Sticks News Feed and Blog
About catstudio 0
All About catstudio
We're so excited to be carrying catstudio embroidered pillows on sticks.com! We know you Sticks fans are conscious about what you buy and where you purchase your treasures from, so we're here to share a little bit more about their history and process with all of you. Enjoy reading on and learning more!
At the heart of catstudio are its founders: Carmel and Terrell Swan, creators of Swan Magic embroidered t-shirts. The first letters of their names - C and T - form the “CAT” of catstudio (get it?!) and their love for hand-craftsmanship, their passion for geography, and their sense of adventure and fun ring true in everything they create.
They started with just two designs - Atlanta and Georgia, to celebrate the 1996 Olympics - and now there's over 300 geographical locales and universities in their ever-growing line of geography products! They pride themselves on developing unique, innovative new products that make the everyday special and elevate the rich traditions of artisanship around the world.
We hope you love browsing through their collection of amazing pillows on our website! Each one tells a special story about its location and if you have a tie to it, we're sure it'll resonate in your heart. Shop the pillows here!
- Lisa Stark
About Prairie Dance 0
All About Prairie Dance
We're so excited to be carrying Prairie Dance metal art on sticks.com! We know you Sticks fans are conscious about what you buy and where you purchase your treasures from, so we're here to share a little bit more about their history and process with all of you. Enjoy reading on and learning more!
Terri Schuver graduated from South Dakota State University in 1981 as a Textiles and Clothing major with a business minor. She spent 8 years with a major department store chain before an 11 year stint with a commercial interiors firm. A desire for unique garden accessories in her own landscape then led her down a new path she hadn't planned on, but a wonderful path nonetheless... read on!
While on vacation with her husband and another couple, Terri and her friend were attracted to some metal sculptures fashioned from aged metal. The husbands, not relishing the idea of transporting the art home, responded "Well we can do that."
Terri took the men up on their claim and just to give them a little push, committed to a local arts festival a few months away. True to their word, the husbands were able to help craft the new designs, yet days before the Sidewalk Arts Festival in Sioux Falls, SD, Terri had nothing to sell. The experiments to age the metal had failed.
Then, two days before the festival, tired, hot, and frustrated, Terri applied a solution of vinegar and water to the sculptures lying on the garage floor and walked away. Overnight, a combination of elements imparted a patina more unique than Terri had ever seen. And it turns out others found it appealing, too! The arts festival opened at 9am, by noon she had sold out of several designs and Prairie Dance was on its way!
It took Terri months to figure out just what worked that night, but through trial and error she was able to replicate the process and in 1997 Prairie Dance was born. Today Prairie Dance is produced by Terri and her small but dedicated staff and they ship to over 400 galleries and gift stores across the country - including our own Sticks Gallery in Des Moines, Iowa!
Prairie Dance products are made from brushed or patina steel — perfect for indoor or outdoor use. If you are fortunate enough to enjoy winter, the signature rust-esque patina looks stunning against a fresh snow!
The signature rust we speak of is created through a simple eco-friendly process that produces unique rusting patterns. Each piece has different characteristics and therefore rusts in its own special way every time. No two pieces will ever be the same - just like Sticks!
We hope you love browsing through their collection of amazing metal artwork and tabletop accessories on our website! The rusted patina artwork will add a beautiful, warm touch to any room and the brushed steel is great for contemporary vibes. Shop the whole collection here!
- Lisa Stark
About Wichelt Imports 0
All About Wichelt Imports
We LOVE carrying Wichelt Imports stitch kits on sticks.com! We know you Sticks fans are conscious about what you buy and where you purchase your treasures from, so we're here to share a little bit more about their story with all of you. Enjoy reading on and learning more!
In 1970 Ray and Joyce Wichelt started Wichelt Imports, Inc. in the basement of their home in Stoddard, Wisconsin, by importing German gift items and Norwegian yarn for knitting and embroidery kits. Today Wichelt Imports is owned and run by their daughter Aimee in a 14,000 square foot warehouse with roughly 30 employees, a big upgrade from their humble beginnings! The company has been and continues to be a leading distributor of fine need art fabric and supplies.
Wichelt Imports offers more than 5,000 needlecraft products, including Sticks' licensed designs. Their product line includes over 700 colors and counts of premium quality fabrics, pre-finished table linens and towels, graphs and kits, threads, ribbons, stitchery accessories and hardware. These fine-quality products are sold in about 1,000 stores throughout the world.
As a needleworker, whatever your interest - cross stitch, needlepoint, or embroidery - Wichelt Imports can service you!
We hope you love browsing through their collection of amazing stitch kits on our website! We love that this is a way for you to create your very own Sticks artwork in a roundabout way. Time to get crafty! Shop the whole collection here!
- Lisa Stark
Save the Date: Sticks Gallery Fall Trunk Show Sept 29-Oct 3 0
Save the Date for Sticks Gallery's Annual Fall Trunk Show: Sep 29th - Oct 3rd
It's that time of year again - the best time to create a custom with Sticks! Covid-19 won't stop us, we're going 100% virtual!
Here's the rundown on our trunk shows:
- Custom Sticks orders are "on sale" - initial customization fees that we normally charge are waived for this window of time only
- You get to work directly with our talented Sticks artists - the real treat here, let's be honest! (Normally you'd work with a sales representative as the middle man between you and the artist)
- You get to watch the artists sketch your design right before your eyes and then take away a drawing of what you created together
Typically this is an in-person event where we'd ask you to come to our Sticks Gallery and meet with our artists in person. To keep everyone involved safe though, we're going to do all of our appointments virtually through web chat. Stay home in your athleisure, ditch the mask, and design the Sticks piece of dreams right from your couch! Chat with our artists about your ideas and watch them come to life right on your computer or tablet screen. We can even just do phone calls if technology isn't your thing and then we'll email you a copy of the drawing right after - we're flexible, are you?!
This Trunk Show event is the perfect time to order a personalized gift for a loved one and we PROMISE everything will be done in time for holiday gifting season. Ho ho ho!
Please call or email to reserve your appointment today, they go fast!*
(*We do require a deposit to hold your appointment time, which will be applied to your custom order total)
(515) 282-0844
Olivia@sticks.com
We can't wait to work with you soon!
- Lisa Stark
A Message From Your Friends at Sticks 6
Dear Sticks Friends,
In recognition of supporting our retailers around the country, we encourage you to visit our retail locator, to find stores near you. We know they would be happy to send out gift cards or facilitate sales over the phone.
Thank you for your continued patience with us while the virus and fluid protocols affect our production flow and shipping timelines. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Sticks
- Lisa Stark
📣It's here! Our annual January 20% off Sticks Sale!!🎉 0
A few things you can always count on here at Sticks.com:
- Colorful, inspirational handmade art
- A sale on Cyber Monday following Thanksgiving
- A 20% off sale each January!🎉
This week only receive 20% off your entire purchase on Sticks.com when you use code "JANSALE20" at checkout, as well as with participating retailers:
Alioto's Gift Shop
1118 Chicago Ave
Oak Park, IL 60302
708.763.0808
Craft Company No. 6
785 University Ave
Rochester, NY 14607
585.473.3413
Fairy Tales Inc.
285 W Saint Charles Rd
Lombard, IL 60148
630.495.6909
Fresh Crafts Gallery
2068 Arlington Ave
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
614.429.3792
Laughing Dog Gallery
2910 Cardinal Dr
Vero Beach, FL 32963
772.234.6711
Sticks Gallery
400 E Locust St
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.282.0844
Stowe Craft Gallery
55 Mountain Rd
Stowe, VT 05672
802.253.2305
The Euphemia Gallery
1319 Third Ave
Spring Lake, NJ 07762
973.998.1141
The Sideshow
221 N Boundary St
Williamsburg, VA 23185
757.645.4366
Hurry hurry!! This sale end Sunday January 26th and a deal THIS GREAT won't be back around for quite some time! Shop now and save on your favorite Sticks today!!
- Lisa Stark
- Tags: Sale Sticks Retailers