Tag: handcrafted wood art

  • 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.

  • Back to the Drawing Board (Again): A Website Update from Dawn

    Back to the Drawing Board (Again): A Website Update from Dawn

    Ever wonder what happens when a former SQL programmer meets WordPress? Well, you get someone who knows just enough to be dangerous — and stubborn enough to keep trying until something works.

    Here’s the honest truth: I’m rebuilding our website. Again. For probably the sixth time this year.

    The Problem (And Why I’m Not Giving Up)

    Our beautiful pieces deserve better than a website where product variations don’t show images. I mean, who’s going to buy a pen when they can’t see what the different wood options actually look like? Nobody, that’s who. And after switching themes to fix one problem, suddenly we’re stuck with black and white everything and a store page that’s acting like a moody teenager.

    The numbers don’t lie either — $30 in online sales over 12 months tells the whole story. Rex is creating incredible work daily, but if people can’t see it properly online, how can they fall in love with it?

    What’s Different This Time

    I’ve switched hosts, I’m learning WordPress and WooCommerce from scratch (again), and yes, I know there are professionals who do this for a living. In fact, I’ve got one lined up for when the grant funding comes through. Until then, it’s me, my former programming brain that keeps expecting SQL logic, and a whole lot of determination.

    The silver lining? I’m getting faster at this. Almost all our existing products are back up and running, and I’m already planning how to showcase new pieces as Rex finishes them.

    What This Means for You

    More new products: Without the constant website emergencies, I can focus on photographing and listing Rex’s latest creations. There’s some amazing work coming out of the shop that deserves to be seen.

    Blog posts might be a bit sporadic: My days are currently split between coding and everything else that keeps Sarkanys Rising running. But I’m going to push Rex harder to share more “day in the workshop” stories because, honestly, his are way more interesting than “Dawn fought with WordPress again.”

    Things will keep moving around: As I figure out what works best, you might notice changes. That’s me making improvements, not breaking things (well, mostly).

    The Real Talk

    My back hurts from hunching over the computer, I dream in CSS code, and sometimes I miss the straightforward logic of databases. But every time I see one of Rex’s pieces — like that walnut pen he spent three hours perfecting yesterday — I remember why this matters.

    We’ve got beautiful work that deserves to be shared with people who’ll treasure it. If that means learning WordPress the hard way while applying for grants daily, then that’s what we’ll do.

    Until Next Time

    Thanks for your patience while I wrangle this website into submission. Keep an eye out for new pieces (they’re coming!), and as always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood, resin, or the joys of small business website management.

    Now, back to figuring out why my shopping cart keeps disappearing…

    — Dawn

    P.S. Rex wants everyone to know that while I’m wrestling with pixels, he’s still turning wood into magic. The workshop never stops, even when the website throws tantrums.

  • 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.

  • The Joy of Saying “Yes, I Made That”

    …and then watching their jaw drop

    There’s this moment—if you’re lucky enough to catch it—when someone’s eyes go wide and their mouth falls open just a little. It’s the moment of realization. And if you’re Rex, that moment usually comes right after he casually says, “Yeah… I made that.”

    It surprises him every time.

    Honestly, it took five whole years of people telling him his handmade woodworking was art before he actually believed it. (Spoiler alert: I was one of those people—repeatedly.) It’s been a journey, not just of skill, but of confidence. Somewhere along the way, he stopped seeing it as just woodworking. He started recognizing the craft, the story, the artisan woodworking in every hand-carved spoon, every custom bowl, every intensely detailed piece.

    It changed everything.

    Learning What’s Worth It

    That realization meant letting go of the pressure to carry “filler” pieces just to have more variety. No more grabbing “small stuff” to try and lure people in. We’ve learned something important: if the fine art is strong, it doesn’t need to shout. It just needs to show up—honestly, beautifully, and unapologetically.

    And when someone gasps at our veteran-made art? It’s a little gift in return.

    Yes, there are shows we thrive at (fine art festivals? Absolutely. Renaissance faires? All in. Small craft fairs with no “fine” in the title? Maybe not until we’ve got a motorhome and mobile shop setup.) But now we know where we fit—and where we shine.

    The Work You See and the Work You Don’t

    Rex has stepped up in incredible ways with his wood art pieces lately. The pride he takes in them radiates right off the festival table. He’ll look at something like “Intensity” or a new hand-carved spoon, smile a little to himself, and say those magic words again: “Yes, I made that.”

    And me? Well, I’m doing the same—but behind a keyboard and a camera. The website, the photos, the story you’re reading now… that’s my “I made that.” And when Rex sees something I’ve posted and gasps? That’s my moment.

    This journey we’re on—it’s personal, it’s powerful, and it’s full of jaw-drop moments. We’re learning to own our craft, say yes to the right shows, and say “I made that” with handcrafted pride.

    Every piece we create becomes part of someone’s story. Whether it’s a cutting board that hosts family gatherings or a decorative bowl that sparks conversations, these handmade heirlooms carry forward the joy of that first moment when someone realizes the beauty in front of them was crafted by hand, with love, right here in our workshop.

    As always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood! Thanks for being part of our story—we love sharing the journey with you.

    Ready to bring home your own “Yes, I made that” moment? Browse our collection of one-of-a-kind wood art pieces, each crafted with 40+ years of expertise and designed to become part of your family’s story.