When carving is your livelihood, there are always challenges. On top of being a carver, Janel manages both her own business and her husband's (he's a potter) and is the mother of a 9-year old son. Meeting the challenges often necessitates being innovative. And when you carve netsuke, it can be as basic as finding tools that enable you to work in detail on miniature projects. Standard woodcarving tools, for instance, are seldom small enough. As an alternative, Janel has investigated using metal engraving tools. She also makes some of her own.

The seed for being innovative and self-sufficient may have been planted by her father, who gave Janel an assignment and a mission: "Twenty-four years ago, my father told me to build my own tool box. He told me to take care of my own tools so 'others don't have to do it for you'." She says she also remembers the words of her teacher, renowned potter Marguerite Wildenhain, who made it clear to her that "women have to be dedicated if they want to go on making pots for a living." It's just as true when you're making your living as a carver.