Make Mini Fridge Magnets

Gel pens are great for using on wood burned projects because they are easily accessible, not messy, come in so many colors, metallics and neons, and are easy to apply to small areas. These fun little gel pen magnets are just so perfect for the adorable designs by Jess from @jeshypark.

These magnets are both useful and whimsical, and who doesn’t love that?! They are super simple to make but will surely add character to any refrigerator.

Materials

• Tiny Wood Slices (unfinished, dried, sanded smooth)

• A drawing or design (or you can draw it by hand)

• Burner (I like to use the Walnut Hollow Versatool and recommend it as a starting point. Head over to the following blog post: What Tool Is Right for Me, if you want to learn about a variety of pyro tools, uses and price points for each.)

• Sand Paper: Sponge or Paper

• Graphite Paper

• Tape

• Embossing Tool (or pen or pencil)

• Tombow Sand Eraser

• Markers or Gel Pens other medium to add colour (optional - check out: Alternative Mediums to use with Pyrography)

• Safety Equipment (click here for the safety guide)

• Magnets

• E6000 Glue

• Cotton Swabs

Step 1. Choose your designs, size them, print them.

Step 2. Sand your tiny wood slices smooth. I am using mini birch slices. Basswood is also a popular wood choice.

Step 3. Cut and place the designs on the wood slices.

Step 4: Choose a transfer method. A variety of these are discussed in the book. I suggest a graphite, blue Chaco, or pencil on paper methods. Here I am using the pencil on paper method.

Step 5: Tape your tiny wood pieces to a larger wood slice from the backside.

Taping them down will hold them in place and allow you to easily turn them while you transfer and burn without worrying about getting burned. I learned this trick from @northstar_pyrogrpahy.

Step 6: Transfer the design. Remember, the more accurate the transfer, the cleaner the burn will be

Step 7: Warm up your burner with your nib of choice securely attached. 

* Be sure to TAKE YOUR HEALTH & SAFETY SERIOUSLY. Check out the Safety Blog outlining all the steps you can take to burn safely, download your FREE safety guide and always follow the guidelines listed by the manufacturer.

Test your temperature on the back of one of your wood slices or a scrap piece of the same type of wood before getting started.

Step 8: Follow your transfer lines. Go slowly and be careful. Keep your fingers out of the way.

Consider using a different wood slice or object of equal thickness as a working surface on which to rest your hand.

This will allow you to burn more carefully and precisely with a steadier hand, which is especially important when working on something small.

Step 9: Remove any remaining transfer markings.

Step 10: Embellish your tiny wood burned designs with gel pens. There is no wrong way to do it, and I encourage you to go for it! Use metallic, neon, or monochrome colors. Color the whole thing, or just add accents. It is completely up to you!

Step 11: Once you are happy with the look, add a finish to keep them looking great for a long time. Allow to fully dry.

Step 12: Pull out magnets, E6000 glue, and cotton swabs. Flip the tiny burned slices over so the backside is facing up.

Step 13: Get a good amount of E6000 glue on the cotton swab and rub it on one side of a magnet.

Quickly place and slightly squish the magnet onto the backside of the wood burned piece.

Check on them after a few minutes to re-center any of the magnets which may have shifted position. Allow the glue to dry overnight.

*Be sure to work in a well-ventilated space because the glue can be quite stinky, and follow the guidelines listed by the manufacturer

Step 14: Once dry, your adorable handmade magnets are ready for use!

Show off your work!

I cant wait to see how you take these designs and add your own twist! Be sure to share your finished pieces on instagram using #thewoodburnbook

More projects in the book!

This essential guide opens with a brief background to the art of wood burning, a list of tools and how to use them, basic techniques that can be used over and over again, and even what to burn (projects, designs and inspiration) and how to be safe doing it.

Learn more

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The Wood Burn Book: Finishes Edit

I have been told over and over again that every first edition book will have mistakes. Well, this is ours. On page 52 of The Wood Burn Book, you will see this pretty board of finishes over colors and burn. This is to visually demonstrate how the color will react to that particular finish. Well, in the 1st edition printing of the book, the last 3 color option in the key are mislabeled. What you see here is correct, and it is already changed for the next printing.

This sort of thing unfortunately happens, and I can’t even begin to tell you how heart breaking it is for me. I originally wanted to be able to burn the names of the colors right into wood as I made it, but what I learned is that when a book is planning on being translated into multiple languages, the photos can’t have a lot of words in them. Fun fact: There is actually a list, called a “co-edition” list, that has acceptable words that are approved to use in a photograph. This made coming up with projects infinitely more difficult, because I could only use certain words. I wish I could share the “co-edition” list with you, because it is hilarious! Absolutely not what you would expect. There are even some names on the list that are acceptable to use, The one that I remember most was, Kylie. I thought that was so interesting. I was expecting John or Smith. The entire list was like that. I am so curious about how it was made and who chose the words.

Anyways…..

In the process of making the book, the designer takes all of my words, photos and direction and turns it into a book. I never met or spoke with my designer. I gave my edits to my editor, who gave them to the art director, who then gave them to the designer. You get the point. The entire Finishes section gave us a lot of trouble with formatting and last minute photo changes, and page rearranging, and unfortunately the mislabeling happened, and I didn’t spot it until after the books had already been physically printed. So…. you early buyers get a fun, limited edition, first printing! Like my spin on things?

Here are a couple fun ways that I have altered/edited my copies. Somehow, turning it into a doodle made me feel better about it. Feel free to send me a photo of your doodle edit, or post about it and tag me. I will send my favorite doodle an original art piece from the book before the end of the year.

Check out this blog post for more tips and tricks to finishing (or not finishing) your wood pieces.

Learn to Burn Live Class at Michaels!

Want to learn to burn? Join Rachel Strauss of @woodburncorner and Walnut Hollow in this FREE crash course on wood burning. You will walk away with all the basics under your belt, and the confidence to give this incredibly relaxing art form a try! Rachel will cover essential tools, safety, types of woods, burners and nibs, how to prep your surfaces, and ways to add color in wood burning. Rachel will also walk you through, step-by-step, the process from start to *literally* finish, giving her best tips/tricks along the way so you can feel confident to dive in and find success quickly. She will demonstrate how anyone can make a loose watercolor and wood burned art piece just like this. Let's have some fun. Happy burning!

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AT A GLANCE:

FREE

Offered in English

Recommended Age: 13+

Skill Level: Beginner

Next class will be announced on our ONLINE CLASSES page.

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For previous classes, check out the blog posts below:

• How to involve your kids in your pyrography artwork

• Having fun with loose watercolor and wood burning

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Interview with Mallory from My Art of Gold

Name: Mallory Romportl

Burning since: 2016

Location: Minnesota

@myartofgold and etsy

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Favorite piece of advice for new pyrographers? 

Slow and steady will make for a beautiful burn, it requires patience and lots of practice. And SAFETY first, wearing a mask will save you many headaches and of course your lungs too! 

How much time do you spend wood burning versus the rest of your business? 

I probably spend 50/50 on both. To be honest, you’ll probably find me burning more often then taking care of the business side of things. My husband is a wonderful helper when it comes to the financial and logistics part of the business. 

What inspires you?

My faith and nature are huge inspirations for me. When I’m out hiking or at a park, I may find a certain type of flower and think to myself ‘that would make a beautiful piece to burn.’ 

I also love burning bible verses or encouraging quotes especially now because I think everyone could use a little hope. 

Your faith is a big part of who you are and you bring it into your art. Was that always part of the plan?

I knew that I wanted this business to be Christ- centered when I started and my faith is a huge part of my daily life. I believe every artist should include who they are into their work and since my faith is so important to me, I love to share it with others as well. I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and I totally get it, I’m just thankful that it can be a part of my creative journey as well. 

Deserted Island, with power question. You can choose ONE:

Burner: Razertip SK burner 

Nib: Ball point because I love how versatile it is!

Type of wood: Walnut hollow Basswood

Non-essential tool (but basically essential to you): a ruler or straight edge!

What are your favorite nibs to use? 

Ball point tip is my absolute favorite because I can do so much with it and it’s the easiest tip for me to letter with. I also love a good universal shading tip to achieve those shading details on more complicated pieces. 

What is your transfer method of choice? 

If I do transfer, I use graphite paper and an embossing tool to trace my design onto the wood piece. 

What are some of your other favorite tools?

A ruler or some sort of straight edge is always sitting at my side and my Razertip burner is definitely my go-to burner. Also, Walnut Hollow basswood is the best wood for my projects!

Any storage solutions that you have found handy? 

We live in a pretty small place so storage options are pretty limited but we always keep the Walnut Hollow wood in their boxes and try to consolidate them until I’m ready to pull them out to use them. As soon as a piece is finished, I will wrap it in tissue paper for a layer of protection and safely store them into a basket or box. 

Do you have a dream collaboration you would like to do with either a company or another artist? 

I would love to collaborate with Razertip because I believe in their product, I’ve been using their burner for almost 4 years now and I would consider it an honor to work with them! I also have a couple of acrylics/ gouache artists such as Julie Marriot @juliemarriotart because I adore her style, it’s so bright and vibrant! 

Can you give us any lettering advice? How do we get to the point where we can just put burner to wood? 

I have had tons of practice with lettering and I first started with a brush pen on paper. Sounds crazy but I really suck and brush lettering. However I found that the more I practiced with a brush, the easier it was to simply burn it onto wood. There are also many lettering artists and Skillshare classes that helped me find my own style and work on different fonts. 

Lettering artists that I have learned from:

Shelly Kim: @lettersbyshells

Amanda Arneill: @amandaarneill

Riley Stark: @oak.lettering.co

What goals do you have for My Art of Gold? 

As of now, I honestly don’t have too many goals for my business. My family just grew to a family of 4 when we welcomed our second baby boy and they are definitely priority. So my business may have to take a back seat for a bit and I’m completely okay with that. 

What tips do you have for people who are trying to increase their Instagram following? 

Process videos! People love to see real time and time lapse videos of your process. Videos also seem to catch more attention than a photo for some reason. 

Watch the recorded live video:

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Burnt March 2020

These Burnt Month Challenges all started with #BurntNovember back in 2017! They are every-other-day challenges for the wood burning community on Instagram. The community uses the given prompts to inspire pieces of art. It always astounds me how many amazing and unique pieces of art can come out of one word.

Scroll down to see the featured artists for March 2020! #BurntMarch was sponsored by Walnut Hollow.

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Fast by @daydreamsfactory

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Long by @driftwood_aptos

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Loud by @sunflower__mary

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Round by @toadcrafts

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Tall by @duskandfable

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Soft by @chasethecreations

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Small by @inner.luna

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Big by @onecreativebee

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Bright by @pickleshopcuriosity

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Sharp by @sparkography

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Hard by @myzentimentsexactly

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Slow by @kam_pyrography

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Deep by @rowanashcreative

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Old by @burnedbybri

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Delicate by @burnsidepyrography

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New by @pennypetalspegdolls

Thank you to all of you for joining in the fun. Can’t wait for the next one!

Check out past Burnt Challenges here!

Want to join future Burnt Month challenges?

SIGN UP FOR OUR Burn Club NEWSLETTER TO SEE WHEN THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS HAPPENING.

OR FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AND STAY TUNED FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT!

These challenges are a great way to hone your skills, grow your following, try new things, and meet your fellow wood burning artists. #communityovercompetition

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How to Start Your Own Wood Burning Business

Are you a pyrographer who wants to turn your hobby into a thriving business? Have you dreamt of starting your own creative business, but don’t know where to start?

Knowing where to put your energy and effort in business can save you time, money, and a whole lot of headache.

My name is Rachel Strauss, and I am a wood burning artist, teacher, entrepreneur, business coach, and community leader.

I personally believe in coaching. I have seen people that I have worked with find incredible success in their businesses over the past year. I have also seen first hand what coaching has done for my own personal business. I know it works, and a big part of the reason why is because we are in it together. Your success is my success.

If you are still reading this, it means you are serious about this. It means you want to see your business succeed. Here is your nudge.

COMING SOON

Get another kick start to your business by diving into the Complete Wood Burning + Business Toolkit. This Toolkit is self-guided so you can work at your own pace, on your own time, at your own speed, and in your own order. There are many ways to digest the information including audio lessons (transcripts included), written lessons, exercises, video and picture tutorials, as well as PDF printables.

This isn't just a course. It is a toolkit that you can come back to time and time again, anytime you want and complete at any order and pace you want. The Toolkit will be updated, free of charge, and you will always have access to it. As we learn and grow, so will the Toolkit.

This is your one-stop-shop for everything you need to give your business a massive boost!

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Interview with Hannah from Walnut Hollow

Company Name: Walnut Hollow

Name and Role: Hannah Bartelt, Marketing and Social Media Specialist

Location: Dodgeville, Wisconsin

Find us on: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Website  and Blog

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

The start of Walnut Hollow is one of my favorite stories to tell - and the details are the best part. My grandpa, Dave Ladd, has always been passionate about nature and woodland conservation. He planted trees all around the family land to track their growth, environment, and health from seedling to mature tree. Once the trees were mature, he would harvest them and begin the process again. He gave his wife, Nancy, my grandma, some of the slices from a mature tree that he had harvested. She has always been a passionate crafter and she used the wood slices as a base for a decoupage project - the rest is history.

My grandpa began to market the idea of Walnut Country Rounds® throughout the community and they were so well received he started to attend trade shows around the country. He did not have the funds to have a booth at the shows, so he would track down the buyers and invite them to come back to his hotel for a meeting. He would serve cheese and crackers...because, well, Wisconsin! He came home from his first trade show with enough orders to jump right into planning, production, and distribution. Walnut Hollow was officially founded in 1972. You can watch this video to see some old photos and get the concise rundown of who we are as a company!

How many family members currently work at Walnut Hollow and how many have worked there over the years? 

There are currently 5 family members working here full-time, including myself. Since my grandpa’s retirement several years ago, my mom is now the President + CEO. My uncle is the CFO and his wife is our Human Resources and Accounting Specialist. My second cousin is the Plant Manager. Every person in my immediate and extended family has worked here at some point! My mom, uncle, second cousin, and many other employees have been here from the beginning - 35+ years.

Walnut Hollow is a company that prides itself on sustainability as well as being made in the USA. Can you tell me a bit about your zero waste processing system?  

Sustainability and conservation is literally how Walnut Hollow started, and it has been a priority ever since then. We implement sustainable practices throughout our entire company, but we do have some major initiatives we pride ourselves on: 

• In 2015, David Ladd was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame for contributing to conservation programs, projects, public understanding, and conservation ethics for Wisconsin and the nation. 

• The Ladd family has planted more than 300,000 trees and shrubs on personal property in the surrounding area.

• When possible, raw material is harvested from Midwesst plantation and managed woodlands for the manufacture of wood surfaces.

• Walnut Hollow has a unique sawdust recovery system whereby sawdust and chips from the manufacturing process are vacuumed at each work station to a central silo storage system. As a result, the manufacturing operation is not detrimental to the health of employees or the environment.

• Wood waste and sawdust are recycled and sold as livestock bedding. No wood waste ends up in landfills.

Can you give us a rundown of some WH products? What kinds of wood and tools do you offer? 

We offer 2 main product lines: wood surfaces and wood burning tools. We also sell clock making supplies, crafting tools, and wood carving supplies.  I’ll keep this brief, but you can learn more about our offerings on our website! 

Our wood surfaces are probably what we are most well-known for. Our signature product lines, Basswood Country Rounds and Planks are the same product we brought to market over 40 years ago; however, they are now made of basswood (vs. walnut). Basswood is ideal for wood burning which is how we started our wood burning tools line. My uncle Scott was an extremely talented and creative teenager and started working on design concepts with my grandpa. He started attending trade shows when he was 16 years old and hosted demonstrations at the Walnut Hollow booth. All of the traditional tools and points that we sell today are almost exact replicas of the products that Scott designed years ago - with just a few innovations to match current technology. 

For more information about our wood surfaces - check out this video!

How are your wood surfaces prepared?

All of the wood we use is the highest possible quality and furniture grade lumber. Our wood material arrives to our production plant either in full log form or large planed surfaces. The logs are cut, kiln dried, sanded, and packaged. The planed pieces go through the same drying process, but are usually glued together to create plaques, then sanded and packaged. Every single wood piece is naturally untreated and kiln dried to keep bark intact, lower the risk of cracking, and to remove all moisture.

What is the best storage solution to keep our wood in tip-top shape? 

I always recommend keeping your wood surfaces in a place that will not be prone to collecting moisture and will not be direct sunlight. A closet or closed storage cabinet would be ideal. This will ensure the wood is not exposed to moisture or sunlight, which can cause discolouration.

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

It seems like everyone kind of has their own preference when talking about this topic. I usually suggest using a fine grit sandpaper to gently rub off any residue from the points. This is the easiest way, in my opinion! I know a lot of people use a damp sponge to clean their points. This is effective and easy as well. When using the sandpaper method, just be sure to swipe very lightly across the sandpaper. You can use this technique with all of our points, but I would be extra gentle with the delicate wire tip points.

You mentioned there are more nib options coming for the Creative Woodburner! How many, and when can we hope to see them? Any chance we can twist your arm a bit more into telling us more about the shapes/types of nibs?

So excited about this question!! We will be releasing 4 new points that will be compatible with the wire point Creative Woodburner! You will be able to find them at Hobby Lobby and Michaels! I believe they will be available at Hobby Lobby first, but both stores will have them set by mid-September! You’ll have to wait until then for the official announcement and reveal, but think more shading points, a stamping point, and more precision! Stay tuned - we will announce on social when they are available!

Wood Burn Corner has been so lucky to get to do a bunch of different collaborations with Walnut Hollow. The Creative Woodburner packaging, many many challenges, sponsorship at the Burn Club Retreat, scholarships, WH traveling wood piece, and so many other things I am probably forgetting. What do you think has been some of the best things we have worked on together, and why? 

I have loved every project and campaign we have worked on but I think my favourite was the WH Traveling Wood piece. It was so fun seeing that piece evolve and travel around the country. I was the last recipient of the piece and I have it proudly displayed at my desk!

What are some of the most unique or interesting ways you have seen WH products used?

Seeing our products in the wild is one of my favorite things - it never gets old! We have been featured in a lot of craft and DIY magazines over the years which is always fun to see. Martha Stewart Living featured Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s wedding a few years ago and they used some of our plaques as table decorations! We see our barked products a lot on Shark Tank - many of the entrepreneurs use them in their displays. I think the most recent sighting was on Netflix’s Tiger King series. Did you see it?? So random!! I also love seeing new things on Instagram from our community and different techniques that are used during our Burnt Month campaigns!

What can wood burning artists do to increase their chances at getting featured on @walnuthollow? 

We cannot feature you if we don’t see your posts! So make sure your profile is public and use #walnuthollow. You can also tag us in the actual photo (not the comments - those get lost in our notifications!). I have not been posting a lot lately, but I do go through and checkout the posts we are tagged in - love seeing how everyone uses our products!

Do you forsee opening Walnut Hollow for tours in the future? 

We do not have plans to start doing tours. It is really difficult to make this possible due to overall production safety. Keeping our employees safe is very important and bringing in extra traffic to an already busy building would be really tough. We will keep this in mind though, and maybe will be able to share more about production virtually instead!

Will there be another WH Traveling Wood Piece? 

I would love to do another WH Traveling Piece! Let’s do it!

What goals do you have for the future of Walnut Hollow?

Right now we are focused on continuing to provide the highest quality products to our customers. Innovation is also very important to our future. We are always exploring new wood surface developments and new tool concepts. I don’t think I can share any concrete goals without spoiling anything :) 

Watch Hannah’s recorded live interview:

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We All Start Somewhere

Everyone has to start somewhere.  A lot of people, when they first pick up a wood burning tool quickly fall in love with it, but are stuck with what to burn next. They may not have the artistic skills to draw their own art yet, but love the creative process of wood burning.

This is where and when utilizing transfer techniques (how to transfer using heat or without heat) comes in handy. Now, when choosing an image to transfer, it is really REALLY REALLY important that you have permission to use said image, and I mean express permission. Copying is never ok.

There are plenty of free resources for images. You can check out: Pixabay, Unsplash, or Pexels - these websites host millions of royalty free images for your artistic use. If you are looking for some simple, line drawn templates, feel free to check out the free poppy pattern, the radial symmetry poppy template or The Wood Burn Community Book of Templates filled with over 50 designs to choose from, and there are many more project ideas and templates in my first book, The Wood Burn Book. You can also bookmark the blog post on 160 Things to Burn Next if you are ever in need of some inspiration or visit my Pinterest boards: Items and Ideas to Burn On or Pyro Projects To Try. Make sure to follow me on Pinterest for more ideas added on the regular.

Where it all began…

My first post to Instagram, and it still only has 9 likes.

When I first started, I did not consider myself an artist. I burned words from free fonts. It wasn’t super artistic, but it did take some skill. Sizing, placement, font choices, steady transfer, and burning hand, etc. I had to learn how to do all those things. Heck, I used to transfer with an exacto knife, because I hadn’t learned any transfer techniques, yet. It was trial and error.

I enjoyed burning for fun, and for friends. It was an inexpensive, rewarding, and fun side gig to my full time job as Mom of three (aged 3 and under at the time). When I joined Instagram in 2016, I found myself wanting to burn beyond just words. I kept wondering what different artists’ work would look like burned rather than painted or drawn. I was still building up my own drawing skills, and confidence.

So, I would message that artist and ask if they would want to see their art burned. Almost every time it would end in a collaboration. I met so many incredible artists and made so many friends by doing this. I also gained skill through practice. I bought art, pyrography, and drawing books and would practice. I would also make wood burned logos for small businesses for free as a giveaway. This was another skill building, following building, and friend/community building exercise.

I started the Burnt Challenges, so that I could push myself and my craft further and also meet and mingle with other pyrographers. I studied, and tried a dozen transfer techniques, and still utilize transfer techniques for almost every single burn I create, because I want to be able to recreate it, I want consistency, and a really good, clean burn.

Eventually, over time, I got to the point where I felt comfortable making my art from scratch almost 100% of the time, although, I still love a good collaboration. My iPad Pro and Procreate app also helped with this. (If you have one, you know, and if you don’t yet, I highly recommend saving up for one. They are game-changers!). When mistakes can easily be re-done, and lines can be smoothed and perfected in the design phase, it made it a whole lot less scary for me to make mistakes.

This is why I teach that if you can trace, you can burn. The method I found that works best for me, and the method I teach means that by the time I pick up my burner, all I am doing is following my lines.

Another thing that made a WORLD of difference in my growth was connecting with so many pyrographers around the globe who, like me, were willing to share tips/tricks/tools/techniques. Embracing community over competition, and having a community that embraces it, too, means everyone grows faster and easier. “A rising tide lifts ALL boats.”

I am still constantly learning, and pushing myself and my craft. Will I ever get to the point with my pyrography where I am making photorealistic pieces? Most likely not, because that is just not my goal. I don’t have the patience nor the desire to make them, but man, I do respect the heck out of those that do! There is no denying the skill of those pyros out there who can create photorealistic pieces.

The lesson to take with you

Here’s the thing that I hope people take in, though; I could easily look at their art and say to myself that what I make isn’t art in comparison. That what I do doesn’t count because it’s not good enough, and some people I am sure believe this. I could choose to have that competitive, comparison, limiting, scarcity mindset OR I can CHOOSE to have the mindset that their art does not take away from mine, nor does mine take away from theirs. Art is meant for people to enjoy, and I think there is more than enough space for every type of artist. Your art, whether it be burned fonts (royalty free, of course) or photorealism, is valid. REPEAT: YOUR ART IS VALID

Community over competition

The reason why choosing community over competition is so easy for me is because I believe whole heartedly that on this great big Earth of ours, there is more than enough space for all of us, and it is a whole lot more fun to be a community, and help each other out, rather than see each other as competition. It wasn’t always easy, and certainly wasn’t friendly when I first started on Instagram in the pyrography space, but any time I would feel that pang of comparison, or competition, I would lean in harder to community, and it quickly became clear how much better it was and felt all around to lift each other up and support one another. When I could be happy for their successes.

My goals with my pyrography is to make art that makes me happy, encourage others to pick up the pyro pen, raise awareness of pyrography and its mental health benefits, help people in any and every way I can, inspire creativity, and bring the community together. 

I want to give people permission to pick up the tool in the first place. I strongly believe that anytime someone takes the time to be creative and create something, they are making art, and I wish more artists would own that title.

We all know that art is therapeutic, this has been proven time and time again. The amount of goodness that wood burning has brought to my personal life and mental health over the years is staggering. I truly believe that allowing yourself to be creative is so important, so whatever stage you are at in your pyrography journey, know that I am right there with you encouraging you every step of the way. 

Much love, my fellow Pyros and happy burning,

Rachel 

Lettering Tips and Tricks for Wood Burning

In the short video at the bottom, I cover some quick tips and tricks to make for cleaner lines with lettering when it comes to wood burning on wood.

Please ensure you always follow the safety precautions outlined by the wood burning tool company and read our blog post for more tips and tricks on staying safe while burning (including a free downloadable version that can serve as a great reminder): Safety in Wood Burning

How to Wood Burn Letters:

1. Start with a clean desk, and unfinished, dry, and sanded smooth wood. A smooth surface will make for a cleaner burn.

2. Make a clean transfer. I like to use the heat transfer technique for lettering, so that I have a perfect transfer. Be sure to flip your text or print in reverse first. If you are drawing directly on the surface, use a very light hand. Also check out how to transfer your image without using heat.

3. Prep your tool. Make sure your nib is nice and clean, and scrape it off throughout the burning process. Test your temp before you start. Check out the blog post on tool care and maintenance to see how I keep my tools clean and ready to burn.

4. Start in the middle of the word. Start with a lower temp adn increase from there. Starting in the middle ensures balance. That way if you are burning a little hot, it won’t show as much as if you are starting at the beginning of the word.

5. Start with your outlines. Get a clean outline of your words first, which then allows you to go back in and fill in without fear of going outside the lines or mistake.

   • Slow and steady, as usual. Pulling usually gives you more control than pushing. Let the burner glide on the surface. For more tips and tricks on burning, check out this blog post and scroll to the bottom to get some super helpful pieces of advice to help you burn smoother.

6. Fill in your letters. You can shade them using the classic shading technique: lower your heat and slowly, layer by layer, in a swiping motion (back and forth in straight lines) add depth. A flat surfaced nib makes this process easier! OR because shading is not everyone’s favourite technique, you can use a variety of textures to complete yoru lettering. Check out this blog post for 3 Easy Ways To Wood Burn Texture Onto Wood Without Shading

Looking for designs and templates to practice burning with?

Check out our Community Template Books

or The Templates Shop where you can find individual designs and royalty free template patterns too!

Are you new to wood burning and want to learn more?

Join us in the Burn Club!

What lettering tips do you have? What have you found helpful? Please share in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

Pyrography on Odd Objects

Will it burn? Pyrography is such a versatile art! You can burn on almost everything.

I have been working on a little passion project over on TikTok of experimenting with pyrography on all kinds of odd things. It has been so much fun.

I usually involve my kids in the process of filming, design, editing, etc… They have been having as much fun as I have been having at using my wood burning tool in new and weird ways.

So far, we have been burning on a lot of different food items, and it has been so interesting to see what burns well, and what does not. I have plans to try burning on so many different objects, so stay tuned for all the weird and the fun.

List of what I’ve burned on:

• a hundred dollar bill

• paper

• antler

• lime

• pasta

• mango

• tortilla

• radish

• canvas

• onion

• lasagna

• leather

• cantaloupe

• watermelon

• orange

• carrot

• toast

• potato

• egg

• apple

• pasta

• denim

For me, making a lasagna with Garfield’s image burned into it has been my favorite. I have also burned Shrek’s face into a tortilla, and burned on mango! Check it out.

I know I am not alone in my experiments. I have seen pyrographers burn on all sorts of odd objects. Who said the wood burning tool was just for wood, anyway?

What have you tried to burn on? What has been your favorite?

As always, safety is important. Protect yourself and those around you when experimenting, and use your best judgement when choosing things to burn. I do my experiments outdoors, with a mask and fan.

Check out this blog post on Common Wood Types to Avoid Burning on!

and Feel free to download our free guide to safety, here.

For more ideas on fun random things to burn on, follow my Pinterest board: Alternative Surfaces To Burn On.

How to Collaborate Effectively

Let’s talk about collaboration. Collaborating can be an excellent way to grow your audience and get your work in front of fresh eyes. It is an excellent marketing tool and an excellent way to make some great friends too.

Collaboration can look like a unique one-of-a-kind piece that you create with a fellow pyrographer, or a mixed media piece with artists from other fields, or a collaborative effort with companies. I have found success with all three. Click here to check out my collaboration pieces I have completed with other artists as well as companies I have partnered with.

When you get other people and other accounts talking about your work, it will grow your feed much faster than if you are the only one talking about it, and this is why I believe that collaboration is so fantastic, and why I attribute my past collaborations to a lot of my successes.

Collaborations can be scary and difficult to navigate, but I have some suggestions for you.

1. It needs to be a win-win-win situation. Be sure to set it up that way so that it is worth it for the person you are collaborating with for them and for their audience. It needs to make sense for all parties involved. If you are approaching someone with an idea, make sure you are clear on what it is you are asking of them and what it is you will be doing/providing.

2. Lay out all the details and agree to them before you continue forward. How are you dividing up expenses and profits? Where are you posting it? For how long? This should all be discussed before anything is made.

3. Communication is key. Have a backup form of communication if possible. If you are: running behind, have questions or concerns, don’t like something, or have an idea, I encourage you to speak up. Communicate your concerns and ideas with your collaboration partner. It will allow everything to run smoother.

4. Keep their aesthetic in mind when you are deciding if they are a right fit, and when you are coming up with your design/idea.

5. Workout your marketing strategy ahead of time. How many times will you post? How will you talk about it? Will you do a joint LIVE?

6. Follow through. Nothing is more frustrating than working on a group project with someone who is not pulling their weight.

But HOW?

Series/Collection Sale: Sell a collaborative collection on one person’s site, while the both of you promote it. Collaborative collections are fantastic, because you put in all the work for a collaboration and only have to ship one time, but create several pieces.

• Use whoever’s platform is larger to hold the sale whenever possible.

Giveaways: These are fantastic. This is a great way to motivate followers to follow the other members of the collaboration. Make sure the item(s), the rules, the photo, and the text are all very clear.

• Have people entering interact beyond tagging friends. Ask them a question, connect with them. It will feel more genuine for everyone, because it will be. Ask them to share about it too, to spread the word.

Auctions/bidding: Doing a blind/silent auction is also a great way to have a successful collaboration. You can also raise money for charity/cause. This raises awareness of the charity, but also of you, your art, and your values as a small business.

• A piece of mine that sold for the highest amount was from a blind auction sale. Don’t discount them, but do know that you need to promote them a lot; well before, and during the auction.

Promoting Products: Collaborating with companies can be a great way to make some extra money, get some great products, and extra exposure.

• Know what is expected of you. Read any contracts, and be carful of exclusivity. Only choose brands that make sense for your brand. Do your research.

I hope you consider bringing collaborations into your business as a regular practice. I think you will find the many benefits that that can come from them.

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Let’s work together!

Are you a business or an artist that would like to collaborate with Wood Burn Corner or with the wood burning community? We would love to hear from you!

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Burnt Challenges

It all started with #BurntNovember back in 2017 (view past challenges here).

It’s a call to all artists to create a piece of artwork based on a specific word/prompt. The challenges are living in the wood burning community on Instagram.

There have been three types of Burnt Challenges: Burnt Month, Burnt Day, and Burnt Week. These challenges are a great way to hone your skill, get creative, grow your following, try new things, and meet your fellow wood burning artists: #communityovercompetition

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Burnt Months

Burnt Month challenges are an every-other-day challenge that run for the entire month. Every prompt you participate in counts as an entry to be featured (on our blog, on Instagram and Pinterest) and enters you to win pyrography goodies and prizes!

All you have to do is follow the prompt for the corresponding day of the month, and post your piece on your Instagram account.

It’s always really cool to see peoples interpretations of each prompt as well as each persons unique style, technique and art coming through!

Check out past Burnt Month challenges:

• Burnt March 2022

• Burnt October 2021

• Burnt March 2021

• Burnt March 2020

• Burnt June 2019

• Burnt February 2019

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Burnt weeks

Burnt Week was held back in May 2019 and was a weeklong challenge. Each day there was a new prompt, sponsored by an amazing business. The Burn Club Retreat, Walnut Hollow, Truart, The Pigeon Letters, Howard, Arteza, and Tekchic sponsored last years challenge. Hoping to do another weeklong event in 2021 complete with prizes, just like last year.

Check out past Burnt Month challenges:

• Fall Burnt Week 2022

• #BurntWeek

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Burnt Days

Announced on Mondays on Instagram, we provide you with a prompt. You have the entire week to complete the challenge. These challenges will also be announced earlier in Burn Club and Burn Club+ so join in on the fun by joining us there!

Check out past Burnt Days by following #BurntDay

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Sign up for our newsletter to see when the next challenge is and join Burn Club+ to get your prompts early!

or follow us on instagram and stay tuned for the announcement!

Want to join out Burnt Challenge Pinterest Board?

Click Here to go to the board and send us a request. You can post your burnt challenge artwork there and see other art that was part of these challenges!

Creative Woodburner - 4 original nibs and how to use them

This video goes over the 4 different nibs a.k.a. tips or points (Drawing Point, Rounded Shader, Universal, Shading Point, Ball Point) that come with the Creative Woodburner from Walnut Hollow, and how each can be used. I give examples of how the machine works and is set up, and how the different nibs can be used.

Make sure to check out how to use the 4 NEW nibs/points from Walnut Hollow

The Creative Woodburner features the art of WBC’s Rachel Strauss on its packaging and in the instruction manual/inspiration guide. It can be found in store at Joann, or online at Home Depot, Walnut Hollow, Amazon, and Joann. This burner is comfortable to hold, burns really well, and heats and cools quickly.

To learn about different wood burning machines and figure out which one is right for you, visit: What Wood Burning Tool is Right for Me?

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Start Here if you are NEW to Wood Burning

So you are new to pyrography. WELCOME!

We are so glad you are here. Wood burning is such a versatile, relaxing, useful and wonderful hobby, and we’re so excited for you to discover it all.

The first step to learning about challenges, events, community news and anything happening in the pyro world is to join the club.

You can also sign up for our free newsletter: The Burn Letters.

Keep reading to learn about the basics to get you started. We wanted to put together a place where you can go to get all sorts of great information in one spot.

Safety:

PLEASE start with the Safety Guide. It’s a guide on how to practice safe habits when wood burning. Really, don’t skip this. It is important for yourself and those around you and there is a free printable you can refer too and it also acts as a good reminder!

Tools and Accessories:

The following are three different ways to learn about what you need in order to get started:

1. The Wood Burn Box (currently sold out): A box with tools and accessories we recommend beginners to start with, all in one place! We’ve put the essential (and some odd but helpful) tools together with some wood slices and complete with instructions and everything else you need to easily start this relaxing hobby, right when you open the box!

2. If you want to customize your own box, check out the DIY Wood Burning Kit. It is basically a list (with direct links) of everything in The Wood Burn Box but with options (i.e. variety of recommended tools, variety of wood companies and odd tools you can choose or skip if you already have them at home).

3. Research your own tools. Click here for a guide on What Woodburning Tool is Right for Me?

How To:

Check the Online Classes page for video tutorials, recordings to masterclasses and some pretty cool. unique pyrography events, as well as mini freebie blog posts with project ideas and instructions on how to wood burn.

For a quick start guide, check out 10 Steps for Wood Burning By Hand

The Pyrography Troubleshooting Guide is a key element for beginners running into issues.

In the Burn Blog, you will find many helpful hints, techniques, reviews, project ideas and so much more!

Our Books and Templates:

The Wood Burn Book

The Wood Burn Book includes detailed instructions on how to wood burn, tools, tool care, wood types, wood prep, adding color, finishes, and is filled with fun projects.

get the book

Books with Patterns For Tracing

The Wood Burn Community Book of Templates is an intro to pyrography book with traceable templates created by our community for the community.

Check out the books

Templates Store

Individual Patterns

Unique patterns to practice with as well as Royalty Free designs!

shop for templates

Pieces of advice to help while burning:

• When in doubt, turn down your burner and go slower.

• Never leave a hot burner unattended. Always turn off and unplug.

• Pulling towards you is generally easier but try pushing your nib too.

• Don’t press hard: let the heat do the work.

• Let the burner glide across the wood.

• Turn your wood as you burn to keep a good vantage point.

• Always use dried, sanded, unfinished wood. Check out Common wood types you should NEVER burn on.

• Any color or finishing gets added after you are completed burning.

• Check out these transfer techniques: Transfer an image onto wood using heat or without heat.

• Join the wood burning community and not only will you learn all about wood burning, you will also make some really amazing friends.

• Read the Burn Club emails and the blog!

• Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

We can’t wait to see what you make. Comment if you have any questions, need advice, want to give advice, or want to show off a finished piece!

We are here for it all.

Happy Burning, friends.

6 Must Have Apps for your Creative Business

Knowing what apps to use to make your business run a little smoother can make a big difference. Your productivity, marketing, shipping, reach, and everything else can work a little better when you have the right tools, and the same goes for apps, too. Here are some apps that I personally use on the regular and find super helpful. Please feel free to add any suggestions that you have.

1. TikTok - Promotion. Exposure. New customers. Fun! I have only been on for a couple weeks, and I am loving it. Such engaging people, more traffic, and the numbers are translating into dollars. It doesn’t have to be pretty or perfect to work on TikTok.

2. Instagram - Bread and Butter. Where you get to carefully craft your brand and connect with your audience. This is an easy to share online profile where you put your best foot forward and connect others to your shop, your site, or your message.

3. Canva (this is an affiliate link because we believe in it so much!)- An amazing tool for creating just about anything you might need for a small business. Make stickers, flyers, logos, instagram posts and reels, Pinterest content, banners… An excellent graphic design tool for the non-graphic designers to quickly and easily create cohesive branding, pins for Pinterest, social media content, flyers, business cards and so so much more.

4. Splice - This is an editing app and is amazing for on the go/iphone video editing. It is really easy to learn and use, but can be a bit expensive, unless you use it often.

5. YouTube/Google - Both of these are excellent and free learning tools. I have googled/youtubed so many things when it comes to business. You name it, I have searched it. It is just part of being a small business owner. Keep in mind Youtube can also be used for promotion. Google analytics can also help you with your SEO and search-ability. These are excellent tools.

6. Pinterest - Great, long term marketing/search tool. Use it to drive traffic to your site. This is one of those apps that is essential to business, but is extremely underrated. There are lots of strategies when it comes to Pinterest, and they just changed how they prioritize posts, and added a lot of new features. Click Here to take a look at The Complete Pinterest Toolkit for Creatives to help you rock Pinterest for your business!

Other Helpful Apps:

• Photos and VIDEOs: QUICC (for adding captions to videos), SnapSeed, Adobe Sketch, Procreate, Font Candy

• Selling your art: Etsy, Society 6, Red Bubble

• Social Media stuff: Repost, Snapseed, Podcasts, Audible, Facebook

• Productivity and Admin stuff: Marco Polo (video messaging App), Google Sheets, Google Drive, ten percent (meditation app), Calm (meditation app), Shipstation

The Wood Burn Book - Behind the Scenes

The making of The Wood Burn Book was not always so pretty. Let me tell you about one part of the book making process; the making of the cover.

The cover that I created for my book proposal, and my original title.

We had 3 photos shoots, and many brainstorming sessions, lots of mocked-up designs, and meetings specifically for the cover of the book. I didn’t realize how many eyes, how many opinions, all the different things that people think about when coming up with a book cover design. I had my vision, my aesthetic, and my desired look. I went to several book stores to look at different book covers, to see what stood out to me. I worked with a photographer and a product stylist who also had their aesthetic and preferences. My publishing house had many voices within it with differing opinions about what works, what sells, what gives the best glimpse into what the reader gets. There were multiple meetings specifically about the cover of my book. Then, there were surprising inserted opinions from buyers (think large retail stores) that had requests based on how they stock their shelves, and what their customers prefer to buy. I don’t know if you have heard the expression, “too many cooks in the kitchen,” but that was exactly what happened. The cover photo ended up being the very last thing to get done for the book, even though it was one of the first things we ever shot.

After much discussion, many rejected layouts by myself and them, and learning what my publisher wanted, plus what I wanted, plus what the buyers wanted, I sat down on the floor of my office, and laid out options for a cover. I took a photo, and then rearranged. Took another photo. Made adjustments. Took another photo. And another. And another. By the end, I had carpet burns on my knees, but I ended up with the layout for the cover of my book! Something we all could agree on. FINALLY!

At this point, Coronavirus had hit the United States, and my photography team could no longer safely shoot the cover, so I shipped off all of the pieces to my publisher’s in-house photographer to get the final shot.

I am pretty pleased with the final look, and was glad that I stood up for myself throughout the process. It was nice to be able to come up with a compromise that worked for everyone, even if the process was a bit painful.

Interview with Brandy from Mark it with a B Gallery LLC

Name: Brandy Roels

Burning since: 2016

Location: Michigan, US

@markitwithab_gallery, etsy and www.markitwithabgallery.com

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What does your shop specialize in/offer?

This is Brandy Roels, owner and artist of Mark it with a B Gallery LLC. I run my small business out of my in-home studio in Michigan, US. I focus on woodburning custom pet and people portraits, as well as niche fan art, fantasy art, and wildlife art. All my woodburning is done completely by hand, and I print prints of my work straight from my studio.

Have you always been an artist?

I started drawing at age three (always animals) and admired pet portrait artists. Art became my passion, and I continued taking every art class offered up through high school and private art lessons outside of school. In 2015, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a BFA in Illustration. My main focus was painting realistic portraits. 

I officially started my business in 2016 by offering portraiture painting, candle-making, sculpting, card-making and woodburning. It was way too much! I narrowed it down to just woodburning a year later, making fun signs, cooking utensils and cutting boards. However, I missed my background in portraiture and found a way to combine portraits and woodburning. 

How did you find your distinct artistic voice?

I stopped making the types of pieces I thought people would buy and started making pieces that truly expressed me. I love creating subject matter of animals, fairies/fantasy and fan art from films/tv. I also wanted to start sharing more of myself in my pieces. Not just making pretty pieces but making emotional pieces - expressing my emotions and evoking emotions for the viewer. 

Style:

My art style just kind of happened one day. This one is hard to explain. I remember creating a realistic bunny illustration, and I did not like the way the fur sort of got lost into the color of the wood. So, I added an outline around the exterior form of the bunny, like how tattoo artists draw outlines. Thus, my classic outline began!

Is it scary to be vulnerable with your art? To put real life into it? Is it therapeutic to create? Does it feel different when you are creating those pieces versus a dog portrait?

I know I’m not the first person to say this, but being vulnerable is hard. It almost feels easier to just keep things inside to yourself. I just got tired of doing that! The only person I had been completely vulnerable with was my husband, but I still felt alone and like I was bothering him by re-bringing things up I had not moved passed. Of course, he was not bothered and is a very understanding, kind man. 

I started sketching what I was feeling and called it “nonjudgmental sketching” (just sketch, don't think and don’t judge myself on what I draw). One day, I created a full, finished woodburning and painting piece ("Mother" - my first pregnancy piece based on one of my miscarriages). From there, I decided I would share it on social media and tell my story. After doing that, I found I was NOT alone, people were NOT judging me based on what happened, and people actually thought my piece was beautiful and powerful. A huge part of me healed that day. 

Now I make personal pieces to express my deep emotions or unsolved past trauma. I found it does help heal me and certainly is therapeutic. My creative process is more mellow and slow, versus my fast hatch-marking fur technique I do for pet portraits. I still have the same focus for pet portraits, but because my attachment is different my process is faster for pet portraits. 

What helps you get into a creative headspace? Certain music? A food or drink? A candle? Is there a routine to it?

Honestly, nothing specific! I usually just automatically start feeling the need to be creating/working or doing SOMETHING with my hands. I set my own schedule but like to start working at around 9 AM every morning and go until my husband gets home at 5 PM. Even after he comes home (and we are trying to relax), that need to keep doing something with my hands continues. I have tried "making" myself work on a hobby in the evening instead of continuing regular work - to keep me sane.

What percentage of time do you spend on actual wood burning versus business running? 

I spend most of my time woodburning/creating for sure. When it comes to business upkeep (like making an email newsletter or updating my website or financial spreadsheet), I dedicate a specific day (or couple of days) in order to give it my full attention and just get it done. It’s definitely not the most fun part, but it is needed and should receive my full attention. 

What things have you implemented that makes your whole business run smoother? What tips or pieces of advice can you give someone who would like to make their business run a little more smoothly?

It was one of those periods of time where I realized I’m trying way too hard. I decided there needs to just be one way for doing each aspect of my business. For example, I kept changing my creative process leading up to creating a custom piece (too much back and forth with the customer) or changing up my shipping/packaging. Now everything I do just has one way of getting it done. For advice, ask yourself if you’re happy with the way you do everything. What are you not enjoying? What can be made simpler/combined AND keep you happy?

One main thing that helped me in “being more official” was keeping track of ALL the money I made and spent. My husband created a spreadsheet for me (he’s a techy engineer), where I can input everything into categories. These include: Online Income, Commission Income, Fees (like processing fees taken from my online shop), Donations (I make), Office/Studio Purchases, Advertising Purchases, Shipping Purchases, etc. It’s exactly like balancing a checkbook! Mine is set to monthly, and I upload each purchase or sale immediately. When tax time comes, I have everything sorted and my sales tax I owe already calculated to pay my state. 

What goals do you have for Mark It with a B Gallery? Any art goals? 

My main goal is to open a gallery and store space where I could set up my studio to create all my work, sell my work/other woodburning artists' work/responsibly sourced pet and baby goods, and have a classroom to teach art classes/private art lessons. I already have the business plan and cost sheet in place!

Any lessons learned the hard way that you want to spare someone the time? 

1. Stop saying yes to everyone! Make sure you can actually create the piece OR that you really want to make the piece. I actually stopped accepting truly custom pieces, meaning things I don’t normally create. I understand needing the money, but I honestly value my happiness more. I usually ended up undervaluing the cost of those custom pieces too!

2. Woodburning art fades NO MATTER the sealant as soon as it’s touched by the sun. This is why I started making prints!

3. Clean the tips!! I’ve damaged quite a few tips from never cleaning the carbon debris or using a sanding block to try to wipe it off. It just sands away your tip shape. I use a leather strop with polishing compounds.

Deserted Island, with power question. You can choose ONE

Burner: Colwood Detailer

Nib: BALL POINT

Type of wood: Basswood

Non-essential tool: Quinn (husband)

Why the ball-point? Do you think you will ever use another nib?

I started out with Walnut Hollow’s basic green woodburning unit, and I would only use the Cone Point and Flow Point. It really was not until I upgraded to Walnut Hollow’s Creative Wood Burner with wire tips that tried the ball point tip. Then I was hooked! I’m able to do everything with it! I actually (truly) don’t know how to use ANY of the other tips for woodburning. Seriously! I might break out someday and actually try other tips for fun. As for now, I only own the ball point tip for my Colwood Detailer machine.

How do you add color to your pieces and do you have a favorite?

I love to use various types of paint! Since I was a portrait painter, I just enjoy the feeling of spreading paint around - especially on smooth wood. I find I end up blending my paint strokes in with my woodburning marks, such as adding short brushstrokes of color in with an animal's fur. I like everything I use to be water soluble, so even the oil paint I get is safe to use with water. My favorite paints I use are:

1. Winsor and Newton Watercolor Paint Tubes

2. Golden Paint Acrylic Paint

3. Holbein Acryla Gouache

4. Holbein Duo Aqua Oil WATER SOLUBLE Oil Paint

5. Winsor and Newton Artisan WATER MIXABLE Oil Paint

What are some of your favorite tools in your toolbox?

For woodburning, I honestly do not use much else other than my woodburner. I like to draw my designs directly on the wood using a graphite pencil and kneaded eraser. While I am woodburning, I will occasionally use a box cutter blade to erase any unwanted woodburning lines or areas that I burned too dark. It can also add some texture! Pretty boring, but that's it!

How do you make prints?

I print them myself at home. I have a Canon Pixma Pro 100. My process is I photograph my pieces, edit the picture and format the piece to fit on 5x7 and 8x10 sizes, and then just print. I like to use matte finish paper so there are no glares on my work. I tried using ink that was compatible with my printer, but I gave in and now use the expensive Canon brand ink. It's just better in the long run, trust me! I also use Canon brand paper (Photo Paper Pro Premium Matte).

If interested, you can order prints from printing companies online instead of buying your own printer. Kinkos definitely has great paper options and is not so bad price-wise. I have also heard great things from this site: finerworks.com

What do you use to finish your pieces? 

Like I said earlier, I love using products that are water-based. The sealant I use is Rust-Oleum Varathane WATER-BASED Spar Urethane Exterior with UV Protection (woodburning will still fade if placed directly in sunlight). It's available in a paint-on can or spray can (I prefer the spray!).

Dream collaboration? Business or person? 

I know that I would love to collaborate with local and national pet rescues or adoptions, using my pet portraits as a way to help raise money for their business/for all those cute pets out there needing a home. If I do open my own gallery/store someday, I plan to have a pet adoption day event in my store often where people can adopt and get one of my pet portraits (where the proceeds would go to the rescue business).

What are you working on now?

Growing a baby! I am currently pregnant with a baby girl, and this time I am seriously taking it easy after my previous miscarriages. I still have custom pet portrait orders I am creating, but I am keeping my environment as mellow as possible. My online store is currently closed, and I plan to open it again around the holiday time with limited edition items. Stay tuned!

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Watch the recorded live video:

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Burnt June 2019

These Burnt Month Challenges all started with #BurntNovember back in 2017! They are every-other-day challenges for the wood burning community on Instagram. The community uses the given prompts to inspire pieces of art. It always astounds me how many amazing and unique pieces of art can come out of one word.

THANK YOU to our sponsor @walnuthollow and every single one of you that participated. Our community gave back in so many amazing and creative ways for the last day of #burntjune. We had pyrographers who were giving back by volunteering, giving back to themselves through self-care, bringing awareness to issues, giving back to their followers, donating to a cause and making art for a cause. It was truly inspiring.

The winner for the STACK OF WOOD from our amazing sponsor @walnuthollow is @paintandpyro!

Check out the features below or see #burntjune for all the wonderful art this community has created!!

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Thank you to all of you for joining in the fun. Can’t wait for the next one!

Click here to view past challenges!

These challenges are a great way to hone your skills, grow your following, try new things, and meet your fellow wood burning artists. #communityovercompetition

Burn Club & Burn Club+

I first started Burn Club because I needed a way to be able to get a hold of people in the community. Too many people were missing posts, challenges, and opportunities, because the Instagram algorithm didn’t show it to them. I wanted to be able to connect with everyone easier, so I created Burn Club.

For the past couple years, Burn Club has been completely free and open to any and all pyrographers. While technically, Burn Club was simply my email list, it felt like so much more than that. I worked to bring the Burn Club community together through emails, events, community news, and highlighting artists. I wrote many newsletters that were full of information specifically for pyrographers, each email taking me around 3 hours to put together. I also put together some weekly/month-long/weeklong challenges, so many giveaways, a calendar, a craft fair, organized fundraisers, community chats, coupon codes, and so much more all with the intention to help my fellow pyrographer. I freely offer wood burning tips, business help, and am always available to the community, because I really want to see you all succeed.

The thing that I realized through doing all of these community building events is that no matter how many events I created, or the number of emails I sent out, Burn Clubbers didn’t have a place that they could call home. A place where they could congregate and really learn from one another, and I think I finally found the platform for it.

Introducing: Burn Club+

Burn Club+ is the next level. It allows us all to connect in a way that we couldn’t before. It allows me to answer all your questions in depth. It allows us all to dive into subjects that matter when it comes to wood burning and business. I think the best part of all is that in Burn Club+ you are surrounded by people who believe in the power of community. We get to connect, learn, support, and grow with each other in a safe space, and so far, it has been everything I hoped it would be, and it is just the coolest thing!

Burn Club+ is only going to get better with time, and we get to shape it. You get a say in what you want to see and talk about in Burn Club+. It is your space, just as much as it is mine. The information that goes up, stays up and is searchable. You can look up finishes whenever you want, and get the answers you were looking for.

We have started to cover finishes, and are going to be diving deep into nibs, their uses and how to clean them next. It also looks like our first Zoom chat is going to be around the topic of Instagram! Now, tell me all that isn’t worth $10/month?

Since we started, we’ve talked about wood burning machines and companies providing wood, tools and accessories. We’ve discussed social media presence, how to rock Pinterest, where to start if you need a website… We’ve reviewed Burn Clubbers accounts (websites, pinterest, instagram). And so much more!!

Burn Club+ is a subscription-based service hosted on Patreon. For the price of a cup of coffee you can join Burn Club+ and reap the benefits. The moment you sign up, you are already learning so much, and I have seen members say that Burn Club+ is saving them money! My goal is for it to make you money!

Burn Club will continue to be free and open to everyone, it just will not contain quite as much information as it used to, and will only arrive in your inbox once a month. Burn Club+ is where you want to be.

Hope to see you in there.

5 Revenue Streams for your Wood Burning Business

Having different avenues of revenue will strengthen your business. If Instagram were to disappear tomorrow, or Etsy or Facebook, would your business survive? Or, more realistically, you can no longer do in person craft shows or teach in person, are you set up online to sustain your business?

This is why it is so important to have several different revenue streams in place.

Couple additions to the video:

1. Craft Shows - See if any of the in-person craft shows you would normally participate in are pivoting to online, and if so, join them! Search for other online art/craft fairs that you can participate in. It will increases exposure and sales.

2. Selling Online - Artsy, Saatchi, Artpal, Society 6, Etsy, Singulart, VISUAL (art prints). People can’t buy things if they don’t know they are for sale.

3. Instagram - Also consider a LIVE sale. Set it up as you would an in-person booth, and walk the shoppers through it all, be sure to give everything prices and labels. You may sell some live, but you can leave it up for 24 hours and sell more. Don’t be afraid to sell customs that way, too!

4. Teach - I also want to suggest teaching online. You could do a pre-recorded class, or a burn together/live zoom style class.

5. Facebook - Share specific art pieces with the right audience. If you have an anteater piece, search for an anteater lovers facebook group to share there. Selling art is all about getting it in front of the right people’s eyes.

Check out the Passive Income Ideas for Artists blog post to learn how to make money while you sleep!

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