Tag: reclaimed wood gifts

The Magic of October: Our First Holiday Sale is Here!

October 1st – 31st

Well, would you look at that—October has arrived, and you know what that means around here? It’s time for our very first holiday sale of the season, and honestly, we’re as excited as kids on Christmas morning.

Rex spent the better part of September putting the finishing touches on some truly special pieces, and I’ve been busy dreaming up combinations that we think you’re going to absolutely love. There’s something magical about this time of year—maybe it’s the way the light changes, or how we all start thinking about gathering around tables with the people we care about most.

What We’ve Been Up To

This month, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of just offering individual pieces (though we still love those too!), we’ve curated some bundles and gift baskets that tell complete stories. Think of them as ready-made moments of joy—perfect for treating yourself or for that person who seems to have everything but would treasure something truly one-of-a-kind.

Here’s what’s caught our hearts this season:

Themed Journal & Pen Bundle – $35

Sometimes the simplest combinations are the most perfect. We’ve paired our Comfort Slimline Pen in Fancy Gun Metal & Desert Hybrid ($32 on its own) with a beautiful Southwestern journal ($10) that Rex hand-selected to complement the pen’s warm tones. There’s something deeply satisfying about writing with a pen that feels substantial in your hand while capturing thoughts in a journal that feels like the Southwest itself.

Can’t resist creating your own theme? Choose any pen from our collection and find a journal to match—we love seeing the combinations you dream up.

Bread & Butter Bundle – $60

This one makes Rex particularly proud. Our Hand Carved Walnut Bread Knife ($25) and Walnut Butter Scraper ($45) were practically made for each other. The walnut grain flows like it was meant to be, and together they transform any bread-and-butter moment into something special.

Pro tip from our kitchen: Try them with homemade lavender-lemon sweet bread and lavender-honey butter. Trust us on this one.

Have Yourself a Rustic Little Christmas Basket – $125

Rex’s laser work has been getting some serious attention lately, and this basket shows why. Twenty-nine separate palo verde cookies, each with its own depth and character, complete with eyelets and multi-colored hooks ready to grace your holiday celebrations. It’s rustic Christmas magic, pure and simple.

Getting Witchy With It Basket – $275 (complete) or $250 (just our pieces)

Dawn’s been experimenting with new resin colors, and this Lightning Struck Cherry Mortar & Pestle with Forest Green & Moss resin inlay ($245) is the kind of piece that makes people stop mid-conversation. We’ve paired it with our Green & Gold Hybrid Fancy Gold Slimline Pen ($32), a Cherry Herb Stripper ($20), Vintage Style Journal ($15), plus specialty tea blend ($10) and forest blend incense ($10) to complete the experience.

The Duotone Kitchen Basket – $350 (complete) or $320 (just our pieces)

This is the basket that makes Rex’s eyes light up. The Walnut & Maple Checkerboard End Grain Cutting Board ($125) anchors a collection that includes matching salt and pepper shakers ($80), a French rolling pin ($75), butter scraper ($45), bread knife ($25), honey dipper ($25), plus kitchen towels, hot pads ($15), recipe book ($10), and honey ($10). It’s a complete kitchen story waiting to unfold.

Celebration Basket – $490 (complete) or $420 (just our pieces)

Made with gorgeous Padauk wood (though any wood can be custom ordered), this collection was designed with weddings in mind, but it’s perfect for engagements, anniversaries, or any moment worth celebrating. Champagne glasses ($165), cake serving set ($156), desk pen and holder ($70), wine caddy ($63), matching taper holders ($50), guest book ($20), and taper candles ($5) create a celebration that’ll be remembered long after the last toast.

Rex’s recommendation: Add a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne Yellow Label Brut—it’s one of the top champagnes under $100 and pairs beautifully with these pieces.

A Little Something Extra

Here’s what we love most about these bundles: they’re not just collections of beautiful things (though they certainly are that). They’re invitations—to slow down, to savor moments, to create memories around your table, at your desk, in your kitchen. Every piece carries the story of the wood it came from, Rex’s four decades of craftsmanship, and now, hopefully, your own stories yet to be made.

As always, shipping is included in our pricing because we believe beautiful things shouldn’t come with surprise costs at the end.

Until We Meet Again

Whether you’re treating yourself to something special this October or getting an early start on gift-giving, we’re honored to be part of your story. Every order helps us keep doing what we love most—turning reclaimed wood into treasures that’ll outlast us all.

Thanks for being part of our extended family. We love sharing this journey with you.

Rex & Dawn

P.S. – Got questions about any of these pieces or want to chat about custom combinations? You know where to find us. We’re always here for a good conversation about wood, craft, and the stories that make life beautiful.

Sale runs October 1st – 31st. All bundles and baskets include shipping as shown. Visit us at sarkanysrising.com or find us at our next show—we’d love to see you!

October 1, 2025
Bar Tool Pairings That Impress at Every Party

Level up your cocktail hour with handcrafted artisan barware

Ever thrown a party where everyone actually mingled, laughed, and went home raving about the vibe? If not, it’s probably not your guest list—it might just be your bar setup.

If you’re anything like us, the idea of going out has lost some of its sparkle lately. But inviting friends over for cocktails, mocktails, and good conversation? That’s where the real magic happens. Here’s our favorite party trick: tell everyone to bring a friend you don’t know. It’s like a potluck of people, and you just might walk away with a new favorite drink recipe and a genuine new friendship.

But let’s talk about what really makes or breaks cocktail hour—having the right artisan bar tools.

The Handcrafted Essentials for a Legendary Home Bar

Muddling with Magic

Our Enchanted Mortar & Pestle Set isn’t just another muddler—it’s your gateway to herbal infusions, perfectly crushed mint mojitos, and that secret ingredient that transforms a good drink into something unforgettable. Rex crafted this piece from reclaimed hardwood, and honestly? Watching people discover what fresh herbs can do to their cocktails never gets old.

Bottle Service with Personality

You’ll want your spirits to stay fresh and your bar to look intentional. That’s where our Decorative Bottle Stoppers come in—each one hand-turned and designed to keep things classy long after the original cork is gone.

Pro tip: Every beautiful bottle stopper deserves an equally beautiful bottle. We’re big fans of pairing ours with selections from Ink & Oak Wines—because presentation and flavor should go hand in hand.

Pop a Top in Style

Whether you’re opening craft beer or sparkling water, our Reclaimed Wood & Resin Bottle Openers are built to last generations and always spark conversations. Each one tells the story of the wood Rex rescued and transformed—perfect for those moments when someone asks, “Where did you get this?”

Serving Pieces That Steal the Show

No home bar setup is complete without somewhere beautiful to arrange your appetizers. Our Handcrafted Cheese & Cracker Boards do double duty as functional art and grazing central. Because honestly, your bar tools should be as gorgeous as they are useful.

The Complete Experience

Want the full artisan barware experience? Our Exquisite Padauk Wood Gift Set pairs stunning glassware with handcrafted serving pieces. It’s the kind of set that turns your kitchen counter into a showstopper bar setup.

What We’re Working on Next: Thrift Store Alchemy

Here’s something we’re excited about—we’ve been haunting our favorite thrift stores for vintage crystal tumblers and old-school bar tools. With some careful sanding, resin work, and Rex’s woodworking magic, we’re giving them new life with custom wooden handles or using them as templates for solid wood versions.

It’s part of what we love about this work: every piece gets to tell multiple stories—the original craftsperson, the decades of use, and now the new chapter we’re writing together.

Bonus: Elevate Your Snack Game

While you’re mixing up something delicious, don’t forget the munchies! Our friends at This Girl Mixers & Snacks know how to complement a great drink with equally great bites. We’re big believers in supporting local artisans—whether that’s in your glass or on your serving board.

The truth is, we’re not just making bar tools at Sarkanys Rising. We’re creating the pieces that become part of your favorite stories—the mortar and pestle that made that perfect mint julep, the bottle opener that everyone always asks to borrow, the serving board that’s been the centerpiece of countless gatherings.

As always, we’re here if you have questions or just want to chat about wood (or cocktails)! If you try any of these pieces at your next party, we’d love to see photos. Tag us on your social media or email. There’s nothing that makes us happier than seeing our work become part of your celebrations.

Until next time, keep making beautiful moments in your everyday life.

Ready to upgrade your home bar? Browse our complete collection of artisan barware and serving pieces – each piece handcrafted with care and built to become part of your family’s story.

August 7, 2025
When Someone Says “Too Expensive” — We Smile. Because We Know.

It happens now and then — someone picks up a piece, runs their fingers over the polished wood, sees the shimmer of resin, and softly mutters, “Too expensive.”

We smile. Not because we’re dismissing them, but because we know what goes into it.

See, we price every piece at Sarkanys Rising to be as fair as possible — not inflated, not mass-marketed, just honest. But “honest” includes more than what most people realize when it comes to the value of handmade artisan work.

That bowl? It started with a chunk of reclaimed wood that once lived as a tree in someone’s Arizona yard. The resin that brings out the beauty in the grain? Dawn (that’s me) uses polyurethane for most pours, unless we’re using stabilized bone or wood scraps — then it’s epoxy. Stabilizing means vacuum chambers, pressure pots, and sometimes an oven I cannot use for food anymore.

There’s also mica, pigments, pen kits, lamp bases, jewelry findings, shipping charges, taxes, and tools. Oh, the tools. Rex’s shop looks like a mad scientist’s lab with a 3D printer and laser cutter tucked among the chisels and lathes.

But what we never charge for — and couldn’t, even if we tried — is the time.

Rex will spend days refining a single piece. Sometimes, weeks go by just conceptualizing a design. And sometimes, after all that, we scrap it entirely because it doesn’t feel right. (Art is like that — it doesn’t always behave.) This artisan mindset understands that true craftsmanship can’t be rushed.

Me? I wrestle with resin for hours, then wrangle paperwork for days. That’s not hyperbole. It’s just what it takes when you’re committed to creating handcrafted art that stands apart from mass-produced alternatives.

And in the end, what you receive is something real. Human. Not perfect, because we aren’t machines — but filled with love, laughter, and a little bit of stubbornness. (Especially from Rex, who I’ve been known to gently wrestle the finished piece away from because he’s never quite sure it’s done.)

The difference between handmade vs mass-produced isn’t just in the process — it’s in the soul of each piece. When you choose one of our reclaimed wood gifts, you’re not just getting functional art; you’re getting a story, a commitment to sustainable gifts, and decades of woodworking stories embedded in every grain.

So when someone says, “Too expensive,” we don’t get defensive. We just nod and think: you’re not our person — not yet.

Because the ones who do get it — they see more than just a bowl or a pen. They see the story, the soul, the hours behind it. They’re not just buying something. They’re joining a journey with Sarkanys Rising.

And to those folks? Welcome home.

August 5, 2025