Makers of the USA

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Geoffrey Warner Provides Comfort Through His Handcrafted Wooden Stools Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Geoffrey Warner, owner, and founder of OWL Furniture has been a furniture maker his entire life. He started his woodworking career crafting guitars and then went to school in Rhode Island to study the craft of furniture and learned from a Danish master, Tage Frid.

In 2008, he met with a group of furniture makers and came up with the idea of crafting an ergonomic wooden chair. His father had always been an inspiring icon in his work and told him to take this idea to life even if others thought the idea was crazy. Now he has gone through an ergonomic study thanks to Maine Technology Institute to help complete his craft and offer it to the public, sold thousands of stools to customers looking to better there back and one of his stool seats has been patented.

Thanks to Geoff's sister, Jenifer Warner, you can see how these stools can better your back through her graphic expertise. Who knew that the two holes in his stool would provide such comfort for one's back and it gives the stool a look of an owl. While he continues to receive many orders for stools every week, he is also crafting rocking chairs, chairs, and custom pieces for his customers as well. While visiting his shop we got to see Geoff and Madison, a close family member of Geoff's, put together one of his beautiful chairs where the joinery fits like a glove.

Please visit OWL Furniture's website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and events happening at their studio including what they will be doing for Maine Craft Weekend.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, who is Geoffrey Warner the guest on the podcast, and one of his tracks with Heather Jellison, Gotta Stay Home.

If you enjoyed this Makers of the USA episode, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook. Please check out Makers of the USA's YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all and stay safe and healthy.

Sadie Bliss & Emily Shaffer Coordinate An Annual Event That Brings People To Makers To Learn Their Craft Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Maine Craft Weekend falls on the first weekend Saturday and Sunday in October and offers an opportunity for the public to explore the life and work of craft artists and businesses in Maine, and for artists to connect with craft enthusiasts, collectors, and visitors behind-the-scenes. This is an educational, community-oriented, and family-friendly event for all!

Typically the event is in partnership with Maine Made, and scheduled in conjunction with American Craft Week, a nationwide event promoting craft events each October. In 2019, Maine Craft Weekend received a Star Award from American Craft Week for Outstanding Legacy of Craft Education & Demonstrations. The organization launches a database filled with makers who will partake in the event that is hosted on their website and share what they will be doing for the event.

This year the event will be treated as a DIY event and the organization will be promoting what others will be doing through their social media. They have also partnered with this podcast to interview a handful of those who will be doing social distance, COVID-friendly gatherings.

Please visit Maine Craft Weekend to learn more about the event and please follow Maine Crafts Association to see how you can support makers from across the state or if you're a maker, how you can be a part of this association and to benefit from the services they offer.

Ryan McPherson And His Team of Farmers Craft The Perfect Oyster & Grow Millions Of Them In The Damariscotta River Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

Ryan McPherson took over Glidden Point Oyster Farms five years ago as he left Massachusetts to start a venture that has grown tremendously over time. Their goal is to craft the perfect shaped oyster and they have accomplished this and are continually providing these to wholesalers and customers across the nation.

His team of farmers works hard to grow and collect millions of oysters, all different sizes (the jumbos are HUGE), throughout the year. Oyster season is year-round in Maine due to its chilly climate but sometimes the farmers have to watch out for the green crabs as they eat oysters and have caused some challenges.

They give back to the community by collaborating with farmers starting out and non-profits to help establish their oyster farms. Oyster farms keep our coastal waters clean and Glidden Point truly believes in this mission and will continue to help others build their oyster farms and continue to keep theirs maintained.

Please visit Glidden Point Oyster Farm's website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and events happening at their tasting room.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, The Ballroom Thieves, and one of their new tracks, Vanity Trip.

Jordan & Madison Give Cut & Sew Another Meaning; They Create Fashionable Pieces Inspired By Different Cultures Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

Fashion and textile designers, Jordan Carey and Madison Poitrast-Upton, graduated from Maine College of Art and started a business while they attended the college which is called Loquat. Loquat is a fairly new venture and they have grown tremendously through their small collection of products including their top-selling handbags and facemasks.

The skills they have obtained from college which have morphed into their own art and craft have truly gravitated towards the Maine community as people highly enjoy them. With help from their mentors including Jill McGowan and Kazeem Lawal, they come up with unique ways of standing out.

They give back to the community by collaborating with other artists to showcase their culture, lifestyle, and passions. They also support women in Portland by providing them with menstrual products that they can't afford and don't have access to.

Loquat will continue to grow and prosper and we all should be excited to see what the future holds for them.

Please visit Loquat's website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Patrick from Just Plain Jones. Currently, he is working on new music that will be launched this fall. Check out his tune For Everybody with Kyle Jamal on Spotify and iTunes.

Rose Barboza Lifts The Voices Of Black Owned Businesses Here In Maine Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

I discovered Rose Barboza and Jerry Edwards Black Owned Maine while searching for guests on this podcast as I wanted to create a diverse list. I didn't realize how many black owned businesses are here in Maine until I stumbled upon this database and there are a lot! Being a fairly new resident to Maine, I wanted to dig deeper to learn more about how our state is known as the "white state" and how those in the black community felt being raised in this community or being a part of this community. Rose fills me in on not just her amazing efforts towards Black Owned Maine and the future projects they're working on but also her life here in this beautiful state. I also stumbled upon this great interview Maine Public Radio put together on explaining why Maine is "so white".

Please visit Black Owned Maine's website to view the wonderful businesses of Maine's black community. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new initiatives they're working on and learn more about how you can support them.

I will be donating 25% of proceeds made from the Makers of Maine t-shirt collection to Black Owned Maine to help them continue their amazing work of updating their database and website, supporting black-owned businesses through the challenges of the pandemic, and assisting those in the black community who want to start a business by establishing a grant program and also supporting future ideas of providing marketing resources to businesses by launching a photography and videography studio. Pre-orders will be accepted up till August 21, 2020. Local Maine residents have the option to pick up their shirt at a local spot and I will coordinate a date, time and area and communicate this through social media.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Suzie Assam. Suzie was born in Lewiston and always loved how universal music is. She hopes to work on new music during this time of pandemic as it has given her time to see what this new music looks like. Check out her tune Cuffing Season on Spotify and iTunes.

Roxi Suger Is A Renowned Fashion Designer That Crafts Plant Based Apparel In Biddeford's Pepperell Mill Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

Fashion designer, Roxi Suger, came to Maine to continue and grow her popular apparel collection Angelrox in Biddeford, Maine. She went from designing in her home to relocating to Alfred Street where her flagship store is currently located then joining in with other businesses and designers in Pepperell Mill who are all a part of the revitalization efforts of the mill. She also has a sister collection called Suger where her focus is more on now and a tie-dye Tuesday initiative where she organizes Facebook Lives to showcase the lovely pieces and donating $20 for every piece sold to the Greater Portland Welcome Immigrant Center.

Please visit Roxi Suger's website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions. Also, please reach out to them if you would like to check out their studio in Pepperell Mill and visit their retail shops in Biddeford and Portland.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, Natále. Currently, she is working on releasing her first mini-album titled Giving All to You, mastered by the great Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine. The mini-album includes four original songs which she recorded with friends in a makeshift bedroom studio in an old farmhouse in Biddeford. She is in the process of crowdfunding on a secret Go Fund Me to get that album in the hands of those who wish to own a copy. Check out her tune Keep Me Hangin On on Spotify and iTunes.

Mark & Stephen Ferguson & Barry Worthing Started A Shop That Crafts Maine Pattern Axes & Restores Vintage Axes Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

Mark & Stephen Ferguson and Barry Worthing, owners and founders of Brant & Cochran, started a shop almost four years ago that restores vintage axes and crafts Maine pattern axes. These three gentlemen have brought back the craft of axe making in Maine as there are no other axe makers currently in Maine. Back in the 1800s to 1900s, twelve well-known axe makers resided in Oakland, Maine including Emerson and Stevens who crafted many axes including an axe for Theodore Roosevelt. Brant & Cochran use techniques and traditions created from this historical time towards their axe making. From forging, grinding, heat-treating, sharpening and hafting, the process is dirty and challenging but the Brant & Cochran staff have a good process going and they continue to refine it every day. They even stamp each of their axes with their logo, the temperer’s initials and year of manufacture as it is a tradition that all axe makers take on and Brant & Cochran wanted to continue it.

Please visit Brant & Cochran's website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions. Also, please reach out to them if you would like to check out their shop in South Portland and visit their events page to see how you can see their axes and wonderful makers up close and in person.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, The Gawler Family. The Gawler Family brings you a delightful assortment of songs and tunes rooted in the traditional music of Maine and the Northeast. John and Ellen, together with their daughters Molly, Edith, Elsie, and “brother” Bennett Konesni, back up their intertwining family harmonies with fiddles, banjo, cello, guitar, and sometimes, a few surprises.

Kristen & Joe Camp Use Techniques Like Raku To Handcraft Ceramic Pieces That Brings People Together Jul 01, 2020

Show notes

Kristen and Joe Camp, owners and founders of Campfire Pottery, have been crafting one-of-a-kind contemporary ceramic pieces that are symbols of human-gathering for five years in Westbrook, Maine. They also have a storefront built out of a shipping container located off of Washington Avenue in Portland. The Campfire pair came to Maine from their home state of Georgia to help build a church and they decided to stay in Maine long-term as they loved the environment, culture, and wanted to start a business around the passion that started their relationship, pottery. Their craft is very unique as they use a Japanese style ceramic process called Raku on a portion of their collection. Joe suits up in a firefighter like uniform as temperatures, when undergoing this process, get extremely hot! Kristen’s newest project is working with an interior designer on a light fixture and will be launching an interior designer program later this year.

Please visit Campfire Pottery’s website to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions. Also, please consider giving back to this lovely business as well as the frontline workers who are risking their own health for those suffering from COVID-19 by supporting their Stay at Home Mug Project. For every 5 “To-Stay” Mugs they sell, they will donate one of their signature To-Go Mugs to a healthcare worker on the frontlines.

Also, please check out the featured musician of this episode, The Jacob James and their full track Live It Up and the rest of their awesome jams on iTunes.

Meet Sarah Kelly & Leah Robert Who Are Providing A Clean Beauty & Body Care Line For All The Salty Girls Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

Sarah Kelly and Leah Robert, owners and founders of SaltyGirl Beauty, have been crafting clean body care products out of their office in Kennebunk since 2017. The idea of a clean beauty care line came about when Sarah was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer and was eight months pregnant, her sister Leah came over to her house one day when Sarah was undergoing cancer treatment with bright, fun lipstick and Sarah tried it on. It made her feel like herself again. These ladies have not only crafted a clean beauty line, they have also rounded up many women to be a part of their SaltyGirl community where they talk about Mom life, favorite music and so much more. They also give back in many ways to two non-profits that they also started, Warrior Revolution and Foundation4Love.

Please visit SaltyGirl Beauty's websites to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions. Also, check out their Lip Gloss Heroes contest where you can nominate an individual in your life that you know is empowering and inspiring to the community and they may be named after a shade of lipgloss from their new collection.

Also please check out my featured Maine musician, Kate Matzell, and her full track of Don't They Say and the rest of her beautiful music on iTunes.

Bethany Field & Chris Korzen Brings Back Maine's Original State Flag Jun 14, 2020

Show notes

Bethany Field and Chris Korzen, owners and founders of Maine Flag Company and Original Maine, have been crafting flags for seven years in Portland, Maine. They started with the Maine Merchant & Marine Flag and have expanded to other designs including the popular and well-known Original 1901 Maine Flag. In celebration of Flag Day, I wanted to sit down with these two to learn more about the history of the first Maine state flag, the craft of flags and how Maine and its community helped their business grow. We also chat about the NY Times article that was recently released that talks about Maine's flags. Not only do they tell me that they recently produced their two thousandth Original 1901 Maine Flag, they tell me about their exciting sailing trip from Maine to Key West that took them six months.

Please visit Maine Flag Company and Original Maine's websites to view their products. Feel free to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on new products and promotions. Also, check out their post that showcases their boat Woodpecker with all of their flags on the mast.

Also please check out my featured Maine musician, Dominic Lavoie, and his full track of Lime Butterfly and the rest of his beautiful music on iTunes.