Gourd Craft and Pyrography Supplies - Gourd, Pyrography and Wood Art

Fine Art Pyrography, Gourd Art, Woodcarving, Wood Working - Pyrography and Gourd Art and Craft Supplies and Tools

Welcome to Sawdust Connection, the award-winning collection of gourd, wood burning and pyrographic art by Nedra Denison and fretwork and wood carvings by Alan Denison. 

Our work is unique, hand-made one of a kind and make wonderful gifts.

Alan and I started selling our woodcrafts and gourd art at local woodcarving and craft shows while living in Texas. We were having fun and keeping busy. In 1999 Sawdust Connection was established and when I began teaching pyrography the business grew to include pyrography supplies and tools.

While Sawdust Connection has continued to grow and evolved over the years, it has and always will be a small, home-based family owned business. We don't have thousands of square feet of retail store front or warehouse, just a few rooms in our home that are dedicated to our art and the tools and supplies we sell.

About Us

Alan and I are native New Englanders but we have lived all over the country because of our jobs. We both worked for the Dept. of Veterans of Affairs and we owe the VA for providing us with the opportunity to both travel the country and to meet each other. Alan was an Engineer with the VA and spent his career supervising the construction of hospitals, research centers and doing major renovations. His job was very stressful and required moving every few years after a project was completed. After 30 years of service Alan retired and decided to relax and enjoy working in his shop. He has been a woodcarver and woodworker since childhood and has been active in local woodcarving clubs in TX & was past president of the Capitol Woodcarvers in Olympia, WA.

My career with the VA started as a clinical Social Worker working with Oncology, geriatric patients and later Addictions. After about 15 years with the VA I changed careers and worked my way up the "corporate" ladder to become Director of Human Resources of a small VA in Vermont where I met Al.  From there Alan and I moved to Seattle where the stress, politics and BS became too overwhelming for me and I burned out and was unable to work. Al's job required him to move again so we headed south to Texas where we lived for over 9 years. In 2003 I was offered the opportunity to return to the VA so I could qualify for my full retirement. We moved back to WA where I worked at the VA in Tacoma in the Addictions unit. I finally retired in 2007 with over 33 years of service. Three days later we were packed and heading to New Mexico to start the next phase of our life.

About The Business

I've been an artist since childhood but never expected or wanted to do it professionally, nor did I ever expect to follow in my dad's footsteps. My father owned successful retail business for over 50 years and while I never planned on having my own business it was only natural that eventually I start one of my own some day. Growing up, I spent time with my dad in his store and learned a lot from him. He was one of the first "discount stores" and he survived and even prospered as the Big Box Discounters came to town. What I learned from him is that people like getting good prices but as the words "customer service" seemed to be disappearing from our vocabulary, they continued coming to my dad because he understood what customer service was and that's what he gave his customers. I established my first business in 1993 in WA state. Having a background in art I wanted to do something that allowed me to be creative and after careful consideration and research I decided to make gift baskets. Not just any gift basket but each one was a unique artistic creation. Like my dad I gave my customers great service. I was a very active member of the Chamber of Commerce and developed a very successful gift basket business with many commercial accounts until it grew to the point that I could no longer manage it by myself. We moved to Texas and in 1997 and I sold my gift basket business. Alan & I were doing some crafts and Sawdust Connection began as a means of selling our woodcrafts at local woodcarving and craft shows. When I started teaching in 1999 I started selling wood burning supplies and tools in my classes and eventually the business grew and evolved into what you see now.

Sawdust Connection has been supplying pyrographers, woodworkers, gourd artists and crafters with superior quality products and customer service since 1999. It is because of the quality products we sell and the great service that we offer that we will continue to be here for many years to come. My philosophy...give customers more than they expect!

Why Shop at Sawdust Connection?

The answer is simple, I sell only the best quality supplies and tools on the market from leaders in the industry and I try to provide the same first class service that made my dad the success he was in his business for over 50 years. When you call the office, guess who you talk to...me! When you need help, I'm the one who will give it to you, not an operator or sales person who has never wood burned or worked on a gourd. You will get advise from someone who actually understands your needs and isn't just trying to sell a product. You will find I'm not a great sales person, just an honest person trying to help you find the tools and products you need. And on top of all that I've got very competitive prices on everything I sell. What more can you ask for, good prices, good service and great products!

Phone Orders:

Sorry, but I cannot accept credit card orders over the phone. Because of the high cost of processing unsecured (un-swiped credit card sales) to small business owners I am no longer able to take credit cards over the phone. I recommend you order directly online for the fastest service. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you do not wish to order on line,  please feel free to download my mail order form and send your order along with your payment.  If you are sending a check please be sure you make the check payable to Sawdust Connection. We process mail orders within 24 hours of receipt to ensure you get your order promptly. If you are in a hurry for your order, ordering on our website is the fastest way and you have the option of using your credit card, debit card or pay pal. Ordering is secure and confidential...we do not receive your credit card information.

So, Who Ya Gonna Call...Sawdust Connection, The Pyrography Specialists!

I personally research and use every item I sell. Over the years I've used and sold many of the pyrography tools manufactured in North American. One of the main reasons I stop carrying a brand is poor customer service. If I get poor service or my customer's get poor warranty service it's a good reason to move on. t I represent. I ensure that they understand the importance that I give to supporting my customers and ask how will he/she will extend themselves to make sure that every customer is happy with his or her purchase. You can be assured that everything you find in our inventory has been tested and used by one or both of us. For more information on my pricing and philosophy please go to the store front.

Welcome To Our Website and Store

I thank you for visiting my website and hope you enjoy browsing through my store front, our galleries of gourd and pyrographic art, wood carvings, woodworking and, drawings. I carry Nibsburner and Razertip pyrography systems, pens and accessories. I also carry a wide variety of pyrography, woodworking, gourd and craft supplies, such as basswood products, gourd and pyrography books, and a wide variety of tools and supplies for gourd artists, wood turners, woodcrafters and other crafters. You will find the website easy to navigate and find everything you are looking for in one convenient place. To start shopping please go to our Store Front and be sure to check back frequently for new items.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website.