We used to have a deal, my husband and I.

He’s a woodworker, which can be somewhat of an expensive hobby. The deal was that he would make whatever project I picked out, as long as it called for him to buy a new power tool. It worked well – hallway mirror, plant stand, storage bench and built-in window seat for me; steadily growing tool inventory for him.

And then he broke the rule – and that was the end of our fabulous arrangement. Here’s what happened.

One day he came home and proudly announced that he had bought a lathe. I didn’t recall picking out a new project that required any such tool, and mentioned that to him. He said he was aware of that, but it was a great deal and the guy at the store had told him he could make pens with it. Huh? I’d never even heard of such a thing, but ok…

From that day forward, I’d more often than not find him in the shop turning pens or on Ebay surfing for cool wood from which to make these pens.

Gradually he started selling finished pens to friends, co-workers and businesses. He also decided on a whim one day to post a lot of pen blanks (pieces of wood 3/4″ x 3/4″ by 5″ long that serve as the basis of the pen barrel) on Ebay to see if anyone would buy it. Oddly shaped boxes and lumpy packages started arriving on our door step on a regular basis – burl and other wood chunks he’d won on Ebay to be cut into pen blanks and re-sold.

As the Ebay business grew, I built him a small website, he registered a business number and name and he began to envision a utopian dream where all he would do all day was work in and with wood. He started getting request from wood buyers to start selling all the hardware and tooling needed to make pens as well.

That led to a new website with built-in shopping cart capabilities, going to wood shows and before I knew it, William Wood-Write Ltd had become an incorporated company. Then came an online social network for penturners called A Penturner’s Paradise – but that’s another story for another post!

Bill now works full time in our business as we try to grow it and make it successful. Being a small business owner is not without its challenges, troubles and extremely long hours, but on the whole, I can’t say I’ve ever seen him happier.

I guess it just goes to show that sometimes it does pay to colour outside the lines and not stick to the rules 100%. Now, I must admit, he’s never built me another piece of project furniture again…but yesterday he did make me a really, really cool pen.

A pen made of coffee beans - perfect for a java addict like me!