The Storyteller's Tavern

Chapter 8:9 - Anne Briggs

Anne Briggs is a farmer, woodworker, and educator who turns big, overwhelming dreams into approachable, everyday practices. She blends regenerative agriculture, “lazy gardening,” and traditional hand-tool woodworking into stories and systems that help people build real skills and a life they love using whatever they have to get there. Through her online content and in-person classes, she invites folks to use their hands and their minds in a way that feels playful, honest, and sustainable. She leaves every interaction with a challenge: get outside, get your hands dirty, and look for the good. Because “whether you look for the bad or the good, you’ll find it. Finding the good even in the mundane is the first step towards building a life and a legacy bigger than yourself.” We close out 2025 Maker Camp with Anne as we talk about just how meaningful this event has become to the broader maker community. Anne discusses her start in making, learning from old timers with old tools, and guiding future generations of makers. She speaks about the importance of stewardship, not just with tools, but with skills and knowledge as well. And content creation as an act of service, not self-promotion. Anne touches on her long, difficult journey into motherhood and what it’s teaching her. We discuss the challenges, and well-earned rewards, that come with choosing hard work and creative living. In an emotional wrap up, we all share highlights from the weekend. Anne’s observation that “this is where the good stuff is” really hits home.  Like everything Anne does, this one is full of honesty, hope, a little humor, and a whole lot of heart. More Anne Anne Briggs - Anne of All Trades [https://www.instagram.com/anneofalltrades/] Website [https://www.anneofalltrades.com/]

Chapter 8:8 - Ed & Jeff

Ed Mancini of Mancini Woodworking and Jeff from Makers Way are two furniture builders, storytellers, and longtime pillars of the maker community whose friendship is built on equal parts craftsmanship, mutual support, and an absolutely relentless commitment to giving each other a hard time. Ed Mancini of Mancini Woodworking spent twenty years as an Army tanker  -  driver, loader, gunner, commander  -  learning, in his words, how to destroy things. When he got out, he needed an outlet. Woodworking became that, and then it became something much bigger. Jeff from Makers Way is a furniture builder, a self-described quasi YouTuber, and someone who is, despite all evidence to the contrary, pretty shy. That’s it. That’s his whole bio. Beyond woodworking, this conversation turns to  rediscovery, friendship and what happens when people who’ve spent years building things finally find the community that helps them build themselves. The four of us talk about the origin of their friendship, the early days of the Instagram maker community; and why Maker Camp isn’t really about the tools at all - it’s about the people, the relationships, and the feeling of finally finding where you belong. Heads up: this one goes off the rails in some places, but rest assured there’s plenty of laughter, some swears, and at least one discussion about tanks and disco balls. More Ed & Jeff Ed Mancini  - Mancini Woodworking [https://www.instagram.com/manciniwoodworking/] Jeff Henke - Maker's Way [https://www.instagram.com/makers_way/]

Chapter 8:7 - Kerges & Tamara

Leigh and Mush sit down with Kerges Nimen and Tamara Robertson, two people whose paths into making couldn’t look more different on the surface, but who are connected by something deeper. Kergis is a silversmith whose work captures both delicacy and strength, fusing fire, metal, and meaning into jewelry that shines with unmistakable personality. Tamara - part engineer, part MythBuster, part author, part educator - is back on the pod and back at Maker Camp to lead Tinkering T-Rex workshops, build stomp rockets with kids, and spread her lifelong passion for curiosity in motion. Together, they represent two sides of the same spark: one grounded in patient craft, the other fueled by scientific wonder, both rooted in teaching and community. We get into Tamara’s work restoring and operating steam locomotives, and what it means to care for machines that were built generations before us - ones that don’t forgive shortcuts, but teach you to listen, to feel, and to earn your understanding one mistake at a time. We also talk about how learning used to happen through proximity - by standing next to someone who knew more than you, watching, trying and failing - and how that kind of learning still exists today, if you’re willing to seek it out. And we get into a familiar truth about making: it’s not just about the object. It’s about the people, the mentors, the friendships, and the communities that form when curious humans gather around shared obsession. More Kerges & Tamara Kerges Nimen Silversmithing [https://www.instagram.com/kergesnimensilversmithing/] The Real Tamara Robertson [https://www.instagram.com/therealtamararobertson/]

Chapter 8:6 - Dennis Forrester

Dennis Forrester of 21Grams Leather Goods is a leather artist whose work carries both the precision of tattooing and the heart of recovery. What began as a creative outlet during the stillness of the pandemic has evolved into a partnership with Weaver Leather Supply and a life centered around teaching, collaboration, and storytelling through craft. His designs pull from American traditional tattoo imagery - bold lines, timeless symbols, a touch of rebellion - and he’s built a reputation not just for what he makes, but for the way he shares it, with humor, humility, and a real sense of gratitude. We sit down with Dennis to talk about the long road from tattoo parlors and graffiti walls in Huntington Beach to the leather tent at Maker Camp. We dive into how addiction and art became intertwined, how turning creative energy into tangible craft helped rebuild a sense of purpose, and how a single experiment with tracing paper led to a patented process now in shops around the world. We talk about mentorship, friendship, and the kind of community that shows up for you when you least expect it: from fellow crafters like Ethan Carter and Jay Nielsen to the next generation of artists discovering leather for the first time.  Just a heads up: there are some swears in this episode, and we do get into some conversations that deal with addiction, mental health struggles, and recovery. All that said: this one’s raw, funny, and hopeful: a story about making, surviving, and choosing every day to turn experience into art. More Dennis Dennis Forrester - 21Grams Leather Goods [https://www.instagram.com/21grams_leathergoods/] Website [https://21gramsleathergoods.com/]

Chapter 8:5 - Jackman & Graz

Paul Jackman and John “Graz” Graziano are two of the most recognizable (and ridiculous) personalities in the maker world right now. You may know them from the Netflix show Making Fun, from their YouTube channels full of chaos, creativity, and power tools, and from the unmistakable blend of sarcasm and sincerity that follows them wherever they go. Between Jackman’s precision woodworking and Graz’s unfiltered comic energy, they’ve carved out a corner of the community that’s equal parts absurd, inspiring, and deeply human. We sit down with the guys to talk about what really went on behind the scenes of Making Fun: the late nights, the camaraderie, and the fact that it somehow felt more like summer camp than television. They dig into the early days of the show, the chaotic chemistry that made it work, and the joy (and chaos) of creating something funny, heartfelt, and handmade in front of cameras. They talk about skate ramps, dumpster diving, wooden boots, and how AI is changing the creative process. It’s part reflection, part roast, and part maker therapy session, full of laughter, nostalgia, and a genuine love for the community that made it all possible. And just as a heads up: there are some swears in this episode! More Paul & John Paul Jackman - Jackman Works [https://www.instagram.com/jackman_works/] John Graziano - Graz Makes [https://www.instagram.com/grazmakes/]