Mountain Artisans

Presents

29th Annual

"Hard Candy Christmas"

A Mountain Christmas Tradition

Arts & Crafts Show

November 25-26 2016

10 am -5 pm

(Western Carolina University ) Ramsey Center

Cullowhee ,NC

admission is adults $4.50 weekend pass Children under 12  free

THIS YEAR'S FEATURED ARTIST WILL BE

DAVID PRUITT FROM FRANKLIN, NC .

HE HANDCRAFTS  miniature LOG CABINS AND CHURCHES.

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Alva Houston - Dolls

Betty Cabe - Corn Shuck Dolls

Click here for  More Featured Artists 

Click Here For Current Show Exhibitor List

You will find it all here.

     Mountain Artisans Art and Crafts Shows provide a marketplace for customers and artisans to meet.  It is an amazing collection under one roof.  You would have to visit dozens of  shows to find what I have gathered at one place.

     Cullowhee, North Carolina is home to the Western Carolina University.  On the campus is the Ramsey Center arena that boasts 18,000 square feet of climate controlled comfort for everyone.  It is home to the Catamount's basketball games but two times each year, they move over for our craft shows.  A great set up crew makes it all look easy for me. 

     Quaint Cullowhee Valley nestles off Highway 107 that runs up to Cashiers, North Carolina  from Sylva.  It is a stop off the Southern Highroads Trail  highway. All around are big, soft mountains. A foot bridge crosses the Cullowhee Creek to get to the show from the parking lot.  It is peaceful to your soul just  to be here.  Click on the map to see how to get to Cullowhee NC from Asheville, Cherokee, and Atlanta.

Notes from the Show Promoter - The show consists of artists inside and outside the building.

Outside Artists: The sidewalk and surrounding area leading up to the big Catamount door entrance has a sample of the quality artisans inside.  Look for the following outside exhibitors:      

•  Doreyl Ammons Cain,  Doreyl's Art, (Jackson County's own)  will be demonstrating pastel paintings. She will  have her Christmas birds   "Laughing Locust "collection: nature art on slices of locust wood cut from her forest preserve.

• Ken Di Rico's Smoky Mountain Kettle Korn delicious kettle popcorn will be back.  (It is never burned or too salty).
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• Look for Woodcraftsman, Jerry Stanley NC Mountains Outdoor Furniture with Adirondack chairs, swings, birdhouses (for real birds) and more.  All constructed with Western Red Cedar, stainless steel nails and blue ribbon quality wood will be on the corner again with a wide selection for your house.
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•  Stonedreamer,Jim Gunter  will by the entrance door again with carvings on  native rocks.
• Kathy Cirkus BackWoods Bakery will have miniature gingerbread houses, holiday tins filled with traditional Christmas treats :pnutbutter balls (buckeyes) pfeffernusse, German spiced cookies, hand- decorated sugar cookies, and yes, sugar plums worth  having visions over ! Breads made with stone-milled flour and baked in a wood fired oven .
• Remember Ed Hudgin's Saw Mill Plank tables from last year?  He is coming back  with a good selection for 2016 .

Come inside. The  entrance tunnel has some exciting exhibitors:

 The holiday smell of balsam cedar branches and fresh apples means that Larry Haskett and Evelyn Sanborn will be shaping a wide assortment of fresh wreaths for your house again. The big tree in the lobby will be decked out by them also.

In October ,I  will be making my yearly trek to Barber Orchard to pick out the most scrumptious mountain  apples for  the basket on the ticket table.  They will stay in the cooler until I get them the week of the show. A favorite tradition is red and yellow delicious and Cameos.

• First artisan inside the door is favored potter Sue Malsnee.  She has many area collectors of her work who look for her unique creations at this show.  They will be glad to find her summertime designs and original glazes.

• Dogwood Crafters will be selling samples from their unique shop. They feature quality handcrafts from the mountain area. Visit their shop in Dillsboro, NC
• Dearly cherished, Harold Sims; Catman2. His kind heart started a no kill rescue and adoption home that has aided hundreds of felines. Go by and donate generously.  He does much good.
• Tom Livingston's Piece by Piece Intarsia takes many kinds of wood and shapes them into amazing  pictures. He will have some neat choices for special giving or dressing up your  home.
• Carolyn Cordell Metal Paintings will be back with her holiday metal art  collection and small gift selections.

  Arena: It is 18,000 sq feet of warm, comfortable shopping area.

• Good live music brings cheer!  There will be live, guitar music floating from the fingers of Macon County's Ronnie Evans.  He plays the old  Christmas songs that we grew up with .He will be selling his CD's to enjoy all year.

 The pottery section includes :

•  Note : To the collectors of Kim von Hedemann Clay Critters who  combines her love of cartoons and animals for this adorable art .She captures a whole menagerie  with clay on mugs and trinket boxes. She will not be at this year's show because she is moving but will be back for  the 2017 "Summertime " show .

• Balsam Mountain's   Ann Suggs Stonehouse Pottery will be here with her Christmas collection !
• Cory Plott PlottwarePottery will be inside this year with his holiday specials.
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• Mike and Cindy Hart Hartworks Stoneware are coming with their pinecone design stoneware and lamps .
• Cindy may have some sheep buttons and accessories and other good stuff.

            Diana Gore Forster DragonflyPottery .When I saw her nature themed clay art, I just knew she had to bring her lovely work to   Cullowhee. Each vases is a one of a kind creation . Welcome Diana.

   Garden lovers alert ! Kyle CarpenterGreenThumbPottery has some new additions for this year's show. One of his table top fountains would be perfect for all season gift!

  Robby RalleyMilton Mugs is coming back with an assortment of fine pottery .

Specialty foods and  sweets:

• Kathy Nash  Serendipity , will be back for this show with her delicious nut brittle!.
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• Terri Cook's Delightful Dips was a hit last show and will be back with her homemade dips, mixes and southern  meat rubs.

     Look for Cold Mountain Toffee Scotty Ellis with 7 flavors to choose from .Chocolate mint is my favorite.

      Betty Davis Cranberry Hollow delicious dips and more will be back for holiday entertaining.

      Lin Johnson Carlson Mimi's Mountain Mixes will liven up your holiday cooking with beer baking mixes . Her mixes make pancakes, cookies, and soft pretzels easy .

      Renae Allison will bring delicious toasted almonds, pecans and cashews for your stocking stuffing. Her nuts are the best .   

Heritage Soap:

• Bill Reed Freedom Farms is coming back with his popular goat milk soap and his personal grooming accessories.
• Laura Craig  Shade Tree Farm  soap maker will have some new delicious new flavors.
• Other special crafts :
• Corn shuck flowers date back to the early settlers. Artisan Betty Cabe, is preserving this heritage craft.  She will demonstrating and selling her colorful bouquets and collector dolls. Christmas always brings angels ,angels and more angels.

• Elly Davey Bird in Hand is almost famous for her little folk figure with hickory nut heads and don't forget her  whimsies.  She has many collectors who look for new creations each show.
• Alva Houston was our 'Featured Artist" last summer show. Her little mountain folk dolls will be joined with snowmen gourd art and fresh canned jams and jellies from her summer garden.

       Here comes 'Those Kooky Chickens"! Tim and Karen Chamber's gourd art will make your kitchen  smile .

• Roberta Brown-Roberts Dried Flower Art  is coming back with more lovely selections for the garden lovers on your list ! They are going to love her framed bouquets of  pressed flowers, grown in her own garden. 

• Look for Tommy Hill with his hand tooled leatherwork. Replace that old wallet with a new one .
• Molly McCurdy Dulcimers by Molly will be returning.  If you ever wanted to play , now is a good time to explore.
• Her friend, Jeanne, will have hand  quilted wall hangings. 
• The little log homes and churches that David Pruitt (This year's Featured Artist!) Another Place In Time make are  coming back with more cabins and styles. Wife, Silvia Pruitt will have  her hanging kitchen towels, coasters and  star ornaments.
• Dan Donaldson the Broom Brothers is coming back with handcrafted decorative and functional brooms. Welcome Dan and Dixie.
• Laura Williams makes wonderful hanging window  art using vintage cups, saucers and whimsical sun catchers.
• Linda Miller is back with interesting designs in  paper cutting (scherenchnitte). Her family makes bark  berry buckets .
• Mike Wilson is well known  master knife maker in this area. He also sells leather sheaths, sharpeners and key chains.

• Roy Owenby is returning with his mountain stories and his latest novel. His last year thriller The Owl Knows is set on the Parkway.
• Gretchen Branning makes charming little purses from a single man's neck ties. Look for her Christmas  collection and  original ornaments .

      Bonnie and Denny Wallace are a hit each year with their Christmas lighted boxes, wreaths and Denny's wood turnings.

     Tim & Penny Trescott Bee Lite  is returning with candles, mountain honey and soaps. They have wax ornaments and tapers too.

• Mike Smithwick fans will be have to wait until next Summertime show in 2017 to get his recycled wine bottle creations.
• Lee Willis  has fun with soda cans. He turns them into little airplanes, mobiles and flashy earrings.
• Good news for customers looking for old fashioned rag rugs, hand made by Rena Wilkins. She will have multi colors shapes and sizes Also, for this show, recycled jeans Christmas stockings .
• Dawn Rhodes Country RhodesMosiac Art shapes original mosaic designs on lighted bottles. Welcome, Dawn with this unique art.
• Ralph Monteith/Lisa Breese  will have the unique banks with post office box fronts . One of a kind ,for sure.
• Joyce White will be bringing Christmas decorations for your house. She will have personalized ornaments ,and wall and table pieces.  Welcome Joyce.
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• Jim Boxerman  Jim's Leather Crafts is returning with his handcrafted collection of purses, belts and accessories .

      Betty Spivey makes Old World Santas . She will have a wonderful collection for you or someone special .

       Duncan and Jean Sickler Waterfall Mountain Art will be returning with various sizes of wood stars, cork art and more .

            Kevin Quinn J&C Crafts is new this show with embroidered items for your kitchen and house.

       Jay Britt Brittsleatherworks will have belt,belts,belts for all ages. Also ,cell phone holders and other accessories .

       Sara Shields Star Blaze Glassworks is a glass blower extraordinaire .She will have a good selection of  globes, balls and ice sickles for        holiday  decorating .

       Frank & Darlene Marker Marker Mountain are coming back with candles ,soaps, and herb products you can only find from their organic    farm.

              We have attracted some wonderful painters for this year :

       Regenia Ford Mountain Memories is a Tennessee artist who paints originals  on barn wood . She will have miniature ornaments .                                                                                                                           

       Alan R. Young is an award winning  Georgia  wildlife artist who will bring, originals, prints and giclees.

         Don Meinders is also a wildlife artist who only paints originals .Get ready for one of a kind  beauty.

• Lois Armstrong  Arts by Lois is a nature lover. You will see this clearly on her prints, paintings and note cards. Her scrimshaw jewelry is delicate carvings on bone and mother of pearl.  Her animal and bird paintings on leaves are special too. Welcome back, Lois.

• Look online for my friend  Michael M Roger's , favorite watercolorist and avid hiker will be Sharing the Beauty of  his beloved mountains in his latest dvd of waterfalls and wild flowers. Visit his new online store at  www.michaelmrogersfineart.com You can purchase original art work, prints and photography on canvas.

• Jeanne Mack Southern Paintings always has new collectors with her southern paintings and charming feline art.
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• Jason Rizzo Jason Rizzo Fine Art is fine art in photography. He captures all things lovely in this area with a new twist.
• Photo artist Ed Green  Macon Green Photo is returning with his latest photo art Christmas collection.
• Rob Travis Fine Art Photography will have his outstanding fall and winter photo art .
• Monika Hoerl Rosemailing Painting is a decorative style of folk art from Norway . She is bringing
• painted trays, napkin holders, key chains and Christmas ornaments, angels and wall hangings. 

      Deb Woodward Sea 'n Stars makes unique black coral shadowboxes. Also, hand-painted  team starfish. Welcome Deb to Cullowhee.

    The fabric and Fiber art category is looking good :

        Ashley Houston hand painted batik clothing is coming back with all season designs for you .

    Donna McCarthy, Alpaca Tiena fiber artist and alpaca farmer, will be back with her hand dyed yarn and

    wearable art.

    Sue Dial ,fiber artist , is returning with her holiday art and creations .    

• Dora Reynolds  Designer Tableware is a hit each show with her bright colorful fabric plates and bowls.  She will have her summer collection  of birds and  Snowmen.

• Beverly Borchardt is a quilter who makes wall hangings . She has a good selection of quilted items for your home.

      Linda and Ed Barton has their own brand of felt ornaments. Come by for school themes and other holiday favorites for your collections. 

   Karen AllenSewUnique has hand crafted a wide selection of microwavable chip baskets, tater bakers, and corn steamers .She makes lovely   ornaments ,book pillows and large rag rugs. What are music box cats ?

     Eva Tolotti Laura's Butterflies knits the neatest hats, scarves, stoles and wraps  and more. Welcome back Eva.

     Joan Naylor's woven accessories and scarves are always a hit . Look for her holiday collection for giving or yourself!!

     Ginger Rutland ,Gingerbread Land will be back with hand sewed Christmas decor, gingerbread dolls and santas.  She will feature

• a Scottish theme  this year.
• Susan Kennedy's quilted purses are collector's pieces. Drop by to see what's new for Christmas giving . Don't forget Mark's photography taken on their travels.
• William T. & Nancy Smith: shawls and scarves, yarn, pins and accessories. Look for Nancy 's sewing work bags to neaten up your projects and swifts for weavers.
• Master weaver Alice CraigAliceCraig Originals weaves and spins luxurious fiber from silk, wool, mohair and linen for her customers who want to look and feel their best. How about a gift just for you ?
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• Melanie  KoenigRoyal Fiber Craft will be demonstrating an early 1900 weaving machine(as you watch) that

         makes socks, bags, shawls and more.

      Barbara Quinn J&C Crafts has embroidered towels,table runners and hats .

The wood craftsmen at this show are some of the best around:

     Judy and Dennis Wilkey present wood handled functional  items that go like hot cakes ! Look for ice cream scoops , and reasonably   priced  exotic  wood pens. 

• Ron Thompson will have his lovely Christmas  bowls collection and smaller unique turnings for stocking stuffers .
• Billy Reynolds is a Tennessee Sculpture who turns lake wood into fine native sculpture. He has some cool new work just for this show !
•  John Brady Blue Ridge Woodcrafters  will be back with lazy Susans, kitchen spoons, cutting boards ,and other accessories.

       Have you been looking for a quilt rack?  How about a rack for your essential oils , hats and coats? Well,

      Steve Waldroop wood craftsman will have some neat wood  stuff to organize your world.

      John and Janice BentonWesley's Wood Art From the Lathe will have lovely salad bowls, collectables, salt and pepper mills and some of      Janice's gift baskets and soap. 

 We have some of the most skilled jewelers from our area and far away.

    Kelli PerryWintersun Jewelry is a dichotic artist .She is bringing a wide assortment of handcrafted selections.

     Jaqueline Hatch Native American Jewelry artisan with original pieces and bullet bling.

    The Ledbetters Antique Spoon Jewelry  James and Tracy, are coming with silver spoon jewelry .Get your yearly ring this year !

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• Angel Hudgins Hudgins Designs is back this year with unique, cool designs for the 20something crowd.
• Coming back is Jacolyn Campbell,CampbellDesigns  master wire wrapper. She will have chain maille styles and gem trees also.

• Note for Janet Anderson customers  Wild Fired Glass  is a favorite artist in glass, She is not  coming  back  for 'Hard Candy Christmas  because of a back problem. Look for her in 2017  with her original glass art; fused and slumped ornaments  and other creations. Her new line of jewelry is diachronic glass accented with Swarovski crystals.
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Christmas "show. 

These American craftsmen and artist are still making beautiful things with our hands, our eyes  and our hearts, just for you!  Thank you for 

shopping   from us .