Handcrafted From The Heart
Our story
Ed Dougherty of Tree Of Life Designs is a craftsman/woodworker in Prospect Hill, NC. He has been making Native American Style flutes for over 20 years, and is constantly perfecting his craft. He has met and befriended many talented musicians, flutemakers, and players including the incredible person that eventually became his best friend, wife, and partner in Tree of Life Designs, Dawn. and every flute that he crafts is a unique, standalone piece. Of course he has a signature style, but does enjoy being challenged and inspired to create something new and different each time. Dawn is a musician, performer, author, and a Reiki Master-Teacher who creates hand blended herbal incenses and smudges with a touch of magic and good energy! Dawn is an avid gardener with an animistic connection to the land, and works the soil and speaks to the plants as she speaks to her herbs and incenses as she works with them.
Ed’s passion for flutemaking began as a personal challenge. He wanted to see if he could make a flute that captured the essence of Native American style music. What started as a simple experiment quickly turned into a lifelong passion. Ed’s designs have become favorites among many musicians and recording artists, flutemakers, and players who trust the Tree of Life Designs brand to deliver nothing but the best.
At Tree of Life Designs, flutes are not just musical instruments, but vessels that connect seamlessly with the unique personalities of their owners. Ed’s passion and dedication to the craft are evident in every note of his flutes. He has crafted over a couple thousand pieces, and yet he still gets excited by the prospect of the next one coming from his workshop. What sets Tree of Life Designs apart is our commitment to excellence. We take pride in the fact that each and every flute is crafted by hand, making each piece truly one-of-a-kind. Ed doesn’t just recreate the same design over and over again. Instead, he enjoys being challenged and inspired to create something new and different each time. This means that when you purchase a flute from Tree of Life Designs, you’re not just buying a musical instrument, you’re investing in a work of art that speaks to your individual musical needs and preferences.
So, come and experience the Tree of Life Designs difference. Let us help you find the perfect flute that speaks directly to your soul and musical aspirations. Our flutes are truly individual, like the musicians who play them, and we promise that you will be enchanted by the sound and feel of each and every piece. Edward Dougherty, aka “Greybeard”
The Tree of Life
The Tree Of Life is a mystical concept, a common motif and metaphor in many varied world theologies, mythologies and philosophies. The branches of the tree reach high into the heavens, while the roots dig deeply into the earth. Both are woven together to signify the connection between all things in the heavens and the earth. Trees provide sustenance and habitat for all creatures great and small. They are a source of healing medicinal extracts. Their wood provides materials to build shelter, fires for preparing nourishing meals, warming the body on a frigid night, as well as engaging in spiritual rites and rituals.
Trees also represent the bounty of Mother Earth and the eternal cycle of the seasons. The Tree of Life is a symbol of the individual's quest for spiritual fulfillment. Tree Of Life Designs, is a true backyard business, a cottage industry that represents the fruits of our work. We feel truly blessed to be able to create, and along with my many friends and wonderful family, find it to be an endless source of joy and light in our lives.
A Note From Greybeard:
Hello, my name is Ed Dougherty. I am a craftsman/hobbyist. I currently live in central North Carolina with my beautiful soul friend, Dawn. Together, we can be found frequenting local flute circles, music festivals hither and yon, and generally making happy mischief!
I love working with my hands, and feel most fulfilled when I have a creative project to occupy my spare time. Over the years, I have dabbled in many different artistic endeavors, but most enjoy working with wood in all its forms. Whether carving or crafting, nothing else speaks to me like the look, feel and smell of wood. I appreciate the natural beauty and diversity of wood and consider it a most wonderful gift of nature. I am constantly experimenting with wood and other mediums, and learning from them as my craft evolves.
Dawn’s upcoming book ‘Sage Advice, A Practical Guide to Energetic Smoke Cleansing and House Blessing’ will be available in physical form November 1st, 2025! ‘Sage Advice’ is a fun and practical approach to energetic smoke cleansing for your home and sacred space! Many plants and tree resins have properties that you can use and blend with others to create a beautiful smoke bath, potpourri, or for use in your spiritual observances. Learn how you can incorporate loose herbs and resins into your daily life to create beautiful and healing incense to enhance your energetic hygiene for your body, mind, and home. Sage Advice offers simple, everyday practices which people of all ages, cultures, and spiritual paths can adopt. Learn the reasons for energetic smudging, and have a greater understanding of how this practice can affect your home and personal space, and how to make it an easy, but important part of your journey on this beautiful planet we call home.
Dawn is a Reiki Master–Teacher in the Usui System Of Natural Healing, an Ordained Priest in The Order Of Melchizedek, a writer, a vocalist, musician, and performer in rock bands and stage productions, a former florist, garden writer, and plant professional, and was once a featured zombie in a B horror movie. The love of plants, herbs, and pursuit of a magical life led her to seek energetic incense herbs and resins and study as much as possible about this compelling subject. Her and Ed love good incense, and as a result have developed their own brand of Tree Of Life Incense loose herbal blends. Dawn’s blends and other offerings are always expanding, and she is always thinking of new goodies to create that others may enjoy!
Dawn has been a featured guest on The Jay Michael Show YouTube Podcast and written about on Jay Michael Long’s Substack, as well as on the Ohm-G Podcast with the Woo Woo Crew, find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Testimonials:
:This marks my 3rd flute from Ed. His dedication to making superb flutes is to me, a legend! Every flute from him is so well made they will guarantee to take you to new levels of enjoyment. Thank you so much Ed!” G. Anderson
"Amazing looking and sounds fantastic. His shipping was insanely fast, packaging was like fort KNOX, padded perfectly. Anyone wanting to buy a flute from Ed, do so and do so fast. Fantastic pricing for an amazing looking and sounding flute. I am looking forward to buying others from him in different woods and keys. He will def get more business from me! What can i say, INCREDIBLE playing, sounding and looking flute. I was floored at the packaging and the super fast shipping. But even more amazed at the ease in which it plays and sounds. LOVE it." Ivan M.
"I just picked up my custom eastern red cedar Key of G from Tree of Life Designs. It is a most excellent piece of musical craftsmanship! Ed is truly a master. The sound is beautifully warm and fluid. Ed put a lot of heart into my flute and it shows in the special touches he put on the flute, that adds great spiritual significance and energy to the instrument. The simplicity of the piece shows off its natural beauty. Ed truly connects with his customers through his flute making! Tree of Life Designs' flutes have soul!" Blake B.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Dawn Leith Dougherty of Tree of Life Incenses for several years, and her smudge blends are nothing short of extraordinary. Dawn's extensive knowledge of herbs and her intuitive abilities make her blends uniquely beneficial. Her ability to create blends that resonate on a deep, energetic level sets her apart from others in the field. People benefit immensely from Dawn's smoke-cleansing knowledge because she understands the properties of each herb and how they interact with each other. Her intuitive approach ensures that every blend is not only aromatic but also energetically potent. Dawn’s Tree of Life Incenses have been an integral part of my spell kits, providing the perfect complement to my own creations. I wholeheartedly endorse Dawn Dougherty and Tree of Life Incenses for anyone seeking superior smudge blends and incense mixes that truly make a difference in their spiritual practice” Loren M.
“Dawn Leith Dougherty carries extensive knowledge surrounding incense herbs and the intentions for what they are used for within the practice of smudging. Her book is practical, easy to read, and makes a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. I use each and every blend that she makes during my spiritual practices and healing work, and can attest not only to the effectiveness but also to the delicious lingering aroma that the blends leave behind. I highly endorse Sage Advice!” Lynn G.
"Hi Ed, As luck would have it, the flute arrived early. I am awed!! This is definitely my flute. Sometimes ya just gotta trust that intuition. So expressive with that haunting sound that you said it had. I don't think I've been so excited by a NAF in awhile. It has it's own song. Thank you so much. Most definitely a special flute!" Dave B.