M O U N TA I N V I E W V O I C E
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Section 2
D E C E M B E R 10 , 2 0 10 H A P P Y H O L I D AY S
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Whimsical felt pillows are stocked at The Carriage Stop at Roger Reynolds Nursery in Menlo Park.
An owl purse sold by Therapy in Mountain View is crafted out of hand-tooled leather.
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In a Big Box world, gifts created by artisans and craftspeople offer a more personal feeling
By Kathy Cordova
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PHOTO BY VIVIAN WONG
Two vases by Lundberg Studios found at Shady Lane in downtown Palo Alto. Prices range from $212 to $280.
pieces in the Smithsonian Institution. The lamps feature brightly colored glass and designs such as flowers and butterflies. “The lamps add an ambiance in colors that make you happy,” Deutscher said. For those preferring a more natural aesthetic, Joy Imai, potter in residence at Special Handling Pottery in the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, focuses on earth tones inspired by the garden. Imai’s wheelthrown, soda-fired vases ($50-$95) and mugs ($25-$28) display designs of flowers, leaves and birds.
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Imai expects that her ceramic birdhouses (about $58) will be big sellers this season. “This area has a really big interest in the environment, and there is a big birding population here,” Imai said. Imai’s Japanese wish boxes ($35-$38) might make a whimsical gift for children and adults alike. “I got the idea from a Japanese childfolk tale,” Imai said. The boxes come in rich colors and feature images from nature, such as sky blue, moss green and amber with dragonflies, flowers and gingko leaves. Inside each box is a piece of rice paper for writing a wish. Special Handling Pottery also sells cards, bookmarks and signs by Inja Ink Calligraphy that could make thoughtful stocking stuffers ($2 and up). Bookmarks painted with watercolors or pastels and inscribed with inspirational quotes like, “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown,” would complement the gift of a book or add a special touch to a holiday card. Animal lovers might enjoy the variety of quirky, handmade gifts at the Carriage Stop at Roger Reynolds Nursery in Menlo Park, where Sophie, the fluffy, white dog that belongs to store owner Sally Halstead, greets customers. There are felt pillows decorated with Scotty dogs and bones ($33) and dog angel ornaments — dogs with wings holding
PHOTO BY VIVIAN WONG
he thought of handmade gifts evokes sweet memories of a child’s finger-painted masterpiece or a great aunt’s knitted sweater. But even for gift-givers who don’t paint or knit, seeking out well-crafted, handmade gifts can lend a personal touch in a world of Big Box stores and massproduced items. Local shops offer a wide array of handmade items for everyone on your list: For art lovers, multi-color pumpkins in rich hues ($47-$100) from Avolie Glass of Mountain View and handblown vases, paperweights and perfume bottles in contemporary and art deco designs ($212-$380) from Davenport’s Lundberg Studios are among the offerings at Shady Lane in downtown Palo Alto. The store features handmade pieces from Bay Area designers as well as artists from other countries, but co-owners Alice Deutscher and Lesley Obermayer especially enjoy supporting artists who live nearby. “Local is fun,” Deutscher said. “That’s what we’re all about.” The University Avenue store was founded more than 35 years ago to sell local designers’ work. The quality and the diversity of the items in the store reflect the owners’ artist roots and creative sensibility. Shady Lane always stocks a few Tiffany-style lamps ($249-$525) from Santa Cruz artist Jim Forsell, who has
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A ceramic birdhouse made by Joy Imai.
hearts and Christmas trees ($12). The Carriage Stop also sells fanciful ceramics and small, decorative boxes created by Southern California artisan Abby Peterson, who grew up on a farm. Her “Chicken Snowman Box” ($25) and red-and-green checkered box topped with a smiling, sweater-clad bear ($25) could be used for storing trinkets like spare buttons or paperclips. Continued on next page
DECEMBER 10, 2010 ■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■
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