Interview with Megan from HappiCamperKC

Name:  Megan Colwell

Burning since:  2012

Location: Kansas City (based)

@happicamperkc on Instagram and Facebook or Shop Etsy

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You have a unique living/working situation, can you tell us about that? 

Sure! I live in a 2018 Travel Trailer (camper). We are going on 2 years living in it full time. When we can, we travel the country. So far we have been out West and loved it!

Tell us a little about your business and what you make.

I am a self-taught wood burning artists. I love to make bold and colorful works of art of all types, however, my specialty is line art and texture. 

You have another business, Happidesk. Can you tell us a little about that?  

Of course! @Happidesk is where I conduct my business as a virtual assistant. Although my main focus is Real Estate, I also help many small business with things like: Social Media Management, Branding, Design, and Engagement. I help accounts authentically connect and grow with their target audience. 

What percentage of your time do you spend wood burning versus business? How much of your time is devoted to Happicamper vs Happidesk? 

Great question! Typically Monday thru Friday I spend on Happi Desk, using my evenings to engage on Happi Camper when I can. I do my best to dedicate Friday night thru Sunday night to making art and content for Happi Camper. 

What other hobbies/crafts do you enjoy? 

I also enjoy watercolor and illustration. I can't forget travel! I love exploring new areas, especially anything flora/fauna related. 

Where do you draw inspiration? 

Definitely from our surroundings. I love nature and find lots of new plants/places to research then apply to my art. I also draw a lot of inspiration from vintage styles. 

What piece of advice can you offer to anyone who is new to wood burning or new to the community? 

Do not "compare and despair". At the end of the day, social media can go away. Only compare yourself to your growth path, and not others. You are so unqiue; no one in the world is like YOU. So the more you lean into your own authenticity and forget about all the like/followers noise, the better you'll be in the end. 

Any quick tips for growing your Instagram following? What has worked for you? 

Sure! I follow the 10-10-10 on a daily basis. Ten minutes liking and commenting on my current followings' posts. Ten minutes connecting with my current followings' stories through genuine DMs. And ten minutes connecting with my target audience through recent posts in niche hashtags.

What other platforms do you use and enjoy besides Instagram? Any that you have found success with when it comes to reach and exposure?

I have used Pinterest with some success. I also use Etsy as a connection platform, especially for networking. Liking and favoriting others shops is a great gateway to collaborations. 

If you could give advice to yourself when you first started out, what would that be? 

Get more back-up pens! Since I burn so hot and heavy, I go thru pens very quickly!

Are there any apps that you can’t live without when it comes to your business? 

A scheduler. I love Apphi, and have also used the Later app. This helps me keep my posts up at peak times, plan ahead, and maintain a brand presence. 

Deserted Island, with power question. You can choose ONE

Burner: Colwood Super Pro II

Nib: Spade Tip

Type of wood: Poplar

Non-essential tool (but basically essential to you): Tombow sand eraser

Choosing what tools you keep on hand has to be a thoughtful process because of space limitations, so I am curious what are some of your other favorite tools you have in your toolbox? 

Acrylic paint pens have been a lifesaver for me. They take up SUCH little space and are so easy to use!

How do you finish your pieces? 

I use an aerosol polycrylic gloss finish. It really make the texture pop!

What are your favorite ways to add color? 

Lately, it is def the paint pens. But I also favorite other types of mediums like milk paint and watercolors.

What goals do you have for Happi Camper? What art goals do you have? 

One day, I would love to have some land, build a cabin, and renovate a handful of vintage campers. It would be an Air B-n-B where I could also host wood burning workshops. Short term goals def include teaching wood burning workshops in the Kansas City area!

What are your favorite podcasts and inspirational books? 

I listen to the Joe Rogan podcast, as well as Russell Brand. But honestly, I'm not much of a podcast listener. My favorite inspirational book is, "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hays. 

I think we are all very curious as to how you can fit all of your wood burning supplies into the camper. Can you show us some of your storage solutions?

I have to thank my hubby here. He is the organization GURU. We keep my art supplies in baskets separated by type. We even label everything so it's easy to grab. I also bundle supplies in re-purposed Ipsy bags. One bag has everything I need to start sketching a new piece, and houses some of my main nibs. 

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What are you working on now? 

I am currently working on a few geometric shelves as I shift to making more functional art. I also have a new wood sign commissions in the pipeline. 

Watch the recorded live video:

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Interview with Aney from Pyrocrafters

Name: Aney Carver

Burning Since: 2016

Location: Prattville, AL

www.pyrocrafters.com and @pyrocrafters

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How did you start your pyrography journey?

In 2016. I started burning just for fun, then we started making things for friends and family and the next thing you know we’re taking orders. Then I started posting on social media and it just kind of took off in unexpected ways, which continues to this day. 

Do you do any other art forms/crafts/hobbies?

I love to make everything. Just making in general lights my fire. But specifically, I love to make things with cardboard. I’m not necessarily good at it especially when you see what other people are able to make. But I just love the idea of reusing a material in a completely different way in which it was intended and turning it into something functional.

Best piece of advice when it comes to owning your own wood burning business?

I really thought about this question a lot and it’s hard to choose just one piece of advice. This could apply to wood burners or any business at all. Learn. Learn as much as you can about what your business is, how to improve it, how to improve yourself, how can you help others, how can you can you be consistent, courageous, creative, inspirational, what you want to accomplish, why you’re in business. It all comes back to learning and taking in as much info you can on how to be better for yourself and for others. You can listen to podcasts, follow people that will teach you, read or listen to books, or just plain ole google searches. A lot of what you want to learn can be found for free if you do the work to find it.

Tell us about your book, Drawing with Fire, it such a beautiful book! Where can we find in it?

My book process took place from early 2019 to mid late summer. It’s a wood burning project book that focuses more on the projects themselves. The publishers and I brainstormed about what the book should be about from complex detailed portraits to lettering only to beginner projects. We ended up creating a lot of lettering projects for beginners, a few crafty projects and then a few more detailed intermediate projects with shading techniques.  

The goal was to get right to the projects and have the book focus on giving the reader a book full of projects they could make. In the early stages, we had a lot of setup stuff about tools, but we decided to narrow that down and make it more about projects. I wanted to create projects based on supplies that were easy to find. So I tailored the projects around what materials I could easily get my hands on, so that the reader (a beginning wood burner) would be able to easily find what they needed. I wanted them to be able to focus on the projects, learning wood burning and creativity instead of trying to figure all the tools. That was the fun part.

The process was fast and a bit stressful. From the time the publisher approached me until it was written was about five months. So if I had to change something about the process it would have been having more time to put into the creation of it. Overall, it was an amazing experience. 

Check out the book Drawing With Fire!

You are going on a deserted island with power. You can only bring one of the following:

Burner: Colwood.

Wood type: Poplar

Nib: Straight Edge/Skew tip

Favorite non-essential tool, but one you love to have: My shop. When we first moved into this house, I didn’t have a work space, i was constantly moving around and working where I could. I wrote my book and worked through all the projects on our dinging room table because I didn’t have a space to do it. We had to do a lot of work on this shop and I am so incredibly grateful for this space, I don’t have words to express it. I come in here every workday morning and meditate to the gratefulness of having this space. 

What do you love about doing Youtube videos? What have you found difficult?

I love being able to show people how to do this art. I love connecting with people and reading the comments about how they are learning this new craft and that the videos I’m putting out are helping them. That’s the best feeling. 

The hardest part is being in front of the camera. I just get nervous and forget how to talk. But I think I’m doing better. Again it comes back to learning and doing things that make you uncomfortable at first, but pushing through until you get better. Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”.  

What percentage of your time and energy goes into YouTube, Instagram, facebook, woodburning, and computer office stuff? How much does each piece of the pie get?

Oh gosh, I don’t really have a percentage, but I would say the large majority and then I weave in my wood burning into it. So when I have a new wood burning piece idea, I film it along the way so that I’m creating content for all those spaces while I’m creating my art. It’s all woven together into one collective effort. 

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who is brand new and starting out, what would that be?

Don’t be afraid to mess up. You’re brand new, so spoiler alert, you’re going to mess up. You just need to know that up front and be okay with it. I’ve been doing this for a while and I make mistakes all the time. A lot of mistakes can be corrected and if they can’t, just sand it down and start over. Just try stuff and see what happens.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on new art pieces, and switching those over to my website instead of the Etsy site. I have a lengthy course planned that I have been planning forever and it’s been delayed a bit because I was going to have a videographer come and film it, but we’ve pushed that back because of all this virus stuff. 

I have a new Pyrocrafters Membership service coming out soon! There will be LIVE courses, pre-recorded courses, and more content exclusively for members.

And I’m also working with Chandler tools to build a course around using their tools, so that’s super exciting too. That’s also been pushed back because of the virus. It’s coming eventually, just delayed a bit.

Favorite thing to watch or listen to while you burn?

Sooo many things. Schitt’s Creek, The good Place, How Did this get made podcast, Don’t keep your day job podcast by Cathy Heller, Rachel Hollis’s everything, Brendan Burchard’s anything and everything. I’m listening to his book High Performance Habits right now. 

What are your favorite tools?

So, I’ve been working with an array of tools lately and there are so many great burner tools out there. Here are a few of my favorites.

Chandler Tool

Walnut Hollow Creative Wood Burner

Colwood

TRUart

Burnmaster

*Some are Amazon Affiliate links for easy shopping. Hope they help.

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Interview with Brad from Razertip

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Company Name: Razertip Industries Inc.

Name and Role: Brad Merkle - Operations Manager

Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

www.razertip.com or @razertip

Guess what…. I am an affiliate! I’ve been using this company as my main tool for burning for over 15 years now. I highly recommend them!

🔥 Use the discount code BASIA at checkout to save some money 🔥

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Can you tell us a brief history of Razertip? How/when did it start? 

Razertip started in 1984 when Cam Merkle was burning feather detail onto a decorative decoy woodcarving. The tool he was using wasn’t cutting it so he made his own. Through requests from friends and students it grew from there. Since then Razertip has been innovating and improving how pyrography tools and tips are made.

How many people are on the Razertip team? How many Are family members?

We have about 20 people on our team along with some additional contractors that we have established great relationships with. There are 5 family members on the team.

Can you share with us about the different machines you offer? How do they differ?

SK, SSD-10 and the P80 (and P80x expansion modules) The SK and SSD-10 are very similar units operating at 10 amps and provide great heat recovery and results. The P80 is the newest machine, it features a universal power supply, touch screen interface for unprecedented control and tip heat consistency.

What is the temperature range of your tools? 

Our tips can operate at room temperature and many can exceed 800 degrees celsius. Depends on the shape and size of the tip. Tip temperature is only a part of the equation...Tip heat recovery is equally important to maintain a consistent and even burn.

What countries are your burners available in, and where can they purchase them?

We ship orders worldwide. Our burners are available from dealers widely throughout the US and Canada and also in many European countries as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Where are the machines and nibs made?

Our tips and machines are made in our facility here in Canada. We try to make as much as we can here and to deal as much as possible with local suppliers.

You offer both fixed tip and interchangeable tip options, which is more popular?

The interchangeable tips are very popular for beginners and those who want a variety of tips or to try them out with less cost. Where the fixed tip pens are popular for those who want the ease of switching pens or those who only want a select few options and know what tips they like.

What are the three most popular nib options you have available? And how many nib options do you offer?

We have a 5 piece pyrography tip set that is very popular as it offers much of what people are looking for to start out.

You shared an exclusive with us, TWO NEW PRODUCTS that are in the works. What are they and when can we expect to be able to purchase them?

We previewed our new Standard Pen and the P88 - an advanced version of the P80, which features 8 customizable memory heat settings as well as some other new features.

How do you recommend that pyrographers clean your wood burning tools? Does it depend on the type of nib?

Sharp, straight or flat tips can be cleaned with ease (hot or cold) using the Razertip Tip Cleaner. Rounded, curved or ball tips are better cleaned with a dense brass brush. We suggest avoiding anything abrasive, which can cause wear on the tip.

What goals do you have for Razertip? 

To never sit still… We continue to look for ways to inspire our customers and meet their needs with our tools, offerings and customer service. 

Watch the recorded live interview:

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Interview with Kayla from Rustic Wood Supply

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Company Name: Rustic Wood Supply
Name and Role: Kayla & Seth Stallard- Owners
Location: Murphy, North Carolina
www.rusticwoodsupply.net and @rusticwoodsupply

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When and how did you start Rustic Wood Supply?

We started Rustic Wood Supply in 2012. We were planning our wedding and I was trying to get ideas for decorations that we both liked. Being from the mountains, we both like the "rustic, country" look. I found some wood slices on Pinterest and began to show them to my husband. He said, "I am not buying those when I can make them."  After researching some on Etsy, we realized that there was not many people selling them so he decided to give it a go. His idea was to just make $50 or so here and there just for a little gas money to get back and forth from college. Soon after, I was quitting my job at a hospital to help him. Little did we know just how much God would bless us!

How many people are on the team at Rustic Wood Supply?

It is just me and my husband. He gets all the trees and cuts all of the wood. I do all of the computer work, packing, shipping, and grinding/sanding all the wood.

How and where is the wood sourced?

All of our wood is locally sourced. We work directly with a couple of loggers and sawmills. Sourwood is a small tree that has no benefit for the logging industry. So we go ahead of their crew and get what trees they are just going to run over. We try to do this so we can make use of something that will simply be left to just rot. We live in an area with vast amounts of mature standing timber. In order to directly help wildlife and keep the mountains healthy, certain portions are strategically logged to promote new growth and vegetation to help suply an abundance of wildlife and mountain species. Logging is often looked down upon, but it is actually very beneficial to give back to earth. We also do storm work. We do not get many strong storms because of the mountains around us, but when we do, we use downed trees from these events.

What kinds of wood varieties do you offer?

Our main two wood species are sourwood and poplar. We do work with pine and can access other woods if preferred. However, most of our customers prefer the sourwood as it so easy and good to work with.

Can you show us some of your products?

How do you prep the wood? Is it dried? Is it sanded?

Everything that we cut is cut green and then air dried. We do not have a kiln. This is a process used by large companies to mass dry more wood at a faster rate. Everything we do is cut to order and air dried. It might be a little slower than a kiln, but still very accurate.  Acceptable percentage in kiln dry wood is 8-10% and air dry percentage is 1-6%. We do not have a very large inventory as we like to stay personal with our customers and take on a large amount of custom orders.  All of our wood is sanded smooth. The small slices we offer are cut smooth, and the larger live edge pieces are sanded down before sending out.

What are your recommendations for wood storage?

We recommend just keeping the wood stacked and out of the direct sunlight. Also, extremely hot areas can cause some of the wood to crack so stored in a cool, dry area is preferred.

When did you discover that wood burning artists loved your wood?

Not long ago, we started trying to expand our social media. We quickly realized that there was a large wood burning community on instagram. It was about 7 months ago when most of our activity on instagram showed us that wood burners really loved our products. We have had a lot of great feedback from the wood burning artists on our sourwood slices. A lot of people had never heard of sourwood, but customers are saying that it burns beautifully.

What percentage of wood would you say goes to wood burning artists?

I would say about 30%.

What other things do you see your wood slices being used for?

A lot of our slices are used for weddings. They use the round live edge pieces for centerpieces, cake stands, or food decor. In the fall, we sell thousands of our small coaster size slices for companies to turn into ornaments. We have had several customers create a large wood slice wall. They have all turned out beautiful! A lot of our slices are used by engraving companies. The slabs have been used for home decor signs, serving trays, and even interior design.

Are you shipping now and where do you ship?

We are shipping now. We are just limiting how many days that we do ship. We have cut down to only shipping about 1 day a week. We do offer shipping everywhere in the world. International shipping can be expensive, but if the customer is willing to pay for it, we are happy to do so! The only country we have had problems shipping to is Australia. They do not seem to let the wood through customs and it ends up getting sent back to us.

Any new products in the works?

We are working on offer some free standing slices. We already make them for customers, but they are just not on our website yet. We are also going to launch new sourwood mini slabs. They will be live edge on both sides ranging between 3 and 5" wide and around 1 ft long. 

What goals do you have for Rustic Wood Supply?

To us, being personal with our customers is huge and means a lot to us. As just a husband and wife team, we like to know our customers and engage in the community. We like to personally see what happens with the wood we cut and really enjoy seeing what people turn it in to. We pride ourselves in having the best quality small wood slices as well as the most affordable prices and we always want that for our customers. We also would just like to get our products out there and make people aware of the quality of our wood even though it is not as common as others.  Our goals are to just stay personal with our customers and put our best work in for them to ensure the best quality in our products.  We are at a point where we have grown some and people do know about our company, but at the same time, we enjoy being the small business that we have become and just hope that we can simply support our little family of three!

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Check out these other awesome pyrography interviews:

Walnut Hollow’s Hannah Bartelt

Razertip’s Brad Merkle

Pyrocrafter’s Aney Carver Interview