Katanas Slates – Creekside Art by Ana

Hi! My name is Ana and I’m 10 years old, and I make something really special called Katanas Slates. My Slates are made from old slate pieces I find down by the creek at our summer camp. These slates are super old because they came from the roof of an 1800’s barn on my great‑grandpa’s farm. When the barn got torn down, the broken roof pieces were tossed by the creek, and now I get to rescue them and turn them into art.

Why I Love Making Katanas Slates

I love making my “Katanas Slates” because every single piece is different. I keep all the slates in the natural shape I find them in. Some are bumpy, some are curvy, and some look like funny puzzle pieces. I think that makes them extra cool and special.

When I first brought the slates home, Grandma said that if I wanted to make real engraved art, I had to learn everything myself. So she taught me how to scrub the slates clean (which took forever), paint them black so the pictures show up better, find pictures, edit them, turn them into vectors, and run her X‑Tool engraving machine. Now I can do the whole process on my own, and it makes me feel really proud.

If you want to see some of Grandma’s woodwork too, you can check out Homestead Treasures here: 👉 [Homestead Treasures]

Where My Slates Come From

The slate pieces I use were thrown by the creek a long time ago after the old barn roof was taken down. I like thinking about how something from the 1800s can become something brand new again. It feels like giving the slates a second life, and that makes me happy.

If you want to see more handmade items from our shop, you can visit this page: 👉 [Shop Katanas Slates]

Custom Pet Engraved Slates

I also make personalized Engraved Slates with people’s pets on them. If you send me a picture of your pet, I will try my very best — with my whole heart — to make a special engraved slate just for you. It’s one of my favorite things to make.