Padauk Bowl with Epoxy Lid

In a small sunlit workshop nestled at the edge of the woods, Debbie ran her fingers along the swirling grain of a freshly sanded padauk bowl. The wood shimmered with rich reds and oranges, as if it still carried the warmth of the African sun where the tree had once grown. It was her finest work yet — smooth, balanced, alive with character.

But it wasn’t finished.

For weeks, Debbie had been dreaming of a lid that would do the bowl justice. Not just any lid — one that would seal the spirit of the piece. So she poured and shaped, layer by layer, a translucent epoxy top, swirling with copper dust and flecks of obsidian. Embedded at the center was a tiny fossil she'd found while hiking the cliffs last fall, a spiral shell frozen in time.

When the lid cured and clicked softly into place, the bowl sang a quiet note — not audible, but felt.

Debbie didn’t sell that piece. She kept it on a shelf by the window, where the sun could catch the lid each morning. To anyone else, it was a beautiful handmade bowl. But to her, it was a conversation between elements — earth and resin, past and present, wood and woman.

Would you like the story expanded or turned into a children's version?

(Made by Debbie Pike for our Employee Build Challenge)

Finish: GF High Performance Gloss