I'm Jeff, and I like to make things.
Ever since I was a kid growing up in Redding CA I've been putting things together or taking things apart. LEGO, Erector sets, little electronic kits. One of my earliest building memories is my dad buying me a bag of concrete when I was five. I even faked being sick one day in kindergarten so I could go home early and make something with it. Pretty weird, right?
In the 80s, I got my hands on early home computers like the Timex Sinclair, the Commodore 64, and an early PC. I discovered I liked writing my own little games more than playing them.
In the late 80s, I got a job as a cabinetmaker and learned I could do some pretty cool stuff with wood. I did that for about ten years. When the internet showed up in the mid 90s, my love of programming came back through web design. In late 2000, I switched gears and started my own web design agency.
Since then, I've had a mix of software development jobs, including 15 years at Western Oregon University's Research Institute. I still run my agency, UpStart Productions, where I help nonprofits untangle tech problems and build tools that make their work easier.
Craft NW is my little corner of the internet to share whatever thing has captured my attention at the moment. That might be wood lamps, drinking games, which is funny because I quit drinking, productivity cards, little notes, or anything else that sounds fun to make. Some of it ends up in my Etsy shop, just to see if anyone else likes it as much as I do.
Thanks for stopping by. Drop me a note, or follow me on the socials.