Category: Values That Stick

What we value & why.

  • Good News: The Website Fixes Are In (And We Need Your Eagle Eyes!)

    Good News: The Website Fixes Are In (And We Need Your Eagle Eyes!)

    Remember those pesky website gremlins we mentioned? The ones making product variations jump around and throwing off the whole look of the site? Well, Dawn rolled up her sleeves (metaphorically, she pulled on her big girl panties and contacted help desks), and we brought in some help to get things sorted.

    Here’s what’s fixed:

    The product variations are now behaving themselves—no more musical chairs with the dropdown menus. And those proportion issues that made everything look a bit wonky on certain screens? Gone. The site should now look the way we intended it to, whether you’re browsing on your phone during your morning coffee or on your laptop while planning your holiday gift list.

    We’re Offering a Thank-You (With a Discount)

    Here’s where you come in, and where we get to thank you for being part of our community: If you spot anything that’s still not working right—a broken link, a wonky image, text that’s doing something weird—send us an email. We’ll send you a code for 10% off your next purchase, good through Christmas.

    We figure you’re already looking at the site, and your fresh eyes might catch something we’ve been staring at too long to notice. Plus, it gives us an excuse to say thank you for helping us make things better.

    Some New Things We’re Trying

    We’ve added a few features to the site, and we wanted to be upfront about what they are and why they’re there:

    Blog Subscriptions: You can now subscribe to get our posts delivered right to your inbox. We promise not to flood you—just the occasional story from the workshop, updates on new pieces, and maybe a behind-the-scenes peek at what Rex is working on.

    Voluntary Contributions: If you’ve been following along and want to support what we’re doing, we’ve added a way to contribute. No pressure whatsoever, but we’re grateful to everyone who believes in what we create.

    Testing Ads: This is the big one, and we need your honest feedback here. We’ve added some advertising to the site. We know—we’re not thrilled about it either. I hates pop-up ads (seriously, Rex has had to listen about them more than once). Unfortunately, with our current setup, we can’t just turn off the pop-ups alone. It’s all or nothing, at least for the next 90 days.

    Here’s the truth: this year has been challenging income-wise. We’re exploring different ways to keep doing what we love while also, you know, paying for materials and keeping the lights on. If the ads are too annoying—and we mean really annoying, not just “eh, I could do without them”—please let us know. We’d rather figure out something else than make your experience on our site frustrating.

    Why We’re Sharing All This

    One of the things we’ve learned over the years is that our customers aren’t just customers—you’re part of our story. When things are going well, you celebrate with us. When we’re trying something new, you give us honest feedback. And when times are tough, you understand because you’re real people with your own challenges.

    We could pretend everything is always perfect, but that’s not who we are. Rex spent three hours yesterday on plans and blanks for a new product (honey pots!), and he refused to settle for “good enough.” That’s the kind of honesty and dedication we bring to our work, and it extends to how we communicate with you too.

    What Hasn’t Changed

    Even with all these updates and new features, the heart of what we do remains the same. Rex is still in the workshop every day, turning reclaimed wood into something beautiful. Dawn is still sourcing materials, creating resin blanks, and updating every product page for consistency (we have over 400 variations, it takes time). We’re still committed to creating functional heirlooms that bring beauty to your everyday moments.

    Every cutting board still tells a story. Every pen is still one-of-a-kind. Every piece is still made with the same care and attention it would get if we were making it for our own family—because in a way, we are.

    We’re Here for Questions

    As always, if you have questions about the website updates, concerns about the ads, or just want to chat about wood (Rex is always up for that), reach out to us. We read every email, and we genuinely appreciate hearing from you.

    Thanks for sticking with us through the updates, the experiments, and the occasional technical hiccup. Your support means everything, and we’re honored to create pieces that become part of your family stories.

    Until next time, keep finding beauty in the everyday moments.

    — Rex & Dawn

    P.S. — Seriously, if you find an error on the site, don’t be shy. That 10% off code has your name on it, and you’d be doing us a real favor.

  • We’re Staying Home for the Holidays (And Bringing Something Special)

    We’re Staying Home for the Holidays (And Bringing Something Special)

    This week in the workshop, Rex discovered something we’d almost forgotten – the joy of sleeping in our own bed while still sharing our craft with an incredible community of art lovers.

    After a year that has tested us in ways we never expected, we’re beyond excited to announce that Sarkanys Rising will be part of Tucson’s Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair at Reid Park this Thanksgiving weekend. For the first time in what feels like forever, we get to be part of something magical right here in our hometown.

    A Fair with Four Decades of Heart

    This isn’t just any craft fair – it’s a Tucson tradition that’s been bringing together artisans and art lovers for more than 40 years. Over 140 vendors from across the Southwest gather at Gene C. Reid Park, creating a marketplace where every single item is handmade, unique, and crafted with the kind of care that’s becoming harder to find in our world.

    When we read that requirement – “all items must be unique, handmade goods” – we knew we’d found our people. This is exactly the kind of event where stories matter as much as the pieces themselves, where customers appreciate the difference between mass-produced and carefully crafted.

    Why This Feels Like Coming Home

    After months of cancelled events due to health challenges and financial pressures that seemed determined to test our resolve, the simple pleasure of driving across town instead of across state lines feels like a gift in itself. No over-packing the van & trailer, no wondering if we’ll have everything we need, no sleeping in unfamiliar places while fighting to feel our best.

    Instead, we get to wake up in our own home, make sure every piece is perfect, and drive just a few miles to share what we love with a community that gets it. Sometimes the best adventures happen closest to home.

    What We’re Bringing (And What We’re Not Telling You… Yet)

    You’ll find our full range of handcrafted treasures – those chatoyant mahogany boxes that shift and shimmer in the light, cutting boards with stories that span decades, pens that turn everyday writing into something special, and pieces that defy easy categorization but somehow find their perfect homes.

    But here’s where we get a little mysterious: we’re also bringing something extra special that we haven’t talked about before. Starting November 1st, we’ll be launching a gift with purchase program that we’re honestly more excited about than we probably should be. Rex has been working on these pieces in between everything else, and seeing them come together has been one of those bright spots that reminds us why we do this work.

    We can’t spill all the details yet (October has its own surprises we want you to focus on first), but let’s just say that anyone who finds us at Reid Park will discover there’s more to the story than what meets the eye.

    The Details That Matter

    When: Saturday, November 29th (9 AM – 4 PM) and Sunday, November 30th (9 AM – 3 PM)
    Where: Gene C. Reid Park, 920 S. Concert Place (west side of the park off Country Club Road)
    What to Expect: Over 140 Southwest artisans, all handmade goods, and the kind of community gathering that makes the holidays feel magical

    We’ll have our full range of pieces, from affordable treasures to investment heirlooms, plus those special surprises we keep hinting at. And as always, every purchase comes with the stories, the lifetime guarantees, and the kind of personal connection that turns customers into community.

    A Thanksgiving Weekend to Remember

    There’s something perfect about spending Thanksgiving weekend surrounded by the work of makers and creators, celebrating what it means to build beauty with your hands and share it with people who appreciate the difference. After a year that challenged us in every possible way, being part of this community tradition feels like exactly where we need to be.

    Come find us at Reid Park. We’ll have coffee, stories, and pieces that are just waiting to become part of your holiday celebrations. Plus, if you’ve been curious about that gift with purchase program we keep mentioning, well… let’s just say good things come to those who show up.

    Mark Your Calendars

    This is our first local event in longer than we care to admit, and we’re ready to make it count. Whether you’re starting your holiday shopping early, looking for something truly unique, or just want to support local artisans doing what they love, we’ll be there with bells on (and probably with Rex demonstrating his craft because he can never resist a good audience).

    Thanks for being part of our story, Tucson. We can’t wait to be part of yours.

    See you at Reid Park, November 29th and 30th. Come early, stay late, and get ready for some surprises.

  • Unknown Doesn’t Mean Inferior: The Story Behind Our Mystery Wood Collection

    Why some of our best pens come without pedigrees

    Let’s be honest about something: we have boxes in Rex’s workshop labeled “unknown wood.” Not because we’re trying to be mysterious, but because sometimes life happens and good wood loses its paperwork.

    Here’s how a piece of beautiful wood becomes “unknown” at Sarkanys Rising – and why that doesn’t change Rex’s standards one bit.

    The Real Reasons Behind Mystery Wood

    Estate sales: We find gorgeous wood mixed in with random boxes of supplies. Previous owner knew what it was, but that knowledge didn’t make it to the sale tag.

    Our own mistakes: Sometimes I forget to mark a blank after creating it. Sometimes Rex pulls something from storage and even with 40+ years of experience, can’t definitively identify the species. Sometimes we’re pretty sure it’s mahogany, but “pretty sure” gets its own box because we don’t guess when it comes to customer trust.

    Rescue missions: That beautiful hardwood dresser on the curb? We’ve saved furniture destined for landfills, but the species identification didn’t come with the rescue.

    Supplier Stashes: Cook Woods in Oregon and Woodworkers Source here in Arizona are fantastic family-owned suppliers, but occasionally their “mixed domestic/exotic” boxes and $1.99 bins live up to their name a little too well.

    Time and volume: We sort scraps when we have time. We almost never have time. Good wood sits waiting to be identified while Rex focuses on turning and I’m writing blogs.

    What Never Changes: Rex’s Standards

    Rex builds his own storage cabinets to last generations. He’s not putting his name on anything substandard, whether it’s identified African blackwood or mystery wood from an estate sale box.

    When you buy an unknown wood pen, you’re getting:

    • The same 40+ years of craftsmanship
    • The same attention to detail in turning
    • The same quality finish work
    • The same lifetime guarantee against defects

    The only thing that changes is the price – and that’s because we price based on what we can verify, not what we can market.

    The New Incognito Collection

    These pens showcase what happens when Rex applies his expertise to woods that have lost their documentation:

    Chrome Incognito Pens: Clean hardware that lets the wood speak for itself. These unknowns show grain patterns that would make any identified species proud.

    Gold Incognito Pens: Warm tones that complement whatever beautiful wood ended up in these blanks. Sometimes the best combinations happen by accident.

    Chameleon Incognito Pens: Color-changing hardware for woods whose own stories have changed along the way.

    Colorful Incognito Pens: Bright accents that celebrate the unexpected nature of these rescued woods.

    Gun Metal Incognito Pens: As dark as the “Colorfuls” are bright I tend to match them with dark woods and resin but the dark grain on this blank called for that accent!

    Why This Matters for You

    Real value: Same Rex quality at a lower price because we’re honest about what we don’t know instead of making up marketing stories.

    Sustainability in action: Every unknown pen represents wood that could have been discarded just for lack of a label.

    Authentic craftsmanship: Rex turns each piece based on how the wood behaves, not what the label says it should do.

    Honest business: We could easily call these “exotic mystery wood” and charge premium prices. We don’t.

    What You’re Really Buying

    When you choose an unknown wood pen, you’re not just getting a writing instrument. You’re supporting:

    • A veteran craftsman who refuses to compromise quality regardless of wood pedigree
    • A business model that values honesty over marketing hype
    • Sustainable practices that give good wood second chances
    • The belief that craftsmanship matters more than labels

    The Guarantee Remains the Same

    Unknown wood? Same lifetime guarantee. Same commitment to make it right if anything goes wrong. Same customer service. Same Rex standing behind his work.

    Because at the end of the day, you’re not writing with a wood species – you’re writing with Rex’s 40+ years of experience applied to whatever beautiful material found its way into his hands.

    Ready to discover what mystery wood feels like in your hand?

    Questions about our unknown woods? We’re always happy to share what we do know – and honest about what we don’t.

  • Happy Birthday to My Sister, the Artist Behind the Lens

    Happy Birthday to My Sister, the Artist Behind the Lens

    September 16, 2025

    My sister Lennah turns 61 this year, so you get the gooey happy birthday blog.

    Young Lennah showing one of our first Siberian Huskies in the early 1970s – where it all began

    From Cats to Whippets: A Journey of 45 Years

    Lennah was seven when we started breeding and showing dogs. Our parents made a rule that we could each have a dog of our own at eight. Lennah chose a cat. But at sixteen, she found the most cat-like breed she could, and now everyone has whippets.

    Her first whippet was Seville—small, not the “best” show dog by conventional standards, but she ran like the wind and had beautiful babies and grandbabies who carried on that same spirit. Lennah named her original kennel Seville because, well, that’s what we all did in the 80s. She now has Winquest Whippets (you’ve met two of them: Smudge and Fuega), and while not a pedigree with any Seville dogs in the background, the Winquest whippets are very much based on the same style and the same kennels. The further back you go in the pedigrees, the more alike the breeding becomes.

    She has stayed true to what she believes, and in 2019, she achieved something remarkable: she won Winners Dog over the largest male entry ever at a National Specialty (at that time) with Ryder, Smudge’s dad. As nice as the Winners Dog ribbon was, it was the Best Bred By Exhibitor award that meant the most to her—recognition that she hadn’t just shown a great dog, but had bred one.

    The moment that mattered most: Lennah (in red, circled) watching Ryder win Winners Dog at the 2019 American Whippet Club National Specialty (Most recent picture I actually have of my sister.)

    She has stepped back from breeding whippets recently to concentrate on her business and help our 81-year-old Mom with the heritage breed American Foxhounds. Mom can still plan breedings and work with the dogs, but Lennah does much of the footwork and showing now.

    The Eye Behind the Camera

    What is Lennah’s business, you ask? She captures the moments that matter most in the dog world. She takes win photos at dog shows, in-ring candids, and creates stunning animal portraits when time allows. This isn’t just someone with a camera—this is a woman who brings together 54 years of family experience in breeding and showing dogs, 45 years as a whippet breeder, and at least 35 years behind a camera.

    She has owned her own photography business, either in partnership or as a sole proprietor, for 25-30 years. This is expertise you can’t fake or fast-track. When you’re working with Lennah, you’re working with someone who understands the split-second timing of a perfect stack, who knows which angle captures a dog’s true character, and who can spot the exact moment when everything comes together for that winning shot.

    Visit photosbylennah.com or contact her at photosbylennah@gmail.com to capture your own special moments.

    Professional win photography by Lennah: capturing the achievement and the artistry of the sport. The beautiful wooden trophy and the sign board were crafted by Rex Cowan of Sarkanys Rising.

    Our Partnership: Art Meets Achievement

    Lennah isn’t just my sister—she’s been Sarkanys Rising’s biggest supporter from the beginning. As trophy chairman and show organizer for the Heart of America Cluster and various American Whippet Club events, she commissioned us for trophies that would be worthy of the achievements they celebrated.

    We started with “I Love My Dog” pens for specialty entries, then created custom resin and wood lamps for regionals. Eventually, we were crafting pens for breed trophies across all four days of the Heart of America/Leavenworth Kennel Clubs cluster in Kansas City each March. During our toughest years, Lennah saw our potential and helped make it reality.

    The evolution of our craft: different styles of resin and wood lamps we created for American Whippet Club Regional Specialty Commission

    The Person Behind the Professional

    Here’s something non-dog-related and more personal about my sister: she often forgets how old she is because she starts adding years by October. Since this makes me older too, I usually correct her. She’s only 5 feet tall, and you’ll recognize her by the fact that she makes clothing last forever—getting things tailored to her frame is too much trouble.

    She works incredibly hard, and like many second-generation dog people, it’s in her blood to the point where it becomes her life. She has a BA in history and maintains a clear-eyed view of today’s world. She lives with our Mom and struggles with seasonal affective disorder, but her dedication never wavers.

    We aren’t getting younger, but our shared history makes us exceptionally good at what we do. She has been my best friend and my worst enemy at different points in my lifetime. Most importantly, I love her very much and wish her the happiest of birthdays.

    If you’re looking for someone who truly understands dogs and can capture their beauty, character, and your achievements together, reach out to Photos by Lennah. You’ll find not just a photographer, but an artist who’s spent a lifetime in this world.

    Photos by Lennah, LLC
    📧 photosbylennah@gmail.com
    🌐 photosbylennah.com

  • Why We Share Our Workshop Mistakes

    In a world of perfectly curated Instagram feeds and flawless marketing photos, we’ve made a different choice. We talk about our mistakes. We share the pieces that didn’t work out, the experiments that failed, the moments when even 40+ years of experience can’t prevent a “well, that’s not what I planned” situation.

    Rex has his own collection of humbling moments. A few weeks ago, he was turning what should have been a simple bowl from a beautiful piece of burl. Halfway through, a hidden crack revealed itself, splitting the piece in a way that made it unusable for the original design. Instead of throwing it away, he pivoted, turning it into two smaller pieces that ended up being even more interesting than the original plan.

    We share these stories because they’re part of the truth of handmade work. Wood that grew on a tree with much more humidity, resin that responds to temperature, finishes that can be affected by everything from the weather to how much coffee Rex had that morning — unpredictability is part of the process.

    These mistakes teach us things we couldn’t learn any other way. That failed resin pour led Dawn to discover a technique for creating more subtle color transitions. Rex’s split bowl taught him to look for stress patterns he’d been missing before. Our failures become our education, and ultimately, they make our successes better.

    But there’s another reason we’re honest about the imperfect moments: they remind everyone, including us, that these pieces are made by real people with real hands in real time. In an age of AI-generated everything and manufacturing precision, there’s something powerful about admitting that humans make human mistakes — and that those mistakes often lead to unexpected beauty.

    We’ve noticed that customers connect with these stories in surprising ways. When we post about a project that went sideways, we get messages from other makers sharing their own disasters, from customers saying they appreciate the honesty, from people who say it makes them value their purchases even more knowing the human process behind them.

    Some of our best pieces have come from happy accidents. That gorgeous rolling pin with the dramatic resin? It started as a piece of walnut with a crack that Rex was going to work around. Dawn suggested filling the crack with resin instead, and now it’s one of our most beautiful pieces.

    Perfection is overrated anyway. When something is too perfect, it loses its humanity. The slight variations, the evidence of hand work, the knowledge that this piece survived the unpredictable journey from raw material to finished art — that’s what makes handmade special.

    So yes, we share our mistakes because they’re part of our story. And in a world full of perfect facades, maybe a little authentic imperfection is exactly what people need to see.

  • Why Customers Keep Coming Back to Sarkanys Rising Handmade Wood Art

    There’s something that happens when someone brings home their first piece from our workshop. Maybe it’s a Designer Style Pen Set they picked up at the Tucson Celtic Festival, or perhaps a handcrafted Cherry & Walnut Yarn Bowl that caught their eye online. What starts as “just one piece” often grows into something deeper — a collection, yes, but really a connection to the stories behind each creation.

    It’s not just about the wood, though we’re pretty particular about that. Rex sources materials from trusted suppliers like Cook Woods and Woodworkers Source, but some of our favorite pieces come from the most unexpected places. That gorgeous mesquite bowl on your kitchen counter? It might have started as a chunk of wood Rex rescued from a construction site or even the side of the road, seeing potential where others saw waste.

    Dawn often tells customers, “Once you feel the weight of a well-balanced knife or see how a Jupiter Pen glides across paper, you realize these aren’t just things. They’re tools for living beautifully.” And she’s right. There’s something about holding a piece that was turned by hand, where every grain pattern tells a story, that changes how you think about the objects in your home.

    Our repeat customers — and we’re blessed to have them — often say the same thing: “Every holiday & every special occasion, I check your shop first.” We love hearing that because it means we’ve done more than just sell them something. We’ve given them pieces that become part of their daily rituals, their family stories.

    We design with that in mind — not to make people buy more, but to create pieces that inspire that feeling of “my sister would love this” or “this would be perfect for Dad’s workshop.” Every Live Edge Bocote Lamp, every Decorative Bottle Stopper, every bowl turned from Australian red gum burl is made to spark that connection.

    Because when you choose handmade, you’re not just buying a product. You’re investing in craftsmanship that honors the wood’s natural beauty, supports veteran-owned small business, and brings something genuinely unique into your world. And that’s a story worth collecting.

  • 🪵 Do Handmade Shops Even Offer Guarantees?

    We Do.

    If you’ve ever wandered through a craft fair or browsed a handmade marketplace online, you’ve probably asked yourself: “What happens if this breaks?” It’s a fair question — and one that most people assume comes with a shrug and a “you’re on your own.”

    But not at Sarkanys Rising.

    We believe that offering a real guarantee isn’t just possible in the handmade world — it’s essential. Because when you invest in something crafted with care by our hands, it should come with more than just beauty. It should come with trust.

    Why Guarantees Matter in the Handmade World

    In a sea of mass-produced items with 30-day return windows and call centers, handmade work can feel like the wild west. People assume that “handmade” means “no take-backs,” and that any defects are just part of the deal.

    But here’s the truth: Handmade doesn’t mean fragile. And it definitely shouldn’t mean risky.

    At Sarkanys Rising, we see our work as functional heirlooms — meant to be used, loved, and passed down. Our mission is simple: nothing will ever be the same, and our pieces are as distinctive as our customers. That kind of promise needs more than craftsmanship. It needs commitment.

    What We Guarantee (and Why We Can)

    We stand behind every piece we make, and here’s what that looks like:

    • Lifetime guarantee on all pens. If something goes wrong, we’ll fix it. No fine print.

    • Coverage for defects in materials or workmanship on all other items, as long as they’re used and cared for properly (translation: please don’t put our handcrafted cutting boards in the dishwasher).

    • Easy repairs or replacements when needed. Sometimes a customer drops a lid or snaps a spoon — life happens. We’ll always do our best to help.

    We offer these guarantees because we know our work. Rex has been turning wood for over 40 years. Dawn sources top-tier materials and creates resin blanks that are both beautiful and reliable. Together, we don’t let anything leave our hands that we wouldn’t be proud to stand behind.

    What This Means for You

    It means peace of mind. It means you’re not just buying a beautiful object — you’re building a relationship with people who care. And if something goes wrong, you won’t get ghosted. You’ll get help.

    Our customers often say, “I didn’t expect a handmade business to offer this kind of guarantee.”

    Our response is always the same: We do.

    Because respect — for our craft, for the materials, and for the people who choose us — is at the heart of everything we make.

    Ready to Experience the Difference?

    So, do handmade shops offer guarantees? We can’t speak for everyone.

    But here at Sarkanys Rising… we do.

    Browse our collection at sarkanysrising.com and experience handcrafted quality backed by real commitment. Have a guaranteed piece from us? Share your story — we love hearing how our functional heirlooms are living in homes across the Southwest and beyond.