From Victorian and steampunk-inspired jewelry to night lights showcasing the original works of a father and daughter, this winter holiday-themed faire had it all. Irvine Fine Arts Center’s 41st Annual Holiday Faire on Nov. 4 featured over 100 local businesses with handmade gifts such as holiday decorations, hand-blown glass and ceramics.
“I love seeing the artists thrive in their environment and hearing the community appreciate their hand-created artworks,” IFAC’s community services supervisor Laura Murphy said. “There is so much joy and appreciation throughout the event and it is wonderful to see the community support local artists.”
For those who were not able to attend and want recommendations of local businesses to buy holiday gifts from, here are four stand-outs from the faire:
Since 2008, father and daughter Carl and Gwen Lind have run this business together. They sell night lights and Christmas books with miniature framed original works—artwork by Gwen or photography by Carl—that span a variety of categories including sights of the home and garden, animals, landmarks, sunsets, oceans and festive seasonal landscapes.
“We think of everything together, so it’s a good father-daughter bonding experience,” Carl Lind said.
Over the years, they’ve transitioned from selling lamps to night lights in response to customers wanting cheaper products. They primarily sell at the Sawdust Art Show in Laguna Beach and maintain a good relationship with repeat customers.
To see more of their creations, visit woodlindhomeandgarden.com.
Sage Hill High School seniors Jennifer Huang, the ADA president, and Joy Qu, a board member, brought products designed by local high school artists from Orange County School of Arts and Irvine High School.
“For some of the stickers, artists just gave us designs of animals and we thought ‘oh, this would be great as a sticker,’” Huang said. “We’re responsible for contacting the manufacturer, and then afterwards we contact faires to sell the products.”
Their favorite part of attending these faires is being able to see how customers react to hearing that the products are designed by high school students.
“I think my favorite part is talking to the people here because they ask us and we explain our processes,” Huang said. “And it’s really seeing them surprised to hear that high school student artists made these and also seeing the art that high school students make and get sold at events like this, I think that’s really fulfilling for us as well.”
Visit @asdesignersandartists on Instagram to see more.
Although Michelle Blanco has been sewing for a while, she started her business just a year ago, and this was her first big market to sell at. Her booth was a homey corner with pillows, napkins and other handmade homegoods in colorful patterns with different fabrics and textures.
“I like color; I think it brings a lot of joy to the home,” Blanco said. “Just a great way to mix things up in your home, create change and create an atmosphere that is just joyful.”
Visit @sorrel_co on Instagram to see more.
In her ninth year of running this Victorian and steampunk jewelry business, Ali Krajewski brought a variety of accessories including bookmarks, pins and brooches, vintage watch face necklaces, pocket watch necklaces, rings and barrettes.
“What I like about my stuff is it’s a little casual, you can make it everyday wear,” Krajewski. “It’s not costume wear for Halloween; it’s a nice crossover of daily wear and Steampunk.”
One of the everyday jewelry pieces she sells is made from vintage watch parts.
“I take watch parts out of non-working pocket watches and kind of rearrange the pieces in a bezel,” Krajewski said. “Then I pour resin over it to seal it in, and they kind of get frozen in time like little museum pieces being showcased forever.”
To learn more, visit accessoryalchemy.com.