If you are looking for one-of-a-kind gifts that capture the spirit of New Mexico this holiday season, check out the work of these regional artisans with incredible talent. Custom western hats, metalwork, soap, green chilé, and more!
Mark Road Studio
Nancy & Amanda Forrest
Mother-daughter duo, Nancy and Amanda Forrest, combines talents to bring their booth, Mark Road Studio, to regional craft fairs. They have been crafting together for forever says daughter Amanda, at least 30 years. The Forrest women enjoy crafting upcycled creations like denim bracelets from men’s jeans and junk journals from repurposed notebooks. Their booth regularly changes, and they enjoy the reactions that customers have to the items that they have handcrafted.
Contact them at (575) 622-4350 or through their Facebook page @MarkRoadStudio.
Pecos Valley Chile Co.
Earl & Betty Lusk
Signature Product: Sweet Green Chile
Earl and Betty Lusk have been processing Hatch chiles together for 20 years. They have developed their green chile recipes alongside one another. The recipes have evolved over those years, and with each change delighted customers keep coming back. The first major change was a switch from steamed chiles to the fire-roasted kind. In a typical year, the couple processes three tons of chile, 500 pounds at a time. What’s the best way to enjoy their chile? One of their customers enjoys it every morning on a piece of
toast with cheese and ham.
Contact them at (575) 622-0985 to find your favorite product.
Burning H
Cody Hendrix
Cody Hendrix learned to weld from his great-grandfather around the age of 13. He loves to create new things out of the unexpected and combine functionality with intricate details. He has the know-how to weld aluminum and other tricky metals in addition to an artistic streak that allows him to create ornate finishes to pieces like wrought iron gates and flower trellises. His sense of humor and experience as a young father inspired him to build miniature trailers for battery powered trucks. His son enjoys playing with his creations.
Check out the handiworks on Facebook by searching @burningHmetal or email burninghcreations@gmail.com for more information on products and ordering.
Made to Lather
Patricia Monk
Signature Scent: Red Clover Tea
Thirteen years ago, Trisha Monk began selling soap at the Farmer’s Market in Carlsbad. Her venture into soap making began as a quest for a hobby. She tried gardening, started a collection of plumerias from Hawaii, bought a herd of goats, and finally settled upon making soaps and lotions after enjoying the goat milk soap line at Cracker Barrel. (She still hasn’t milked any of her own goat herd yet.) Her favorite part about being a vendor at Farmer’s Markets and Art in the Park style events is visiting with clients and bringing joy through her beloved hobby. She donates some of her products to the Stay Beautiful Foundation which gives out subscription boxes to patients undergoing cancer treatments.
This Ol' Hat
Barney Coppedge
After growing up in Texas, Barney Coppedge moved to Cimarron, NM in 1983. He spent much of his life working on the big ranches in Colfax County, NM. In 1989 he was hired to work at Vermejo Park Ranch for 30 days and ended up spending 28 years there as a livestock foreman. In 2017 he moved to Artesia, NM to be closer to family. Shortly after that, Tom Hirt of Colorado taught Mr. Coppedge the basics of hat making, and This Ol’ Hat was launched. All hats are handcrafted in New Mexico, USA from genuine pieces of beaver skin. When Barney isn’t custom making a western hat, he lovingly restores those hardworking favorite hats that clients send to him.
Article originally published in Focus Regional 2021 Winter edition.
