Cross Cut Creations has been an incredible journey of growth and transformation. As I look back on how this business started and how it has evolved, I’m amazed at the twists and turns it has taken—each step adding something special to the story.
Humble Beginnings: Craft Show Inventory
When I first started Cross Cut Creations (pre-website or any real social media presence), my primary focus was making inventory for craft shows. It was thrilling to create unique, handmade items and share them directly with customers who appreciated the craftsmanship. This included (but was not limited to) Giant Jenga, Yardzee, cutting boards, pens, coasters, and more! The preparation for craft shows was intense, but the satisfaction of seeing someone’s face light up when they found the perfect piece made it all worthwhile. Those early days were all about experimenting with designs, materials, and styles to find my voice as a maker. Ultimately, even though I was warned that "a $20 basement craft show was a $20 basement craft show," I had to find that out for myself because I am stubborn. With my experience, as it turns out, they were right, so I shifted my focus.
Shifting Focus: Pen Blanks for Pen Turners
As time went on, I began to explore other opportunities. I got away from producing inventory for craft shows and started focusing on making pen blanks for other pen turners. This shift allowed me to combine my love for woodworking with creativity in a different way. Designing and crafting unique pen blanks not only connected me to the pen-turning community but also gave me a chance to refine my skills and explore innovative combinations of materials. Collaborating with other makers was inspiring and rewarding, as it opened up a world of possibilities I hadn’t imagined when I first started. Don't get me wrong though. While the focus shifted, I was still making the projects I was making before. It was just making them for gifts or ifsomeone contacted me to comission a project. This meant I still kept my foot in the water, but I wasn't sitting on inventory in hopes that it might sell at a craft show someday.
Full Circle: A Return to Inventory with a New Twist
Now, Cross Cut Creations is evolving again, and I feel like I’ve come full circle—but with a twist. I’m back to making inventory, but this time, it’s focused on creating high-quality, functional art pieces like wood and epoxy charcuterie boards. These pieces allow me to combine woodworking with the artistry of epoxy, producing items that are both beautiful and practical. While I'm considering a return to the craft/art show scene, now that I have a website and (a little bit more of) a social media presence, I feel like I can carry a (reasonable) amount of inventory so customers can browse my offerings from the comfort of their own home or see us at a show! This new direction has reignited my passion for crafting inventory, as each board tells its own story through the unique interplay of wood and resin.
Looking Ahead
As I move forward, I’m excited to continue experimenting with designs and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Cross Cut Creations has always been about growth and discovery (albeit slow), and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way. Whether you’ve picked up a piece at a craft show, turned one of my pen blanks into something amazing, or simply liked one of my social media posts, you’ve been an important part of this journey.
Thank you for being here, and stay tuned—there’s so much more to come!