A portion of all sales of The Heart With California Keychain will be donated to California wildfire relief through The Plumas Crisis Intervention & Resource Center. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support their efforts.

This keychain was made in collaboration with Lauren De Vine, a native Californian, and botanical artist working in illustration, written word and with flavor composition. We had the great pleasure of meeting Lauren at a trade show outside of Joshua Tree and have admired her spirit and work ever since.

A note from Lauren about this project:

I began drawing this image of the California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica (es-shuh-HOLES-ee-uh cal-i-FOR-ni-cuh), in response to the overwhelming wildfires blanketing the Northern California skies in 2020, sending the illustration out to both friends and strangers as a message of hope and solidarity in a difficult time. Native to the Pacific Slope of North America, from Western Oregon to Baja California, this poppy blanketing the hills during the 1800s wave of westward colonization was the reason the word 'golden' became associated with the west coast.

The California Poppy is also known as a "fire-follower", seizing opportunity in the aftermath of wild burn and exploding its soft grace in large patchworks of spring and early summer bloom. They are also a part of a group of wildflowers known as drought-followers; another image of promise at this critical moment in climate, conservation, preservation, and stewardship.

My body of work has always centered around sense-of-place, and I sit in awe and admiration at the seat of what Tactile Craftworks draws attention to, and honors through their impeccable handwork. They are the perfect partners and this is the perfect moment to draw that symbol out into the greater world.

It is our hope that our Heart With California Keychain raises money to offset some of what we have lost as a human community as a result of recent wildfire devastation- that its image of the California Poppy may act as a symbol of solidarity with our neighbors, a message of respect for what we have lost as a part of a greater community of all creatures in this shared landscape, and further- as a symbol of hope as we rebuild our ideals and our future as a part of this complex and magnificent place.

The Plumas Crisis Intervention & Resource Center provides an incredible array of emergency and homeless services- including access to temporary and permanent housing, peer and grief counseling, job training, and a number of on the ground support programs for underserved individuals, families and transitioning offenders. Read more about their work here.

Handmade of full-grain veg-tan leather, and solid brass hardware.