Welcome to Lichen Lane

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Welcome to Lichen Lane 〰️

A wooden wall shelf with multiple compartments holding jars, decorations, small figurines, and various knickknacks. To the right, a decorative lion face wall mirror is visible. On the left, part of a red bookshelf with books and a metal rack with jars can be seen. The background wall is painted in cream with a horizontal colorful border.

Welcome to Lichen Lane, my little world of handmade, fantastic creations inspired by coastal forests, ocean air, and the quiet magic of nature. I’ve always loved making things from scratch; I even collect and grind some of the mica glitter I use! Every piece is thoughtfully crafted using vintage, thrifted, and natural materials gathered from walks through Northern California’s misty, lichen-covered forests. From acorns and seed pods to antique finds and hand-mixed glitters, each ornament tells a story of curiosity, craftsmanship, and care for the natural world.

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About Spun Cotton

  • Vintage Christmas decorations including a figurine of a boy holding a stick, a vintage spun cotton Santa, a small artificial pine tree, and a Santa Claus figure in a glass container, displayed on a glass shelf.

    Spun Cotton Heirloom Ornaments

    Whether you have heirlooms from your family or not, you can start your own collection to pass on to your heirs! Carrie’s ornaments are made sturdy to last for over 100 years. The spun cotton can withstand drops from Christmas trees and adoring toddlers alike.

  • Close-up of hands twisting white yarn to create a coiled, handmade spun cotton object with a cone-shaped face and a pointy hat. The background shows more yarn and some completed doll features, with various decorative eyes and accessories.

    How They Are Made

    Carrie makes these little sculptures entirely by hand. She sculpts everything from cotton and homemade natural glue. The tiny props are handcrafted from paperclay and wood. Carrie and Crist cut and sand all the wooden bases for the sculptures. Each piece can take many days to create.

  • An elaborate miniature pirate ship with Union Jack and English flags on a beach, surrounded by anthropomorphic animal figures dressed as pirates.

    Sustainable Art

    None of Carrie’s sculptures contain any plastic. She uses only plastic-free glitter made from glass and natural mica, making her work sustainable and ocean-friendly! The natural mica glitter is even hand-harvested from the hills of Wyoming, where Carrie grew up.

  • Colorful spools of thread and ribbons scattered on a textured dark surface, with some thread loosely wound around the spools and ribbons intertwined among them.

    Thrifted and Foraged

    Carrie’s creations are environmentally friendly. She adorns her spun cotton sculptures with thrifted vintage findings, buttons, fabric, and trims. She sustainably forages for natural wood, lichens, acorns, and plants. The meticulous attention to every tiny detail is what makes Lichen Lane ornaments so unique and magical.

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A man and a woman standing on a beach, with ocean waves in the background. The man is wearing a gray coat and glasses, and the woman is dressed in a black and gray gown with lace details. She is holding a large seaweed. The sky is overcast.
A woman with glasses and short brown hair in a red velvet dress taking a selfie at a Christmas event, with Christmas decorations and a decorated tree in the background.

Meet Carrie

I’m Carrie, the artist and maker behind Lichen Lane! I love creating whimsical pieces, sewing, gardening, and experimenting with all kinds of crafty projects. Much of my inspiration comes from the natural world, especially the Northern California coast, where you’ll often find me surfing, bodyboarding, or foraging on the weekends.

My husband, Crist, is an important part of my behind-the-scenes support team. He helps create wooden elements for my sculptures, builds displays for events, and lends a hand when I’m bringing a new idea to life. We make a great team!

Welcome to Our Workshops

All of Carrie’s creations are handmade in-house in her art studio, her metal shop, and Crist’s wood shop in Petaluma, California. Her studio is a wonderland of magical trimmings and materials: German glass glitter, vintage lace, foraged lichen, antique buttons, and spools of ribbon.

A cluttered craft or flea market table filled with various decorative items, jewelry, small figurines, artificial mushrooms, and craft supplies, with a person seated working on a project in a home or shop setting.
Colorful Halloween-themed mushroom decorations, plush toys, and other spooky items on a table in a cluttered room.
A man working in a woodworking shop, using a router on a piece of wood, surrounded by tools and supplies.
Colorful mushroom and zombie doll Halloween crafts displayed on a wooden table.
A person holding a small, white, fabric doll with large, black eyes. The background includes a yellow bowl with white liquid, a cutting mat with measurements, a jar with colored pencils, a roll of fabric, cotton stuffing, and a sketchbook with Hallow
A person is carving letters into a wooden board, with carving tools and supplies scattered on the worktable.
A woodworking shop with a band saw in the foreground and a stack of wooden blocks on it. There are various tools, containers, and a chest of drawers in the background.
Spools of thread, a spoon with black glitter, pink glitter, and a rusty baking mold on a colorful, textured surface.
Colorful handmade cherub and fairy ornaments hanging from bare tree branches on display, with shelves filled with various items in the background.
A vintage bandsaw in a workshop with various tools and supplies on shelves in the background.
A cluttered craft or work table filled with handmade decorations, small figurines, jars, and various craft supplies. In the background, there are wall shelves filled with jars, books, and decorative items. The room has green and orange walls with a p
Colorful wooden shelf filled with various jars, bottles, craft supplies, and small decorative objects, including a small Santa figurine, children's photos, and spools of thread.
A woman wearing red glasses and a floral dress is lying down outdoors with her head resting against a wooden fence. She is wearing a crown made of blooming flowers, including white daffodils, purple orchids, and small white blossoms, with some greenery.

Reach out to Carrie!

Drop me a line for special orders, product or shipping questions, event inquiries, or just to say “hi!”

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