Craft Blog Review - 2011 Season

Interweave Bead Fest, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center

August 20, 2011 - I'm in Oaks, Pennsylvania at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for the biggest bead show around. This is a national level bead show going on this weekend. There are people from all corners of the country. Exhibitors and Buyers.

This show cannot be described in a blog. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure a 5-page newspaper article could do it justice!

The short version is, if you wanted to see the incredible, it was here. If you wanted to learn, you could, the opportunity was here. If you wanted tools, they were here. If you wanted to buy materials, aggregates and findings, they were here. If anyone out there was at this show and didn't find what they were looking for, PLEASE contact Joel@brothers-handmade.com. I want to do a Featured Artist article on you! Mainly because you are doing something no one on the planet is doing!!!

Barb and I got there at 11:00am. Oh oh. The place was already packed. I mean PACKED!!! I'm seeing license plates from Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Ontario, and Alberta. We walked in and basically swam into an ocean of the coolest collection of, color, form and art, imaginable.

Over 250 exhibitors and 57 teachers, complete with classrooms. The workshops started at 8:30 am and went to 8:00 pm. Wednesday through to Sunday. They even had a "Meet the Teachers" Friday night till 10:00 pm!

The List…Impossible

The Glass Place: Louise Mehaffey - Louise had plenty of her signature piece "The Window Bead" (pictured) Very cool. Very difficult to make. Louise has some work in the

Succulent Glass: Alice St. Germain (Pictured) Alice has this color thing going on. Even in her earthen colors there are hints of brightness. She introduced a new line at this show also. We will bring it to you in the near future. I think she has sold out of it already. (Alice has a couple pieces on display in the Brothers-Handmade Store.

Diane Tarullo: Diane does an Acorn that is awesome. They are real. They are cute. They are colorful. They were also done in artistic detail. Diane also had this bunch of grapes embedded into a cylinder pendant that had such detail they looked real, except they are about 1/16 of an inch in diameter.

I knew when I walked into the place This was going to be a great show, and it was!!! -Joel

Marietta Square Artists Market - Marietta, Georgia

August 13, 2011 - On Saturday, I made my way to the Marietta Square (Georgia) Artists Market - www.artistsmarketmarietta.com. The Marietta Square Artists Market (located about 30 minutes northwest of Atlanta) is held the second Saturday of each month from 9am to Noon.

It's a nice quick burst of sales for most of the Artists. Although only 3 hours on a Saturday, with the adjacent Farmers Market going on it brings a consistent crowd to each event. The Artists seemed pretty happy.

Within the few minutes I was talking with Brothers-Handmade's newest Pottery Artist Julie Jones, she had several customers perusing and purchasing her pieces.

Another thing noted at this event were a preponderance of younger Artists. I met several recent graduates of the art program at Kennesaw State University. I loved their enthusiasm and innovative artistic explorations.

One such young artist is Rachel Wade - RachelWadeArt.com. Her oils depicting the human form have an incredible ability to evoke emotion. One can really connect with these thought provoking paintings.

Joel and I have discussed recently, expanding Brothers-Handmade to include the painted artform. We've been talking with several paint artists recently to display at store.brothers-handmade.com.

Another stand-out "painter" from this show is Michael L. Lee - MichaelLeeDesign.net. Michael's "Poetry of Motion Captured in Oil" quickly drew me in to his display. Michael has done a wonderful job of capturing the motion of horses. Also I was intrigued with his series of bicycle racing, and his ability to depict motion of a large and colorful group.

As a violinist with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, I have a great appreciation for fine handmade instruments. Since going to fine Craft and Art Festivals, I have gained an appreciation for more non-traditional fine handmade instruments.

Enter Mike Snowden - SnowdenGuitars.com Mike's handcrafted cigar box guitars are amazing. Mike has selected beautiful wooden cigar boxes to craft his 3 and 4 string instruments. They are all electric, and the sound is wonderful.

Mike who toured with a band for several years, and cut albums in a studio, is no newcomer to the music scene. He had some CD's for sale of which I picked up one and enjoyed his music, a combination rock and mountain music, all the way home from the festival.

Mike's been featured on Fox 5 Good Day Xtra, NPR radio, and CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. Check out a video of Mike here. His show schedule can be found on his website along with a bunch of info about his craft.

As we always say, the most unbelievable things are out there at fine craft and art shows. Also visit Brothers-Handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Amazing Things Your Neighbors Are Making"©

Pennsylvania Guild, Fine Craft Fair

Kutztown Folk Festival - Kutztown, Pennsylvania

July 8, 2011 - Ahhhh, This has got to be one of the biggest folk festivals in the country. Every craft is represented. You know how sometimes we have trouble finding Quilts and Soap? Not this time. Quilts are the backbone of this show and soap is well represented.

The Glass Place: Louise Mehaffey. Louise is always at the big shows. Her colors and shapes are many to say the least. Check out her work in our store and on our Facebook page.

If you're looking for the best beads for your jewelry, Louise is the one to go to. Louise even has her apprentice Jenna give her a hand at the fest.

A Natural Alternative: Hedge Sefcovic. Hedge makes the most incredible soap. We've written about her before. She makes many flavors of soap and skin care products without fillers and preservatives. I have been using her soap since I met her, two years ago. She too is in our store and has just put up a sample pack that is a great way to try her art.

"These are my neighbors! Come see what they are making" you will be impressed.

Follow Brothers Handmade L.L.C. on Facebook. We have more pictures of the shows.

Joel

Museum of Ceramics - East Liverpool, Ohio

June 29, 2011 - We are in East Liverpool, Ohio. Rob and I decided to get a little more education in the pottery department today. So what better place than a museum? Not just any museum, but one that is known all over the world. You see, East Liverpool, Ohio was the "Capital of American Pottery" for quite sometime.

Sarah Vodrey, The Director of the museum, met us at the door and was an incredible and valuable teacher and guide through her fantastic museum. Sarah is the sixth generation of a family that was part of the industry in East Liverpool.

The building was once a post office, then in 1980 became a ceramics museum. Sarah pointed out the architecture and the murals first. And to tell the truth the building itself is quite beautiful.

Rob is writing an article about The Museum of Ceramics. He will go into detail and I will skim the surface here.

The Museum of Ceramics is worth seeing for sure. The half hour video and slide show is worth the price of admission alone. If you get to meet Sarah, priceless. This is where Quality started.

"Come see what Sarah Vodrey's neighbors have made"

Thank you Sarah Vodrey.

Joel

Vermont Craft/Art Galleries and Cooperatives

June 18, 2011 - Vermont is one of those states where fine craftsmen and craft stores abound.

To even get a taste of the magnificent talent circulating through this beautiful pristine countryside, my friend and I drove down the Eastern side of Vermont - from St. Johnsbury, through Springfield, and Chester.

Several towns are celebrating their 250th anniversary this week, so there were quite a few town alum back "home" for the festivities. Historically, 1760 and 1761 (250 years ago) were significant years for Northern Vermont to charter towns. As the French and Indian war drew to a close, settlers felt more confident moving into northern New England and applying to the Colonial Governors for township charters.

The chosen venues for this series of visits were to Artist cooperatives, galleries, and craft stores; all featuring high quality local artisans.

Come to find out, the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury, Vermont was a wonderful place to start. This historic town is an incredibly interesting hamlet with its historic athenaeum or library with spectacular Victorian (French second empire) architecture and magnificent interior woodwork. A must see if you're in the area.

This day's Managing Artist, Carol Krochak of Horizon Porcelain (pictured at top) kindly showed me the exhibits. Carol, along with fellow artist Mark Kilburn create sensational porcelain hanging ornaments. The porcelain base gives these delicate designs a beautiful translucent quality.

Norma St. Germain of St. Germain Clayworks hand throws eye catching continues here...

Indiemade Craft Market - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

June 11, 2011 - On this drizzly June day, Joel and I head to ....... Can anyone guess?

A craft and art show - of course. It's a local show called the Indiemade Craft Market, held where there typically is ice, at least in the winter, at the Bethlehem Municipal Ice Rink.

Yes, I remember this place well from my youth, where I spent many a Friday night skating around, causing trouble, and hanging with my friends, always searching for that cute girl to hold hands with and skate around the rink during a song blaring from the crackly loudspeakers.

This day however, we had a much different mission - seek out those standout Artists and Craftsmen with a unique and polished talent for their craft.

At first we thought maybe this wasn't as much in line with what Brothers-Handmade is looking for. But after talking with promoters Ann Biernat-Rucker and Teri Sorg-McManamom, and strolling the event, there were clearly those in attendance that we like to highlight in these blogs. Let's have a look -

• Of course we were delighted to see A Natural Alternative Soaps as soon as we entered. However, instead of chief soap maker Hedge Sefcovic, who has a variety of high quality all natural handmade soaps in the Brothers-Handmade store, we met her father who was happily overseeing her display.
• Loved the quilted Baby bibs, baby quilts, and change purses of Stephanie McCane - Stitching in Striped Socks (pictured above). Stephanie's work is very clean and her color choices are bright and exciting (just like she is).
• 13th Moon Creations (pictured) makes unique, natural, handcrafted artisan soaps and other luxurious body products. The thing I like about 13th Moon is the look of their soaps. They are masters of design when it comes to the interesting color combinations, forms, and inclusions. Their creative soaps are fantastic as gifts or for your own personal use.
• Ben Isaiah - Metalsmith, Artist, Craftsman is one of these "All-in Artists". Ben has a masterful way of combining metal and stone into beautiful contemporary necklaces, bracelets, belt buckles, and more. Ben also resides with a gathering of talented potters, painters, soapers, and other quality craftsmen at the Spruce Forest Artisan Village in Grantsville, MD.

Nice show Ann and Teri. Folks, remember, the most unbelievable things are out there if you just have to look. Visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Amazing Things Your Neighbors Are Making"©



Virginia Highlands Summer Fest, ------------ or ------------ Beer Fest with an Art show tacked on?

June 5, 2011 - If you are a lover of fine handmade artwork, you'll love this show. Virginia Highlands is an artsy intown (Atlanta, GA) hamlet.

For the Artists however, I would say about 80% did not have a good weekend. The crowds were relatively strong. But many of the visitors are there for the beer and music, and not as much for the fine artwork on display. The 94 degree temperatures did not help matters either.

There appeared to be a visitor base looking for lower priced products (like $15-$30), but not higher priced pieces ($80 and up). So a few Artists I spoke with in the lower price point, had a really great weekend, while those at the higher end, as one potter put it, "had an abysmal weekend."

Some promoters are better than others at matching the Artistic levels with the expected clientele.

A few absolutely fabulous Artisans in the house included:

• Amy and Ray Bridewell of Bridewell Art (Amy pictured above) -They grow incredible crystals in a ceramic dish, then design beautiful jewelry sets around these crystals. I thought their pieces were spectacular. Apparently, so did the crowd, as Amy was pretty happy with the weekend. It was a bit difficult to get a break in the customer stream to actually snap off a photo of Amy and here display.
• It was so nice to meet Leigh Griffin of Benchwork Art Jewelry. Leigh's handmade jewelry is magnificent, in fact, she won Best of Show for her Jewelry and display. Leigh along with associate Debra Lynn Gold organize the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show each November. Check out our review about that show.
• Among the really great pottery at this show was Ken Shields. Ken has a really cool technique of throwing a piece, like a bowl, on the wheel, then cutting out a section, and replacing the cutout with a completely contrasting textured piece. The results are a really interesting and beautiful piece.
• Q Evon Jewelry Design (pictured below) and her Body Architecture jewelry are indicative of her experience as an American Craft Council member. Q as she is known, creates magnificent earrings and bracelet cuffs. Talk about sustainable designs, Q has a recent line where she takes recycled copper from electrical wire, or other sources, and crafts them into spectacular necklace and bracelet designs, accented with precious stones. Stunning!
• Tonya Hedgeman - Love her twisting abstract ceramic forms with beautifully textured beige external surfaces and contrasting solid blues, or green internal surface. Simply magnificent artistry.
Folks, you've got to explore fine craft and art shows. The most exciting, unique, and beautiful pieces are out there if you just have a look. Also find many of those pieces at Brothers-handmade.com, and

"Come See the Amazing Things Your Neighbors Are Making"©



Arts Alive Festival — Quakertown, Pennsylvania






May 21, 2011 - Well, it has been sunny out, lets see, oh yeah, here it is, 3 days in the last 4 months. Its rained so much here I’m starting to rust.

Last year you had to buy a glass of water in a restaurant. This year I’m pretty sure I saw Noah’s Ark down on the Delaware River the other day.

Arts Alive is a street festival in downtown Quakertown. It's put on by the community and is set up in a part of town that has unique shops and stores so you will be able to double up on your shopping skills. Parking is easy. Side streets and a shopping center surround the area. This part of PA is very Dutch so the food is Fantastic, as would be expected!!! And it was!!!

So the sun is out, the day is perfect and the promoter and artists are breathing again. Great day for a show!!!

The List

Keystone Quilters NQA: We have Blogged about this group before. They create all types of quilting. Small, large, wall hangings, just about anything you could want they either have or will make for you. And the friendliest women you can imagine.

River Otter Pottery: Marian Van Buren, This Potter has her art form down. She has her own style. She’s one of the artists I can pick out from her style. Her vases for non-florists are as close to perfect as you can get. Her pitchers are very cool also and have their own look, almost a signature of her work.

Stony Garden Glass Addictions: Carlos Recker is a local glass blower with an eye for artistic form. That’s important when you are a glass blower. If you make a mistake you don’t fix it, you hammer it! Carlos uses a lot of form and color in his work. Keep your eyes open for Stony Garden Glass Addictions; they will be around for a long time.

OK Now for something different. And the Pick of the Show

Baum’s Custom Log Furniture: You know, sometimes things catch my eye. I’m telling you this one caught my eye. Paul Baum builds furniture to last. It’s heavy, thick, strong, and has a very artistic look about it. Any kind of furniture you could want he creates. I will be in contact with Paul to get an article written by him and maybe a couple of pieces for the store.




I’m running out of space. But I must say the Alpacas (pictured at top) were at this show in force and the kids were wigging out over these critters. That was fun to watch!

“Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making”

Joel







Buckhead Spring Arts and Crafts Festival - Buckhead, Georgia

May 15, 2011 - Ok, let me try and squeeze in a craft and art festival today. I'll spend an hour, then scoot out of there to take my daughter to her orchestra concert.

Or not!

Two and a half hours later, I'm still making my way back through the 160 exhibit long pathway of the Buckhead Spring Arts and Crafts Festival, held at Chastain Park, Georgia.

This is only the second year of this show, but it seems like the right time and place. You know many of the fine craft and art festivals that we attend, are located in more upscale surroundings. Such is the case with the Buckhead festival. The leafy neighborhoods surrounding this ITP (Inside the Perimeter - carries some panache in metro Atlanta) area are full of large beautiful estate homes. The only downside for some is the constant flow of traffic, and the often times, loud music wafting from the very popular outdoor amphitheater known simply as "Chastain."

Today is a mostly overcast and unseasonably cool day for mid May with temperatures in the low 60's. So the crowds are - well not stellar.

But there are a lot of:
Continue on and find what there is a lot of, Artists feelings, and of course our list of Standout Artists and Craftsmen



Fine Arts and Crafts at Verona Park - Verona, New Jersey



May 14, 2011

Well I’ll tell ya, we like Rose Squared shows because they always show top Artists. And usually show in top venues. And this time was no exception. Except for one thing.

Yo Howard and Janet, Next time tell us that we need pack horses and Sherpas to get into a show. There were 10 parking spaces in the park, so the cops told me "oh just park up on the hill." I drove around the hill and parked up on the road and hiked about a mile and a half to the show. Did I mention the hill?

The Verona Park festival review along with our Stand Out Artist and Craftsmen picks blog continues here.







Colors Festival of Arts - Roswell, Georgia

May 7, 2011 - Didn't have much time today as I also play violin in the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and had a concert tonight, so I decided to scoot down the road to a local favorite, the 21st Annual Colors Festival of Arts. Many of the Artists I spoke with really like this show, and come back year after year.

It's relatively small with I'd guess-timate about 50-75 artists and craftsmen. There seemed to be more painters there this year, and I didn't see any Soapers (unlike last year). Not sure, but I have seen a trend in more differentiation between Crafts and Arts. And perhaps the promoters are moving more toward an Arts festival than a crafts festival. On the application soap is certainly not there. But "Other" is, so...who knows. I know they had soap there last year.

Anyway, one nice thing is that Artists have pretty easy access to their tents for restocking as the festival is contained in a fairly small area. Parking can be a little challenging but I have my secret space down the street a piece at Bullock Hall.

This show competes with another popular local festival, the Dunwoody Arts Festival, which I attended last year. So that probably affects the crowd size a bit. Never the less, there was a stage with local music and dance performances that bring a few folks in as well. There was also a bunch of good festival food available.

Despite its smaller size, the caliber of Artists this show attracts is quite impressive. These are accomplished artists that really know their crafts and art.

A few standouts (and you'll see, that for a smaller show, this is a relatively longer list of exceptional artists) that I spoke with include: Article continues here.

Sweet P's Arts Festival - Marietta, Georgia

May 1, 2011 - It's May Day. And what a beautiful day it is. I'm driving down Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, GA, and notice the tell tale signs of an outdoor festival - The White Tents. Slow down - U-turn.

The Sweet P Festival has been going on for 8 years. Last year was a particularly bad year. Due a torrential down pour, the festival officials cut short the Saturday exhibits, and had to move most the displays in doors (and out of sight) on Sunday. Not this year. Festival goers were enjoying a beautiful day.

By going to these juried craft and art festivals, our eyes are opened to the really phenomenal works that the fine craftsmen and artists of America are producing. In so many small hamlets dotted throughout the country, these folks lug around their pottery, jewelry and displays, paintings, wood turnings, soaps, and what have you, and put them on display.

The problem is that a craft and art lover from Pittsburgh, PA probably won't see some of the really fine works of a potter in Marietta, GA.

But Brothers Handmade has a solution for that. By going to shows all across America, and identifying those standout artists and craftsmen, then displaying their works on www.brothers-handmade.com, and store.brothers-handmade.com, we can help to get these fine items in front of more eyes, where they can gain the appreciation they so deserve. And customers are happy as they find that unique one of a kind piece or product that resonates with them.

So at this small festival, several standouts for me included:

• Linda Shaffer of She Collection. Her unique colorful, and artistically designed and durable clay jewelry is quite beautiful.
• Tom Seelos Clayworks and his 30 years of pottery experience shows in his cutout ceramic candle holders.
• Gary and Millie O'Kane of Gary Originals provides intricately detailed wire wrapped jewelry. Much of his works include precious metals. The details of his works are superb. In fact scroll down to the October 9, 2010 blog. Joel noted Gary from a show in Indianapolis as well.
• Deanna Sellers of NuMe All Natural Soap is a standout in the soap category. Not only does this soap feel and smell delicious, but it looks great to.

Folks, you just can't see the things we see if you don't go to fine art or craft shows. The most unbelievable things are out there if you just have to look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Beautiful Things Your Neighbors Are Making"©

Sometimes you won't believe your eyes.



Crafts at Lyndhurst - Tarrytown, New York

April 30, 2011 - If you are near the Tappan Zee Bridge at the Hudson River, north of New York City, the week before Mother's Day, check out Lyndhurst Estates. This fine craft and arts show has been going on for 27 years, and it's no wonder.

Artrider was the promoter; Stacey Jarit held the reins on this pony - and she rode it well. The rain was terrible at Lyndhurst on Thursday but the ground crew was on point. Saturday was a fantastic day, and with the exception of sand on the ground you would not know anything was challenging. GREAT SHOW - 300 exhibitors and not one piece of junk.

With Mothers' Day coming in one week, and so many awesome handmade items available, we decided to shoot the bank roll. I shot twice and Barb shot so many times, she had to reload… twice. I was hoping I had enough gas to get home because after what we spent at this show; I sure didn’t want to fill my gas tank too!

Let's get on to "The List"

• Stephen and Tamberlaine Zeh: (pictured at top) The Zeh's are one of those “got to see to believe” Artists. Baskets of Wood or Gold, you decide. I blogged about them before, (scroll down to November 19, 2010, Washington, DC). Hopefully Brothers Handmade will feature Stephen Zeh sooner or later. Stay tuned.
• Elissa and Jay of KILN: (pictured below) If color and form are what you are looking for, Elissa and Jay’s works will stop you in your tracks! Their Enamels have an array of color that is hard to find anywhere. Their form, (the leaf and branch also plate and vessel) are definitely candy for the eyes!
• Rusty Dorr Originals: This is leather but not your everyday leather. Rusty, hand cuts, hand stitches, hand everythings. She has a level of Artistic Craftsmanship that is impossible to describe. A must see (and own)!!!
• The Bowl Maker: Nathan Favors is a wood turner. Nathan is one off those guys that causes you to look close, real close. No no, CLOSER! He turns wood from around the world. You can checkout Nathan's work in the BH store.
• Tree of Life Art Works: Kim and Katherine McClelland. Do you know what “Scrimshaw” is? Whalers would scratch a figure or a scene in a whalebone or tooth using a stylus. When the scene was carved they would rub oil and ash into the scene and you end up with an incredible picture. This is a very different and beautiful art form. A family run studio since 1976.

This is American Manufacturing at its finest! Visit a fine craft or art show near you, and visit Brothers-Handmade.com and

“Come See the Incredible Things Your Neighbors Are Making”©

Joel

Alpharetta Arts Streetfest - Alpharetta, Georgia

April 16, 2011 - Ahhh, the third stop of the day. Maybe I've saved the best for last. It's about 3PM, the sun is shining and the temperatures have warmed a bit.

A pretty decent crowd moves about. Based on a few conversations, the crowd is a little better than the commerce. But there is some buying going on.

One of the things we like to hear from the Artists' perspective is how well organized the loading in and out process is. Well based on my conversations with several Artists, Kim Dodson, Special Events Manager for the City of Alpharetta, and her team know how to organize a festival.

Apparently the procedures were very detailed, spaces were clearly marked, and the setup was extremely organized.

One Pottery Artist who has experience herself organizing festivals, showed me the back of her name tag that had a list printed, summarizing the important who, what, when, where, and how's Artists needed to know, facilitating a smooth, problem free street festival.

On to the notables:

• Accomplished pottery artist Knox Steinbrecher has taught and built beautiful, functional pottery for many years. One of the really cool things she makes are left and right handed, ergonomically designed mugs. A right-handed mug fits perfectly into your right hand, but not your left. Really great and interesting pieces.
• Allen Quandee of AQ Creations is among the very best of all wood craftsmen I have seen. This guy's artistic vision, and ability to create based on this vision is spectacular. His faceted, segmented, and lightly tinted vessels were unbelievable. Light glimmered off of these pieces as if they were well cut diamonds. Fabulous.
• And I didn't leave this festival without purchasing a Mother's Day gift (remember, May 8th this year) from pottery artist, (and soaper) Julie Jones of Julie's Soap and Pottery. I've actually blogged about Julie before. But I love her beautiful pottery adorned with wisps of grass and ladybugs. So I brought home her French butter dish.
• Another fine pottery artist that we've seen at quite a few shows now, is John Coburn of Center Earth Pottery. John utilizes some really unique multi-colored glazing techniques on his stoneware that gives some of his pieces a beautiful, sort of tie-dye affect. And now I see from his About Me page that he's an Engineer from Penn State (Go Nittany Lions). Cool, as the Brothers are originally from eastern Pennsylvania.
• Finally, a wonderfully creative jeweler who I actually mentioned in a blog from last year, is Valerie of Penguin Arts. I continue to love her swarovski crystal earrings, designed to flow absolutely flawlessly. And her lampwork beads are beautiful as well.

Folks, tis the season to visit fine craft and art shows. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making"©



Jasper ArtFest 2011 - Jasper, Georgia


April 16, 2011 - For the inaugural year of the Jasper ArtFest sponsored by the Pickens Arts & Cultural Alliance, not bad at all. One of the things I like about these smaller more local shows is that there is bound to be a diversity of good exhibits.

The festival included some local folk music acts, several food vendors, and an antique auto show. The day was a bit chilly, breezy, and cloudy.

At noon, the crowd was a little light, but there certainly were folks mulling around going from tent to tent. In fact DK Designs (which I'll talk more about below) seemed to have a fairly consistent flow of customers, and a few sales of their lampwork beaded jewelry while I was standing there. I would estimate there to be approximately 75 artists and craftsmen at this show.

Artists and craftsmen that caught my eye:

• Diane Kovach of DK Designs and her sister Donna have created some wonderful lampwork jewelry, beaded watches, and steampunk jewelry. And Donna hinted that she is currently designing some steampunk clothing. I can't wait to see that.
• Triny Cline of Byrd Mountain Pottery had beautiful slab and wheel thrown stoneware. Triny's home formulated glazes are primarily in earth tones and create scenes of soothing surreal landscapes. She states that all her functional pottery is non-toxic, and dishwasher safe. While Triny was exhibiting in Jasper, her husband Mike was exhibiting at the next show I went to that day in Alpharetta, Ga.
• Judy Lynn Hand Thrown Pottery has the coolest plates and bowls adorned with little seemingly happy frog sculptures. I really loved her green matte finished glazes. She also creates some interesting animal bust sculptures.
• Wood turner, sculptor, and teacher, Bradley McCalister has some very colorful dyed wood designs. A lot of turned wood designs are beautiful, but simply brown. Not Bradley's. Along with the natural browns of his woods, you will find purples and multi-colored works with a spectacular attention to detail.
• Judy Zeigler of Critter Ridge along with her daughter, has taken gourd art to a new level. Her beautifully carved gourds are detailed with a contrasting cord stitching around the edges. Very artistic and showy. It may take you a few minutes to realize you're looking at a ghord. Included in this artistic family is her blacksmith husband John who puts out some very nice iron art implements.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Jasper ArtFest which will likely be an even bigger success.

Now on to the Alpharetta, Georgia show.

Folks, you just can't see the amazing things we see if you don't go to fine art or craft shows. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making"©



Chris Burfield's Shop - Marietta, Georgia

April 16, 2011 - I got word of a small wood turning and jewelry show in Marietta, Georgia, the next town over from my digs in Roswell, GA.

Well the Craft Show and Art Festival season is gearing up as we approach Mothers Day (May 8th in case you weren't sure). So there are all kinds of festivals going on around Atlanta this weekend.

Since one of the wonderful Artists, Diane Kovach, who displays jewelry in the Brothers-Handmade store was exhibiting in the small mountain town of Jasper, Georgia, I decided to head there, but first I'd stop and see what was going on in Marietta at this neighborhood "Wood turning and Jewelry Show".

Well how cool was it to find Mr. Chris Burfield, Wood turner, hosting an "Open Shop" single person show. In this personal setting (and I'm mad that I forgot my camera, so no pictures - shame on me), Chris showed me around his wood turning shop, lined with various woods seasoning on a shelf. He had a nice display of bowls, and various wood turned items on tables for sale.

It was really different from the Brothers' normal 200+ Artist shows that we typically attend and blog about.

Chris took his time to show and explain all about his 9 years of wood turning experience. He had some beautiful splated maple bowls, vessels, a sphere (wooden ball), and few other items he had turned.

It was a really nice, quaint, and intersting stop on the day's festival journey. Maybe we can get Chris to display a few pieces of his works in the Brothers Handmade store. We'll see.

A perfect example of why we say at Brothers-Handmade.com:

"Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making"©



Westfield Armory Fine Arts Festival - Westfield, NJ


April 9, 2011 - Ya know, sometimes I wonder if the show I'm going to will be worthwhile.

NOT when Rose Squared is involved.

Hey folks, Rob and I decided two years ago not to talk about the shows that are junk, but rather the shows that excel. It happened today.




I went to two shows. One isn't worth talking about and the other is a Rose Squared!

I'm telling you now, I don't know one person at Rose Squared Productions, just so you know that this is a totally unbiased observation.

So, I'm on the steps at the Westfield Armory waiting in line, and looking out across the field of exhibitors, and the first booth I see is Purple Gem. Once again, this is going to be a great show! And it was!

THE LIST

• Purple Gem: I see Dale and Alan Uchin (pictured above) all over the place. They are in demand. It's because of the work they do. Silver and gold, heavy and light, thick and thin, modern and old school. No matter what style you want, their jewelry is classy.
• Carol's Scents N' Soaps: Carol obviously spends a lot of time in her workshop and it shows. The flavors she has are vast and some of them make you want to take a bite out of them! Seriously!
• Best Studios: Talk about teamwork. Elizabeth and John Best do glass. Elizabeth is a lampwork Artist and hubby John does is a stain glass Artist. Great color, great design, and the thing that sticks out to me is the intricacy of their work.
• Kat Gannon Designs: With the price of gold sky rocketing it's getting harder to find gold jewelry. Kat is still doing gold and man she has the eye for it too. One thing for sure, Kats work will be worth more the day after you buy it!
• Creative Wood Designs:(pictured) Dave and Mindy Spray do wood work. Not just woodwork but very detailed woodwork. Not just detailed woodwork, awesome woodwork. They inlay curved pieces in a seamless manner to create the perfect look.








• Marian Gaydos: Wire wrapper extraordinaire. Go to Brothers-Handmade store and look at the magnified pictures of Marian's work.
  Her work is incredible! At the shows you have to stand in line to see her work!!!

250 Artists. All top in their fields! And I am almost at the word limit for my blog, so I’m going to do a short list of other exceptional Artists.

• Tim Scull: Ceramics
• Jane Auciello: Ukrainian egg decoration (pysanky)
• Jennifer Kerper: Metalsmith (jewelry)
• Marsha Dowshen: Pottery

BUY AMERICAN at Brothers-Handmade

Joel

Spring Fine Arts and Craft Festival -
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

March 26, 2011 - Alright, if you have been following our blogs, you know we always attend any craft shows at Kutztown University. (Kutztown is a small hamlet of about 5000 people, many known as Pennsylvania Dutch, in eastern Pennsylvania). You might think “same old same old” - Right?

Wrong! It’s always new and fresh. The Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and the University make absolutely sure the craftsmen at this show are top juried, Guild members. Even the few students that were permitted to show work are in the top of their art form! This kind of craftsmen isn't worried about production; but perfection is right up there with breathing.

THE LIST

• Barry Gebhart I don't know how he makes silver look so different but he does. Barry is the definition of a Silversmith that I do know.
• Michael Weaver is - well a weaver. If you are Scottish or into Celtic you need to see what Michael is doing.
• Jeffrey A. Hartman A Potter who uses topographical maps as patterns for his work. Oh yeah, he's a student
• Kathy Dinsmore Hand Spun, Hand Woven and Hand Sewn. Ladies start your engines. It won't be long before Kathy's work is hard to get. Because it will be SOLD OUT!
• Sandra and Bill Jones of Stone’s Through Pottery I blogged about these two before, and sure enough they did it again. They do very impressive work, for sure. But, to me it is how they do their glazes. The dark glazes are a standout. That's not usually the case as dark glazes usually show any imperfection. Good luck finding any flaws on the Jones' work!
• June Moyer June is the other reason I go to Craft Shows. To see the things you just don't otherwise get to see. June presses flowers. Not like my mom (and maybe yours). June makes pictures with pressed flowers. She has a picture of a downy woodpecker that is awesome. My picture of it didn't do it justice, but here is her award winning work with a cardinal pictured.

As always great job Berks and Kutztown, PA.

It's Spring - Time to start looking for your local Fine Craft and Art Festivals. Also, checkout Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making"©

Joel



Berks Bead Bazzar - Reading, PA



February 27, 2011 - You know, with all the trouble in the world, sometimes you have to step back and get some air. A couple of weeks ago I made a show loop through Virginia, Maryland and Reading, PA. I didn’t talk about Reading, only because I knew of other upcoming Bead shows and wanted to talk about them, and give a heads up about their schedules, a little closer to the event. Well that time is Now.

The Berks Bead Bazaar is put on by two of the bead worlds finest, Louise Mehaffey and Joan Miller. These two are Artists, teachers, and top shelf designers. Oh yeah, and they know how to assemble a perfect mix of exhibitors.

I have mentioned in the past about artists with an eye for spacial distortion (to borrow a term from Star trek). I mean, these artists are able to envision, then create designs at the most minute and intricate detail. We advise to look closely at the detail of high quality handmade works. That is where the value of the piece really becomes evident.

These two have it and they invited 25 of their friends who also have an eye for spacial distortion.

• Louise Mehaffey… One word, WOW!!!.
• Joan Miller…. Detail, Detail, Detail!!!
• Alice Germain… Very cool earthen colors and look.
• Greg Graupp…. Cabochons. Beautiful ultra polished stones.
• Jennifer and Kelly McGinithen… Clear over color. Really great and interesting design.
• Kebela Design… Vintage with a modern twist

And now if you want to take a little break from the current world calamities, and want to get some air, (and happen to be somewhere around Pennsylvania), check out these upcoming bead and craft shows. They are extremely interesting. You will have to look close, but that’s the fun of it. Take a magnifying glass and look even closer. The detail will blow you away.

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March 26-27

Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen Spring Show - Kutztown University Fieldhouse, Kutztown, PA


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April 8-10

Beadfest Wire - Valley Forge, PA


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June 4-5

Innovative Beads Expo - Allentown, PA

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July 2-10

Kutztown German Festival - Kutztown, PA

Folks, you just can't see the things we see if you don't go to fine art or craft shows. The most unbelievable things are out there if you just have to look. Also visit Brothers-handmade.com often, and

"Come See What Your Neighbors Are Making"©

Sometimes you won't believe your eyes.

Joel




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