FAQs - Sawdust & Clay

Hello there! My name is Mark and I am the owner and lead Blacksmith of Barn Cat Forge. Although originally from Maryland, I now reside in Chapel Hill with my wife and our two feline fur babies (the inspiration behind the name). I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and was constantly searching for a creative outlet. In October of 2020, I took my first blacksmithing class and immediately fell in love with the art of moving metal with heat and a hammer. I rushed home, purchased a forge and anvil the next day, and started practicing what I’d learned in that first class. Since then, I have continued with my passion and am excited to bring my handmade metal creations to the community through Sawdust and Clay! Here at Barn Cat Forge, we specialize in home and garden decorative iron work. Each item is forged by hand, using traditional blacksmithing techniques dating back thousands of years! Our unique pieces are made to not only last a lifetime, but to be that perfect addition to your home or garden. 

Based in Apex, North Carolina, Beth Hopper is a self-taught artist partial, though not limited, to acrylics and watercolors. After dabbling in everything from fiction-writing to cross-stitch, she settled into painting as her artistic medium of choice in 2018 and has been honing her skills ever since.Her work meanders through media, subject, and style alike, creating a wide spectrum of pieces from loud, splashy abstracts, to minute architecture studies, to emotive portraits.  This seemingly undisciplined diversity reflects not a lack of focus, but a devotion to the whims of creativity and a desire to remain inspired.
Using the same paint gifted to her as a teenager by her paternal grandmother and the brushes used over a lifetime by her maternal grandmother, Beth aims to create art you will love to explore as much as she loved crafting it.

My art story is pretty simple. I’ve always been artistic, taking
after my mother who was a painter and pastel artist. I grew up in a military family with two brothers and lots of pets. We moved around the country all my childhood, uprooting every two or three years. Along with many other blessings, this “transient”
family lifestyle gave me an ability to see beauty and joy wherever I happened to land. I learned to craft, draw and paint along the way taking classes in high school, college and taught
myself new techniques with various mediums. My curiosity and love of nature & people is what drives my work.
It is my hope that the vibrant colors, rich textures, light, & flow, in my pieces will bring peace, light & joy to those who seethem.
One thing I love to do is to take something that has been
discarded and give it new life by turning it into art. This passion
is what inspired my Renewed Collection - Art created using
repurposed materials. The Renewed Collection symbolizes
people who’ve felt “thrown away” or deemed broken. We are all valuable and treasured; beautifully broken.
We have been created by a Master Artist, so I believe it is within us to naturally want to create. Everyone is an artist. Whether you create music, build things, cook delicious meals, create websites, draw, dance, teach, write, tell great stories, act, whatever you do, is some form of creativity. The key is to do it with joy.

Hi, I am Danielle Daniel, creator of Dee’s Burnt Trees, shortly after having my son I started to wood burn as a creative outlet for myself. It started as creating a couple artwork pieces for close friends and family but quickly grew into a full business. I am a self-taught artist that has always had a passion for the arts but I have really come to love wood burning. I love to work with all types of wood and create different whimsical scenes and functional artwork that can be used in everyday life. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing the joy it can bring to other people, I hope my hardwork and dedication can inspire you too!

Bob Searles, the owner of Glass Explosions, began working in glass in 2005. He started working with stained glass, moving into glass slumping, fusing, flame working and traditional glass blowing. Each piece is carefully worked in the flame or kiln, then signed and numbered for your collection.  “I enjoy working with glass, light, and the interactions between the two.  You can stare into and through a piece of glass and see different things in different light.  You can see sparkle and shine from the front of the piece on a nice, sunny day, and you can see through and into the glass on a cloudy day…. it’s ever changing.”

After successfully completing recent cancer treatments, which necessitated a short break, he realizedhow much he enjoys creating, and being in the studio.  He nowcontributes a portion of his proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

John Murphy is a licensed mental health counselor with a background in ceramic sculpture, stuffed toy design, and illustration. He received his BA in ceramic sculpture and illustration from East Carolina University in 1998. He received his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University in 2019. Between degrees, John’s career was marked by stuffed toy design, both custom and commercial, and the authoring of a book series about making stuffed toys from household items. John now works full time as a mental health counselor in Siler City, NC, and finds ceramic sculpture restorative and calming. Find out more about John’s books and where to find them on www.johnmurphy.institute. 

Therapists are problem solvers and so are artists. I like function over expression, but both are nice. These days I enjoy experimenting with textures, especially nostalgic surfaces like corrugated cardboard, crumpled paper, and bubble wrap. I made tons of monsters during my undergrad studies in ceramics, and the love for those doesn’t go away, thus num

Meraki Handcrafted Goods, founded by the artistic duo of Eric and Hayley, resides in Apex, North Carolina. This married couple, whose companionship has thrived since 1990, synergizes their individual artistic strengths to create designs that encapsulate their shared enthusiasm for the marvels of nature and their deep-rooted fondness for the great outdoors. Their work radiates an appreciation for the world's innate beauty. Eric's connection to woodworking runs through his family lineage, with his late grandfather and father kindling his enduring passion. He skillfully transforms locally sourced wood, shaping, carving, and molding it into singular pieces that pay homage to the very trees from which the wood originates. In her jewelry creations, Hayley showcases fair trade gemstones in their purest forms, exalting the splendor inherent in our world. She meticulously selects gemstones through fair trade avenues, endorsing responsible business practices and fostering conscious consumerism. Meraki Handcrafted Goods' assortment of home accent pieces seamlessly melds Eric and Hayley's individual talents. Collaborating harmoniously, they produce items that infuse warmth and delight into your living space. With each changing season, their curated collections infuse a festive spirit into your treasured holiday moments.

Collin and Jen are a husband-wife duo that started their business from their love of plants. Owning a plant shop was always just a far off dream but in 2020 they decided to give it a shot! Wanting to create something unique they decided they wanted to bring plants to people, providing more one on one attention to individual specific needs. That is where the bus came in! Plants are all unique and beautiful yet a majority of people feel like they can’t keep them alive. Let’s change that! Rooted Plant Supply wants to be a place where you can learn and build your confidence in your green thumb! 

Hey there, I'm Diana, the visionary creator behind SDM! As a true maker at heart, I've discovered my ultimate passion in the art of laser cutting.

For me, it's not just about crafting earrings; it's about sculpting one-of-a-kind, extraordinary pieces that express your individuality. With every SDM creation, I aim to empower you to embrace your unique style and stride confidently through life, turning heads and making your mark.

Guided by traditional material and processes, using contemporary industrial furniture design methods, Travis Hyatt is a craftsman. His work blends his lived experiences with his craft-design interests. Using non-literal representations, his furniture seeks to reflect his personal memories in subtle fashions. These can be found in the details, materials and profiles that he uses. Staying curious in the present, he is constantly reminded of where he comes from, which guides where his work goes. He has a unique story to tell and is constantly evolving toward an authentic voice from which his pieces aim to exhibit. His work intends to blur the spectrum of art and design.

From foster youth to veteran adulthood, he has overcome many trials and tribulations. Telling his story in a palatable manner, he works to implement his lessons and memories into his craftwork. First sketching through ideas and thinking of ways he can make functional furniture from them. Then puzzling through the design and craft process to execute those ideas into tangible objects.

His pieces on a superficial level, hope to display aesthetic beauty, but further investigation would reveal his niche story and elicit deeper curiosity.

There’s a sense of wonder that comes from putting on grandma’s jewelry, cooking and eating with mom’s old cutlery, or wearing dad’s letter jacket. I started Weather & Story to design products for the modern woman that would one day spark that same sense of wonder.

I apprenticed under a local leatherworker to learn the time-honored traditions and methods of working with leather and found a real connection to the creative space of design and craft.

In 2016, Weather & Story got its start in my tiny bedroom on the east side of Austin, Texas. Each product is crafted to add beauty and functionality to everyday life while providing you with the kind of quality good that can become an heirloom all its own.

The name, Weather & Story, is inspired by the storms our products are built to weather and the stories they’re designed to carry. We use sustainably sourced, 100% full-grain, vegetable tanned leather and age-old methods to craft timeless pieces that will withstand years of life. 

We hope they encourage you to remember the importance of your story and inspire you to engage with the stories of those around you.