Art of many kinds uses material and has an environmental impact. Whether it is clay, acrylic paint, or photo prints, new materials take up space and energy. For a woodworker, the environmental elephant in the room is, of course, clear-cutting. So, where does our material come from?

Our first sustainability promise:

All of our functional wood art is salvaged. Craft Cove’s wood is either scavenged from recycling bins, taken from neighbours’ yards (with permission) and milled, or sourced from a reputable supplier (Eric at VCLE and the MIWG are our first choices). With salvaging comes care - and we ensure all of our wood is dry and free from rot before using it. We pride ourselves on building partnerships with sawyers who offer kiln-drying services, like Gorgreous Boards in Nanaimo or Bahman Timber in Duncan. Keeping felled trees out of landfills is more than a promise, but a passion.

Our second sustainability promise:

We use Canadian companies and suppliers for our non-wood materials as much as possible, which includes, but is not limited to, waxes, resins, glass, and hardware like handles and hinges for our art. While Larissa tries her best to thrift parts from places like Habitat for Humanity, when those cannot be sourced, she will hit up an Island-owned store to find the perfect fit. For fine art pieces, Lee Valley is the go-to stop. Yes, resin is plastic, but it often allows us to save beautiful pieces once destined for the bin. We strive to create relationships with suppliers who care about their products as much as we care about ours. At this time, we only use EcoPoxy, which is made from bio-based ingredients, or Resinate, which is made and tested in Calgary. Both are food-safe once cured, and have zero VOCs. We always clean and reuse paint pails, recycle cured resin when possible, and opt for reusable tools/moulds that we use until they are beyond repair. Finally, we use home and environmentally-friendly finishes. Many products off-gas, which means you are exposed to VOCs sometimes without even knowing it. The friendlier options we use include hardwax oils by OSMO, Tried & True, and Rubio, water-based finishes from Aqua Coat and Seal Once, and beeswax finishes such as Clapham’s.

Our third sustainability promise:

We pledge to offset our carbon footprint. We have joined Stripe Climate’s mission to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. We automatically pledge 1% of every transaction to remove carbon emissions from the environment. Any purchase from Craft Cove Studio, whether it’s an art piece, web build, workshop, or content, will directly impact Stripe Climate’s mission to negate the climate crisis. No amount is too small, because, as Zin said, “ Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

A personal note:

If you have any questions about Craft Cove Studio’s sustainability practices, where I source materials, tools, or disposables, or what my craft and the earth mean to me, reach out! One part of my mission is to tell a story with every art piece. I can tell you where each slab came from, which recycling bin or yard or park I fished items from, and what it took to build the final piece, and I include these details with each online purchase. I care about my craft and about the person who enjoys my art in their personal space for years to come.