California Found is a monthly collection of expertly curated, beautifully crafted small-batch and handmade goods from California’s most talented artisans. They kindly set us this box for review.
What You Get: Every month, subscribers receive a new collection of natural spa & beauty products, locally sourced gourmet treats, beautifully crafted home goods & accessories, and infinitely wearable jewelry. Each box tells the story of five to seven California makers through their products and an individual notecard dedicated to each one. Every beautifully packaged delivery reflects the laid back, stylish, uniquely chic attitude that is California.
It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here! We have been looking forward to receiving this box for so long! We are so excited to introduce you to California Found, a subscription box to fill all your sunshine and artisan delights from the coveted state of California. We just love artisan boxes and couldn’t wait to get this one into our hands and onto you!
Seeing how this is our first time reviewing California Found, here is a quick rundown of their subscription services:
Monthly subscriptions: $49
Three Month Subscription: $144
Six Month Subscription: $270
All subscriptions are pre-paid, provide free shipping, ship at the end of the month and renew after your pre-paid period. All subscriptions provide the same items, so there is no loss on quantity if you opt for just one month. Once you take a look at this though I have a feeling six months will be the chosen subscription!
Welcome to the California Found December Collection!
A beautiful autumn of Maker events gave us so many choices for the December box! We hope you love this collection as much as we do. Learn a little about each artisan we worked with in December on the index cards. Every month, 10% of our profits are donated to organizations doing incredible work in our community. This month, at last, we are supporting the California wildfire relief efforts. We couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you, Sunshine.
And just for fun… The band that wrapped these cards is embedded with wildflower seeds. Plant it in potted soil or in your garden about 1/8″ deep. Tap down the soil, keep it watered and ensure four hours of sunlight each day! you should see sprouts by the time our next box ships!
Ok, let’s dig deep into the goods now… The index cards are so full of wonderful information about each artisan, so grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and let’s work through this box together…
Just Jan’s: Seedless Raspberry Spread
Jan Hogrewe started Just Jan’s at a moment of great personal and professional change. She was leaving the film industry after a 20 year career, and looking for a new challenge and some fresh inspiration. Cooking had been a lifelong passion, so when she had an overabundant fig tree, she couldn’t stand the idea of all those figs going to waste. That was the beginning of her fig spread and from that one spread Just Jan’s was born. Their mission at Just Jan’s is to let the natural goodness of excellent ingredients shine, and deliver a taste you will never forget!
Every box could provide me jam and I wouldn’t complain. Love the story behind this. I’m so inspired by people who are able to reinvent their lives! I’m also impressed by the small businesses who work tirelessly to create products right from their house or own backyard! Just Jan’s sounds like just the company I want to support! So happy California Found has found them!!
The Hundredth Acre Candle: 8 oz. Candle in Glass Apothecary Container (Fragrance Laguna)
The hundredth Acre is inspired by the life of writer and storyteller, Robert Brink. He uses scent to induce memory and share past experiences with those who smell his candles, in hopes that they reminisce fondly on their own. The line incorporates an aesthetic that includes books and literature, typewriters, libraries, famous authors and nature. The Hundredth Acer is sipping tea at your favourite cafe. It’s sitting next to the fireplace reading a book in your dream cabin in the woods. It’s the special place from your childhood that you can’t resist fondly and frequently visiting in your mind.
Scent is one of the most powerful things! There are about 100 scents that I love, and if I could encapsulate them in a candle I would be just tickled! Hundredth Acre is onto something here. Instead of candles just being flowery, they draw back your memory to a time and place and all the emotion that comes with. Love it.
ADME Apothecary: Charcoal & Lavender Facial Exfoliant
As a public health nerd passionate about making routine beauty products healthier, Corrie Haley began ADME Apothecary by creating products for her own skin using simple formulas that replenish and repair daily damage without leaving behind anything harmful to your health. She uses organic ingredients, and developed blends for all skin types. Every ADME product is made by hand, in small batches that adhere to Corrie’s incredibly strict quality standards.
This product is powder form, which I like, as sometimes home-made facial products can be too oily. With powder you can make it as oily or watery as you want! Mix it with what works best for your skin.
Modern LKLY Folk Art: Mini Basket
At LKLY Designs, you’ll find quality handcrafted woven goods for the home. Each product is carefully handmade, one piece at a time, by artisans and proprietor Lisa Young. Unique, one-of-a-kind baskets and other woven home decor accents are made with natural fibers such as jute, cotton, linen, and hemp – highlighting LKLY’s organic, rustic, and electric sensibilities.
I adore the little basket! I think I will use this little item to store jewelry while running through my face wash routine!
Inky Mess Press: Venice Beach Scenic Greeting Card Collection
Inky Mess Press is a home printing making studio run by artist Lori Hedges. Named for the way the artist’s hands look after completing a round of printings, every Inky Mess Press design starts as an original sketch, which is then transformed into either a block print or a screen print for production. Behind each piece is a love of bad puns, intricate detail, sand, sea and general merriment.
Wow! These are gorgeous! I’m a big fan on block print making. These truly are stunning for this medium and I can’t stop looking at them. What I really love about these cards is they can be used for any occasion really. Sometimes having a specific greeting can be really limiting. These are so pretty I could see the receiver leaving them on display long after they have been received.
K. Leone Designs: 14K Gold-Fill Freshwater Pearl Necklace
Every Piece of K. Leone Designs signature collection jewelry comes from the creative mind and talented hands of Kristine Leone. After selecting the most refined semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, sterling silver and 14K gold-fill, Kristine produces each piece individually in her Los Angeles studio. Your K. Leone Designs piece, like everything Kristine creates, was made with love and the utmost attention to craftsmanship.
Sorry for the slightly grainy photo, but I really wanted to focus in on this one, as it is quite small and you can’t fully appreciate how beautiful this necklace is from afar! I’m stunned. It’s remarkable! I love subtle items for the every day and I could see myself wearing this without removing it for months at a time. It’s also exactly the type of piece I would look for as a gift for a friend. I’ll have to keep this designer in mind for future purchases!
California Found December 2017 – Final Thoughts
I don’t even know where to begin. This box is blowing my mind! Ok, re-group. The curation of this box is unreal! The index cards are wonderfully printed on heavy card stock and the box itself is well-printed and well made! I loved the seed wrapped paper and I can’t wait to plant it. I also loved the wrapping and filling in the box. All fragile items were bubble wrapped (which was removed for photo purposes) and carefully placed. Just receiving the box and opening it was a real treat!
We don’t often go over the value of a box in detail, but I think it’s worth taking the time for California Found. Let’s take a quick recap of the items and their value:
Just Jan’s Raspberry Spread – $6.95
The Hundredth Acre Candle – $25
ADME Apothecary Exfoliant – $32
LKLYDesigns Mini Basket – $18
Inky Mess Press Cards – $20
K. Leone Designs Necklace – $42
That’s a total value of $143.95!!
As a quick reminder, that’s the cost of a three-month subscription of this box ($144)
Not to mention every single product card provides you with a coupon code for a discount off your next purchase!
I actually feel at a loss for words right now! I just received that whole box for the total value of the necklace provided alone. This subscription feels like a no-brainer really. Not only is the value out of this world, but I am absolutely in love with every single product provided! They are all items I would use and enjoy or easily gift with a great amount of joy! – Gift giving happens to be one of my love languages and I put a lot of thought and pride into things I give! At AYOB Sarah and I can often take turns reviewing a box, but with California Found I may have to purchase my own subscription to make sure I get this box each and every month!! I’m so excited another artisan box has come on the market that I’m completely obsessed with!
Ok, that’s officially the longest review I’ve written, but it was clearly well worth it! California Found is shipped between the 28th-30th of the month and I’m already counting down the days to the next box. Is express or overnight shipping an option? Not sure I can wait.
-Shonah