The winds, rains, and colors of fall are sweeping us along to that dormant time of the year. However, the artists and creative folks that sell at my Winter Holiday Arts & Crafts Market aren’t going dormant. In fact, they are busy creating products and I’ve been busy lining up artists – old and new – to join us for our first in-person winter market since covid changed our lives so drastically.
My dear husband, Tom, ordered a new gothic arch hoop house, where he’ll grow tomatoes and peppers for selling next year at the Goose, in the local produce section! That’s Mr. Pickapepper Produce on the ladder himself!!
As it turns out, the new hoop makes it all the more possible to hold both wreath classes that Brita Fisher will teach on Saturday November 27th. The hoop is 50′ long x 16′ wide so 16 people will fit in there safely. The ends will be totally open for good circulation.
The Summer House will be holding Patti King’s incredible pillows and my clothing that’s for sale. You can see the screen makes it a safe outdoor space.
The BIG DIFFERENCE with this market is that the potting shed / greenhouse will NOT be heated & both doors at each end will be open as well as some windows in the potting shed, allowing for good air circulation.
This is how we can safely hold a market this fall.
Masks will be REQURIED for everyone.
Artist products will be more spread out so folks are not congregating tightly.
The covered hoop behind the greenhouse will also be a shopping area. That’s the same hoop Brita has used in the past for the wreath classes.
Tom Fisher ( woodwork ) and Patti King in the Summer House location – 2019
Mark your calendar so you can come support all the artists.
Winter Holiday Arts & Crafts Market – 2021
November 26, 27 & 28 ~ open to the public
December 4 & 5 m ~ open to the public
November 29 ~ shopping by appointment ONLY ( email or call me )
December 3 ~ shopping by appointment ONLY ( email or call me )
mfisher@whidbey.com OR 360-579-2329
Hours ~ 10 am – 4 pm for all dates
There will also be a fire pit or two so you can warm your hands if you need to wait for a more open space. Chairs won’t be as close as in this old photo from 2019!
The always popular Wreath Class by Brita Fisher @brita_fisher will be happening again in the new space you saw in the above photo.
You have two options for creating your wreath from her great seletion of materials and expert guidance.
Each class is limited to 16 people so sign up soon to hold your spot. We won’t add more to either class in order to be safe.
Dates below have links to register: Cost 85.00
Saturday November 27th ~ 10 am – noon
Satuday November 27th ~ 1:30 – 3:30
This paper garland made by Allie Stock of @handmade.ish says it all about the upcoming market.
Allie will have her paper garlands with various greetings as well as her popular snowflake ornaments and some other new holiday wooden decor.
Leah Nguyen of @planetpaintpeople will have a number of beautiful, carefully crafted items.
The 8″x 8″ image above is a hand-colored Kitchen Blessing Pattern block print, which comes framed and ready for a lovely one-of-a-kind gift.
Pattern for Healing Forced Family Seperations – 4″ stickers
For more information and amazing images look at her powerful work on the intragram link above, or check her posts on Facebook. Her art is driven by decoloniality and healing all people.
Leah will also have this pattern printed on tee shirts.
Luanne Seymour of @luanne.seymour is back again, thankfully, with her well made and delightful upcycled fabric zip bags.
Using scraps from the textile industry for everything she makes you know you’re getting a quality product and helping the enviroment one zip bag at a time.
Our youngest artist and vendor is Elsa Layman, who has been raising bees with her family on Whidbey. A long time family friend and owner of Yellowstone Wild guiding service is giving Elsa a jump start this year. She’s selling honey from the bees kept on the banks of the Yellowstone River. Next year she’ll have enough of her own honey ( with her own label ) to sell.
I love to encourage young people in their hard work and perseverance, so I said YES to Elsa selling Yellowstone Wild honey.
Elsa will also have some beaded jewelry she made (has one on in her photo).
Erica Hanson of @ehworks will have her well made and lovely aprons, from linen to denim, they are so practical yet stylish. And that’s Brita Fisher ( our wreath and floral teacher ) sporting a linen apron she bought years ago .
I own a heavy denim twill weave and just love it. More practical for me as I’m messy.
Patti King of @pkingweaver is a local textile artist, weaver and stitcher of great beauty. Using her large collection of very special fabrics she has made a wide variety of pillows in various sizes – all delightful!
They will be laid out on the platform in the Summer House.
Fall has been busy, but I finally got to add something into my calendar that I’ve wanted to do for years and then covid hit.
As most of you know, I often post photos of birds or nests, having a long term fascination with birds. I’ve wanted to volunteer at the Burke Museum for years but was too busy running the nursery and doing design work.
My oldest brother, Dr Sievert Rohwer ( Professor and Curator of Birds, Emeritus) still goes into the Burke twice a week to work on his research papers or help with the collection, so I decided to commute with him once a week.
That way I can glean even more facinating bird and nature stories!
Just recently they let volunteers return so I was finally able to start.
It’s so interesting and incredibly fun to be behind the scenes and work with the collection. I can see the benefits to having a collecion of specimens for close examination.
Of course the museum collects tissue samples and DNA from all the specimens, as well as preparing study skins, which is the pretty part. The collection aids researchers all over the world by loaning materials and sharing information.
I’ve been sorting the birds by Genus, as well as tying new labels onto the legs. In doing so, I discovered something not even Sievert had noticed on this Yellow-Shafted Flicker.
Just at the top of the tail ( in a location you’d NEVER see on a live bird ) the many pokka dots on the belly feathers become a clear heart shape once it merges near the tail area!!
The heart feather is hidden away for only the study skin prep person or the lowly label affixer (that’s me) to notice.
What delight on my first day there to discover such a magical surprise! I’m hooked.
Our world is filled with surprise and natural wonders. I just hope we wake up and take care of the climate and environmental issues so our children and grandchildren can still enjoy and make discoveries of their own.
I’ll leave you with something I’m trying out in the newsletter – a link to a short clip of a bird at my suet feeder – the pileated woodpecker. Hope you enjoy it!
It was a huge surprise 5 years ago when the largest of our PNW woodpeckers landed on my suet right off the porch.
Remember if you want to reserve a time to shop privately at the Winter Holiday Arts & Crafts Market you need to email me or call.
I’m excited to resume our winter traditon of hosting a market – for both the artists and for all of you to enjoy once again.
One last important bit – Elin Noble @elinnoble, who taught the incredible indigo dyeing workshop this past September, will be offering a TWO day workshop – July 9 &10 Summer 2022. MARK your calenders if you want to hold the date, as students from this year want to repeat it. They actually suggested a two day they loved it so much. I’ll get a class page made after the holidays and then you can register. NOTE: this class is not listed on the web link above with her name.
Happy Fall Winds to you,
Mary Fisher
Cultus Bay Gardens
7568 Cultus Bay Rd
Whidbey Island
Clinton WA
360-579-2329