Artisan Mini-Fair at Tree of Life Nursery
Saturday June 14, 2014
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Tree of Life Nursery specializes in California native plants. In our store Casa ‘La Paz’ we offer a carefully curated collection of art, books and gifts. Our books pertain to all things California, and our gift items relate to nature and our local region with an emphasis on handmade and wild-collected materials. We also purchase directly from local craftspeople and artists creating unique natural products. We have invited a few of these folks so you can meet them and see their unique craft. They will bring beaded and cast silver jewelry, ceramic art, carvings, hypertufa pots, hand-crafted natural soaps, salves and more.
Since we already carry most of these artisan’s products, we are honored to have them come tell their story and bring more of their works. Each person will give a short presentation (10-15 minutes) and show us what they make, why they make it and what makes their materials unique and special.
They are all doing great work and we want to share their talents with you. Come and purchase truly unique and locally made gifts at our artisan mini-fair! Come meet the people who make it happen.
Tufa Treasures, Kay & Cheryl: 10:00 am
Lightweight planting containers that are handcrafted from stone and aggregate to simulate volcanic Tufa.
Cardón Walking Sticks, Dave Buchanan: 10:30 am
One of a kind, light-weight walking sticks from salvaged cardón ribs from Baja California. Perfect gift for the hiking Father the following day. (Assuming you’re OK with Father taking a hike on Fathers Day!)
Natural Arts & Crafts, Hilda Evans: 11:00 am
Our instructor in our yearly wreath workshops will bring natural beaded jewelry and other native plant & hand-crafted decor.
Room to Fly Ceramics, Sherry McClune: 11:30 am
Nature-inspired, soulful ceramic pieces handcrafted for your kitchen and for decor.
Padua Farms, Becky Morgan: 12:00 pm
Skin nourishing botanicals created from natural and native materials, soaps, salves, body butters and more.
Billy’s a Bad Kitty, Laura Moore: 12:30 pm
One of a kind, hand cast fine silver jewelry, created from nature’s art.
Click on Read More to learn more about the featured artisan’s for this summer’s mini-fair!
More information:
Tufa Treasures – Kay & Cheryl, 10:00 am
Mother and daughter team Kay and Cheryl create their treasures by combining organics, minerals, aggregates and Portland cement to make beautiful containers for plants that look similar to the natural volcanic rock called Tufa. The volcanic rock is rare and unsustainable to harvest while being coveted for being lightweight. The unique ancient look and porous quality of these containers provides space for extra water in dry spells that will also allow for moss and lichen growth over time. These manmade hypertufa pots share all of these desirable qualities without the unsustainable aspects. See more at: http://www.tufatreasures.com/
Cardón Walking Sticks, Dave Buchanan, 10:30 am
In many parts of Baja California local ranchers have burned large tracts of
wilderness, for the mistaken notion that cleared areas could be converted to “uses” such as grazing and farming. Too many noble cardons (Baja’s endemic “saguaro” type tall cactus) have been killed by fire which can only burn on the transformed, degraded landscape. Desiccated, these proud monuments topple to the ground. From such, Dave salvages cardón ribs, and then works and polishes them into one-of-a-kind staffs. They are very lightweight and incredibly strong… exactly what you’re looking for in a walking stick. Using the palo desierto, you’ll find your thoughtful walker’s hand reconnects the spirit of these desert sentinels with the Earth.
Natural Arts & Crafts – Hilda Evans, 11:00 am
Our yearly wreath workshop instructor will bring unique natural hand-crafted beaded jewelry, potted native arrangements and home decor. Always working with her hands and any natural materials she finds, Hilda Evans continually creates high quality and completely unique arrangements and decor out of native plant materials.
Room to Fly Ceramics – Sherry McClune, 11:30 am
Sherry has always had a great love of the outdoors and nature. From a very young age she has had a fascination for objects of nature especially sea shells, spending many months with her family traveling to isolated locations in Baja California. Her current medium is clay. To Sherry: “Clay is a material that parallels the history of the human race. It reflects the changing customs and rituals in civilizations. Clay for me has become an endless expression that continues to change and evolve as I explore it.”
Padua Farms – Becky Morgan, 12:00 pm
Padua Farms was born out of a desire to make completely natural skin care products. The first product Becky made was a skin nourishing first aid salve. From there she began to experiment, educate, and cook up concoctions in her own kitchen. She has made soaps with native plant material such as hummingbird sage and she also loves to make candles, body butters, masks, scrubs, balms and salves. https://www.facebook.com/paduafarms
Billy’s a Bad Kitty – Laura Moore, 12:30 pm
Laura Moore’s pieces are described as “jewelry art cast from nature.” Employing Japanese precious metal clay and objects from nature, the artist creates a one-of-a-kind forms that shape fine-grade silver into wearable art. Laura finishes each piece using a variety of intricate surface treatments to bring out the texture and detail. The pendants are enhanced with delicate silver chains and real gemstones making each one an original and uniquely charming work of art. http://www.billysabadkitty.com/