I typically work 20-24 hours a week or whatever I can squeeze in during naps and after the little ones are in bed!  I also teach a private lesson each week to an aspiring young craftsman.

I love to make all different kinds of toys.  My favorite, if I have to choose, is probably a rocking horse.  It seems to come alive as it is worked.

My first power tool was a Black & Decker hand-held jigsaw.  Built a dog house in 1990.  About five years ago, my husband and I resolved to make all of our gifts.  I used the same jigsaw to build a dollhouse for our daughter.  Then I started gravitating towards toymaking to create a more wholesome, imaginative play environment for our children.  Other mothers commissioned similar toys for their children - and breathed life into what is now Family Tree Toys.

I've always been drawn to wood.  My mother says it's "in my blood".  Unbeknownst to me, there were master craftsmen in our family - "back in the Old Country (Poland)."  I'm probably the first woman, though!  I think my interest likely came from my grandmother and her love for antiques.  I still have the furniture - it's been in our family for generations!  A fine illustration of the enduring quality of wood.
 
 

Everyone in our family has taken an interest in woodworking - even our children.  My husband Chris is a very talented woodworker himself.  He deserves much of the credit for my work.  As sexist as it may sound - there are a lot of men who would have difficulty giving up their "domain" over the garage and power tools to a woman - expecially their wife!  Chris has never discouraged me.  We enjoy working together and hope that someday our business will grow enough to keep him home as well!

Our shop consists of a drill press, belt sander, scroll saw, table saw, and band saw.  I'd be hard pressed to choose which one I could do without!  But there was a time when I did all of my work with my jigsaw, a circular saw and a sanding block.  It's easy to get caught up in "tool envy" - but I'm humbled when I look at what our forefathers did with a hand saw, chisel and brace!

If your woodworking is a family affair, one of the best teaching books for children is the 'FisherPrice All About Tools Book'. I love that book!
 
 

A lot of our toys are finished with my own oil blend, which includes orange oil.  It's become our signature.  It's non-toxic, and imparts a pleasant aroma.  It's great for baby toys that are mouthed, and makes them easy to clean and refinish.  Items such as our rocking horse are finished with Danish oil and hand-rubbed with paste wax.  Wooden toys can be loved for generations, and this type of finish allows for spot refinishing without stripping the whole piece.  I try to avoid paint and polyurethane, unless it is specifically requested.

Oh yes, another tool I'd add to my wish list - a branding iron!

My favorite book on toymaking is "animated Toys" by David Wakefield.  If you like toys, it's a great source of inspiration.  

My advice to a novice - don't be intimidated - everyone starts at the beginning.  Learn the rules of safety - respect your equipment (including your fingers, eyes and lungs) - read everything you can - and take it slowly.  A scroll saw is a great starter tool.  They can be relatively inexpensive, don't take much roon, are versatile, and leave a finish that doesn't require much sanding.  They are simple to use - a lot like using a sewing machine.  Talk to other woodworkers - don't isolate yourself in your shop!  There is so much you don't have to learn the hard way.  There are even woodworking chats on the internet that welcome novices.

Presently our shop is in our garage.  It isn't the best arrangement because we don't have a dedicated finishing area.  Everything has to shut down for finishing, so we don't kick up any dust.  Someday I'd like to have a climate-controlled building - it gets pretty cold out there in December!