Fine, creative homemade products are featured in the historic Amador Hotel in this Gold Rush town in Amador County. Nancy's Gifts is located in Suite #3 of the remodeled 1855 building. Historians believe that the main entry area is a remnant this earliest building in town. Just across the street from the Chichizola Store on Water Street and catty-corner from the Imperial Hotel, this was the center of old town Amador City. As the Amador Hotel was large, its history is a combination of reality and myth!

Nancy Koehler's skills as a crafter are wonderfully diverse. After having a shop in Volcano for 13 years, she has recently brought her craft and highly developed techniques to Amador City. She finds vintage bottles, envisions each unique design, does all the wire work, decoupage, and detailed work herself. These are not "helping hands at home" crafts by a novice, they are works of art gesturing back to the feminine days of the Victorian Era. What a contrast between the rough and tumble days of the Gold Rush and the overlapping time when attention to femininity was dominated by Queen Victoria's style. The Gold Rush ladies with resources relished the frills and lace of the times!

For the cold weather, Nancy makes hat scarves out of very soft felt-like fabric, then hand-binds the edges. Needed in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and Mountains in the winter, they are easily mailed to friends and relatives all over the world.

Nancy purchases hand processed wool roving from Sandy at Country Living just across the street. Then she felts, sews and adds decorative elements for purses. Nancy's friend, Janz from neighboring Ione, knits the most adorable, scrumptious clothes for children. Usually hard to find, they are readily available at Nancy's Gifts.

A featured jewelry line is Vickie Lee's handmade lampwork beads. They are made of soft glass, gold, silver, dichroic and decorative embellishments. As the former MGM resident glass artist and Galleria owner, after 36 years of experience, her glass art is delicately superb.

Where else but historic Amador City could you find so many items made by a local crafter!  Finding special things for yourself or others is not a task in this shop.

Seasons Open: Throughout the year, Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm.