About RArE

"It all started with a Table Saw..."

I’m Rae, the creator of RA[r]E. I started RA[r]E on May 8, 2013. I would say it was on a whim, but in reality I had the desire to create a “brand” for many years! I just finally decided it was time to stop procrastinating and give it a go. Best decision EVER!

I have been a creative person as long as I can remember. I’ve always enjoyed wood-work, painting, drawing, and making/doing things on my own. Seriously, I love anything that begins with “DIY”. I am kind of addicted to the whole hands on experience. I’ve made gifts for friends and family in the past, but they all just went by, “Rae made that for me.” Hey, I even thought that’d be a good brand name! How great would that be? Just imagine it. Someone sees one of my pieces hanging in a home and they ask, “Wow. Where’d you get that?” And the response is, “Rae made that for me.” They may not know who Rae is, but they’ll know she made it! They would assume Rae is a friend or relative! #great

Anyhow, one day I finally sat down and wrote a bunch of brand names on paper. Finally, the word “RARE” popped into my head. And it stuck (as you can see)! I want to create pieces that are RA[r]E. Gifts that are not easily found and unusually remarkable! *It’s an added bonus that my name lands in the word.

Over my years of gift giving, I began to notice that friends and family enjoyed a touch of personalization in their gifts. Knowing that the gift was handmade made it special. They also enjoyed having unique pieces that no one else had! Who doesn’t love a good ol’ conversational piece?

In 2013, I began collecting pallets and piling them in my garage with a goal to build an outdoor bar. My uncle Larry gifted me with a hand-me-down Table Saw. Shortly after, I built the bar! COLD BEER anyone? However, after building the bar, I had tons of pallets left over. Then it clicked! “I can use the wood to make All Sorts of Things!” And I did!

I made a pallet storage boxes, garden boxes, a birdhouse with my nephew Michael and many personalized signs for friends. The custom/personalized signs were a big hit! I later realized that I needed to expand and make signs that hit home for more people. I began making signs with sayings that you may not find in stores. You know, those sayings that people you know use all the time and quotes that hit home. When I was younger, my grandmother would say, “You must be feeling your Cheerios!” when we were running around, full of energy. It meant that the Cheerios must have given us a boost of energy. So, making a sign that says, “Feel Your Cheerios” would have meaning to members in my family!

 

Customized name signs were also a big hit! People tend to have nicknames for friends and family members, weird ones, and people love seeing their own names on things!

And that’s why I created RA[r]E. I have the opportunity to indulge in my hobby, challenge my skills, and create hand-crafted pieces that hit home for others to enjoy.