Looking back on 2004 and ahead to 2005

Last year I added 11 new galleries and came close to doubling the previous year's production output. Among the highlights for the year's work: being represented at Works Gallery in New York on Madison Avenue; and having my ring boxes chosen for the cover of Uno Alla Volta's fine arts catalog. Clearly 2004 was a year of tremendous growth and learning.

Now I feel confident in small changes in products, pricing, and marketing.  I enjoyed the process last year of developing and presenting new products.  For 2005 I'll add a few new items that stand with the body of work I presented last year.  My new price sheet reflects a 10% increase for most items, a long-overdue change.  And I hope in Autumn to give you specific ornaments from which to choose rather than you ordering an item number and leaving it to me to select the assortment I send you.
 

A workshop tour

This past year I also finished enclosing my workshop with three huge 4'x8' north-facing windows that let in a beautiful soft light.  I built all my own windows, glazing them with old glass from discarded sashes.  A bank of nine clerestory windows lets in the sun's warmth in winter but is shaded by the eaves in summer. 

I can easily handle lumber 14' and longer in the tall and spacious interior.  The loud but necessary dust collector and air compressor live in the basement with the added benefit that all the accompanying ductwork is out of the way under the floor. 

Work starts and ends in the loft at one end of the shop—that's the office space where I design my work and later where I package each piece for shipping.
 

From rough lumber

I always buy lumber in the rough, usually as 2"-thick boards that might weigh 100 pounds or more.  So the first manufacturing step takes place on the chop saw, with a cut to rough length.  Then I use the jointer to make one side and edge perfectly flat and square to each other.  After next ripping the board to rough dimensions on the table saw I use the planer to mill the wood to exact dimensions.

From this point on, as the lumber is successively cut into smaller and smaller components, depending on the piece I'm making I often take meticulous care keeping track of where each piece came from in the original board.  This way, in the final assembly I can match or align pieces with the grain flowing harmoniously across faces and around corners.
 

From simple tools

Precision joinery

Joy and beauty