About Us
Xylocopa takes its name from the carpenter bee, one of nature's finest woodworkers.
We're a husband-wife team from Tucson, Arizona and we make all our products from scratch right at home in the American southwest. Our specialty is in making fine wooden jewelry, beads, toys, home decor, and inlay. We want to make the world a more interesting place with our unique creations and we hope you enjoy them!
For more information, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Andrew, founder and co-owner
Andrew is the driving force behind Xylocopa. He handles everything from manufacturing to shipping to writing this paragraph. If you have any questions, he's the one to ask.
In the past, he's run a successful used book business, studied traditional architecture, language, and cooking in Japan, received a degree in linguistics, developed all kinds of crazy and useful software, and serviced more than a few things with no user serviceable parts inside. Currently, aside from working on Xylocopa with Michele, he repairs and builds unusual bicycles and other machinery, raises cats and chickens, grows five varieties of organic peppers, and generally tries to accomplish more at once than anyone really should.
Michele, chief designer and co-owner
Michele is responsible for the art and design behind nearly every product that Xylocopa makes. While her artistic talent is undeniable, she is also an accomplished scientist, musician, and expert chicken tamer. She performs banjo, fiddle, and saw in several local Tucson musical acts, including the percussion/fire ensemble Mata Leao and the Grub Springs All-Insect Old Time String Band.
Jessica, contributing artist
Jessica is an accomplished illustrator and artist. She provides occasional graphic design services to Xylocopa and has worked with us to design products and promotional materials. She currently resides in Berlin, Germany.
