ABOUT ME ✨

A woman sits on a cozy, heavily styled couch in a rustic cabin interior. The couch is covered in colorful crocheted and patterned blankets and pillows, including a prominent yellow and brown chevron throw, a star-patterned pillow, and a multicolor granny-square blanket.

"Anything is possible if you’re willing to keep trying."

— Brandy's delusional brain

"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

— Maya Angelou

"I want woodworking to feel accessible to everyone. Especially women and people who may not see themselves represented in the traditional woodworking world."

— My Mission

"Don't just dream it, make it happen!"

— Handy Dandy Brandy

"Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else."

— Fred Rogers

A woman sits on a colorful crocheted sofa holding three wooden cutting boards with different patterns, in a cozy, rustic room with a framed art print on the wall.

Hey, I'm Brandy!

Handy Dandy Brandy is a nickname my dad called me, simply because it rhymed. So it isn't just my business name... it really is a part of my identity lol.

I went to school for design at CSULB, where I learned graphic design, rendering, hand drawing, model building, branding, and more.

I’d always wanted to be an artist, but design seemed like the best artistic avenue to getting a “real job.” Turns out, I just couldn’t shake the artist out of myself. I didn’t want to sit at a desk or behind a computer all day,I wanted to make things with my hands!

That unsatisfied feeling started to fade when I found woodworking. I realized I could dream up an object and then actually figure out how to make it myself.

I’ve always been a hands-on person. When I have an idea, I want to see it through from start to finish. An idea is a whole lot more fun once you can hold it in your hands. You get that with woodworking.

I started collecting second hand tools, learning new skills and figuring out each new tool as I went. I fell in love with the process. I’ve been collecting, learning, and making ever since.

When did this all start and how?

After a few years of taking on custom jobs for friends, family, and random people on the internet who I couldn’t believe trusted me, I decided it was probably time to take an actual woodworking class.

I looked around for local programs and found one at Cerritos College. I took a class where we learned to make a cutting board, a side table, and a frame. Apparently, that was all the confidence I needed lol.

After the class ended, I made about 30 cutting boards, put together a holiday market, sold out, and basically decided, “Welp, I guess this is my business now.”

And I just never stopped making them.

Since then, my projects, tools, skills, and ideas have gotten a whole lot bigger. I recently took a pretty big step and moved into a warehouse after years of working out of my crumbling, 100-year-old garage.

It feels like a new chapter, but the goal is still the same: dream up things that don’t exist yet, and figure out how to make them.

Why cutting boards?

The truth is, I’d rather make a lot of small things for more people than one big piece for just one person. I also love that my pieces are small enough to ship affordably, making them accessible to people all over. I want as many households as possible to be able to own something fun, unique, and handmade.

More than anything, I want to bring the FUN to woodworking! Woodworking has been around for thousands of years, and a lot of people take it VERY seriously. I am not one of those people.

I want woodworking to feel accessible to everyone. Especially women and people who may not see themselves represented in the traditional woodworking world. I try to share my process in a way that’s approachable, entertaining, and most importantly, not intimidating. You don’t have to know everything or do everything the “right” way to start making things.

And never hesitate to reach out with questions! If something I make inspires you to try making something yourself, that’s even better. :)

Portraits by Aimee Nicolas