What began as a small side hustle has evolved into one of the more popular online Etsy shops.
Noblesville couple Amie and Chris Knuckles created their online wood wall art and home décor business, Vintage Adventures, in 2015. In 2020, the business became a full-time venture when they launched the shop on Etsy, which – according to the Etsy analytics tool Erank – is in the top 2 percent of the platform’s sellers.
The couple, who have worked out of a garage at 936 Maple Ave. since 2021, created a key to the city for the late pop artist Jimmy Buffett in 2020, and one of their art pieces appeared in the 2022 movie “The Requin.”
“(When we started out) we both had really stressful (full-time) jobs, and going around to auctions and making things, it was fun, so it was like a hobby to start with,” Amie said. “We just enjoyed creating things. I never in a million years would have thought that this is what I would be doing. I was a director of nursing when this started. I never thought I would ever in a million years (run an art business).”
Initially, the Knuckles sold vintage furniture in a booth at the antique mall and eventually the Logan Village Mall. They started making and selling wall art after they decided to make art for their own walls in their booth space, which they thought were too bare. They started selling on Etsy after Chris lost his full-time IT job as a project manager during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“(Amie) came in the room, she’s like, ‘Let’s start an Etsy shop, it’ll be fun,’” Chris said. “And I always say that because every time we’re in here and we’re sweaty and we’re tired and exhausted, I’m like, ‘Let’s start an Etsy shop, it’ll be fun.’”
Although Amie devotes most of her time to the art business, she still works part time in a hospital.
Besides their Etsy shop, the Knuckles also have a website where they sell their art.
The Knuckles said their favorite part of their business is traveling, attending festivals, meeting people and the adventure of it all. They were invited to be a part of the Orange Beach Festival of Art in Orange Beach, Ala., March 9-10 and plan to attend more festivals this year.
“We’ve had a lot of great things happen to us over time,” Amie said. “When we get to the point where we start to doubt it, something really cool will happen that gets us to that next step and then we’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, maybe this is what we’re supposed to do.’”
Amie and Chris said owning and operating Vintage Adventures is the highlight of their lives. They both take pride in their work.
“I look back on my (old full-time) career and think, ‘I did all that stuff but I didn’t do (anything). All I did was make some corporation more money or whatever, right?’” Chris said. “So, now, when I look at the stuff that we do (with our art business), it’s going to sound cheesy, but I feel like I’m leaving some sort of legacy, some part of me is still going to be around.”
THE KNUCKLES’ ART METHOD
Vintage Adventures owners Amie and Chris Knuckles create their wood art with lasers. They usually create a digital design and then use a CNC machine where a laser cuts a slab of wood into different pieces, according to the design.
Amie paints the pieces of wood, then the couple glues the pieces together and frame it.
Eventually, the couple plans make prints of the art that will be sold at a reduced price from the original pieces.
To find Vintage Adventures on Etsy, visit etsy.com/shop/VintageAdventuresLLC?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1027666500&from_page=listing.
For more on Vintage Adventures vintageadventureshomedecor.com.
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