Working during retirement; Two Fort Mojave women have fun and make money

By Dominika Maslikowski

News West

FORT MOJAVE - Wendy Currier and Penny Coburn normally begin their workdays around 8 a.m., settling into Coburn's garage and spreading out their materials at their workstations. Over the course of the workday - which normally lasts about seven hours - they'll drill, hammer, cut, shape and paint anything from wood and foam to wire.

It isn't how most people picture retirement, but Currier and Coburn say they couldn't imagine spending their days idly watching TV.

The pair make projects like earrings, miniature replicas of local casinos, birdhouses, wind chimes, shadowboxes and fountains. Sometimes inspiration comes from the materials they store in the cabinets reaching the ceiling. Other times they see something interesting in an arts and crafts magazine they can't wait to try. Sometimes they get artist's block and can't imagine their next project. But more often they scour yard sales and put their own crafty spin on whatever they find.

“It's boring doing one thing,” Currier said. “We have to diversify.”

Their more unique creations include a tray made out of a scrabble board with coasters from the letter game pieces and a replica of the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall, which is now displayed in the casino's offices.

Their neighbors at first thought the pair was crazy, but have now learned not to throw anything away lest Currier and Coburn use it for their next project.

“We look at things differently than other people,” Currier said. “Sometimes we just look at the cabinets and wait for something to speak.”

The pair live within a block of each other and met three years ago when Coburn asked Currier to help decorate her house. Soon they were making birdhouses, curtains and shadowboxes to spruce up Coburn's living room and yard, and they've been inseparable ever since. Besides spending six days a week working together on their crafts, they often spend their holidays together or go shopping.

“We just clicked,” Coburn said. “There was no arguing, everything melded together.”

In the summer, when temperatures climb above 100 degrees, the pair remain in the garage with the door open - preferring to stay there and enjoy the view from their driveway instead of shutting themselves up in their house.

And although they say their work is done for fun - not profit - people did take them more seriously after their first CornFest appearance and boutique sale.

Now a boutique in Fort Mojave, called Crafty Coyote, sells their handiwork as fast as the pair can create it. They've done several projects on commission and will soon be appearing at Avi Casino's Market Extravaganza event in March.

They work underneath a sign saying “Two Old Broads,” which they painted themselves onto a wooden board. The nickname originated when they were showing their work at Avi Casino's Octoberfest, and the clerk asked for the name of their business.

“We're just two old broads,” they said, and the clerk wrote that on their form.

And although they both enjoyed some form of craft before they met, Currier and Coburn say they push and inspire each other to be better than they'd be on their own.

If they'd never met, their art “wouldn't have evolved as intricately,” Currier said.

“And the more evolved, the more interesting it becomes.”