LOCAL BUYS

Handmade gifts to delight

BY JANICE QUIRT

Lavender Love

Hereward Farms’ lavender-infused face serum, made with lavender grown on the East Garafraxa property, is racking up the accolades. This fall the non-toxic, crueltyfree, vegan and all-natural product took fourth place in the Clean Beauty Awards held by Toronto-based CertClean. “We started Hereward Farms in 2020 purely on a whim but have grown from 40 test plants to 6,000 this year,” says owner Julie Thurgood-Burnett. “Our business is about our natural home and skincare products – with the farm as a bonus for visitors to see where the products are developed.” (Lavender-infused face serum, $28, Orangeville Sobeys, Henning Salon and Holiday Treasures)

From Honduras to Hockley

Living in Hockley Village inspires jeweller Heidi Pineda, whose work blends nature motifs and country style with elements of her Honduran heritage. Heidi Atelier jewelry showcases brass, pearls and semiprecious stones such as jade in a collection influenced by ancient cultures and pre-Colombian art. “I have a background in fashion design and appreciate beauty in all things,” Heidi says. “I love to use brass and a mix of materials and processes to create unique wearable art.” (Earrings, from $33, necklaces, from $34, Heidi Atelier and Holiday Treasures) Potter World

Surrounded by rolling hills near Creemore, it’s no wonder Jamila Monahan’s wheel-thrown pottery comprises refined curves and organic textures – albeit with a modern sensibility. “My love of the natural comes out in a Scandinavian esthetic, which emphasizes simplicity, functionality and light,” says the local artist. From the petite espresso cups to larger platters, pieces embody usefulness and beauty. (Prices vary, Jamila Monahan Pottery)

Hold My Beer

Looking for something different for your gift recipients this holiday season? Josh Friesen of Dirty Leather Work near Creemore has thoughts. He brings a background in bartending to his handmade heirloomquality leather goods, offering beer holsters, four-pack holders, and Mason jar mugs. “Every stitch, snap, rivet and cut are done with my own hands, no machining whatsoever,” he says. (Mason mugs, $40, beer holsters, $50, four-pack holders, from $100, Made on Oak)

Life, Captured

Mono’s Jo Thomson captures faithful images of foraged organic leaves and other flora, all without using a camera. Instead, she leans on some of the earliest photographic techniques: vivid blue cyanotypes and reverse black-andwhite photograms. After over 20 years in a mostly digital creative environment, Jo says she had a strong desire to return to these forms. “My work uses a ‘direct-contact’ method. It’s a slow process that reveals the beauty of the subject in true life-scale.” (Art card, $18.50, prints, from $65, Florigin and Holiday Treasures) Printing Along the Grain

Is Nicola Kidd of Resurfaced a photographer, printmaker or woodworker? All three, it turns out. Coasters, prints and even postcards feature the Mulmur artist’s original photographs of iconic Canadian symbols and landscapes skilfully printed on canvases of thin wood Nicola cuts herself. “Wood is such a warm material to work with. Its grain brings out so many different variations in the pieces, making each a one-of-a-kind creation.” (Four coasters, $35, postcard, $17, art print, $45, Resurfaced and Holiday Treasures)

Holiday Treasures Show, Nov 30 – Dec 11 Museum of Dufferin, Airport Rd & Hwy 89, Mulmur 519-941-1114, www.dufferinmuseum.com Hereward Farms, East Garafraxa www.herewardfarm.com, IG @herewardfarms Henning Salon, 193 Broadway, Orangeville 519-942-4297, www.henningsalon.com sources

Sobeys, 500 Riddell Road, Orangeville 519-941-1339 Jamila Monahan Pottery, Glen Huron www.jamilamonahan.com, IG @chickensandlaserbeams Heidi Atelier, Hockley www.heidiatelier.com, IG @heidiatelier Dirty Leather Work, Stayner FB Dirty Leather Work, IG @dirty_leather_work Made on Oak, 200 Oak Street, Stayner IG @madeonoak Florigin, Mono. www.florig.in, IG @florig.in Resurfaced, Mulmur. Resurfaced.ca, IG @resurfacedca