“Southwest Originals” boasts a turquoise sign with terracotta-orange lettering on the façade of 2710 Sherwood Way, where local creative Sara Peiser has opened her first gift shop.
The small and intricately painted shop opened its doors on Dec. 1 and, staying true to the sign, features jewelry, accessories and home décor handmade in Texas and the Concho Valley.
Hides of cattle, “boot bling” bracelets, leather cell phone pouches and spiraled silver wire jewelry with a mix of dangly natural stones find their home against brightly-painted landscapes and mosaic crosses, but the main attraction of the store is a collection of unique cow skulls in varying designs and colors.
Motioning to a cow skull with a radiating mosaic pattern of turquoise-colored glass adhered to the bone, Sara’s Design and Gifts owner Sara Peiser explains how she found her creative niche following a home-improvement project.
“This is kind of a recent addition,” she said. “I did home décor and stuff like that for about seven years, but I really got interested in these mosaic cow skulls when we moved to town [in April]…and I couldn’t find anybody to grout and tile my enclosed patio…”
After searching for a good tileman and coming up empty, Peiser said she took on the task herself, tediously laying out and grouting her patio. The work, albeit tedious, gave her an idea that would soon become a best seller.
“I had a skull that was in the house and I thought, ‘I wonder what a mosaic cow skull would look like…’” she said of the initial idea. “I was wondering if I could do those, and I started doing it…that’s how I got started. It started with grouting my patio.”
When she designs the mosaics for the skulls, Peiser spends three to four days carefully applying the pieces with contact cement and grouting around the seams as one would a tiled floor.
Before she begins a project she bleaches and cleans the skulls, then paints them in various colors. Those made for the outdoors are sealed so they don’t weather, she said, and customers can select the skull size, shape and glass colors for custom pieces.
“I do broken glass because it looks so much better, but I’ve done little round pieces of glass and stuff and it looks ok,” Peiser said. “I like the broken glass. It just has a whole different look to it than the pre-cut [glass].”
Due to the uneven surface and the unique shape of each skull, the designs are one-of-a-kind and can be completely covered or partially accented. The goal is to create a decorative element that is truly Texan.
“We have a lot of different artists here,” she said, showing the work of some of San Angelo’s creatives. “A lot of artists are local. We have a lady that does pine needles and gourds and she makes beautiful home décor. We also have some pottery that is coming in…our cowhides and everything come in from San Antonio, Texas, except for the exotic [hides]. That’s the only thing we carry that’s not from Texas or handmade in Texas.”
Peiser started making jewelry years ago when she worked in the county clerk’s office, and gradually began selling her works on the side. For the past seven years she’s worked full-time as an artist and designer, selling her wares at the Chicken Farm’s First Saturdays, online and through word of mouth.
“My dad was just my inspiration,” she said. “He used to look at my jewelry and I’d say, ‘What do you think, dad?’ and he’ll give me a thumbs up or say, ‘nah, you ought to do something to this’. So my dad is really a part of my work. I used to go to him for his opinion, for everything. Now, of course in the mornings I’ll say, ‘What do you think, dad?’ I know he hears me and I know he’s here.”
Peiser lost her father in May to liver cancer at the age of 88. The gift shop started as an idea for a father-daughter run gift and coffee shop, Peiser said. Ultimately, the coffee portion of the store fell through, but she still keeps coffee on hand in her father’s memory, and offers lattes and cappuccinos to guests as they enter the store.
“That was some place for dad to go and drink coffee with his friends,” she explained. “That’s why we keep with just come in and have a cup of coffee and visit.”
On Dec. 20, Peiser will be hosting a grand opening at Sara’s Designs and Gifts, 2710 Sherwood Way. For the event she is preparing a large mosaic cow skull and several other items, including a 50-inch flat screen, for grand opening giveaway. The drawing will take place at around 4:30 p.m., and the winners do not have to be present to claim their prizes.
To view more of her designs, visit Sara’s Designs and Gifts on Facebook.
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