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Filana

From the mountains of Switzerland to the mountains of Colorado

When people ask me what it do, I tend to answer, "I make crayons."

There's nothing like that to get a smile out of anyone. And they usually ask the same question, "I've never met a crayon maker before. How did you start doing that?"

And that's where the story begins.

I loved to make things as a child. Lots of things. And I was a stained glass craftsman. When I moved to Switzerland to study painting in my 20s, I was offered a job at a color laboratory where I was taught to make pigments from plants. We made all sorts of natural school supplies, including crayons. I decided to become a Waldorf elementary and middle school teacher after that..

I was around crayons every day in the Waldorf schools. Color is as much a part of the day as any other subject or activity and I loved teaching drawing and painting. I saw the positive and long-lasting effect that color and coloring had on children.

I thought to myself, "When I'm finished teaching someday, I'd like to make a crayon without any paraffin or "petro" waxes." And after I retired from classroom teaching, my wife Elise and I decided to give it a try. I spent months in my home laboratory and tried over 140 different combinations of waxes, oils and pigments until I came up with the Filana crayon. Made with beeswax and other natural, organic, and wild-crafted waxes and oils, it was a transparent crayon and glided across the page. The colors were brilliant and jewel-like. It's the same crayon we make everyday.

We make our crayons in a small factory in rural Western Colorado in a beautiful town called Paonia. It's about two hours west of Aspen and three hours east of Moab, Utah. We're a family business in a small town. Both of our boys are grown now and they play an active role in our company.

Our crayons are the most beautiful and luscious crayons your children will ever use. They're completely non-toxic and free from petro waxes.

Thanks for supporting us and being part of our family.

-David Kennedy