starters burn bright and long, and I hope the ones that you love are with you around that fire you have started. Peace to you my friends. .