HANDMADE MATTERS, TODAY MORE THAN EVER!

A little about me, where my inspiration comes from and why I love doing what I do...

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

In this age of mass-produced and loudly impersonal, I remain deeply committed to aged traditions where the quiet intimacy of hand-made objects has always been inspired by a vision to connect us to our inner selves, to nature and to the simple beauty of the everyday.

My name is Shaun, I am a craftsman who joyfully creates one-of-a-kind lanterns, lamps and other accent pieces that remind you unplug and disconnect from the day, so you have a chance to nurture your soul, leading to greater inner peace.

Together with other meaningful objects in your space, it’s my hope that what I have lovingly handcrafted further supports your well-being and transformation... becoming more present, loving, kind and grateful, with each passing day.

MY ROOTS AND A COMPANION

I have been a “maker”, as far back as I can remember, early childhood. Throughout my life I’ve found myself wanting to create in some way. This entrepreneurial, creative spirit, has been my guide in all I’ve chosen to do and found myself doing.

I have a background in electronics, this was once my trade, it chose me at a very early age, rather than me deciding on it. I have drifted in and out of this field over my many years, but like a close friend who, while not always physically present, has been a close companion, always circling back no matter my path…

I have always had a love of hand crafted lighting, in particular, paper lanterns that have as their source of illumination, real flames, be they candles or other from a natural fuel, such as oil or spirits. It's magical to me. Since you have found your way here, I’m going to assume you can relate to this in some way. After my journey into woodworking that began in late 2018, my close companion circled back again… this time to help me develop a very special LED light source that safely brings "this magic" to a closed paper lantern, truly transforming it.

PHILOSOPHY

I have always been drawn to eastern philosophies and mysticism, self discovery and more. It has played a significant part in my journey, weaving itself into everything I do and make.

A story …reaching the summit of a mountain is not by our own efforts alone, we cannot claim to have done it alone, for without the mountain itself having helped us up just as much as we helped ourselves up, we would never have arrived at the summit.

In relating this to my craft... the lanterns, lamps and accent pieces “I” make, I know there is a much bigger picture at play, that it is as much all the other things plus my own, and yours, that help produce the end result, it is a magical unfolding.

In all I do, I try to plant the seeds of kindness, love, open heartedness, gratitude and joy. I humbly use what I create and make, as tools to support a path of mindful living - being present to life as it unfolds. I believe a joyful life flows from living this way.

MY LOVE OF CIRCLES

You will notice the use of circles in many of my designs, this is intentional… they are deeply meaningful to me.

What about you?

A quick search reveals so many fascinating things, from their beauty in nature, to the deep symbolic representations of unity, balance and harmony, to the human experience and connection to one another, belonging, to how our brain perceives them and their inherent calming nature… to mention but a few.

Further, for me, circles also have such a graceful way of framing a scene, drawing your attention, like you are looking into another dimension, they become portals into the known and unknown.

Circles are soulful.

You will notice the use of circles in many of my designs, this is intentional… they are deeply meaningful to me.

What about you?

Circles are soulful.

NOTES:

Footprints….. I do my best to limit the impact of being a “maker” on our precious planet. I choose not to use plastic in any of my packaging, which adds a notable cost to the already high material cost of each lantern and lamp I make, but in my heart I cannot do anything else.

Finishes….. for my personal pieces I prefer not to use any “finishes”. I love the raw nature of things. I realize there is beauty in wood that has a neutral natural finish too, so I do give you the choice.

My large lantern below never got a finish, it’s just as beautiful as it was at the beginning and I would go so far to say that it’s even more beautiful now… the wood had taken on a natural aging, the cherry has darkened, the maple too a bit.

Perhaps in time I will be able to sway more folk away from "finishes”, no matter how natural manufacturers may claim them to be. For the accent pieces I make, such as my pendants, a finish does offer several benefits, so I use a food safe hardwax oil on these items.

Use of sandpaper….. in the way I work, it is the last option I reach for. Almost everything I make is hand planed and finished that way. It’s labor intensive and takes a lot of time. I do this because it produces such a wonderful finish where nothing more is required. There are unavoidable situations where sandpaper is the only option, these are the only times I use sandpaper.

New designs/collections….. Since March of 2022, I have created 3 collections for you to choose from. There numerous ways to make each look notably different within a specific design/collection, with the options I offer.

The most recent collection is the 'Accents' Collection, offered as of Jan 2025. The wooden pendants are the first products in this collection. In the works is a small L-shaped desktop lamp, several neon styled word lamps and more. In 2026 I hope to release a lamp collection based on the the large lantern you see below, to be called the "Sense of Wonder" collection.

HOW MY LANTERN JOURNEY BEGAN...

I am new to woodworking, age 50 at the time — In September 2018 I took my first woodworking course at North Island College in Port Alberni. I was at a place in my life doing my best to move on after a life changing event in 2015.

In February 2019, month 6 of the 9 month course, we were required to make a “small box”, one of three core practicals we had to complete. Typically, this small box would be jewellery box of sorts.

In my hunt online for ideas and inspiration, I stumbled across a picture that was taken at a museum in Japan, of a Japanese lantern made in the late 1800’s. I was not able to find much of anything about it. I dug more and found little else, but at this point I had already been swept up into the stars. This was the turning point for me, a knowing in my heart that this would lead me to something very special, both now and in the future. This would become a vehicle for me to share all I hold dear and close to my heart, a way to share love and joy.

The first step was making something similar to the picture, for my “small box” project. I was fortunate that my lecturer was open to this little unorthodox “small box”. He had an appreciation for Japanese woodworking, something I knew little about at the time.

I SET SAIL...

Upon completing the course in May of 2019, and with the mostly completed lantern I made in class (I ran out of time to do all the accents I wanted to do), yes, it’s the large one pictured above, I began working towards having a small workshop space.

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This next phase of the journey took nearly two years and among many other things, involved building a small stand alone 12x12 workshop space from the ground up, fully sound insulated because of where I live. This aspect alone had a huge learning curve, like everything else it seems I’ve tackled. The workshop build took me 1 year to complete, with the help of a friend at the framing stage and where heavy lifting was required.

At the start of 2021 I began setting up equipment in my new workspace and learning, and learning and more learning… still yet to do any “woodworking” since leaving college.

The months flew by, all too fast, as I began designing and building prototypes, learning at each turn along the way. Slowly but surely things began to take some shape. The lantern I made at school became my beacon of motivation when things would get rough. I decided not to update this lantern with the things I never got to do at school. For me, it’s become a keepsake, a reminder of a very personal time in my life and a reminder of where it all began, a new chapter in my life.

I could never have imagined the amount of time this has all taken, a steep learning curve every step of the way - doing everything myself for financial reasons. It took me 4 times more time than my best initial estimate of time to get to this point... I had only just arrived at the beginning of starting this new business, February 2022. I don’t know how things are going to unfold from here, I just know to keep going, one day at a time. If you’ve read this far, I thank you for letting me share this with you.

I would like you know ahead of time that I am so very grateful for your support, in what ever capacity it may be, a simple share, signing up to my email list or purchasing something I have made. Should you purchase a lantern, lamp, or one of my accent pieces, weather as a gift for a loved one, or for yourself, know that what you receive is one-of-a-kind, a 'Keepsake', it captures joy in its purest and simplest form.

I look forward to hearing more about your wishes and how together we can help spread more joy, peace, love and harmony.