For those of you who haven’t heard, here is an update on the historical events that have been my life for the last 3 months
June 30th, 2007- a MASSIVE fire destroyed our workshop while Casey and I prepared for Festival of the Eno the following week. One of our pieces of equipment caught fire and was fed by 600lbs of liquid oxygen that kept it raging until the bottle was empty. Casey tried to put it out with extinguishers and water but it was too intense. I grabbed the kids and the dogs out of the yard and called 911. At this point the whole building is engulfed, burning the tops of trees 60ft tall. Our neighbor, who is a fireman, heard Casey screaming and thought he was being attacked by someone! SO he hoped in his truck and rode over, only to get out and immediatly begin to suit up and take charge of the situation. His wife got our kids and removed them from me-their very paniced and freaked out mother- to go play at her house with her kids.
10 fire trucks and 3 hours later, the fire was out. During the blaze, hundreds of paint cans exploded like fireworks, and the firemen dragged 14 bottles of welding gases away from the heat. Needless to say, the fact that no one was hurt is a blessing. I wish I could say the same for the shop and it’s contents! NOTHING. Not even a tape measure. All my and Casey’s grandfather’s tools and our first tools we gone. Even our entire cd collection! (No more Beastie Boys, sniff- sniff!) In all over $200,000 worth of equipment.. Here’s the kicker- our business insurance lapsed at Christmas. I had meant to renew, but life happens and I never did. Homeowners helped to the tune of $10,000. But the real help came from our amazing family and friends!!! (Now the happy part)
While the shop was burning and after I got over the initial freaking out, I thought to myself, ” WOW, God must have something huge for us!”. Casey and I have always believed that God had set us on a path with our business, too many miracles have happened for us to believe otherwise. Just the week before, we had been led to let go of all our industrial customers to focus on doing all sculptural and ornamental work. We were already booked through the end of the year! This was our dream- to do our designs, not mass production of machine parts. You may say, “how can you not be mad at God for letting your shop burn down!?”. Well, these last 3 months have been miracle after miracle. I believe God was pruning a branch of our business that did not bear fruit- our shop. We were so cramped, no room for equipment, no heat- that we were actually slowed down by the chaos in our workspace. We are currently moving into a shop with 5 times the space and only the tools we need, not all the clutter of crap we didn’t need. Also, Casey had been working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day for years. He has had a much deserved break to spend time with his family. At the new shop we will have 2 new employees to help carry the load and since it’s not at our house, Casey won’t feel guilty for being home and not working.
How have we survived 3 months with no income and been able to buy a new shop and all new tools? GOD. And the help of family and friends. Our church donated grocery and Walmart cards to keep us fed through the end of the year. They also came out for a work day to sort through rubble after the fire. My home church in Hillsborough, threw a “tool party” for us on my 30th birthday, which netted many cool tools and gift cards. Friends and customers gave donations and kind notes, others brought tools they didn’t need anymore. On October 13th, friends are throwing a benefit concert at Irongate Winery in Mebane. $25 gets catered food, great band, silent art auction, and cash wine bar. We have been humbled by everyone’s amazing outpouring of hospitality.
This week we are moving into our new building at 3222 N. Hwy 49 in Burlington. We bought a water jet- which cuts anything (glass, metal, wood, rubber, plastic, paper) with WATER- not fire!!! This is killer technology that no one around here has and we are stoked! It will open so many new design options for us. We hope to be operational by mid October, when I will announce our grand opening! Please come and check out the new digs!!!!
We are ready to start this new phase in our business and our lives and want everyone to share it. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We made it and we are better than ever.

EM

How fair is this? I go to the beach for the week with the kids while Casey stays home and pulls all nighters getting ready for the UNC installation. It took him and a small crew 24 hours over 2 days to carry everything up to the 6th floor at lower it to the 5th floor (over the side of the building) and set each piece in place. They carried up 2500lbs of river rocks to use as anchor weights and several sheets of 1/4″ steel for base plates. Not to mention the actual sculptures! I feel a little guilty (and tan) but I did have two kids to manage which is a 24 hour job in itself. Still doesn’t equal out though, dang.
Well, here’s what phase 2 included (see the pics): 2 mushrooms, with caps that sway, topped off with giant butterflies. 3 cattails with 2 dragonflies on top, 1 large daffodil that spins with a butterfly on it’s leaf, 1 small spinning dafodil, and 1 waddling ladybug.
Phase 3 (the final frontier) is coming very soon. The hospital wants to dedicate the garden as soon as possible. Be looking for some ants, caterpillar, and more flowers- but the final pieces have not been set in stone, so this could change.
Let me know what you think!

-also, make plans to see us the first week in July for Festival for the Eno in Durham, NC.

Thanks for reading,
Em

Leave it to us to squeeze every last hour out of a deadline. The 2nd phase for the UNC Children’s Hospital Wind Garden is due June 15th. We are feverishly working around the clock to get everything done. So far we have 2 dragonflies on cattails, a ladybug that waddles, 2 mushrooms with butterflies (the mushrooms bobble in the wind), and 2 spinning daffodils - one with a butterfly on it’s leaf. Now we have to get everything powder coated and painted this week. The engineer came out today to take measurements of all the pieces to tell us what size base plate to make for each one. Basically we will be 5 stories up, unable to bolt anything to the rooftop (where all the sculptures will be displayed), and everything has to move in wind but not blow away during a hurricane. So needless to say, these base plates will have an important roll to play. It’s not all about making fun stuff, it’s a lot of liability too!
Anyway, check out the progress in the pics and stay tuned for pictures of the completed pieces soon!
Thanks for reading,
Em

As promised, here is the link to the news video featuring our latest sculpture. The video clips of us are from a previous story last year. Enjoy!
Hummingbird News story

The Davidson county paper “The Dispatch” ran a short piece too. Check it out!
The Dispatch: One Unique Bird

Well, it’s been many months in the making, but we finally installed the giant hummingbird and daylily sculpture in Welcome, NC.  It took all day, but the new owners are very pleased.  The piece is located outside their gallery “Dempsey’s Place”. 
Our local news station, which has featured  stories on both the gallery and us independantly, is doing a new piece that will air tomorrow featuring the sculpture.  So watch Fox8 WGHP Wednesday May 2 at 5:55pm and again on Thursday’s morning news.  Later in the week the video will be on their website to view and I will provide the link as soon as I can.  Until then, check out the new pics!