We Are Makers Podcast

On our recent trip through Albuquerque, New Mexico, we had the opportunity to meet Jessi Lloyd of Grey Collective Hats. Since her cover feature in We Are Makers Edition 12 Jessi has downscalled from her retail space, started, funded and planned a huge creative space before funding was pulled, rebuilt her shop in her garage, and found a beautiful work around to continue to host her hat making cours...

We sat down with We Are Makers repeat offender Sarah Garvey in her Arizona workshop and talked all things leatherwork, her journey, and where she is leaning now. Sarah was the cover feature of Edition Eight of We Are Makers. We get to go back and visit her and see what she has done since then, whilst recapping on her story and the importance her work has played in her life. Hosted in person, from...

In North Carolina, working from a 100-year-old cabin on his land, Tobias Crislip is keeping a traditional craft alive. As part of the small, family-run business Wyatt & Dad, Tobias doesn’t just fix boots, he gives them new life. Cobblering is often overlooked. It’s not about starting from scratch, but about repair and preserving what matters. Tobias is carrying on a skill fewer people know how...

In this episode, we sit down with Becca Jane Koehler, a ceramic artist and illustrator based in Nashville, TN. We visited Becca at her home studio back in May while passing through the area and had a great conversation about her creative journey. We've followed Becca's work on Instagram for a long time, so was really great to see her work in person. Becca started out in product design at T...

For this episode, we travelled to Indiana to meet Nathan Brandt – CEO of Coal Iron Works – and hear the remarkable story behind the company’s founding. What followed was a powerful, emotional, and deeply personal conversation. Nathan opens up about the origins of Coal, the hardships they’ve faced, the lessons learned, and the profound loss of co-founder and friend, Andy Davis. A huge thank you to...

For this episode, we travelled to rural Indiana to meet Daniel - a former creative professional whose career was upended by the layoffs of 2020. With an industry in collapse and no clear next step, Daniel and his family made a life-changing move: back to the farming community where he was raised, to start over from scratch. What began as an experimental side project in his basement has grown into...

Have you ever experienced an inspiring encounter that was completely unplanned? That happened to us on the road in the USA. We dropped in on Jordan Wright of Wright & Rede and were blown away.... he used the hashtag madeinclevland on instagram and that's how we found him! In this episode, you’ll hear:– How this spontaneous stop led to one of our favorite conversations– Jordan's incredi...

Our USA trip continues where we stopped and visited this amazing family business in Sylvain, Pennsylvania. We speak with Connie & Kayle Sickler. This conversation features a family running a timber frame business and explores their philosophy and journey. They discuss the origins of the business, tracing a love for timber framing through generations, and the decision to incorporate CNC machini...

In this episode, we hang out with Will Adams – the maker behind Honey Brook Tools. Based in Vermont, Will creates beautiful, functional hand tools for woodworkers, all crafted with care in his one-man workshop. We talk about his journey from teaching to toolmaking, what inspires his designs, and how he’s built a business focused on quality, honesty, and good old-fashioned craftsmanship. Will’s all...

Our first podcast back in the US took us to New Hampshire where we had the honour of sitting down with Thomas Boucher, the skilled hands and curious mind behind Greasy Luck Forge. From growing up in his father’s blacksmith shop to becoming one of the few traditional locksmiths in the U.S., Thomas is on a mission to preserve and share the intricate art of handmade lock-making and historical metalwo...

In this episode, we return to the forge of Alex Pole - blacksmith, maker, and previously featured maker of We Are Makers. First featured in Edition One, Alex has spent over three decades honing his craft and building his business. We talk about how he got started, how the craft has evolved, and why he’s shifting away from social media to embrace more traditional, meaningful forms of communication...

This week on WAMCAST, we’re joined by Donna Collinson - the flamework glass artist behind The Glass Florist. From a 15-year-old florist to a viral sensation with a year-long waitlist, Donna shares how she found her niche creating intricate glass flower bouquets that never wilt. We talk about the sensory magic of working with glass, the moment a viral video changed everything, and we talk about her...

In November, Jack visited the Cockpit Studios open day in London, where he had the privilege of meeting master carver Clunie Fretton. After an inspiring conversation, Jack had to ask if she’d be interested in joining us for a podcast—and thankfully, she said yes! Through our conversation, it became clear that Clunie is not just a master carver, but also a historian and true custodian of her craft....

In this episode, we meet Hayley and Martin of Fox and Furb, a dynamic duo reviving traditional upholstery and crafting bespoke bold furniture. We met Hayley and Martin at the UK event Goodwood Motor Circuit event in September. Hayley was demonstrating traditional upholstery at the Revive and Thrive tent, which celebrates craftsmanship and highlights makers combating throwaway culture. Her live dem...

This podcast is worth watching if you'd like to see Stefan explain his work We travelled to Stefan's hometown, Arnhem in the Netherlands to finally meet in person having shared his written story in Edition Nine of We Are Makers. Close your eyes and imagine stepping through dappled woods, bow in hand, arrows at the ready, following the paths of our ancestors. That’s exactly what Stefan Tim, archery...

Broom making might not be a craft you hear about every day, but today, we’re introducing you to Jamie Dun, a passionate maker who’s one of few who is bringing this timeless skill back to life in the UK. Originally from Montana, Jamie moved to the UK and found herself struggling to find a high-quality, handmade broom for her 180-year-old house. Not wanting to settle for another plastic broom, she s...

A podcast in the forest, in Wales (UK) - no problem! 🌳 In this episode, we joined Lee John Philips and his life partner, Diana Brook, in the beautiful setting of Stiwdio Sylen—a soon to be woodland studio in the wilds of Carmarthenshire, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Through our conversation Lee, an illustrator turned spoon carver, discusses one of his significant projects—an illustrated inventory of items from...

Criostal na Rinne is a hand cut crystal studio workshop situated in Ireland's Ancient East in the picturesque Irish-speaking area of An Rinn, the Waterford Gaeltacht. Eamonn Terry, a master craftsman glass cutter of over 50 years experience, started his career with Waterford Crystal before establishing Criostal na Rinne in 1987, producing Irish crystal of incredible quality and beauty. We Are Make...

Our travels in Ireland continued where we travelled to rural West Cork to meet Paul O’Brien who we featured in our printed magazine back in March 2021. It was really interesting to chat more in-depth about his business and how things have been since Covid and how it's shaped his empire, Paul is a furniture designer and maker based in rural West Cork, Ireland. Originally from Dublin, with a fine ar...

Our travels continued in Ireland where we travelled to see a maker who we've featured previously - Sam Gleeson, a Bladesmith from County Clare, Ireland We believe it’s essential to document the evolution of these artisans, offering insights into their journeys and progress. A story that particularly caught our attention and wanted to hear more about was Sam Gleeson’s endeavour to establish a craft...

Our first stop on our recent trip was with Kurtis Scott - a luthier based in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Pict Guitars was founded with a vision to create sustainably made, handcrafted instruments that are both visually and audibly stunning. The journey of Pict Guitars began in January 2019 when Kurtis enrolled at the prestigious Lagan Lutherie School under Master Luthier Sam Irwin. Concurrently, a r...

Our last podcast in Australia was with the lovely Alison Jackson and Dan Lorrimer. We featured their story in Ed.3 of the We Are Makers Magazine. We were so delighted to finally meet in person in Braidwood where they live and work. Alison Jackson and Dan Lorrimer are metalsmiths, partners in both life and business. Known for their shared love of working with their hands, they often describe their...

On our Australia trip we took a bus to Braidwood to visit Lea Durie, who we featured in Ed.9 of our We Are Makers Magazine. It's always great to connect with someone who you've spoke to so much online and over email to then meet in person. We are so thankful for these experiences and connections we get to have through our mission. From Lea's early experiments with clay in fifth grade t...

On our Australian journey, we visited Doug and Danika in Albury, NSW, whose story graced the cover of our seventh edition of We Are Makers. Meeting them and their family was a highlight of our trip. Danika and Doug met while studying design at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney in 2005. Their passion for letterpress began in the UK, where they started collecting wood type blocks from charming mark...

On our trip to Australia, we took a flight to Adelaide to meet Heath who was featured in our 2nd Edition of We Are Makers. We were so excited to finally meet and to hear how business has been since March 2021. Timberwolf Design was initiated part-time by its founder Heath Polkinghorne in a modest garden shed (3m x 2m) back in 2015. Recognizing the need for more space to grow, Heath constructed a l...