Making Problems to Solve

Scot from Crabtree Creative caught my eye with his amazing tribute to Wesley Treat's Makers Welcome sign. He put everything he has learned in the sign business into the creation. His blend of design skills with fabrication makes for some impressive work!

Check out Scot on Instagram

I had a fun chat with Alma from Pink Soul Studios. She's been solving problems for her family by making furniture, toys, and whatever else she can imagine, mostly from wood. She actually found the maker community accidentally after sharing her projects with family on social media. There's also a fun bit about motorcycles!

Check out Alma on Instagram and her web site.

Char Miller-King, known as Woodenmaven - is your friendly shop teacher, has been learning woodworking, and sharing what she knows since she started by DIYing a platform bed she wanted, but couldn't afford at the time. Now she shares her love of woodworking with kids and adults at the Decatur Makers makerspace, online, and on TV.

Check out her work on Instagram and her website.

John Grassey started woodworking like so many of us, to fill a need a home, and with an attitude of "I think I can do that!" He started out on the creative side of theatre and moved into stage management before a side trip to software product management, for theatre. Lately he's been exploring the creativity of the written word and completed a 30 day writing project!

Check out John on Instagram and his web site www.boonislandoriginals.com

I had a great conversation with Bernie Solo, Artist, Designer, Sometimes Inventor, and Problem-Solving Maker of Things. You might know him from his fire-breathing zombie fighting circular as seen on YouTube or in person at Maker Camp, or his fidget invention the Sprok-it, or his CNC lamp carving saw. We talked about finding patterns in nature, functional inspiration and always adding to your toolbox of skills.

Find Bernie on Instagram and YouTube.

Mentions in episode

Wesley Treat makes cool signs, retro-futuristic art, and shop upgrades most makers would dream of (shop elevator!?) We talked about his love of classic roadside signs, theatre, and how his work making signs and decor in Texas lead to connection with an Upstate New York Drive-In.

Check out Wesley's work on Instagram and Youtube.

My guest this time is Bonnie from Vermont Print specializing in screen printed apparel with a focus on the outdoors and nature of Vermont. Bonnie learned html and web design starting by customizing MySpace pages and turned that into a career in user experience design. In her creative print work she follows a practice of "don't take yourself too seriously" and we discuss making fun art to find your audience of people who appreciate it.

Check out Bonnie and Vermont Print on Instagram and her web site https://www.vermontprint.shop/

Glen gave me a lot to think about around art, creativity, craft, and paying attention. One highlight was the "Spiraling Circle of Learning". We talked about photography, high-end audio visual installations and cardboard robots along the way.

Check out Glen's work on Instagram

I met Tony Rouleau at Making It 100 - and learned he was a relatively local maker and a great guy! He's well known for making quality tools such as his brass infill block plane, double squares, and bevels made in his home shop. We covered how he started making tools, his design inspiration, an mention a bunch of folks from the maker community.

Learn more about Tony's work on Instagram or his web site hillviewtool.com

Photo credit: Mark Adams

Mentions in this episode:

Andy Birkey

Wes Swain

Scroll Saw Scribbler Justin Christensen

Jen Bower

My conversation with Ellen ranges from Heavy Metal Knitting to Conceptual Art and Tom Sachs. Ellen is always ready to learn the next thing, from spinning steel wool to forging and welding, to complete the next project ans share what she learns to help new makers.

Check out Ellen on Instagram and Youtube.

Photo credit Mark Adams.