Been 5+ years....

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Just received Martin’s note the other day. I haven’t posted in a long time… Business has never slowed down, and I was trapped in making the chess sets for so long I never had the chance to keep up on any of the wood sites. To say I was burned out, would be an understatement of gross proportions. I’ve been trying to quit making sets for three years now, haha, but I’ve learned to only accept the projects that interest me, and I’ve switched gears a bit and started making life size Saint carvings for churches which are so much easier on my hands, and is way more fun than the sets. Recently purchased a shop/retail/teaching location and looking to open to the public in Spring 2020. I REALLY enjoy teaching woodcarving! (plus I make the students do all the work). Have about 30 more sets to make and then they will take a back seat to the larger sculpture work for which orders are beginning to pile up. So many projects I’ve wanted to do over the years, but couldn’t because I never had any time. I chose Illinois as a teaching/retail location because its too cold to work here in the winter, so I have an excuse to buy a sailboat now and will spend summers in the Gulf and Caribbean, and get out of Dodge when hurricane season rolls around, and work in Illinois till its over.

Glad to be back! Enjoying looking at all the beautiful work here!!!

Thanks, Jim!

caver of chess sets

Thanks for sharing your story, Jim. It’s nice to see so much creativity in our path. Keep doing what you love and your beliefs will be rewarded.

Martin Sojka, Maker of Craftisian