
About the Tinker
Welcome to my website. It was a long time in the making,. It reflects my personality - colorful, authentic and full of surprises. All the photos are my own and I am proud of what lies herein. I'm glad you made it. Thanks for stopping by.
It all started with a set of blocks. My grandfather gave me old ones - squares, triangles and oblongs. I stared at them wondering what I could make. And then I took a hammer and some nails and I made a mess.
I've been a builder my whole career. I like to think I was a builder of people. And after 30+ years at the helm of some stunning nonprofits, I returned to my first love - wood. I make "live edge" tables - vertical slabs sliced from trees that retain their natural sides - a long way from Grandaddy's blocks of oblongs. Much of my work is with repurposed wood - trees that have been lost to disease, age or erosion. In the "Works of Wood" section, you will find black walnut, ash, elm, South American purple heart, the mighty oak and other species. I also craft TimberStone Treasures - cutting boards, serving trays and custom signs.
In 2019, I started making stone jewelry because I really needed something to do. At the start of the year, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma and began a six month relationship with some pretty nasty chemicals. That summer, I was bald but happy as a clam walking the beach of our beloved Lake Michigan, searching for the perfect rocks for my stone jewelry. And here I am, in remission and still at it. I have expanded to other stone projects that will be posted in the Spring of 2021.
Timber and Stone are gifts of nature and I am grateful to be their Tinker.
Thanks for visiting. Let me know if you have questions.
India McCanse
The TimberStone Tinker
