Ron & Ellie Purvis are a husband and wife team that makeup Mt. Hood Craft. Ron has been working with wood across many different forms since childhood and Ellie has had various creative endeavors throughout her life as well - sewing, cake decorating, even face painting. When Ron began woodturning and introduced Ellie to combining wood and resin 10 years ago, they were both inspired and have enjoyed collaborating ever since. Mt. Hood Craft primarily uses locally sourced, fallen trees for all of their projects, often taking their two kids out to the local national forests with a forestry permit to collect fallen trees. They love to travel and camp and are inspired by the beauty of Oregon, especially the Mt. Hood region. Whether turning a bowl or making a tray, they always begin by drying the wood to a low moisture content over several weeks to months in a warming cabinet. The wood pieces are then either turned on a lathe to make a bowl or sealed with wood conditioner to prep for becoming a tray or coasters. The wood for trays and coasters is laid out in a custom-built mold and weighted down to prevent floating. A two-part liquid resin is mixed together and pigment is added for coloring. Once mixed, there is a short window of time to pour the resin alongside the wood before it starts to cure. After a few days of curing, the now solid wood and resin block are removed from the mold. This rough piece then gets squared up and planed. At this point, the finishing process is similar for both bowl making and tray/coaster creation. After being worked into the desired shape the bowl, tray, or coasters are sanded through finer and finer grits, and finally, a food-safe oil and wax mixture is applied to bring out the grain of the wood and the shine of the resin.