Sowabisabi - Amazing Wood Products!!

I found this amazing shop while entering Give Aways probably in Spring and happened to win one of their wonderful cutting boards!! (you can see it in this POST) The shop is Sowabisabi, run by John & Elizabeth, who live in Central Pennsylvania. This is an amazing shop!! Please check them out!

How did you decide on your shop name? Why did you start your business?
wabi sabi is a feeling you get when you connect with something deeply. Usually these are handmade, earthy, and not perfect. we celebrate the nature beauty of wood and the connectedness to nature that is created when we surround ourselves with it.

My husband is a furniture maker and we couldn't see wasting all the off cuts from that work. We use these to create one of a kind cutting boards, jewelry boxes, and treasure boxes and we thought that Etsy would be a perfect place to market these for a little extra income.

When did you start woodworking? Who taught you?
John was inspired by his middle school shop class, and continued to create things for family and friends for most of his life. In 2002, he made the leap of faith to become a furniture maker full-time.

Where do you create your pieces?
John makes all the furniture in our shop. we live along a large creek that is famous for its trout fishing. We live in a summer cottage that we have sort of winterized. The shop is across the street in an old orchard and it is actually bigger than our home! Both our home and the shop are covered with cedar siding.

What would you love to add to your woodworking space?
A magic cleaning machine

Do you have a day job?
Besides our furniture business we also run a non-profit called the blue butterfly fund that benefits families who have a child with cancer by providing emotional and financial support and raise a 3 1/2 year old...that's more than enough!

Which item in your shop did you enjoy making the most and why?
We have been doing shows and our inventory in the etsy shop is pathetic right now. I'm going to be adding inventory over the next couple of weeks as we do not have any shows until February when we do the American Craft Council show in Baltimore.