Coronado is full of talented and creative artisans who specialize in a variety of fun, homemade items. I wanted to showcase a few of these very skilled community members and share their artistry with the world. The following craftsman have a passion for their art as well as their community.
Very Respectfully Made – Stephanie Heames
Stephanie Heames and her husband, a surface warfare officer with the Navy, have been living in Coronado since December 2012. After moving their family eight times in the past ten years, Heames loves that Coronado is “a tight-knit community” and “that there is always someone you know, someone to help, someone to chat with at the park.” “Everything is so close so I can bike/walk with the kids, you always know what is going on around town, it is really such a wonderful example of a community,” she explains.
Heames specializes in military themed pillows for “people who love the military or someone in the military.” She does custom designs for specific ships, squadrons, and people. She recently began creating her pillows this past Fall. Her first pillow was a special gift to her son who was having a hard time with his father deployed. The pillow said: “You make me Happy when Ships are gray” and featured the outline of his father’s ship. Since that first pillow last fall, business has grown very quickly through word of mouth and photos posted on facebook. “I love that my customers are all somehow friends of friends of friends” says Heames.
Stephanie Heames with some of her creations.
Very Respectfully Made Pillows are $15 each. They can be purchased online at VeryRespectfullyMade.com or by messaging Stephanie on her facebook page for local pick-up and delivery. They are also sold locally at the Sand Dollar Too gift shop on the North Island Navy Base.
Stephanie Heames
Custom Wood Pieces – Kim Garnier
Kim Garnier moved to Coronado two years ago from New Jersey with her 2 sons and her husband, a Marine stationed at MCAS Miramar. They chose to call Coronado home because they both enjoyed the “small beach town feel” and all the “local activities” the community offered. Garnier began creating her custom pieces after she saw items in catalogs that she really wanted in her home such as benches, headboards, message boards, picture frames, and framed mirrors but were beyond her budget. Instead, she bought a saw and started making them herself!
Garnier handcrafts custom wood pieces for her customers. Many of the special creations she makes for locals are related to the aviation and ship community. One of her best selling pieces is a large, 42×19 inch, American flag. Each of her pieces can be customized by font, color, size, and many other details that make them unique and specially fitted for their new home. Garnier’s favorite signs are Duty Station Plaques: personalized signs that act as a visual reminder of each location a family has lived and worked while serving in the military. “These are unique because every customer I work with has a different story,” explains Garnier, “It is so cool to see how many moves people have done and how unique each military family can be.”
Handmade items by Kim Garnier
To purchase a custom made wood piece by Kim Garnier please contact her directly at [email protected]. Exclusive ready-made pieces can also be found for sale at The Attic on Orange Avenue. Prices range from $15 to $125 depending on the item and size.
Kim Garnier with some of her creations.
Get Crafty Decor – Shari Albrecht Burkholder
Shari Albrecht Burkholder is a military spouse and mother of two. She has lived in Coronado since 2009. Her husband is a naval officer on the new USS Coronado. The Burkholder family enjoys exploring the island and photographing the beautiful sights, visiting the beach, and attending the summer concerts in the park and other local festivities. She returned to her love of crafts this past fall after a major surgery and long recovery. Once she felt “alive again,” she began creating her unique items as a way to “reclaim and recreate” herself. Her personal motto is: “Lets stop waiting and start creating!”
Burkholder’s signature item is decorative twine bottle art. These decor pieces are wrapped in twine and accented with a monogram, holiday, beach or personal embellishment. “It is my goal to have a twine bottle in as many homes as those willing to decorate with a rustic and personalized touch” Burkholder shares. On top of her twine creations, she also creates twine mason jar decor, cork monograms, frame redos, word/letter art and stationery, as well as seasonal items. In addition, if there is a craft item that a customer sees online or in stores but doesn’t have the time to create themselves, she is happy to complete the project for them.
Twine wrapped bottle art
Shari Albrecht Burkholder
Get Crafty Decor items can be purchased directly from Shari Burkholder by emailing her at [email protected] or messaging her through her Get Crafty Decor facebook page. Her items are also offered on the Coronado Home Based Business and Coronado Yard Sale facebook pages. A website is also in the works and will be soon available to view at www.getcraftydecor.com. Prices range from $5 to $60 depending on the size and type of item.
Repurposed frames by Shari Albrecht Burkholder/Get Crafty Design
M Bean Designs – Marie Bean
Marie Bean was born and raised in Coronado. Growing up, her mother was an avid sewer and would create homemade clothes, curtains and other household items for herself and her family. When Marie married her Navy spouse and started traveling around the country, she asked her mother to teach her the art form, and has had a passion for sewing ever since. Once her two sons left home and she became an empty nester she started a small business that incorporated her love of sewing and her hometown.
Bean uses her sewing machine and computer to create her signature pillow designs. She generates maps on the computer and prints them out on special fabric. One of her most popular items is a pillow that says “Coronado By The Sea” on one side and features a map of Coronado printed on the other side. Another fun design says “Coronautical” and displays a map of San Diego Bay on the opposite side. Custom pillows can also be created for any location in a variety of colors.
The pillows can be purchased locally at In Good Taste and the Hotel Del Coronado. For custom orders and online purchases please visit mbeandesigns.com. Prices range from $28 to $35 depending on style and size.
Marie Bean
“Coronado By The Sea” pillow by Marie Bean
All the wonderful items pictured above are available for sale. Please contact the artisans individually for more information and current prices.
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Anne Covington Morse
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
