Path of the Heart

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Wasilla, AK
Path of the Heart

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Create, connect, and explore your passions with us.

Living the path of our hearts and cheering you on to follow yours. 💗 Sharing our creative endeavors while discovering what lights you up through community, dialogue, and shared inspiration.

11/03/2026

My love of carving began with my mom. ❤️

Gayle DeGraffenried took a class at Homer Community College, learned to carve miniature replicas of Alaska Native totem poles, and built a business around her talent.

My pappy, Alan DeGraffenried, and my brothers, Mark and Dana, soon joined her.

These pieces are miniature replicas of actual totem poles created by Alaska Native carvers from different tribes. Their original artistry and stories belong to those artists and communities.

My own carving follows a more freestyle path, focused entirely on hearts. But every time I pick up a piece of wood, I carry a little of my mother’s passion with me.

Which one is your favorite? ❤️

Follow as I begin sharing my art for sale and the stories behind each piece.

This Thunderbird Totem was carved by Alan. It is a magnificant Version of Thunderbird and Grizzly Bear. The Thunderbird Totem is one of the most popular totems to tourists visiting Alaska and Canada.

11/03/2026

Follow the heart. See what we create. 💗

Welcome to Path of the Heart! I’m Wendy, and this is where all the things I love creating come together.

Wood-carved hearts. Painted seashells. Journals and stationery. Hand-painted Christmas ornaments. Little treasures inspired by Alaska, nature, and the beauty we discover when we slow down and look closer.

At the heart of it all is a belief that guides my life:

“If it’s not the path of the heart, it’s not the path.”

Path of the Heart grew from that belief into a place to bring creativity, caring, and connection into the world.

As a nurse, educator, artist, wife, and mother, I’ve spent much of my life caring for others. Creating gives that caring another voice. Sometimes it becomes a heart carved from weathered wood. Sometimes it becomes a journal page that helps someone hear their own heart a little more clearly.

My wife, Jonna, brings her own story, her passion for connecting with people, and her experience with trauma-informed care. Together, we’re bringing our love of people, nature, creativity, and each other into something we can share with you. Two women following our hearts and seeing what we can build together. 🌈

You’ll also find the work close to my heart:

Stringing Pearls of Joy™
Building Resilient Humans (The BREATHE Method)
Pillow Trolls Project
Alaska Crack Salve
Alaska Transplant
Path of The Heart Publication Co.

Art, joy, resilience, and room to pause. All belonging under one roof.

You’ll see what’s available to purchase, what’s taking shape, and the stories behind the things we make. Each purchase supports our creative work and helps this vision grow.

Thank you for being here at the beginning of this next chapter. Please invite your friends or share this page with someone who loves handmade treasures and a little more heart in their world.

What would you love to see first? 💗

With love,

Wendy & Jonna
Path of the Heart, Inc.

11/29/2025

We have double almost everything now that we moved into Dad’s house. We get to pick what stays and what gets donated for another family to find the treasure.

Jonna Naylor and Wendy DeGraffenried

Address

Wasilla, AK
99654

Website

https://pathoftheheartinc.com/

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