Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Stover.
Hi Kathy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your back story.
Around my 50th birthday, I felt a major calling from God to switch career paths. Around that same time, I was introduced to the Hammer and Stain organization and fell in love! A few months later I found a location and opened Hammer & Stain Mount Juliet in March of 2020.
We persevered through the tornadoes that destroyed our area the week I opened, then we conquered COVID lockdowns, distancing, and other new requirements for health and safety. With one year under my belt, I finally found my footing, but in March of 2021 our building flooded, and I had to start back over at a new location. Through every challenge we have faced, we have come through victorious with more confirmation that I am doing what I was meant to do. We have grown so much since then and have so much more to grow and expand in the future!
What started as just me has become a larger team of employees, countless workshops, summer art camps, kids classes, private parties, and so much more! Every day, I get to see people be creative whether it’s painting a new beautiful sign for their home, hand painting a new ceramic piece of art that we fire in the kiln, trying their hand in our splatter den, or joining us for a private party or workshop.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. We have overcome many obstacles from tornadoes to multiple floods, starting two weeks before COVID lockdowns began, and plenty of small business hiccups along the way. But we are still here and thriving more than ever!
We’ve been impressed with Hammer & Stain Mount Juliet, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others? What are you most proud of?
We are a DIY Workshop specializing in all types of crafting and artistic ventures! Whether you want something for your home, an activity for the kids, or something for a parents’ night out, we have got you covered!
In our workshop, you can create beautiful handmade wood pieces (signs, benches, wood rounds, and more!). We walk you through the process of staining your wood with our large selection of Minwax stains, laying down the stencil design of your choice, painting the stencil, and finally removing the stencil to reveal your finished artwork!
We also have a large selection of ceramic pieces that can be painted during walk-in hours or for birthday/private parties. What sets us apart? We fire our ceramics in our kiln, so they come out shiny and durable to last forever.
Our Splatter Den is always a crowd favorite! No matter if you are 3 or 103, everyone enjoys a chance to splatter a canvas and make their work of art in our unique spatter room!
Each week we host a homeschool art class for grades 1st-8th. We also host an after-school program each week for grades 1st-8th. In these classes, we go through a variety of art mediums and explore their creativity in new and exciting ways each week!
We also host a variety of Public Workshops! Everything from Sign Making, Liquid Glass, Chunky Knit Blankets, Candle Making, Murder Mystery Parties, and so much more! Every week we host a ton of children’s parties. We have a lot of options available for these including our ceramics, wood signs, stuff-a-friend, stuffa squishie, splatter den, and more!
We regularly host Private Parties in a variety of projects as well for bridal showers, date nights, employee appreciation events, bible study, and everything in between! Don’t want to create in the workshop? Pay a little more and complete your project at home with our Hammer at Home Projects!
We offer walk-in hours from 10 am-5 pm Tuesday through Saturday so you can craft with us at any time! Just walk on in and we will walk you through the process. We also are always adding new ways to create! We add new workshops regularly so no matter what the craft, we can create it here! Soon we will be adding candle-making classes to our list of options so stay tuned for that!
How much our homeschool and after-school classes as well as our summer camps have grown!
What matters most to you?
Creating a place where everyone feels welcome to try out new creative ventures. I want to create a space that feels homey, inviting, and creative!
Contact Info:
- Website: hammerandstainmountjuliet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hammerandstainmountjuliet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hammerandstainmountjuliet/
