Jenny from Live Edge Detroit

Before joining her family in the wood business, Jenny Barger was in Marketing and Advertising. It turned out to be the perfect background as she now runs the Sales and Marketing for Live Edge Detroit.

Back in 1984, Jenny’s dad started a tree care and removal business. His heart has always been set on sustainability and conservation, and it often pained him to merely chop unwanted trees into firewood.

So in 2016, Jenny, her brother Joe, and her dad Mike founded Live Edge. They now salvage the trees that Mike’s company removes. Once the wood has been cut and taken back to their warehouse, the crew mills them into new usable material.

Slabs of gorgeous dry wood fill the space. Customers are welcome to wander around and search for the perfect materials for their next project or peruse the finished pieces they have to offer.

“Our vision for Live Edge Detroit was to develop a branch of Mike’s Tree Surgeons, Inc. that focused on salvaging our local resources and making them available for the community to enjoy for many more years to come. Our long term goals are to uphold that initial vision and to see it bloom into a more sustainable and profitable branch of the family business. We aren’t planning to take over the world, but we want to make a difference within the community, and we feel that starts right here in our own backyard.” -Jenny Barger from @liveedgedetroit

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I’ve been so fortunate to have friends and past colleagues that have pitched in to help me here and there where I may not have expertise. Let people help you, and if you love what you do, and you’re honest and hardworking, I believe success will find you.” -Jenny Barger from @liveedgedetroit

“Everything I know about wood and trees I learned from my dad! He studied Forestry at Michigan Tech University and has been a longtime Certified Arborist and Urban Forester. He is the go-to for anyone in the Metro-Detroit area that needs arboriculture consultation. Not only is he a vast wealth of knowledge, he has been incredibly patient in teaching his corporate-minded daughter how to identify wood species by grain and bark, and understand what species are good for what types of projects, etc. I am not an expert yet – but I have great resources to fall back on when questions arise!” -Jenny Barger from @liveedgedetroit

“My previous jobs were very instrumental to my professional development, but they were not personally fulfilling in the way that working for the family business has been. Not only has it opened up my eyes to how much the community values and respects my dad and his business, but I also have the opportunity to learn from him every day, and to carry out his dream of full cycle sustainability. It has been the biggest blessing! My advice for anyone in a family business is something that I’ve recently had to realize firsthand, and that is to draw a few boundaries between business time and family time. It can be tough to ‘turn off’ when all of the family members are so passionate about what they do, but sometimes you just have to decompress and be a family. As much as we spend time together talking business, sometimes you just need your dad to be your dad to be your dad!” -Jenny Barger from @liveedgedetroit

Jenny’s dogs, Daisy Duke and Bo Duke

Clare Fox of Mutual Adoration

Detroit native, Clare Fox, has undoubtedly left a beautiful mark on her hometown. Using the Motor City as fodder for inspiration and a great place to salvage wood and other building materials, the products Clare makes for Mutual Adoration have a rich feeling of history and stories past.

Symbolism and hidden meanings play a huge role in the creative process for Clare. Each piece she crafts pays homage to the backstory of the sourced materials and often relates to a message she hopes to portray though her labors. For instance, the Union Table Clare is working on in the photos above was first designed as a gift for friend’s wedding. These two tables function as one in a variety of ways, much as a couple does.

Take a look at what else Mutual Adoration has to offer.

(Claire is wearing the Carhartt Women’s Minot Shirt & Soft Hands Glove.)

The DIY Dremel Guide

The Dremel tool is one of my favorite goodies in my tool bag. Using different bits and attachments, you can do a million different crafts. The first step in using a Dremel is picking the ideal bit for your project. I like to think of it as a mix-and-match game. Ask yourself these two questions:

1. What task to I want to do? (like cutting, sanding, or engraving)
2. What material am I going to use? (like wood, glass, or metal)

Find the attachment that works with both of your answers to the questions above and you’re ready to get started. I always like to experiment a bit before I dive into the craft at hand. It helps ease your nerves, find your groove, and gain confidence. As you practice, play around with the speed settings and various bits to see what happens.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, find a simple do it yourself piece to put your skills to the test. Engraving a piece of wood is a fun place to start. Give this Valentine’s Day DIY a try.

 What I’m wearing: Carhartt Women’s Dodson Shirt, Ravenden Sweater, & 1889 Slim Double-Front Dungaree.

DIY: Wood Chiseling

After watching Aimee Inouye chisel away at the gorgeous bench she was working on last week, I was inspired to give woodworking a try. The first thing I discovered is that the type of wood you use matters. Wood comes in varying hardness and grains. If you’re a beginner looking for the perfect substrate, I’d suggest basswood or butternut. You can find blocks and panels at your local craft store or even larger hardware stores. Now as they say, practice makes perfect. So grab a few scrap blocks to practice with before you attempt the project at hand.
You’ll need a pencil, wood, a chisel set, and a rubber mallet. Take a look at the steps below. I’m drawn to a more handmade aesthetic, so I made my chisel marks pronounced and jagged to give it a personal touch. If that’s not your taste, be a bit tidier with your lines.

Now that you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, you can move on to the real thing. It’s always good to have a plan, so start off with a template of how you’d like the sign to look. Use that template to create a shallowly traced guide into the wood. Once you have your pattern, make deeper cuts. You may want to go over a the letters a few times to make the incisions thicker and deeper into the surface. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s the nature of handmade arts.

My crafting outfit: Carhartt Women’s El Paso Utility Jacket, Clarkston Cami Tank, Sibley Denim Shorts, & Carhartt Legacy 14″ Tool Bag. 

Furniture Designer Aimee Inouye

 

It seems like a romantic notion to grow up and spend the rest of you life with your high school sweetheart. But what if your paramour was your craft? Aimee Inouye took a Hawaiian crafts woodworking course while in high school in Honolulu and was taken with it.
After college, Aimee left Hawaii to pursue her education even further. From San Francisco to Portland, it’s been a long journey of building knowledge and skills. Merging her background in architecture, furniture design, and woodworking, Aimee hopes to move towards the furniture/product design field as a well-rounded maker.
She can now approach projects from start to finish with every aspect of the process in mind. Beautiful sketches fill her studio, each one reflecting the Shaker belief that “beauty rests in utility.” Woodchips cover the floor as design meets chisel.
In a time when woodworking as a profession is rare, let alone female woodworkers, it’s moving to sit and watch the sawdust fly. Perhaps it’s time to look at benches and bed frames in a whole new light. A labor of love comes from the handmade.
How much passion comes packaged in a ready-to-assemble bookshelf?

Take a closer look at Aimee’s stunning work here.
What Aimee’s wearing: Carhartt Women’s Dunlow Sweatshirt, Calumet Crewneck T-Shirt, Women’s Slim-Fit Nyona Jeans, & Duck Nail Apron.

Tiny House Builder, Katy Anderson

Many of us have formed an attachment to the idea of home. The American Dream is often linked with those ideals and hopes that have been programmed into our brains since childhood. However, giant houses covered with freshly painted shutters and a white picket fence may no longer be the dream of the masses. It’s cliché enough in its descriptive form to turn us off just by mentioning it.
There is a movement of tiny house dwellers sweeping the nation. People who are driven by the notion that more material gain isn’t the bearer of happiness. As Henry David Thoreau would say, it’s the desire to “live deliberately.”
Meet Katy Anderson, a very talented Portland woodworker. She’s in the process of building a tiny home for author, Dee Williams. You may have heard of Dee’s book, The Big Tiny, which documents her adventure of living in an 84 sq. foot home on wheels.
Katy says the sense of fulfillment that comes from building a tiny house is tremendously gratifying. Given its scale, one can afford to spend more time and give greater attention to detail. Higher quality materials can also be used because less is needed. Instead of the desire for more, more, more, it comes down to what you really need and what you really want in your home and everyday life.

“I thought I’d find something in all of this, and I got more than I bargained for. I discovered a new way of looking at the sky, the winter rain, the neighbors, and myself; and a different way of spending my time. Most important, I stumbled into a new sort of “happiness,” one that didn’t hinge on always getting what I want but rather, on wanting what I have. It’s the kind of happiness that isn’t tied so tightly to being comfortable (or having money and property), but instead is linked to a deeper sense of satisfaction—to a sense of humility and gratitude, and a better understanding of who I am in my heart.
I know this sounds cheesy, and in fact, it sounds fairly similar to the gobbledygook that friends have thrown at me just after having their first baby. But the facts are the facts: I found a certain bigness in my little house—a sense of largeness, freedom, and happiness that comes when you see there’s no place else you’d rather be.” -Dee Williams
Katy’s work wear: Carhartt Women’s Force Performance T-Shirt, Clarksburg Quarter-Zip Sweatshirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double-Front Denim Dungaree, & Carhartt Women’s Dearborn Belt

Safety Tips in the Wood Shop

 

Let’s talk safety in the wood shop. Here are a few tips to follow while you’re working:
1. Wear the appropriate workwear. No loose or dangling clothing or jewelry.
2. Always use sharp blades and tips. Dull blades can be very dangerous.
3. When changing out blades, make sure to disconnect power source beforehand.
4. Check for nails, screws, and other metal pieces in wood before you work with it.
5. Never reach over the blades. Use a push stick to move cut off wood.
6. Always be patient and careful. When you rush, you’re more likely to make mistakes.
7. Keep the shop clean. This helps the work flow and prevents accidents.
Take a look at Rachel’s outfit. It’s easy to move around in, sturdy, and safe to wear to work. 
El Paso Utility Vest, Short-Sleeve Signature T-Shirt, Relaxed-Fit Canvas Kane Dungaree, & Billings Safety Glasses.

Where To Get Stuff Done: ADX

 

ADX in Portland is a makers’ dream. It’s a 12,000 square foot facility filled with tools, space to work, and other like-minded folks. There’s a wood shop, metal shop, factory floor, and design lab; all equipped for pretty much anything you can dream up. All you have to do is get a membership, much like you would at the gym. That membership gives you access to the space, help from the staff, and the chance to sign up for on site classes. And when you need to a break or a caffeine fix, head on over the the cafe for a pick me up. 
Meet Yelena Prusakova. She’s an artist and member at ADX. Take a look as she puts together a frame for a poster in the wood shop. With her background in Industrial and Interaction Design and access to whatever she needs at ADX, Yelena can bring her inspirations and visions to life.

Check out Yelena’s work wear here: Carhartt Women’s Dunlow Sweatshirt, Women’s Calumet Crewneck Shirt, Women’s Relaxed Fit Canvas Kane Dungaree, & Women’s Quick Flex Glove.

Building Hugger Amy Nicole Swift

Recycling and reusing building materials is the ideal way to go about repairing old houses and architecture. In a time when so much excess waste proliferates, as strong proponents of green construction arise, they need our support. Amy Nicole Swift is just that. When she’s not teaching at the university, she’s working to restore vacant Detroit properties. It’s a dirty and exhausting job, but crucial to rebuilding this iconic city. She founded Building Hugger, an architectural design-build firm, to give back to the community and breath new life into old spaces.

Check out Amy’s spring time work gear: Carhartt Mountrail Jacket, Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Sibley Denim Shorts, Soft Hands Gloves, and Wellington Boots. 

 

A Simpler, More Sustainable Life

This is the time of year for recollecting and being with loved ones. It’s the season for taking a look at your life and feeling grateful. Perhaps it’s just the right time to rethink your approach to everyday. Maybe we don’t need all the odds and ends we wrap up and give to each other. Maybe we just need to take a deep breath, enjoy the nature around us, and connect with the people that mean the most to us.

Last week, I drove through snow and ice to meet up with Suzy Clark at her winter paradise. She and her husband run a 10 acre plot of field and forest called Sterling Homestead. They grow organic fruits and veggies, which they sell through CSA and local markets, and preserve their harvest during the winter months. Suzy and Joseph live almost entirely off the grid with solar power, wood heat, and no running water in their charming cabin.

Without the distractions of television, internet, and cell phones, there is a sense of peace that exudes from warmth of their home. Over a cup of coffee and the smell of baking bread, Suzy and I chatted about the ins and outs of leading a more sustainable life. Their interest in permaculture practices (that’s environmental design that develops sustainable agriculture modeled after natural ecosystems) has taught them so much. What can you learn from taking a peak into Suzy’s everyday? Maybe we all could take some time to disconnect with technology for a bit and really link in to the immediate world around us.

Check out the winter work outfit that keeps Suzy warm during the bone chilling Wisconsin winter: Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Kenai Parka, Women’s Series 1989 Slim Double Front Dungaree, Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, & Women’s Quilt’s Glove.