Loose Leaf Notes

~ The Following photos appeared with others in The Floyd Press on December 11, 2008.

1. I remember the early days of Winterfest, selling my jewelry in the old unheated Jacksonville dairy barn. One year I set my craft table up next to Katie and her partner who were selling handmade hats. I bought one that looked like a Santa hat wrapped in raccoon fur. It was warm and seasonal and sort of filled the desire I had since a kid for a coonskin Davy Crockett hat. After the dairy barn was renovated, and became the Jacksonville Center for the Arts, I sold my books over Winterfest Weekend. This year I just took pictures.

2. Pat Sharkey (left) of Earthdance Jewelry is the spark behind Winterfest. She’s the primary founder of the event and still coordinates the artist’s and vendors each year. She is also the development coordinator for Round the Mountain Artist’s Trail, which involves19 counties, including Floyd. Pat was the inspiration behind the wire-wrap gemstone jewelry I made back in the early 90’s.

3. Gabriela Hilger’s feathered hairpieces and gift package decorations drew attention. “Fun & Fluff” was how her crafts booth was described in the Winterfest brochure. Also featured at Winterfest this year were leather crafts, baskets, beeswax and essential-oil scented candles, natural bath and body products, soapstone sculpture, organic cotton clothing, musical CDs, pressed flower suncatchers, bamboo flutes, all sorts of art, jewelry, pottery, and more.

4. What is a Winterfest without Christmas trees? The proceeds of these donated trees, being sold by volunteers John Schneider (left) and his son John, go to benefit the Jacksonville Center.

5. Traditionally Winterfest was a two day weekend event, but this year it was three days, starting on Friday to coordinate with the Dickens First Night festivities. Here, dressed in period costume, Bethlehem Cherrix and Coriander Woodruff head down the stairs to the Jacksonville Center’s First Floor Artist’s Studios.

6. Floyd potter Sarah McCarthy in front of her studio talks about her work with a Winterfest attendee. Sarah’s exquisite functional pottery makes me want to sip tea and read Lao Tzu. Check out some of it HERE.

7. My friend Liz Stucki (left) was the mama behind Mama Lizzardo’s pizza place in downtown Floyd, which closed a couple of years ago. Liz is also an artist and apparently an excellent baker. I was first impressed with her cookies and other desserts at the Jacksonville Center’s recent Classical Music Concert. At Winterfest she paired up with her daughter Willow to sell her mouthwatering creations.

8. Winterfest has always been a community reunion where artists, crafters, and musicians converge, sell their wares, and get in the holiday spirit together. Read more about The Jacksonville Center for the Arts (pictured) HERE.