Saturday, February 17, 2018
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Valentines Day and springing forward...
So, Valentines Day is here! Northwest Arkansas has seen a few warm sunny days recently but over-all it has been pretty gray around here. Today is warm enough but is a bit gray and somewhat damp. It's hard to get ready for spring when I feel like following the groundhog back in that hole for a few more weeks! But on the sunny days that we have had we have been making tons of progress at Rowanwood!
We have all been working hard helping out our sister-store in Prairie Grove, High on the Hog Vintage Market, get ready for Valentines Day and spring. I call it our sister store because the owner has become like one of the family, and Rowanwood is all about family! There are some amazing floral arrangments, homemade candies and live plants for Valentine's gifts and for the unconventional sort, Rowanwood has some heart shaped Plaster Paint Gift sets and tiny little pots and seeds.
But tomorrow when the dust settles and the candy is gone, we start on Spring! In the store it means getting the seed packest and potting soil up front and at Rowanwood we start prepping the soil for spring planting. Last years sorghum experiment went well so this year we expand! More sorghum and flour corn and this year we are starting Purple Bamboo! I can't wait to see it! In addition to that, years of work on our compost heaps is finally paying off. We are bagging up our good rich compost for potting soil (we call it Holy Crap) and we have a lot to work back into our own fields.
We have had the great fortune to include two young men in our ever-growing farm operation. It started out with firewood delivery but they have been helping us by cutting our dead trees. That keeps us stocked with wood, gives them some to sell and it is really cleaning up our forest so we reduce the risk of fire! Extra wood-cutters have helped us get more wood for the palisade wall that is going up in the front of the property, so Rowanwood Castle is beginning to take shape!
I see the sun peeking out a little now! My thoughts are moving fast toward spring! I really can't wait to be outside again!
We have all been working hard helping out our sister-store in Prairie Grove, High on the Hog Vintage Market, get ready for Valentines Day and spring. I call it our sister store because the owner has become like one of the family, and Rowanwood is all about family! There are some amazing floral arrangments, homemade candies and live plants for Valentine's gifts and for the unconventional sort, Rowanwood has some heart shaped Plaster Paint Gift sets and tiny little pots and seeds.
But tomorrow when the dust settles and the candy is gone, we start on Spring! In the store it means getting the seed packest and potting soil up front and at Rowanwood we start prepping the soil for spring planting. Last years sorghum experiment went well so this year we expand! More sorghum and flour corn and this year we are starting Purple Bamboo! I can't wait to see it! In addition to that, years of work on our compost heaps is finally paying off. We are bagging up our good rich compost for potting soil (we call it Holy Crap) and we have a lot to work back into our own fields.
We have had the great fortune to include two young men in our ever-growing farm operation. It started out with firewood delivery but they have been helping us by cutting our dead trees. That keeps us stocked with wood, gives them some to sell and it is really cleaning up our forest so we reduce the risk of fire! Extra wood-cutters have helped us get more wood for the palisade wall that is going up in the front of the property, so Rowanwood Castle is beginning to take shape!
I see the sun peeking out a little now! My thoughts are moving fast toward spring! I really can't wait to be outside again!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
Sunday, January 21, 2018
National School Choice Open House
Today was our open house to kick off National School Choice Week. Now, I was thrilled to have an open house and get people here to paint and tour Rowanwood, but I have to say, School Choice is a thing that is near and dear to my heart.
Back in the mid 80's I heard about homeschooling for the first time. My school years were not a happy time for me. I was a bright kid, teachers liked me and I WANTED to learn! Every year I would start school all excited to get new books and hope that this was the year we would really start learning the interesting stuff. Uh no. In addition, I was bullied and harassed. By 10th grade I had had enough. I signed myself out of school (Mother was furious) and never went back. I took a 2 year break, went to 3 months of GED classes and graduated at the same time as my high school class. ( With high scores I might add)
So as a young mom in the 80's I heard about home schooling. I had 2 kids in school at that time. I attended a few meetings of local home school associations and decided I could do it. The first battle was with the school district. It wasn't as easy then as it is now to get textbooks and supplies and it was expensive! I maintained that I lived in the district and paid taxes, so my kids were entitled to the books they would have used at school that year. They did not agree. Finally, to shut me up, they let me have access to the discarded book room.
The next year we moved to a different state that had it on the ballot to make homeschooling illegal. That was voted down but public opinion was pretty negative toward homeschooling. And I get it. Some people are just too lazy to send kids to school and some are hiding abuse. I get how the system can be abused. And I am ashamed to admit that a few times I threw my hands up and put my kids in public school. It never worked for us so I would start homeschooling again. By the time my youngest two were in school, a great thing called the internet had been invented and a tiny town in Colorado had started an online program for their students that sometimes had to miss school for bad weather and the program was so successful that they opened it up for enrollment to kids outside their district. Online public school. For my family it was the best of both worlds.
Today there are choices. Public school, charter school, private school, online public school, home school and the GED is still a thing! Half of my grandkids go to public schools and half are in online public school. And that's ok. Because for me it's all about having the choice to do what is right for your family.
So, I liked being able to get Rowanwood involved in kicking off this week. I don't know if our event will impact that many people, but maybe it will. Maybe a few more people know they have choices. That's pretty cool.
Back in the mid 80's I heard about homeschooling for the first time. My school years were not a happy time for me. I was a bright kid, teachers liked me and I WANTED to learn! Every year I would start school all excited to get new books and hope that this was the year we would really start learning the interesting stuff. Uh no. In addition, I was bullied and harassed. By 10th grade I had had enough. I signed myself out of school (Mother was furious) and never went back. I took a 2 year break, went to 3 months of GED classes and graduated at the same time as my high school class. ( With high scores I might add)
So as a young mom in the 80's I heard about home schooling. I had 2 kids in school at that time. I attended a few meetings of local home school associations and decided I could do it. The first battle was with the school district. It wasn't as easy then as it is now to get textbooks and supplies and it was expensive! I maintained that I lived in the district and paid taxes, so my kids were entitled to the books they would have used at school that year. They did not agree. Finally, to shut me up, they let me have access to the discarded book room.
The next year we moved to a different state that had it on the ballot to make homeschooling illegal. That was voted down but public opinion was pretty negative toward homeschooling. And I get it. Some people are just too lazy to send kids to school and some are hiding abuse. I get how the system can be abused. And I am ashamed to admit that a few times I threw my hands up and put my kids in public school. It never worked for us so I would start homeschooling again. By the time my youngest two were in school, a great thing called the internet had been invented and a tiny town in Colorado had started an online program for their students that sometimes had to miss school for bad weather and the program was so successful that they opened it up for enrollment to kids outside their district. Online public school. For my family it was the best of both worlds.
Today there are choices. Public school, charter school, private school, online public school, home school and the GED is still a thing! Half of my grandkids go to public schools and half are in online public school. And that's ok. Because for me it's all about having the choice to do what is right for your family.
So, I liked being able to get Rowanwood involved in kicking off this week. I don't know if our event will impact that many people, but maybe it will. Maybe a few more people know they have choices. That's pretty cool.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Thursday Night Remodel Series
Starting tomorrow night we will be hosting our Thursday Night Remodel Series - Kitchens and Bathrooms for 4 consecutive Thursday nights. Cost is $10 per night or $35 for the whole series! That is the simple boring explanation.
But that doesn't begin to describe it! We are going to be learning skills, in a hands-on workshop, that will allow our students to confidently remodel their own kitchens and bathrooms or even go out and start their own small business, doing that for others. (I know I said WE will learning. I never quit learning or honing my skills so I'm it to learn, too) Now, I'm not talking about tearing out tile and counter tops and dragging in heavy materials to rebuild an entire kitchen. I'm not talking about spending thousands of dollars. I'm talking about showing our students how to use a relatively inexpensive product to refresh and and renew existing fixtures to give them a new life!
I mean, have you seen this? My kitchen sink:
Now I hear someone say, "But I've used paint before, I know what it can do." Yeah. I said that, too. You just have to see what I'm talking about! That's why we are offering this class at such a low rate for the first series. This is the only time we will ever be offering this series for that price!
Come and join us for the Thursday night Series. If Thursdays don't work for you, let me know and we will try to schedule something that does!
But that doesn't begin to describe it! We are going to be learning skills, in a hands-on workshop, that will allow our students to confidently remodel their own kitchens and bathrooms or even go out and start their own small business, doing that for others. (I know I said WE will learning. I never quit learning or honing my skills so I'm it to learn, too) Now, I'm not talking about tearing out tile and counter tops and dragging in heavy materials to rebuild an entire kitchen. I'm not talking about spending thousands of dollars. I'm talking about showing our students how to use a relatively inexpensive product to refresh and and renew existing fixtures to give them a new life!
I mean, have you seen this? My kitchen sink:
Come and join us for the Thursday night Series. If Thursdays don't work for you, let me know and we will try to schedule something that does!
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Our first class was.....AWESOME!
We had our very first class at Rowanwood Plaster Paint Academy yesterday ! It was just SO SO SO GREAT! We had five students join us at the Academy plus a BUNCH more through the magic of Facebook LIVE! We worked on a kitchen vanity that will go in to Harveson House here at Rowanwood and the transformation was amazing!
From this
From this
To this
in under 3 hours! With our Thursday Night Remodel Series starting this week, we will be giving students hands on experience! The 4- part Kitchen and Bathroom series is just $35 for the whole series or $10 per night if you want to go a la carte . That fee will cover the cost of materials, we just want to share this with everyone who wants to learn!
I have so much to get done before Thursday but I will try to check in here soon!
Bye for now!
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Christmas, Academy, Plaster Paint and more...
The Academy building arrived as promised and we went to work!
The building looked a little great! Well built and just what we wanted. But once it was leveled it was up to us to make it part of the castle! We have been working on insulating and wiring and plumbing, oh my! By the time we hold our first class on January 6th, it will be ready to go!
One the same day that the building arrived a friend called for us to come get something he wanted us to have:
This cool old tool box is just the thing we need in the Academy to store supplies! It needs a bit of cleaning but I think it will look awesome!
Christmas time is upon us as well. Christmas has always been the holiday I look forward to the most. To me, it's not about a specific religion, it's about remembering that we are the family of man, and taking time to show that appreciation for others. Of course, we at Rowanwood don't go in for the commercial shopping aspect of it. The kids will get a few surprises from Santa, but for all of us this is the time of year that we scurry off to our private work areas to make surprises for each other. And then we all come together to work on whatever project we are making for family and friends this year. In years past we have done kitchen gift baskets, coconut oil cosmetics, Rowanwood ugli dolls, and Journal sets. This year is still a surprise!
Our Plaster Paint is now available here at Rowanwood and on our website and at two locations in Lincoln and Prairie Grove! I want to thank our friends at Vintage on the Square and High on the Hog for carrying our paint in their stores!
So it is busy around here, but it's a good problem to have!
Happy Holidays y'all!
c
Friday, December 1, 2017
Well, now it's December again! New Building, new ventures...
TODAY we are awaiting the arrival of our NEW BUILDING! We have a 12x30 building on the road right now, headed our way! It will be the beginning of the Rowanwood Plaster Paint Academy! We will be getting moved in and set up and by January first, we plan to be holding regular classes and workshops! Many of those classes will be based around Plaster Paint, to show the many, many ways it can be used, but also we are asking some other local instructors and artisans to come teach us new skills.
I will post some pictures of the Rowanwood Plaster Paint Academy as soon as I have some.
WE ARE SO EXCITED!!
I will post some pictures of the Rowanwood Plaster Paint Academy as soon as I have some.
WE ARE SO EXCITED!!
Monday, August 28, 2017
Albuquerque was AWESOME! and other topics.....
Wow! We had such a good time at Vintage Market Days in Albuquerque! We met so many new people and sold a few things, too. After the awesome show we took a side trip to Santa Fe and met even more talented artists and craftsmen! It was such a beautiful place and we had to leave too soon!
Our little booth at VMD.
So, I got home and started trying to catch up on the fun at Rowanwood. I checked the crop in the field and determined we had no time to waste! Our Black Amber Sorghum was ready for harvest! So off to the field with our cane knives we went.
Then we had to press the juice from the cane and boil our syrup. We have a very small crop this year and we are doing it all by hand. I had to find the right equipment but thankfully the local flea market saved the day.
So, I got home and started trying to catch up on the fun at Rowanwood. I checked the crop in the field and determined we had no time to waste! Our Black Amber Sorghum was ready for harvest! So off to the field with our cane knives we went.
And finally we got our syrup.
So the fun never ends at Rowanwood. We have several shows coming up in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the next couple of months. Check our homepage at rowanwoodart.com for Show Dates!
Loves! Carol
Monday, July 17, 2017
I just can't find time!!!
How do all of these people, do all of these fantastic things, and still find time to blog about them? We have been doing great and wonderful things here at Rowanwood, which is exactly why I haven't had time to blog!
We have done to Vintage shows this spring and we are currently getting ready to go to ALBUQUERQUE in August for a vintage Market Days show there. Dark Steel has been producing some fantastic knives and I have been up-cycling furniture around the clock. What is up-cycling? Here I'll show you:
We have done to Vintage shows this spring and we are currently getting ready to go to ALBUQUERQUE in August for a vintage Market Days show there. Dark Steel has been producing some fantastic knives and I have been up-cycling furniture around the clock. What is up-cycling? Here I'll show you:
See? Not Just recycled, UP-CYCLED!
I have a theory. I think a lot of people would like to have original art in their homes, or even just high end furnishings, but they just can't afford extras. So I try to make every piece of furniture that I find (usually on it's way to the dump) into an affordable, usable work of art.
But I digress.... That is one of the many reasons that i have been too busy to blog. We also had a wedding in the family, our annual BBQ was a BLAST and we have been doing so many improvements to Rowanwood! OH! and garden and sorghum crop.....All in all, Rowanwood is just looking great this year.
What would help out the most with my time management is MORE MEMBERS of our little family. We really, really, really want to share our resources with other artists and if those artists helped us load stuff to take to shows, or took pictures.......See how that works? We can all do better if we work together.
Come see us at Rowanwood. Contact us at rowanwoodart@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Spring has Sprung
After hibernating all winter, the inhabitants of Rowanwood are starting to cautiously stick our noses out our doors. We have all been busy, busy - working on our various projects. A couple of upcoming vintage shows have us all a-twitter as we work our little artistic hearts out to make fun things to share with others!
A few new items from Dark Steel and he has plenty more coming!
And I have been re-purposing and upcycling vintage funrniture.
So many projects have been taking shape that it is just not possible to list them all. But you can see some of them at High on the Hog Vintage Market and Junk At Horton Farms in May.
I hope we see you there!
So many projects have been taking shape that it is just not possible to list them all. But you can see some of them at High on the Hog Vintage Market and Junk At Horton Farms in May.
I hope we see you there!
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Christmas was WONDERFUL! Now back to NORMAL! (whatever that is....)
Christmas spanned three days here at Rowanwood, with family coming and going. So much going on!
After all the planning, making presents, wrapping, hiding and suspense, it's time to settle back in to a routine. Or as close to a routine as we ever come!
The website is functional, I think. I found a few more issues that have been dealt with and more products will be added in the days to come. Everyone here needs to get back to work creating! We gave away a lot of crafty items for Christmas. But boy did we end up with new ideas! Dark Steel's knives were a HUGE hit, with everyone suggesting new design ideas and several orders!
I had done a pencil drawing of my daughter that I gave her for Christmas. She seemed to like it! I was pleased, but of course, it helps that the subject was so beautiful to begin with.
After all the planning, making presents, wrapping, hiding and suspense, it's time to settle back in to a routine. Or as close to a routine as we ever come!
The website is functional, I think. I found a few more issues that have been dealt with and more products will be added in the days to come. Everyone here needs to get back to work creating! We gave away a lot of crafty items for Christmas. But boy did we end up with new ideas! Dark Steel's knives were a HUGE hit, with everyone suggesting new design ideas and several orders!
I had done a pencil drawing of my daughter that I gave her for Christmas. She seemed to like it! I was pleased, but of course, it helps that the subject was so beautiful to begin with.
Check the website often in the weeks to come. I hope to make lots of new additions.
MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO ALL!
Monday, December 19, 2016
FINALLY!....... A Website!
After many false starts, and much hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth , we finally have a website! rowanwoodart.com is up and running. Not all of our items for sale are listed there yet, there is more work to do. More items can be seen in our etsy store and we have tons of vintage stuff listed on Ebay.
But I will keep working away at it until we have a complete catalog on our very own website!
Christmas is upon us! We made about 40 items to give as gifts to family and friends an then of course our gifts for each other ( I can't wait to see....). It has been a busy workshop this year. I have to admit I went a little commercial. Too many great gift ideas on Ebay to pass up! So the kiddies of Rowanwood will have many surprises this year from us, Santa and the Rowanwood Elf!
Merry Christmas to all! And for those of you who celebrate other holidays this time of year, may your festivities be blessed and may we all prosper in the New Year!
But I will keep working away at it until we have a complete catalog on our very own website!
Christmas is upon us! We made about 40 items to give as gifts to family and friends an then of course our gifts for each other ( I can't wait to see....). It has been a busy workshop this year. I have to admit I went a little commercial. Too many great gift ideas on Ebay to pass up! So the kiddies of Rowanwood will have many surprises this year from us, Santa and the Rowanwood Elf!
Merry Christmas to all! And for those of you who celebrate other holidays this time of year, may your festivities be blessed and may we all prosper in the New Year!
Monday, December 5, 2016
Growing Pains
Since we really kicked things off around here, we have been busy, busy, busy! The learning curve is pretty big!
We started out with a simple Etsy Shop. Then a few items on Ebay. Invited some artist to join in. Pinterest. Twitter. Facebook.
We wanted our own website so we took the "easy" route and started a site through Etsy. That wasn't the right fit for us so I changed web Hosts. Oh! You can't move a domain registration for 60 days after creating it. So we had to wait. (Etsy's system doesn't allow modifications....it's a long story).
The day finally came! We got our authorization to move our domain and finally publish our website! Oh. We have to wait for it to all go through.
So, someday soon we will have a website again!
We have had a few artists come out and look around. The feedback has been great! We have a nice place to work and we have made a lot of new friends!
We have made it out to several local estate auctions, on the hunt for cool vintage items or materials that we can re-purpose. I have to say that is waaaaay fun. We have so many cool new projects to work on!
So, as we muddle our way through, we are getting a clearer vision of the goal. Which is: Establish a fun and convenient work environment for our selves and other local artists. Create Art pieces from recycled materials and pass on great vintage items that we find along thew way. Improve our skills and learn as much as we can and share that knowledge with others who want to learn! And most of all, have fun doing it!
We started out with a simple Etsy Shop. Then a few items on Ebay. Invited some artist to join in. Pinterest. Twitter. Facebook.
We wanted our own website so we took the "easy" route and started a site through Etsy. That wasn't the right fit for us so I changed web Hosts. Oh! You can't move a domain registration for 60 days after creating it. So we had to wait. (Etsy's system doesn't allow modifications....it's a long story).
The day finally came! We got our authorization to move our domain and finally publish our website! Oh. We have to wait for it to all go through.
So, someday soon we will have a website again!
We have had a few artists come out and look around. The feedback has been great! We have a nice place to work and we have made a lot of new friends!
We have made it out to several local estate auctions, on the hunt for cool vintage items or materials that we can re-purpose. I have to say that is waaaaay fun. We have so many cool new projects to work on!
So, as we muddle our way through, we are getting a clearer vision of the goal. Which is: Establish a fun and convenient work environment for our selves and other local artists. Create Art pieces from recycled materials and pass on great vintage items that we find along thew way. Improve our skills and learn as much as we can and share that knowledge with others who want to learn! And most of all, have fun doing it!
Bikes, Blues and BBQ, Fayetteville AR - 2016
Bikes, Blues and BBQ is a MC Rally held every fall in beautiful Fayetteville, AR. This year right before the rally we were lucky to get an offer for a space to set up and sell some of our artsy and craftsy items!
We had very little time to prepare but we did what we could and we sold a few things and had a lot of fun!
We had very little time to prepare but we did what we could and we sold a few things and had a lot of fun!
As we sat at our booth I found time and inspiration to paint this little ditty. I call it "Dickson Street" (not real imaginative). I painted it on Friday and sold it on Saturday. I kind of miss it!
The Story Continues...
So, I mentioned the Castle.... Let me tell you a little more.
Currently our castle stars (in order of appearance) :
The Shop (Circa 1955 with many upgrades)
The Main Cabin (1994)
Harveson House (2012)
The Library (2014)
The School (2015)
The Clubhouse (2016)
To Be Announced (Fall 2016)
Confused? You won't be after the next episode....
Ok, I'll fill in a few blanks now.
The Shop started out as a small Blacksmith Shop back in the 50's, just a lean-to, really. Over the years it has undergone many remodels and additions. Currently the main shop area - The Power House- serves as a place to maintain the equipment and work on small projects. The covered area in front of the Power House is home to the Rowanwood Smith Shop,
where Dark Steel forges one of a kind blades and metal smiths can work on various art projects. Hmmm, Kind of how it started out way back when..
The Main Cabin is a cozy little log home with a fun retro look and a great kitchen to cook the great meals for family and friends.
Harveson House was added in 2012 when the population began to grow. In keeping with our low to no investment theme, we started with a modular home and expanded from there.
The Library became a necessity when our love for books outgrew our space to keep them. A 10'x16' lofted storage barn soon became a cozy library/study space with loft storage.
The Schoolhouse is a place for our little nippers to learn and a place for community classes and meetings.
This year we were lucky to get The Clubhouse, a place to relax and watch a movie or play a game or work on a project. This year we also aquired a new building thats purpose has yet to be revealed. You will have to check in later to hear more about that.
Everything is arranged around a central Courtyard ( you can see Library and School in this pic) So we have a quiet place to study, read, create.....
The Castle grows as we grow. And so the Story Continues...
Currently our castle stars (in order of appearance) :
The Shop (Circa 1955 with many upgrades)
The Main Cabin (1994)
Harveson House (2012)
The Library (2014)
The School (2015)
The Clubhouse (2016)
To Be Announced (Fall 2016)
Confused? You won't be after the next episode....
Ok, I'll fill in a few blanks now.
The Shop started out as a small Blacksmith Shop back in the 50's, just a lean-to, really. Over the years it has undergone many remodels and additions. Currently the main shop area - The Power House- serves as a place to maintain the equipment and work on small projects. The covered area in front of the Power House is home to the Rowanwood Smith Shop,
where Dark Steel forges one of a kind blades and metal smiths can work on various art projects. Hmmm, Kind of how it started out way back when..The Main Cabin is a cozy little log home with a fun retro look and a great kitchen to cook the great meals for family and friends.
Harveson House was added in 2012 when the population began to grow. In keeping with our low to no investment theme, we started with a modular home and expanded from there.The Schoolhouse is a place for our little nippers to learn and a place for community classes and meetings.
This year we were lucky to get The Clubhouse, a place to relax and watch a movie or play a game or work on a project. This year we also aquired a new building thats purpose has yet to be revealed. You will have to check in later to hear more about that.
Everything is arranged around a central Courtyard ( you can see Library and School in this pic) So we have a quiet place to study, read, create.....The Beginning
Welcome to Rowanwood!
Our "Castle" may not fit the mold of the fairy tale castle. More like the castle fortressses of old, our building style arises out of need and available materials. Within our fortress we strive to provide the things that our subjects need to learn, create and thrive!
Follow our story, I'll try to keep it interesting!
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