And formal part of fundraiser is over! But the project is not – we are in the middle of renovation and setting up new Studio. Many pens sold with discount and SO MANY DONATIONS – I can’t thank you enough! Discount is over, but if you want to support my work and Tamenuri Studio 2.0 – buy my pens, prepay the workshop, make a donation. Or just shout out to me, share my content, or whatever comes to mind and can help
Two years ago, I made the decision to make urushi and fountain pens my full time and only job. I also decided to make my own pens, from scratch. I invested in a lathe (actually two of them), some tools, rented a space for „dirty“ workshop. I dropped all other contracts and activities, and since April 2021 I am pen maker/urushi artist only. It was a bold move after over 20 years in marketing, finance, project management. I took off the suit for good. And I couldn’t be happier about it, then and now.
While my pen turning workshop is in a (more or less) proper space, my urushi studio still occupies larger and larger part of our apartment. Initially it was just a desk in one room. But it is expanding and expanding, eating up more space, more storage.
Why urushi studio at home? Why not rent separate space? Urushi is demanding. It’s not 9 to 5 job. Very often timing is crucial. Some days are mostly sanding, often for many hours. Other days are on/off type of work, when I need to check stage of curing every 15-20 minutes and make decisions (and work) when „urushi wants it“, even if it happens to be in the middle of the night. Another important factor is – I want to be close to home. Agnieszka, my fiancé, works at home, and we value our time a lot, and we like working close to each other.
All of this would not be possible without ALL OF YOU. Clients – some of them have a lot of my pens (even more than 20), majority has more than one. Fans – I never got so many nice and warm messages from people as in last two years. Other urushi craftsmen both in Japan and everywhere else in the world – India, Hong Kong, Europe, USA. People who want to learn urushi and ask thousands of questions. YouTube subscribers. Instagram profile followers. You are the crucial part of this, and already Tamenuri Studio supporters. THANK YOU!
Last year we made another bold decision – we decided to move abroad. I do not want to elaborate on reasons to leave Poland, but there are some ;). We chose France. Agnieszka used to live in Paris and speaks fluent French. We found the house in Provance, near small town of Fayence, and we eventually move there in May. But first – the renovation project! As my friend said – renovations… take 3 offers from contractors, then SUM the amounts, and time and this will be more realistic. And with time it looks to be true 😉
And this brings me to the Fundraiser part – to be able to make my dream true – have a proper urushi studio with stations and spaces according to design of Japanese craftsmen, space for workshops, students, separate „dirty“ workshop with lather and woodworking tools – I need much more funds than I expected.
To make it more precise, my plans are:
- urushi studio with separate workstations for: shitaji (preparation and base layers), sanding, lacquering, metal and other powders sprinkling, and ideally – a separate dust free room for final layers.
- station for YouTube video making and preparing courses, including light, sound and video equipments. Trying to make videos while working on my desk now became almost impossible.
- place and materials for urushi lessons/courses.
- if funds allow – an upgrade to my pen making tools and some woodworking tools.
My goal is to improve the quality of my work, teach others both in the Studio and online, revive the YouTube channel, produce a series of urushi courses and eventually write a proper urushi manual (both online and printed). these are long term goals and you probably already know – I can do it 😉
The exact budget is difficult to define on this stage, but it’s between 10 and 20k euro.
The crazy part is – we are trying to make two dreams come true at the same time 😉 Our common dream of a home with garden in France for our patchwork family, and my dream of a proper urushi studio. And this really exceeds our budget however we count it. So I decided to reach to most supportive people I know – YOU, and ask for help. And if not help then a wedding present 😉
And here comes the fundraiser.
What’s the deal?
- All pens I have in stock now are included
15% discount and flat 10€ shipping fee (insured DHL Express worldwide parcel)- Additional donations are more than welcomed and please specify them in the form on each pen page.
- I am very grateful for your support, and I want to reward the donations:
- Every donation, with pen bought or without – a mention in special video on YouTube, post on Instagram and my website with Studio tour, once I set it up.
- Donation 100€ and more, along pen(s) bought – a premium 6-pen wrap, made of Japanese silks used for ceremonial obi belts.
- Every donation 500€ and more – all of the above and a special invitation to Tamenuri Studio including: airport pickup at Nice if needed, 2 day stay with us in Fayence (bed and breakfast), dinner in the garden together, Studio tour, and a block of urushi lessons prepared according to your needs – is it total beginner or advanced techniques. When? – we will be flexible, not many travel plans in near future 😉We just need to finish the renovation (June 2023).
- for all donators – 25% discount for urushi courses I launch in the future
- If you make a qualifying donation without buying a pen and want to get the wrap, please add 15€ for shipping.
- Important: I will answer the messages and sell pens in order of inquiries coming in. So please do not be surprised the pen you want is already sold. I will do my best to update the portfolio in real time.
- Chopsticks are in the making, so shipping of pens with chopsticks if wanted them will be delayed (April I think)
The Fundraiser is on until the 15th of March, and I really count on you support!
If you want to make the donation only, without a pen – please use this button, just make sure you contact me for perks if you want them.
Thank you !
PS: below, and on Instagram I will be updating the story, with pictures and key decisions and developments. This is how the space looks now:
