I may have alluded to this or even mentioned it outright before, but I'm no designer. Not only can I not design, but I'm also pretty sure that any designer I ever tried to hire would quit or fire me after a short span of time.
Working with a designer and a carpenter on this adventure has forced me to learn some things, and I'm going to share them back with you when there aren't projects & other Painted Hammer related things to go on about in this blog space. Today's word from the world of design is patina. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary tells us this: *** pa·ti·na noun \pə-ˈtē-nə, ˈpa-tə-nə\ : a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time : a shiny or dark surface that forms naturally on something (such as wood or leather) that is used for a long time : a thin layer *** I understand why designers use the word "patina" for this. Advertising something as "weathered" just isn't as inviting.
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Shane cut Audrey some of these in pine, and she had a totally different approach. Which I love. You will too!
SOLD!!! One pair of gargoyles, formerly resting on the stone topped table in our booth (vendor code SLAW) at the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta.
Why the excitement? What's the big deal? That's what these booths are for, to sell things. Here's the thing: this pair of gargoyles is our very first sale from the booth. We are relieved, excited, delighted, and we are celebrating. Thank you, shopper, we hope you enjoy your purchase. Send your friends!!! It took a week and a day, but it happened. Now we look forward to more sales. The more we sell, the more new things we can find & make. And that's what generates fun in this adventure. Although these shelves are now on display & available for purchase in our booth at the Queen, I wanted to take a moment to share a kind of behind the scenes with you. When I wasn't looking, Shane (aka Mr. Hammer) showed his sister (Audrey, aka Mrs. Paint) an idea he had seen on Pinterest from blogger FthatS (now blogging as A Green(ish) Life). He liked it, she liked it, so he went shopping for supplies. When he started, I thought Shane was building a massive display unit. But he wasn't. He was building a whole bunch of box shelves that can be used individually, in small groups, or as a unit (but with many shape options). I love this set. With a little paint and some styling from Audrey, this project is no longer a project! We now have a gorgeous set of 8 modular shelves with an amazing distressed look to them. My imagination is running wild with the options this shelving set could bring to a home!
This pallet bench is another item that I delivered to The Queen for The Painted Hammer Booth...but I was sad to see it go. We just sold all of our dining furniture, and our dining nook is sad & empty. This bench would have filled that void, well this bench and a few others. Audrey asked Shane to make this, but her request was pretty flexible. She asked for a pallet bench, and Shane handled the details. Notice, in the middle picture, that you have a lovely square with rounded corners on each end. That was an intentional design element. You'll also notice that the bench top has darker planks on the outside and lighter planks on the inside. Another intentional element. I like the work that these two do together. I'll share more as I witness it!
Pallet planters are awesome. However, it is 21 degrees outside as I type this. I know planters are great for succulents and that they're perfectly suited for herbs, but I'm going to focus on a great indoor use since it is so very cold right now: display & storage. My nephew's Matchbox car collection would fit perfectly in one of these. So would arts & crafts materials. Magazines or books too. The options are endless, and that's why Shane constructed three, all with different dimensions. Enjoy the snapshots!
A few weeks ago, Audrey ordered a wooden boards in a variety of lengths & widths with a variety of edges. He made them up and delivered them. This past weekend, we got to see what she did with four of the plaques. Awesome colors, scripting, sayings, and look! We have a booth sign now! As always, I look forward to seeing what she does with the rest of the plaques, and I promise to share them with you either here or on our Facebook page. Until then, we just have to show patience!
Check out this little wine box with casters! It started life as a box for 6 bottles of wine, but it's been upgraded to a mobile wine box for general storage. Before I tell you about this project, let me give you some back story. I was feeling left out. Shane was busy building things that Audrey ordered, and Audrey was busy getting her inventory lined up and dressing up the things that Shane had built. I had nothing to post to the website or social networks, I had no spreadsheets to maintain, I had nothing to photograph. So instead of moping about, I decided to dabble in pickin'. I checked out a place that has old, unwanted stuff. I walked around. I found a toy for my 18 month old niece, a spice rack for me, and a cross-stitch accessory that my sister didn't want. But nothing to pick and repurpose for The Painted Hammer. And then I saw it. A crate. A small crate. On closer examination, I saw that it was made of wood, and it was made to carry wine. 6 bottles of wine, to be precise. And it was a good good deal. So I bought it, very tentatively. I took it home, took a picture, and sent it to Audrey. She loved it, she said, but she wouldn't use it as shelving (my idea = okay), she would put casters on it (her idea = much clever-er). So we put casters on it (after I learned what casters were). Shane even gave the little box some stubby legs with the casters. And now it sits in our booth. I'm delighted that my step into the unknown turned into something that Audrey & Shane wanted in our booth. If it does sell, I'm going to be so proud. If it doesn't sell, I may steal it, give it a light stain, and see if it looks good somewhere in my house. I wonder if they'll charge me for it?! Starting today, you can visit The Painted Hammer at The Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta! We are vendor code SLAW, located in the store on the S. Battery St aisle, and we are so very excited. Side note: Every vendor at The Queen chooses a vendor code when they start their booth. SLAW is a clever combination of our co-founders' initials, Shane Levin and Audrey Wood. Mrs. Paint (Audrey Wood) and Mr. Hammer (her brother, Shane Levin) took some shelving, some tools, and some goodies to sell up to the booth last night during The Queen's extended Thursday hours. But don't worry, this is just a teaser inventory so that shoppers can see we're moving in. Over the next couple of days and beyond, this booth will evolve into the vision that Audrey & Shane share. I'm probably the most anxious and excited to see what the booth will look like then!
Come see us! Until you can make it out, you can get updates on Facebook or our web page dedicated to our efforts at the Queen. I ordered a set of very simple, pre-designed business cards to use as we ramp up. I felt like we should have something that we can give out or let shoppers take home with them. So I made a card that is specifically for our Queen of Hearts booth, and that only has contact information for Audrey. I decided this because Audrey is the center of this universe. She got the booth, and she is designing the booth, stocking the booth, and "ordering" additional items from Shane. At this point in the process, I'd be afraid that if Shane or I got a call or an email for The Painted Hammer we would stammer something unintelligible and then just get Audrey to talk to them! I ordered the cards from Vistaprint, using their fantastic deal (250 cards for $10). It was very easy to use. I chose a pre-designed layout and a stock image for this first batch, and then typed my words in the boxes on the screen. Do you know what the hardest part was? Not giving in to Vistaprint's very good upsell marketing. As you go through the process, they say things like "Nice business cards, do you need return address labels?" and then they show you what matching business cards would look like. Then they say "Nice business cards, do you need a stamp?", and so on. I resisted, this time, but I do expect to order more cards from them next time, with customized images and logos, and I do not expect to be as strong this next time. Happy Boxing day, friends! |