So much heart and talent is poured into each handmade item we sell. We wish everyone could see the excitement and pride on the faces of our local makers and artists when they deliver their imaginative creations to the gallery. It’s even better when a customer is in the store to add to our loud oooohhs and ahhhhs. We’re also pretty thrilled and noisy when we open packages from our other small-shop vendors, who send us their creative goodness from Denmark, Belgium, Morocco, Colorado, California or nearby towns in North Carolina. It’s kind of Christmas every day at 3oak.
The Pussy Willow or “Salix Discolor” to use its proper botanical genus, is easily overlooked for its lack of showy colors, petals and fragrance, nevertheless it has its briefest of moment in the pale spring light just as winter recedes when it distinguishes itself as the earliest flower of spring, announcing the seasonal return of natural bounties with tiny fur-covered buds along its willow-long, sculptural stems.
It's the most wonderful time of the year! Whether it's a gift for someone you know or yourself (yes, you deserve it) these goodies are sure steal the spotlight this holiday season. Here are some exciting handmade items that we have picked out from shop, and why we love them:
I am a total paper person. I could touch it, smell it, and find ways to hoard it all day long. When I started hand printing paper, folks would tell me that it was just too pretty to use. Nonsense! Life is too darn short (+ weird, thanks Covid) to let things we love sit on a shelf or in a closet.
One of the most gratifying aspects of building handcrafted furniture is the opportunity to build a custom piece for a client. As with any design/build process a key component for success is to try and help our clients visualize the end result before starting the build.
The streamlined silhouettes fit right in with modern design, but the warmth of the wood enables the pieces to complement traditional furnishings as well. In fact, what better way to draw attention to, say, the beautifully crafted Balsam bed from 3oak Handcrafted than by flanking it with the minimalist Walnut Spindle bench or a pair of Mikado night stands—little more than an impossibly smooth oak plank atop a prism of solid oak legs?
Soft, stylish, and sustainable? We’ll take it all! The benefits of clothing made from natural fibers have long been praised for their durability, comfort, and eco-friendly appeal. This positive focus begged me to ask “why just clothing, and not our homes?”. The sacred space where we spend so much of our time (far more than usual these days) has no reason to omit these perks...
Leather is a natural organic material... which means that each piece you buy is unique. Add to that, leathers come from a variety of different animals. And then add to that, each tannery creates their leather using unique process and usually sells multiple brands of leather each made with their own process. All this variety is a great thing for the leatherworker, but can be overwhelming if you don’t understand the variables and what situations they are needed for.
