Tag: Sustainable craftsmanship

  • The Magic Jupiter Pen Finds Its Perfect Match: A Review That Made Our Day

    The Magic Jupiter Pen Finds Its Perfect Match: A Review That Made Our Day

    You know that feeling when you create something with your hands, pour your heart into every detail, and then wonder if it’ll find the right person? Well, folks, we just got one of those moments that reminds us why we do what we do.

    Meet Daniel Alexander: Storyteller, Creator, and Now Part of Our Community

    Before we dive into his wonderful review, let’s introduce you to Daniel Alexander—though you might already know him as @dalecsander across social media. Daniel is a storyteller with an impressive following of nearly 380K on TikTok and over 223K followers on Instagram, where he shares his adventures in the literary world.

    But here’s what makes Daniel especially fascinating: he’s the creator of the Valthakaverse, where “an ancient entity that has since stumbled her way into Daniel’s mortal coil, the Crone is notorious for her adventures, advice, and general disdain for capable young women getting fridged by the Pregnancy Trope.” Talk about creative storytelling!

    Daniel also publishes The Valthakan Times, a newsletter where the Crone shares her wisdom while “Daniel acting as a transcriber and enjoys outsmarting her various enemies both magical and tax collector.” We love a good story about outsmarting tax collectors—that’s the kind of creativity that speaks to our hearts.

    A Review That Made Rex Grin (And That’s Saying Something)

    When Daniel’s written review arrived, we knew we had to share it with you:

    “5 stars, the Magic Jupiter pen is a beautiful blend of metalwork and wood carving. Writes perfectly even as a lefty! I was also lucky enough to receive a custom travel case and pen holder. It’s a perfect addition to my desk space, and I love knowing everything is handmade!”

    Thank you so much Daniel! We are so glad you enjoy your pen and the custom box we included!

    But Wait, There’s More (And It’s on Video!)

    Daniel didn’t stop at a written review—he featured our Jupiter pen in a video that perfectly captures what we love about our customers. You can catch his segment right here at the 3:02 mark.

    Watching someone genuinely excited about a piece you’ve crafted? That’s the kind of moment that makes every hour spent in the workshop worth it.

    The Magic Jupiter Pen: Where Function Meets Fantasy

    For those who haven’t met our Jupiter pen yet, Daniel’s review captures exactly what makes it special. This isn’t just a writing instrument—it’s a conversation starter, a daily reminder that beautiful things can also be perfectly functional. Each Jupiter pen features Rex’s signature woodturning combined with carefully selected materials that make every piece genuinely unique.

    The fact that it writes beautifully for a lefty? That’s no accident. Rex is left-handed himself, and after 40+ years of struggling with pens that weren’t made with lefties in mind, he makes sure every pen he turns works perfectly for both righties and lefties. It’s just good engineering meeting good design—and a little personal experience. Rex always says that a pen that doesn’t write smoothly isn’t worth the wood it’s made from, especially when you understand the frustration of fighting with your writing instrument every day.

    Custom Cases: Because Beautiful Things Deserve Beautiful Homes

    Daniel mentioned the custom travel case and pen holder, and we’re especially proud of those pieces. When you invest in a handcrafted pen, it deserves protection that’s just as thoughtful as its creation. These aren’t afterthoughts—they’re designed to keep your pen safe while looking right at home on any desk or in any travel bag.

    What This Means to Us

    Reviews like Daniel’s remind us why we chose this path. We’re not just making pens (or cutting boards, or any of our other pieces)—we’re creating tools for storytellers, instruments for important moments, and objects that become part of people’s daily rituals.

    When a professional storyteller like Daniel takes the time to share his experience with our work, it tells us we’re doing something right. His appreciation for the handmade aspect, the functionality, and the beauty of the piece together? That’s exactly what we hope for every time someone picks up one of our creations.

    Ready to Find Your Own Magic?

    If Daniel’s review has you curious about our Jupiter pens, you can explore our current collection here. Each one is individual—just like the stories they’ll help you tell.

    And if you’re thinking about a custom pen box or need something specific for one of our larger pens, we’d love to work with you on a custom order.

    Join the Conversation

    Do you have a Sarkanys Rising piece that’s become part of your daily life? We’d love to hear about it! Share your story with us at info@sarkanysrising.com—because every piece has a story, and we love being part of yours.

    Thanks for letting us share Daniel’s wonderful review with you, and as always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood, stories, or the magic that happens when functional art finds the right hands.

    Until next time, keep making beautiful moments in your everyday life.

    Rex & Dawn

  • 11 Weeks In: From Workshop Dreams to Pitch-Ready Reality with The BOTOX® Cosmetic Confidence Project

    I am so excited to announce that I am one of @botoxcosmetic’s 2025 program participants for The Confidence Project! #TCPEmpoweringWomenEntrepreneurs

    Hey there, Sarkanys Rising family!

    I’m sitting here with my water bottle and I can hardly believe where we are — we’ve just begun week 11 of 12 in The BOTOX® Cosmetic Confidence Project, and in just days, I’ll be pitching Sarkanys Rising for a $20,000 grant. My hands are literally shaking as I type this, but it’s the good kind of shaking — the kind that comes from being so close to something you’ve worked incredibly hard for.

    The Journey That Changed Everything

    Eleven weeks ago, I thought I knew our business pretty well. Rex and I have been pouring our hearts into every piece of reclaimed wood art, every resin experiment, every custom cutting board that becomes part of someone’s family story. But this program? It’s been like looking at Sarkanys Rising through a completely different lens.

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    The expert coaching sessions have pushed me to think bigger than I ever imagined. We’ve refined our business model, strengthened our financials, and learned how to tell our story in a way that connects our passion for beautiful craftsmanship with real business potential.

    Rex keeps asking me what I’m learning in these sessions, and honestly, it’s everything from “How do you scale a custom business without losing its soul?” to “What does sustainable growth actually look like for a veteran-owned woodworking operation?” The answers aren’t always easy, but they’re always eye-opening.

    The Reality of Being This Close

    Twenty thousand dollars. I’ve been carrying that number around in my head for weeks now, and it feels more real every day. That’s not just funding — that’s Rex finally getting that floor drill press he’s been eyeing for two years. That’s expanding our workspace so we’re not playing wood-storage Jenga in the resin room. That’s being able to say yes to those larger custom projects without worrying about whether we have the equipment to deliver.

    But here’s what I didn’t expect: the confidence that’s come from just being in this program. Learning that women founders receive less than 3% of all venture capital funding used to feel discouraging — now it feels like fuel. We belong at this table. Our story of giving new life to reclaimed materials, of creating functional art that lasts generations, of building something meaningful with our hands — that story matters.

    What These 11 Weeks Have Taught Us

    The program hasn’t just prepared us for the pitch; it’s changed how we see ourselves as business owners. I used to introduce us as “just a small woodworking operation,” and now? Now I say we’re a sustainable artisan business with 40+ years of craftsmanship expertise, creating one-of-a-kind heirloom pieces from reclaimed materials.

    Same business. Completely different confidence.

    We’ve learned to quantify things that felt unquantifiable — like the environmental impact of every piece of wood we save from the landfill, or the generational value of creating pieces that’ll outlast us all. We’ve discovered that our “problems” (like every piece being unique, making it hard to scale) are actually our biggest strengths in a world hungry for authentic, handcrafted goods.

    The Pitch That’s Coming

    In just a couple of weeks, I may stand in front of a panel of aesthetic entrepreneurs and business leaders from Allergan Aesthetics and Hello Alice. I’ll have just three (count them 3) minutes to capture years of passion, months of preparation, and a lifetime of Rex’s woodworking mastery in a presentation that could change everything for us.

    Am I nervous? Absolutely. Am I ready? More than I ever thought possible.

    What This Means for Our Family

    Whether we receive a grant or not, this experience has already been worth everything. The connections I’ve made with other women entrepreneurs, the business strategies I’ve learned, the confidence I’ve gained in talking about what we do — these are gifts that’ll keep giving long after the program ends.

    But I’ll be honest with you — I want this. I want it for Rex, who’s spent four decades perfecting his craft and deserves tools that match his talent. I want it for every piece of reclaimed wood that’s waiting to become something beautiful. And I want it for every one of you who’s believed in what we do and helped us get to this moment.

    The Thank You That’s Long Overdue

    You know what’s wild? None of this would be possible without you. Every spoon or cutting board that’s found its home in your kitchen, every serving tray that’s hosted your gatherings, every pen that’s signed important documents in your life — you’ve been building this business with us. You’ve shared our pieces with friends, tagged us in photos, and made us feel like we’re creating something that matters.

    This pitch isn’t just about Rex and me. It’s about everyone who’s ever believed that beautiful, functional art deserves a place in everyday life. It’s about proving that small businesses with big hearts can compete with anyone when they’re given the right opportunity.

    Here’s to Week 12 and Whatever Comes Next

    So here we are — 11 weeks of learning, growing, and preparing almost behind us, and one final week before the pitch that could change everything. I’m scared and excited and grateful and determined all at once.

    As always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood (or business dreams, or the beautiful mess of following your passion)! Thanks for being part of our story — especially during this chapter that feels like it could be the beginning of something even bigger.

    Until next time, keep making beautiful moments in your everyday life — and maybe send us a little good luck for the pitch ahead!

    With gratitude and hands that won’t stop shaking (in the best way),
    Dawn (and Rex, who’s already cleared space in the workshop for that dream equipment)

    BOTOX® Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA) is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet, frown lines, and vertical bands connecting the neck and jaw in adults (platysma bands).

    Talk to your doctor about BOTOX® Cosmetic and whether it’s right for you. There are risks with this product—the effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be a sign of a life-threatening condition. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities. Patients with these conditions before injection are at the highest risk. Swallowing problems may last for several months. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection-site pain, fatigue and headache. Don’t receive BOTOX® Cosmetic if there’s a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects.

    For Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, see @botoxcosmeticpi.

    Intended for U.S. audiences only.

  • The Real Story Behind Handmade Wood Art

    The Real Story Behind Handmade Wood Art

    (And Why Your Home Needs It)

    Ever pass by a pile of discarded furniture on the curb and think, “what a waste”?

    Yeah… we don’t either. We think, “Ooh, potential.”

    At Sarkanys Rising, we believe handmade means heart-made — and it starts with materials that others overlook. Our workshop is filled with reclaimed wood, rescued relics, and offcuts from mills that didn’t quite meet factory standards. But to us? They’re treasures.

    Where Sustainable Craftsmanship Really Begins

    We’re lucky to work with two incredible small businesses who see that potential too:

    Cook Woods – especially their “Salvaging What Others Throw Away” philosophy – gives us access to exotic and domestic hardwoods that would otherwise be discarded. These aren’t your typical lumber yard finds; we’re talking about character-rich pieces with stories already written in their grain.

    Woodworkers Source – or as we call it, the Tucson playground of possibilities – has this magical $1.99 bin. (Dawn can’t help but organize it while simultaneously loading up hundreds of dollars worth of wood “for future projects.” Rex has learned to just smile and nod at this point.)

    Together, they help us bring sustainable craftsmanship to life, one rescued piece at a time.

    What Handmade Wood Art Really Means

    Here’s the thing: handmade doesn’t mean slapping a name on something pulled off an assembly line.

    It means starting with the right piece of wood — the one that asks to be something special. It means running our hands (and hearts) across every surface. It means Rex spending hours coaxing a bowl into existence because the grain decided to surprise him mid-turn.

    We do have a laser and a CNC in the shop — but they’re assistants, not artists. The wood makes the difference.

    Custom Craftsmanship vs. Mass Production

    True custom craftsmanship starts before the first cut is made. It begins with understanding the wood’s story – where it came from, how it lived, what it wants to become. Every piece of reclaimed walnut from that Phoenix backyard tree, every salvaged mesquite beam, every “imperfect” mill offcut has its own personality.

    Mass production can’t do that. Factories don’t spend time listening to wood grain or adjusting their process because this particular piece of cherry has a knot that could become a beautiful focal point instead of a flaw to route around.

    Why Reclaimed Wood Makes Better Art

    When you work with reclaimed materials, you’re not just being environmentally conscious (though that’s a beautiful bonus). You’re working with wood that has character, history, and stories to tell.

    That dining table made from barn wood? It remembers decades of harvests and family gatherings. The cutting board crafted from urban lumber? It watched over someone’s backyard for generations before becoming part of your kitchen story.

    New wood is lovely, but reclaimed wood has lived.

    The Handmade Difference in Your Home

    At its core, handmade is about connection. Between wood and maker. Between maker and you. Between your family and the piece that’ll become part of your story.

    When you bring one of our pieces into your home, you’re not just buying décor. You’re giving your house a handmade hug. One that’s warm, storied, sustainable — and a little cheeky, just like us.

    Love the story? Share it with a friend who still thinks “handmade” just means “expensive.” 😉

    As always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood. Thanks for being part of our journey.