WOODSPIRIT

Dear April and Jarrod,
Please accept this note as a sincere thank you for conducting the Black Ash Basketry Workshop in Lac du Flambeau. I spent over thirty years evaluating teachers and helping them improve their skills. In my opinion, your teaching skills and quality of your workshop are clearly superior. It is obvious that you have a deep understanding of your craft and your touch with people conveys that understanding while encouraging learning. I look forward to hearing about future workshops, like the "Ash Splint Pounding" workshop you are planning for this spring. I will check back. Please convey my thanks to Ayva for the gift of her drawing. Respectfully, Norm

Jarrod

We met this past Saturday at the Farmers Market in Ashland.

It was great sharing a conversation with you about traditional woodcraft. Wooden utensils, canoes, baskets, and winter camping. Very informative website, i'll keep my eye out for you and any other time we can meet again and chat. Do you go to the Winter camping Symposium in October sponsored by Empire canvas and Snowtrekker tents (Duane)? You would find your people.

I also think I have an Audience for you in Madison, if you travel this far south. Summer or winter.

Jim Dunn
Madison, Wi

I just couldnt leave your website before saying that I really enjoyed the quality

information you offer to your visitors.

Thank you so much for the great tobaggan workshop! Over a leisurely two days, I built a white ash 8-foot long tobaggan. Jarrod was able to tailor the class to just the right of amount of instruction for me. I had a wonderful time and learned many new skills I plan on putting to use. I am already planning my next trip and project to work on in Jarrod's northwoods workshop.

Thank you, Jarrod, for a wonderful spoon carving workshop at the Driftless Folk School near Hillsboro, WI, on Saturday. It was a wonderful time, sitting around an enormous work table, learning about knife techniques, wood grain direction, and spoon carving. Your help was much appreciated, as the class quickly moved from topic to topic and in no time we were actually seeing our spoons emerge from our wood blanks. Your encouragement and judicious personal attentions to our many clumsy, first-time efforts were much appreciated. We each went home with a beautiful spoon, albeit a beginner's spoon, but one we were proud to take with us from your class. It was an excellent day!

Wow, you two never cease to amaze me. Beautiful work! I look forward to the next time our paths cross again, its always a pleasure.

Peace,
Little John

Jarrod and April, have just visited your website and it is a wonderful compilation of your work and life. I am so in awe and proud of both of you for living your life dream and sharing your Devine gifts with the rest of us. I still think you should write a book about your lives, your family and your artwork. I know others are inspired by your dedication and love of people, nature and family, as well as your perseverance when "loved ones" try to sway you from your life work. I love you both!! Great Job!! Mom

What an excellent web site! Visually appealing, informative, and well laid out. The photos create a story that entices the browser to keep looking. I loved the website! You two have a gift, thank you for sharing and teaching these priceless traditions.
Gods Peace
Colleen

Jarrod,

Thanks for your help these past two weeks. We are so excited to get out on our new snowshoes pulling our new toboggans too. You have really taught us something about woodcraft and the value of a quality built product. Hope to see you in the future, maybe for another learning opportunity!

Max and Lorraine

so far i've taken two workshops, one from jarrod and one from april, and both have been spectacular. the classes are free-flowing and packed with helpful information and fun conversation. these two really walk the walk and put their all into their craft. i would recommend one of their workshops to any person of any skill level.

erik

Boozoo April and Jarod.
When I spoke to you last night, I said that I would give you the address to my blog so you can track my Mississippi River adventure. Well, Here it is.( http://huckleberryfinn09.wordpress.com/ )I hope you don't mind but I plugged your site on my blogroll for the world to see. I figure you wouldn't mind some added publicity.
Take it easy,

-Phil Nindjinikaz.

The snowshoe workshop was incredible, after spending years working with dimensional lumber, Jarrod taught me to do "woodworking outside the box". Starting with a white ash tree, splitting it out with wedges, and then hewing and carving the wedges into snowshoes with an axe and other hand tools. Lacing the shoes with rawhide was another wonderful and pensive process. Jarrod is a patient teacher and passionate about his craft.

Your incredible functional art is a celebration of all that's still right with Northern Wisconsin. It was for craftsmen like you that Warren Nelson implored, "God, let not the ties break that bid me to the North."

Gary

Greetings people of the shoe and canoe.

Very nice website.

Ferdy