February 02, 2018

John Weber Realizes his Dream through Weber Woodcrafters

February 02, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

John Weber Realizes his Dream through Weber Woodcrafters

For 28 years, John Weber managed maintenance and construction departments in five-star resorts. Then he decided to go off on his own and make a living at his passion: woodworking.

What had been his hobby for more than 40 years, is now his daily life through his business Weber Woodcrafters.

Although John can make pretty much anything, he specializes in barn doors, custom furniture and home décor. He also loves repurposing antiques, and old wood.

February 01, 2018

Jordana Stone Design Continues the Tradition of Lapidary Arts

February 01, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Jordana Stone Design Continues the Tradition of Lapidary Arts

Lapidary Arts – the art of cutting and polishing stones to make beautiful, ornate jewelry – has been practiced for thousands of years.

Before modern equipment existed, saws and wheels used to cut, grind and polish stones were powered by water wheels and mills set along rivers to harness the natural energy of the flowing water. Since the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to modern times, the art of stone cutting has continued to evolve, and new rock sources are continually being discovered in many remote regions of the world, providing new materials to craft into beautiful stone jewelry.

Jordana Stone Design is a collaboration between Mark and Gail Jordana, longtime married partners, travelers, and designers. Their small business serves as the ideal means to link their interests in travel, the natural environment, and designing and creating handmade stone jewelry.

January 31, 2018

Grace and Charma Designs Brings out the Beauty of the Wearer

January 31, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Grace and Charma Designs Brings out the Beauty of the Wearer

Jennifer Boccassini began creating beading activities for small children to help them develop fine motor skills.

An Early Childhood student and educator who loves creative curriculum, Jennifer is fascinated by how children learn and develop through creativity. Just two years ago, Jennifer began experimenting with jewelry design and creating lesson plans that develop fine motor skills.

She then started working with “grown up” beads and she fell in love with the process of beading, wiring, creating patterns and the meditative aspects of creating jewelry. She says, “The child inside the adult survives through creativity.” Her creative outlet, combined with a new-found interest in gemstones, crystals and their healing properties led to Grace and Charma Designs.

January 30, 2018

The Four Rs Lay the Foundation of More Palletable Woodworks

January 30, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

The Four Rs Lay the Foundation of More Palletable Woodworks

Based in St. Augustine, More Palletable Woodworks is led by the fourth-generation bearded creative Luke Kelleher.

Luke started his woodwork with wood scraps leftover from building a shed. From there, he focused on using reclaimed materials like pallet wood and hurricane damaged logs to create pictures, furniture, boxes and more.

Since establishing his business, More Palletable Woodworks, Luke has taken his pieces to the next level. Today he creates wood art pieces, custom logos, commercial bars and custom cutting boards.

January 29, 2018

Zandomenego Handcrafts Wearable Pieces of Sculptural Art

January 29, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Zandomenego Handcrafts Wearable Pieces of Sculptural Art

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Cristina Zandomenego has lived a life filled with nature and beauty surrounded by the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

These environments inspire Cristina and provide the underlying theme behind her designs: that every piece of jewelry must have movement.

Cristina’s passion for art is a trait she inherited from her mother and grandmother. While creating art of all mediums has been in her family for generations, Christina found her calling in designing and making her own handcrafted jewelry.

January 29, 2018

Create Your Own Chalk Art at Made in St. Augustine

January 29, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Create Your Own Chalk Art at Made in St. Augustine

Chalk with Dancing Debbie at Chalkabouttown.com uses Chalk Transfers and Chalkology Chalk Paste to make her creations.

It’s fun and easy to do with endless possibilities. DESIGN - LOVE - REPEAT done with Chalk Transfers that are reusable, adhesive silkscreen that can be used on chalkboards, whiteboards, mirrors, tile, windows, appliances, painted furniture and so, so much more.

January 28, 2018

Out of the Mouth of Babes

January 28, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Shelby Miller is (pretty much) a stay-at-home mama to her two and a half-year-old son. She’s an instructor at Funkytown Fitness (also participating at Made in STA!) so that takes up a couple of hours each day. The rest of the time she gets to be with her son, which is what she always wanted when she became a mom. But yet, she knew she needed more.

She wanted something she could do from home and on “her” time. Last April, a friend texted her and said, “Hey, I know you’re creative… what’s a handmade baby shower gift I can make?” Shelby was on it.

She loves this kind of stuff – second to her love of searching Pinterest. Teething rings and toys popped up when she searched “handmade” but she didn’t like any of the styles she found. Plus, as an experienced mom she had safety concerns in the back of her mind. (When her son was six months old he broke a teething bracelet that had been gifted to Shelby.)

January 27, 2018

Nurturepelli Soaps Nurtures Skin Naturally

January 27, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Nurturepelli Soaps Nurtures Skin Naturally

Nurturepelli Soaps began on Heather Warren’s New Hampshire farm 24 years ago and continues here in St. Augustine today.

Heather has always loved bath products. She saw her first bar of homemade soap at a farmers’ market in Portsmouth and soon after signed up for a soap making class. Heather set out her first batch of Oatmeal Lavender soap next to the cash register in June during “pick your own” strawberry season and sold out of her soap the same day.

The next batch Heather made was a lemony soap she named “Farmer’s Soap” after her husband, a full-time farmer. It’s still a customer favorite to this day.

January 24, 2018

Whitney Lab and Sea Turtle Hospital provide Lifelong Learning Opportunities

January 24, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Whitney Lab and Sea Turtle Hospital provide Lifelong Learning Opportunities

The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience is a biomedical and biotechnology research institute of the University of Florida, located on the border of St. Johns and Flagler Counties in St. Augustine, Florida.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and UF’s Medical School leadership founded the Lab in 1974. It is composed of nine different internal labs that use marine organisms for basic biological research that can be applied to human health, natural resources and the environment.

Not only a center for rigorous marine research, Whitney is well-regarded for providing the community lifelong learning opportunities. The lab provides training for future experimental biologists, education programs for Kindergarten through university-level students and monthly lectures for the general public.

January 24, 2018

Textile Arts Guild Preserves Hand-Crafting Heritage

January 24, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Textile Arts Guild Preserves Hand-Crafting Heritage

History isn’t just written on the pages of books or spoken aloud from scripts meticulously fact-checked. It’s recorded in the work of the hands.

St. Augustine Textile Arts Guild members live up to the mission defined by its founders in 1995: Maurine Boles, textile historian; Nancy Garrard, a spinner and weaver, and Irene Toreula, a weaver. The mission is to preserve the textile arts and crafts from St. Augustine’s founding in 1565 through Statehood in 1845, and to encourage interest in the historic and contemporary arts.

Members are spinners who turn fibers into yarns and threads for weaving, knitting and decorative arts; crafters who embellish hand-made garments tapestries and linens with beading or embroidery, crochet, knit, quilt, or felt, create jewelry, and children’s soft-knit toys.

January 22, 2018

Raising the Bar

January 22, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Raising the Bar

A bridge crane on rails hangs suspended overhead as guests sit at the bar sipping drinks. But these aren’t regular drinks. These craft cocktails are produced with fresh, local ingredients, in-house produced ice and more than a few dashes of expertise.

It is with these drinks that the Ice Plant is raising the bar for St. Augustine’s craft cocktail scene.

One of the local leaders in the craft cocktail movement, the Ice Plant is deep-rooted in history. The Ice Plant has successfully played off of the building’s history to create a one-of-a-kind cocktail bar.

The original Ice Plant was established in St. Augustine in 1927 when the facility created huge blocks of ice for shrimp boats and local customers. The original crane (that now hangs over the bar) is the same one that was used 90 years ago to pick up huge blocks of ice.

January 22, 2018

Farina Handcrafted Surfboards Teaches the Skills that go into Board Shaping

January 22, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Farina Handcrafted Surfboards Teaches the Skills that go into Board Shaping

Hanging out at Crescent Beach a couple times per week, 11-year-old David Farina grew bored of playing in the sand. He turned to watching people surf and bodyboard and decided he wanted to try it.

Although it was frustrating at first, once he caught a real wave, David was hooked. When he wasn’t on the water, he was glued to shows like ESPN’s Surfer Magazine. On one episode they showed a 10-second clip of a guy shaping a surfboard. David’s head exploded! He says it was like a switch turned on and he became obsessed with wanting to learn how to shape boards.

Little did he know that this adolescent obsession would lead him to one day establish his business, Farina Handcrafted Surfboards which not only makes surfboards and wakeboards but teaches others to shape their own boards. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The road to his business was not a straight path… it has been a winding journey with many turns, dips and hills to climb.

January 21, 2018

Experience Urban Asado

January 21, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Experience Urban Asado

In Spanish, the word “Asado” means barbecue. However, the Argentinian tradition of Asado is as much about the social element of a cookout as it is about the barbecue itself. Any opportunity to share a meal with family and friends is a time to be fully appreciated.

Nick Carrera, founder of Urban Asado, remembers the joy he saw in his dad whenever he had the chance to prepare an Asado. He recalls how all of his dad’s day-to-day responsibilities seemed to just dance away with the flickering flames.

Nick started Urban Asado in 2013 with the idea of blending his father’s Argentine heritage with a slightly more contemporary approach. He set out to create a more accessible way for people to enjoy all that wood fired grilling has to offer.

January 20, 2018

Maggie’s Herb Farm Delights the Senses

January 20, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Maggie’s Herb Farm Delights the Senses

Maggie’s Herb Farm is a treat for your senses. Walking through the farm, visitors are embraced by fragrant culinary herbs, beautiful edible flowers, rare superfood plants, medicinal herb plants, native fruit trees and colorful butterfly and hummingbird plants.

The farm offers hundreds of herbs including everything that grows in our area like thyme, chives, a dozen different mints, parsley, sage, rosemary, fennel, stevia and all common herbs. Maggie’s Herb Farm also offers medicinal herbs like turmeric, comfrey, skullcap, mugwort, valerian, katuk and samba – just to name a few.

Maggie’s Herb Farm has been around for 35 years at its current location on County Road 13. The Farm has been growing pesticide-free for many years. Several years ago, Herbalist Dora Baker purchased the farm and has continued its success.

January 19, 2018

Adopt a New Furkid from S.A.F.E. at Made in St. Augustine

January 19, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Saving Animals From Euthanasia is a 501c3 non-profit organization run entirely by donations.

Each day S.A.F.E. rescues wonderful precious animals that have been thrown away like garbage so that they may go on to live happy lives with families who will cherish them.

S.A.F.E. treats pets for medical conditions needed to make them adoptable and healthy. Some simiply have broken hearts and minds, and need time and TLC to heal and know what love is. S.A.F.E.’s foster homes provide that.

January 17, 2018

Dance around the World without ever Leaving St. Augustine

January 17, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Dance around the World without ever Leaving St. Augustine

Gina Marie Newman has been dancing since childhood but began gravitating to world dance styles as an adult.

Today, she shares her passion for American Tribal Style Dance, Middle Eastern Dance, Near East Dance, Spanish Fusion and more through Blue Lotus World Dance Company.

She believes this style of dance is enriching both culturally and spiritually – not to mention a healthy, creative outlet for all ages, sizes and backgrounds.

January 17, 2018

Phoenix Rises Acupuncture Reduces Stress, Pain and Inflammation without Medication

January 17, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Phoenix Rises Acupuncture Reduces Stress, Pain and Inflammation without Medication

Gordana Smith stems from a long lineage of barefoot doctors: herbalists, village doctors and energy healers. Growing up in former Yugoslavia, she watched and learned from her grandparents when and how to collect herbs and dry them in the attic (one of her favorite childhood hideouts).

She and her family rarely went to see a doctor. There was – and still is – an herb for everything. In her teens, Gordana witnessed her father’s great gift of helping the less fortunate and sick through his energy healing. When Gordana was in the hospital with a pulmonary embolism, her father worked on her from Bosnia and busted her clot leaving the Flagler Hospital doctors in disbelief. Needless to say, Gordana had big shoes to fill.

For the longest time, Gordana denied the healer in herself. It took several life-threatening experiences to make her start climbing the mountain instead of stubbornly walking around it. Today, Gordana is an acupuncture physician and Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Her practice, Phoenix Rises Acupuncture is located at 150 Kent Road, Suite 2A in St. Augustine.

January 16, 2018

Soluna Takes the Natural Road to Beauty

January 16, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Soluna Takes the Natural Road to Beauty

Christy Ferguson says owning her own handmade business has been a wild crazy ride with days filled with inspiration and days full of doubt.

However, only a little more than a year into business, Soluna Beauty is growing and thriving.

Christy began making skincare products for herself because she just couldn’t find what she was looking for in the store. In her late 30s, she started noticing her skin becoming a little less plump, new-formed dryness and the appearance of some fine lines. Christy has always used a daily moisturizer and just about any “natural” facewash she was trying out that month. But she never had any brand loyalty to any product on the market because there simply wasn’t anything she truly loved.

January 16, 2018

Datil Pepper gives Chef Phil’s BBQ Sauce its Unique Flavor

January 16, 2018/ Made in St Augustine/ Made In STA

Datil Pepper gives Chef Phil’s BBQ Sauce its Unique Flavor

For 30 years, Phil Brown worked at UPS. Toward the end of his first career, he wanted to do something besides playing golf and fishing all the time (although he really enjoys these two activities!). He also loved to cook, so he ventured down a new career path, went to culinary school and became a chef.

Phil officially started Chef Phil’s BBQ Sauce Company about two and a half years ago. He’s been making BBQ sauce for more than 15 years but just recently perfected it into the sauce it is today.

Phil started with a mild sauce and then moved into the Datil pepper sauce. He eventually thought coffee would add a unique dimension to his Datil pepper sauce, so he began making his Espresso Datil Pepper BBQ Sauce. Each sauce is delicious and unique. Datil peppers are great little peppers that help give his BBQ sauces their one-of-a-kind flavor.