Here we go!

Welcome to my new website! Over the past few years I have taken a lifelong hobby of woodworking, and moved from just making things for our family to making things that other people might be interested in buying. Doing that while working full time was always a bit of a challenge - I really couldn't commit the time that I wanted to making lots of things to have on hand, and even more so - didn't want to commit the time it takes to make those things available for sale - spending weekends at craft sales really wasn't in the cards, and building and maintaining an online store is something that takes some time and commitment. I tried Etsy, and had some success, but keeping it up, and the ongoing cost to keep items posted just wasn't worth it at the time.

So what's with the name - CrazMade Creations? Well, no surprise to many, I have been called Craz by many people over the years (for the record, it is a short "a", like in bat, not like in "crazy"), the products are made by me, and having branched into using the lazer to engrave things that aren't wood, I needed a name that didn't just focus on woodturning or woodworking.

At the end of December 2023, after more than 37 years in the education business, I retired and now can look forward to spending much more time in my shop(s). I do my woodworking in my garage, and my laser work in a bit of a studio in our basement. Having an interest and a bit of passion for technology, taking on the development of a website was not as much of a business decision as just good fun, and now that I have the time that I can commit to doing it, I decided to go full in - establish a business, get a name, build a website with a store, and hit the social media!. So, if you are reading this, you have found my website, and you can also find me on Instagram at @crazmade and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/crazmadecreations, though I will be morphing away from the marketplace functionality to more of an information highlighting kind of thing.

I am really looking forward to expanding the things I do with the laser, it really is an amazing technology that has all kinds of applications, so look for lots more types of examples coming to the website in the coming months.

My last venture (for now at least) is that I plan to do a regular newsletter called "Out and About in YQR". My plan right now is to do one every two weeks and I will be trying to highlight some of the great things there are to do in Regina, mostly a bit off the beaten path, with of course, the occasional update on what is happening at CrazMade Creations. I will be looking at events and independent small business and restaurants - don't expect any plugs for any box stores or franchises. As a small local business, I want to promote and support other's that make our city great. You might even find some gems from across the province getting mentioned once in a while!