I am an artisan blacksmith and a member of the League of NH Craftsmen. As I was about to be laid off from Digital/Compaq in 1998, I watched a blacksmith demonstration at a state fair and got hooked.  I used my severance to build my own little shop and got started creating fun yet functional pieces, often using re-purposed material such as old horseshoes. I took a 1-day class at the New England Blacksmiths, in the Brentwood, NH location to learn which end of the hammer to hold! Lots of floral and “critters” like moose, rams, and owls followed. I have moose, horse, and owl hooks, letter openers, and paper towel holders all over the U.S. Filling an ETSY order for a moose coat hook shipped to Alaska was great fun!