Rawhide Gifts & Gallery-www.rawhidestudios.com

Posted By admin on May 11, 2009

I just got my bonnet from you a couple of days ago. You custom made it for me because my hair is quite long and I needed the cap a bit larger. I was so thrilled with the bonnet when it got here I didn’t want to take it off! Because of my religious and familiy background, as well as because of the summer sun, I prefer to wear a bonnet during the summer. This was just the perfect thing for me.  After looking at others and then your website, I chose your website over all the others.

You made my week, my month, my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I can’t wait to show it off and tell others. In fact, I think I will order another sometime this summer for my birthday

Thank you again…Mary Kreis, Montana

Category: General | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on April 29, 2009

Deciding to add cross stitch kits and patterns to our store wasn’t an easy one. We did so because no one within a 85 mile radius carried cross stitch patterns or kits. However, we’re such a small store that what to carry, what to offer, where to put it became a dilema. Were we carrying enough? Did people even notice what we had?

As time went by, it seemed the answer was, “No.” So we put it on the web. The problem after that became, “Were we carrying enough?”  Again, we worried the anwer might be another “No.”

As always, in the game of retail, either online or off, retailers are at the mercy of the guessing game. We are never sure of what our customers might want. We hope we do, and we try to second guess. We try to please and we hope we are doing our best. At the heart of the matter is always our best intentions and our hope that we’ve done well. We never know for sure

Either we, we keep trying! But it’s you, the customer we want to do our best for. To that end, keep us informed. Tell us what you want. Tell us what you like. Let us keep you on a cross stitch list. We’ll always tell you when we have something new!

See our cross stitch patterns or kits.
EMAIL us to be on the cross stitch list

Category: CrossStitch | No Comments »
Tags: cross stitch, cross stitch kits, needlework

Posted By admin on April 23, 2009

Category: Blue Delft | No Comments »
Tags: Blue Delft Ceramics

Posted By admin on April 23, 2009

                                                                                                                   The bonnet arrived today and it is just adorable! My 5 year old daughter is dressing up as Laura Ingalls Wilder next week for school. Thank you!

Cherie

Category: Western Prairie Pioneer Sunbonnets | 2 Comments »
Tags: Western Prairie Sunbonnets

Posted By admin on April 18, 2009

When we bought the ’store’, which as you can see on our About Us page, is actually a home we converted into a store. It was built in the 50’s and is of brick. The walls inside are cement and it’s a great solid structure….I really mean what I say because just across the highway are trains that run every 15 minutes. Now, the great state of Wyoming has decided to add another line which means two sets of trains will be rolling by.

However, as loud as these trains are, I can’t feel but a bit of a rumble under my feet when they pass. The house is solid for sure. It’s the cement walls that are the problem. Back when they built this beautiful building, it was not the problem it is today, as far as cost, to heat buildings. These cement wall hold the cold in the winter and they hold the heat in the summer when I wish the reverse were true.

We needed something to help us reduce the pinch of the electric company. Plus, and this isn’t fair in my honest an humble opinion, if you run a business, you are charged more for your phone costs, more for your electricity and more for anything they can think to charge you for! So any small profit a business owner makes is eaten up immediately by paying extra for their taxes and overhead. No wonder so many of us go under before we get started!

I started exploring the possibilities of trying to create our own solar panels and generators. I remember being seeing plans from magazines years ago but very quickly, the few plans I saw I knew were way out of my league. I couldn’t figure out any of them.  I would have to hire someone, and engineer, to help me.

The one I came across that recquired little outside help (I’m one of those that always needs help lol, so I just assume I need help just in case) but for those really handy, this is the perfect solar plan and wind generator plan for you.

Why give the electric company all your money? And power companies are notorious for overcharging!

Visit this page for more info….. (more…)

Category: Solar Energy | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on April 14, 2009

To truly understand the benefits of green solar energy, you must first understand how solar energy is harnessed.  There are two types of green solar energy-thermal and light.  Thermal energy is considered passive solar.  This type of green solar energy is harnessed through the design and materials used to construct a building.  By integrating south facing windows and materials that retain heat, like brick and stone, you can lower your energy needs and build an energy efficient structure.  The thermal energy produced by green solar energy is also used to heat water for solar hot water systems.  The rays of the sun also produce light and radiation that can be captured by solar panels to create electricity. 

The most popular use of green solar energy is for saving money.  Although green solar energy systems can come with a large initial investment, they generally pay for themselves in a few years by providing either supplemental electricity or all of the electricity to your home or business.  Building your own solar panels, participating in government refunds and net metering, in which you sell unused electricity back to the power company, can reduce the cost of implementing a green solar energy system.  In addition, green solar energy systems require little to no maintenance after installation, as most have no moving parts.

The most important benefit of utilizing green solar energy is completely environmental.  With polar ice caps dwindling away and climate changes creating tragic storms world wide, it is increasingly obvious that steps must be taken to decrease global warming and our dependence on fossil fuels.  Green solar energy provides a clean energy alternative as it creates little pollution and does not contribute to global warming. 

Green solar energy systems can be used by homes and businesses alike.  If going solar cannot meet all of your energy needs, it can certainly reduce them.  Utilizing green solar energy can save you money, but it’s greatest benefit is to the environment and our future.

Category: Solar Energy | 2 Comments »
Tags: Green Solar Energy

Posted By admin on April 13, 2009

We have a new delft product, the silver plated tea strainer. 

My mom said it was quite common to use when she was little; it was used to strain tea leaves. They would brew up strong pots of tea (not so common in America where we are spoiled with our one brew, one per cup tea bags) and as each cup was poured, it would be strained first into the silver portion of the tea  strainer first to strain the tea leaves out.

The strainer then would sit on the decorative ceramic container until further need arrived for a second cup.

Some of these tea strainers were highly decorative and very detailed in painting. While not as decorative as the older versions, you can see some of the addtional details at http://www.rawhidestudios.com/delft/teastrainer.html

This one has a small windmill on the side and a few decorative strokes on the reverse. Made of silver plate, it sits on a ceramic container approx. 3 1/2″ wide and 1 1/4″ tall. See more of our delft at http://www.rawhidestudios.com/delft/

Category: Blue Delft | No Comments »
Tags: Blue Delft Ceramics

Posted By admin on April 6, 2009

 For just the fun of it and for the many of you who live in warm places, I thought I would share some of our snow!

Here’s a few photos of our last blizzard, our drifts and us digging out of our place around our store and the back of it

.This is a drift in front of our store…..

This in back of our store……

My husband digging our car out of our driveway…..

My husband up to his waist in snow in the back yard …!

Thankfully we don’t always have to scoop this much snow off the sidewalk for customers

Category: General | No Comments »
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Posted By admin on March 27, 2009

I don’t know if anyone has ever seen anything quite as cute as these guys. I’ve seen a lot of stuffed bears and granted, what teddy bear is NOT cute?  They all are pretty much really adorable and they are all pretty special. In fact, I’ve still got the one I’ve had since I was a kid, minus one ear and the paint on his nose….but he still has his beautiful clear brown glass eyes!

But these are still a bit unusual in the very long and silky hair that they have. I haven’t see anything quite like it. I’ve seen toy bears have fur that was fuzzy, curly, plushy, downy and really soft, but this is a really long and silky kind of plush like fur that is about 2″ long. And shiny. These bears seem to be exremely popular.

We used to be able to carry the pillow bears,  and the giant bears, but though we only have the three sizes now, the 8″, 12″ and the 16″, these bears are sure to be one of your personal favorites regardless if you are a bear lover or a bear collector.

www.rawhidestudios.com/bears

Category: Stuffed Bears | No Comments »
Tags: pot belly bears, Stuffed toy bears, toy bears

Posted By admin on March 24, 2009

….yes, it actually is. It really is imported from Holland, or the Netherlands where my mom is from. Bennebroek to be exact.

   The only thing is there is the really, really, REALLY expensive kind and then there is the kind that you pay quite a bit less for. The kind I sell. It’s pretty, it’s still called Deflt Blue, but there is a difference. Let me see if I can explain.

   This windmill tea pot, for example, is only about $30 -$35 plus your shipping. If you got a true handpainted Delft pot, with those wonderful rich indigo Delft colors, you might find your cost racheting more toward the $300 mark and up.

For most people, a reasonable alternative would be to buy the printed delft ware. Like the teapot at the left. Just as pretty, just as functional and often is just as loved. Besides, when you break this teapot, it doesn’t hurt quite as bad as breaking the $300 dollar one, now does it?

As I continue to expand my product line, I look to add more of these items. I’ve looked at the true Delftware. However, these are really the best alternative I’ve found an are truly a fantastic bargain for the budget regardess of whether you are Dutch or you just are a fan of the color blue. 

To see more of these items, visit http://rawhidestudios.com/delft/

Category: Blue Delft | 2 Comments »
Tags: Add new tag, Blue Delft Ceramics, True Blue Delft