As 2025 draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on the year, and the traditionally crazy holiday gift giving season.
It's the end of my 20th year making my Cottage Mills. That's hard to believe.
I have to admit, it takes some effort to get into the studio and make more of my mills. I'm easily distracted into a direction that's new and novel. But when the latest batch is done, and I look at them, they still give me a thrill.
And when I'm showing them to customers, either in my home, at shows, or to potential retailers, the reaction when they see them, especially those whom have never seen them before, is fun! Telling the story of how I came up with the idea, in my backyard after cutting down a deal Elm tree, is very rewarding.
One aspect of 2025 I like is the number of clients who brought special branches to have me turn them into mills, including my own.
The woman who contacted me saying a family cottage had to be sold, and a fallen tree on the property had some branches that she wanted to have turned into mills and given to her family as mementos was very rewarding. 7 sets were made.
A golf buddy who brought a branch from his property for a set for his wife for Christmas.
The golf pro where I play asked for 18 mills made from branches from the course to give as year end prizes.
My girlfriend for whom I turned a branch from her family cottage into 5 Christmas gifts for her family.
And then there was the trip my family took to Newfoundland where I shipped some branches back to turn into Port au Choix mills. Those still need to be made, but they will be eventually.
I made a few new friends, who happen to have some property with lots of trees and fallen branches, which helps a lot! I perfected a new drying technique that speeds up the craft of making them, and it works like a charm! I made a new friend from New Zealand who's actually a supplier, and will be helping each other with new business avenues. And I pulled the trigger on purchasing a new CNC machine that will allow me to make some more contemporary mill designs.
So here's to 2026 and all it will bring, including the odd hair pulling challenge or 2.
Cheers!