About Outstanding Expectations Specialty Gift and Services Showroom
and Online Shopping Stores

Representing Four Outstanding Companies and a Variety of Exceptional Artists
In One Showroom in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Through Online Sales
"A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when last it comes." Mark Twain

Outstanding Expectations is an extraordinary brick and mortar showroom that represents four outstanding companies, a number of exceptional artists and craftsmen and a distinctive variety of merchandise and services. Located in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, between Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Townsend, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is the place for uncommon finds and to locate unexpected treasures. Outstanding Expectations is The Little Shop with Big Surprises!

Owners, Greg and Kathryn Rutherford, are each fine artists, craftsmen and instructors with qualifications in many areas and specialty services that make their individual business offerings unique.

Kathryn Rutherford is an internationally known award-winning fine artist, portrait artist, art and photography restoration conservator and high school and college fine art teacher who's work and expertise spans traditional fine art and portraiture, historic restoration techniques and digital technology.
For more than thirty years her company, Heirloom Art Studio, has been providing exquisite original paintings and portraits, as well as high quality restoration services, to clients throughout the world.
More recently, she has become well known for her captivating and thought-provoking Spirit Paintings. These provacative narrative paintings, containing transparent images of passed on friends and relations, best exemplify Kathryn's technical skill as an extraordinary portrait artist.
Kathryn's original fine art, prints, notecards and fine art merchindise may be purchased at the Outstanding Expectations Showroom or found online exclusively at the Outstanding Expectations Online Shopping Store.
To learn more about Kathryn Rutherford, click on the Heirloom Art Studio company link to the left or follow this link to see Kathryn Rutherford Fine Art at the Heirloom Art Studio website.
Greg Rutherford is a technical advisor and instructor in the screenprinting industry and has operated his own graphic design and screenprinting studio for more than twenty-five years. In recent years his company, Mystic Ink, has added dye sublimation specialty merchandise printing to his list of superior offerings. Using a special dye and high heat, Dye Sublimation is when a full colour photograph or artwork design is printed on specially prepared ceramic, glass, magnet, metal, tile, textiles and more. Unlike screenprinting, which is only cost effective when ordering in larger quantities, dye sublimated items may be produced one at a time, as specialty orders, or in volume.
Greg also creates magnificent Nantucket Style Baskets, woodturned bowls and also works in clay and watercolours. Many of his handcrafted items are offered for sale on the Outstanding Expectations Online Shopping Store.
Learn more about Greg and Mystic Ink custom screenprinting and dye sublimation services by clicking on the company link to the left or follow this link to view Greg Rutherford's Mystic Ink Screenprinting and Specialty Print Studio services immediately.
Sword and Ivy opened as a result of the many customer requests for specific product lines and designs which cater to specific lifestyles and beliefs. New Age, Wicca, Pagan, metaphysical, Native American and other such products are sold online or can be viewed in the Outstanding Expectations brick and mortar showroom. Many of the products are designed, handcrafted and produced on site. Retail special orders are welcomed and wholesale orders are accepted with appropriate business and tax licenses.
Click on the Sword and Ivy company link to the left or click here to go directly to the Sword and Ivy website and Online Shopping Store.
Creative Geekdom is the newest division of Outstanding Expectations which has been taken over by daughter, Tania Rutherford. Catering to the wants and needs of gamers, roll players, sci-fi fanatics, dollhouse and miniature collectors, kite flyers, lovers of animation and all others passionate about, or deeply involved in, something very specific.
Creative Geekdom has Things For All Geeks.
Tania Rutherford brings her own unique talents and skills to Outstanding Expectations. Holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technology with a specialty in digital animation and 3D character modeling, Tania produces many of the Creative Geekdom products including a line of steampunk and other original t-shirt designs as well as her own original merchandise. Adding to the graphic design team, she also offers web design and web hosting services to our clientele.
Go to Creative Geekdom by clicking on the company button to your left, shop online at Creative Geekdom.com or view Tania's work at www.snorkeldragon.com
Other Master Artists and Craftmen are also represented at Outstanding Expectations and their work is sold online at the Outstanding Expectations Online Shopping Store. Many of these artists have their work photographed and reproduced in giclee prints at the Heirloom Art Studio and, as a result, offer their work for sale online at the Outstanding Expectations Online Shopping Store. Other fine craftsmen have their own studios, but are also represented at Outstanding Expectations both online and in the Showroom. These are supurb artists offering high quality and original works of art.
Many of our customers know and love Socks the Gallery Cat who lives in the Showroom. Socks looks forward to the arrival of everyone and is waiting for your visit.

You are invited to shop online or come into our brick and mortar Showroom on your next trip to East Tennessee to purchase in person. If you don't see an item offered in the Showroom or on any of our Online Shopping Stores feel free to place a custom special order and we will do our best to create it for you if at all possible.

You'll Be Surprised At What You Discover in one Amazing Place.
Find out why Outstanding Expectations is The Little Shop with Big Surprises!
©1980-2011 All Rights Reserved. No Image may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Outstanding Expectations