knack life :: slow & steady

 1// a peek in the windows at our newest display 2// gold leafing the latest FrogTape project 3// a teaser of a styled shoot 4// The Fussells came for a visit, and to shoot a special project of theirs 5// 11 Lois Ave :)How strange it is when one year turns into another.  A years end is loud, bright, fast - the holidays, the gatherings, one day melting into another until you can't even remember what day it is.  And then, stillness.  A new year brings with it a sense of calm, a slowing.  It's no different for us here at Knack.2014 ended in a flurry.  We are so grateful for a year so full of projects, joy, change, and challenges.  What a year it was.  In 2015, we will build on the bricks of last year, creating and hustling and stepping back to enjoy the fruits of our labor along the way.  We are so excited for the things to come in this new year. 

merry christmas :: 2014

2014 was a year of incredible opportunity, leaps of faith, stretching growth, saying no, saying yes, pondering, intentional direction, and focusing on joy. I am thankful for each and every moment given to me this past year, for all of you who continue to befriend and support me here, and for the many, many blessings this life brings.I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!xo,Barb

Gift Guide :: Home and Host

 You're going to a lot of parties and family dinners in the next week, right?  Give your hosts something to remember you by for months to come.  Today we are walking you through our favorite gifts for hosts, and for the home.Clockwise:

1. Pinch bowls by Crave : a delicate white ceramic bowl for earrings, dips, whathaveyou.
2. Ribbon Bottle Opener : let them open your beverage sweetly and in style
3. Round Cutting Board by Old Greenville : repay their kind service with a beautiful, reclaimed wood cutting board
4. Letterpress Coasters : show them you care about their coffee table by sliding one of these under your drink, or under their tree
5. Vintage Car Plate (in store only) : a one of a kind gift for a one of a kind host
6. Beechwood Spoon : these lovely carved spoons will lend a rustic charm to their kitchen
7. Green and Natural Tea Towel : you just can't go wrong with a tea towel

Knack Stories :: The Sullivans

Every now and then, we will meet someone through the shop who just gets us; someone who seems to understand what Knack is about; someone who knows how to live with what they love.  Dee Sullivan is just such a person.  Our latest Knack story comes from her family of seven (!!!) and their beautiful, nearly hundred-year-old home in North Carolina that they have been renovating one room at a time:

We eat, homeschool, work on art and other projects, do budgets, pray together, play games, entertain guests and have long family discussions in this room.  We thought it would be a great room to overhaul first.

 

Dee and her husband, Don, decided to turn their formerly dark, moody dining room to the lighter side, with the aid of some inspiration.

I had been blogging to keep all of my Canadian family and friends updated on our lives and to show off the paintings, collages and ceramics I was selling on Etsy.  In doing so, I ended up meeting some wonderful people.  Two of my very favorite artists/bloggers were and are Annie Koelle and Barb Blair.  They are two very talented ladies!!  So when I first saw the furniture pieces they worked on together I was smitten, especially with one certain piece, a gorgeous hutch named Kalymenia whose buttery cream paint perfectly applied by Barb along with the soft ocean and mountain scene reminded me of Vancouver, BC. (The place I moved from 8 years ago to come to the South.)  …. My love knew I wanted this piece ever so much, so after a visit or two to Knack, he surprised me with buying Kalymenia as a gift.  I was ecstatic!!

Dee and Don also brought a locally made cedar table home from Knack, which Don has stained a driftwood/aged cedar grey, adding even more warmth to their fresh white dining room.

The pieces from Barb’s studio now both carry the feeling of Vancouver and make me feel cheery and at home here in the South.  Even better to me is knowing that the creative spirits of local artists and artisans I admire massively are poured into these pieces.  We now have the cheeriest dining room ever and even though we are not quite finished (Who is really ever finished with their home?), these pieces give our most lived in room a nod to our love of the Northwest, a tribute to the local artists and artisans we admire and love, and they make a unique and creative space to gather, work and eat in.

Dee and Don and their big, happy family embody the very heart of home that we champion here at Knack.  We are so elated that two Knack pieces have found a forever home with the Sullivans.

peace :: priorities

If I have seen and learned this once...I have seen and learned it a million times. The constant fight to keep what is real, pure, everlasting, and significant before and above the superficial, fake, dust to ashes, status quo.Culture tells us to rage, primp, plump, add, take away, live for the moment, fit in, stand for nothing, fall for everything....and I for one will fight against all of that until the day I die.Give me peace like a river that floods my soul..... any day.{image via pinterest here}xo,Barb

Gift Guide :: Mighty Good Man

Listen, we get it.  Shopping for dudes is hard.  But whether it's your dad, brother, or beau's stocking that needs filling, we've got just the thing.1 // For the frugal fellow, a money clip to help keep those bills in his pocket.2 // A bandana that echoes his courageous spirit3 // A Teakwood & Tobacco candle to make his man cave smell divine4 // For the imbiber, a flask to keep his finest whiskies.5 // Lend a little more fun to his guys' nights with a pistol bottle opener. 

furniture makeover:: meet "titania"

My book deadline was this past Nov 1. and for the 8 months or so  prior to that date it was "full steam ahead" zero to one hundred kind of action. We hit the deadline and hit it hard, producing gorgeous work that I am super proud of...and it felt really, really rewarding.But.....I was also really, really tired. Tired in a blissful sort of way, but still in a way where I wanted to give my body and hands time to just chill.So, for the past few weeks I rested, and then I produced little miss Titania. Everything about her is sweet and soft and gracious......and exactly what my soul needed. Pink herringbone detail, jade green paint, flower knob, and glittering liner all came together perfectly just as my mind designed.All is well. If miss Titania speaks to you, she is available for purchase ( in shop only) at Knack. Knack is located at 11 Lois Ave. in Greenville, SC. Stop by and shop with us Tuesday - Saturday from 10-3!

let loose

Let yourself laugh.  Life is much sweeter when it's less serious.