After retirement my wife and I decided to try our hand at craft shows for little extra money. At all the shows we saw the same basic things. But the one thing I didn't see was wooden puzzles.
So I started making puzzles. I thought I had found my niche. They were easy to make. By adding a little tole painting to make them more attractive to children they became good sellers.
At first I made simple puzzles for children using other peoples patterns but in 1999 I decided to use my own designs of animals which spelled out the animals names. This was the beginning of "Woodimals". Woodimals are shaped like and spell out the name of the animal, bird, fish, and insect they represent.After many requests for patterns I made the decision to share my patterns with others. My hope is that these patterns will bring as many hours of enjoyment to my friends and customers as they have given me.
Woodimals now number more than 250 with more on the drawing board. Each one can be made in an hour or so and can be given as gifts or sold at craft shows.
I have many repeat customers that have ordered from me for years. They have become friends as well as customers. Not only do they order patterns, they make special requests that keep me energized and they send pictures of their completed projects. I spend a lot of time doing what I enjoy and I like to feel that I make a lot of people happy.
