Linster Bee Designs

I developed a passion for woodworking in the 1970s, becoming one of the first female students permitted to enroll in Wood Shop during high school. To enhance my knowledge of tools and various wood crafting techniques, I began attending Wood Shows. After several years of saving and securing a dedicated workspace, I purchased a scroll saw and self-taught my skills in its operation. A few years later, I upgraded to a more advanced saw, which significantly improved the quality of my creations.

My passion lies in creating scroll saw portraits from photographs. During the Afghan War, I was a member of a Portrait Scroll Saw Group that dedicated itself to crafting wooden portraits of fallen soldiers. I had the honor of creating one of the first portraits of a young man who lost his life. After the family received their son's portrait, I was touched to receive a heartfelt 4-page handwritten letter from his mother, providing me with a glimpse into her son's life, which moved me deeply. We continued our work until we fulfilled hundreds of requests.

A relocation forced me to pause my craft for several years due to a lack of workspace for my saw and tools. Approximately 20 years ago, I resumed my passion for creating with my scroll saw. Recently, I expanded my workshop, acquired additional tools, and broadened my range of creations. Three years ago, I received a bandsaw for Christmas, which enabled me to start crafting sculpted band saw boxes, lidded box types, and various other projects. I have since begun selling my creations at Craft and Art Fairs, where my sculpted band saw boxes have consistently garnered positive attention.

I source all my wood from mills in New England, meticulously cutting and milling it to size in my workshop. I carefully select the wood for each box based on color and grain to complement the box's shape. I do not mass-produce my boxes; each one you see in my shop is the actual item you will receive. While shapes may be similar, no two boxes are identical. Depending on the complexity of the design, each box can take anywhere from 5 to over 10 hours to complete, with a significant portion of that time dedicated to hand sanding each box to a glass-smooth finish. The majority of my creations are crafted from American hardwoods, along with select exotic woods. Each item description will specify the types of wood utilized.

Thank you for visiting my shop. I trust you will discover the ideal gift for yourself or for others, one that will endure for generations to come.