In the Making: A Daring Brew

Based in Auburn, the Common Cider Company produces around 75,000 gallons of hard cider monthly. Owner Fran Toves began brewing cider on a dare in 2012.

May 7, 2020 Shoka

In the Making: Set for Showtime

As soon as a B Street Theatre show closes at The Sofia in Sacramento, the old set is torn down and installation of the next set begins later that same day. Here are shots of the work that went into the set of “Byhalia, Mississippi” before it closed over coronavirus concerns.

Apr 2, 2020 Fred Greaves

In the Making: Bringing Colors Alive

Tonja Wilcox has created a lot of watercolor paintings of trees, mainly birch and aspen, but the exact number is unknown. “I stopped counting after 600,” says the Sacramento-based artist.

Mar 20, 2020 Sena Christian

In the Making: Stoked for Skateboards

Corey Sholes, a self-described skateboard fanatic, was 18 years old when he cut his first skateboard. Eventually, he started pressing his own boards using a vacuum press system, and making handcrafted boards became his full-time job and his business, Legend Skateboards, in 1994.

Feb 7, 2020 Sena Christian

In the Making: Fancy Fabrications

Merle Axelrad says she fell into the medium of fabric collage 27 years ago when she was nine months pregnant, on maternity leave from her job as an architect, and made a baby quilt. Now, most of her works are public art, corporate and private commissions.

Dec 5, 2019 Sena Christian

In the Making: Where Flowers Bloom

“We are flower nerds to the max here,” Melissa Cowan, owner of Placerville Flowers on Main says. “We squeal on the daily when new products come in or when seasons change.” 

Nov 1, 2019 Shoka

In the Making: Signs of the Times

When Simon and Kelly Holland launched the Etsy shop for their business, Sassy Squirrel Ink, in March 2015, they had about a half-dozen sign designs available to print photos on slate. They’ve been expanding their product line ever since.

Oct 4, 2019 Sena Christian

In the Making: At Conscious Creamery, a Good Dessert

The walls of Conscious Creamery’s commercial kitchen in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood are lined with stainless steel freezers, constantly humming loud and keeping chef Andrea Seppinni’s plant-based gelato frozen. 

Sep 6, 2019 Shoka

In the Making: Wall Weavings

Jessica Filip’s favorite weaving projects are the large commissions that take several weeks to complete, such as her 6-foot-by-6-foot wall hanging displayed in South, a restaurant in Sacramento, or an 8-foot-by-12-foot piece for a client’s cabin in Montana. Her larger commissions range from $1,600 to $4,000. 

Aug 1, 2019 Sena Christian