APPALACHIAN ARTISANS GUILD
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Members' Gallery
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Brenda Armstrong
Faded Memories
937-780-6101
Brenda has her work at:
N. 2nd Street Mercantile
119 N. 2nd Street
Ripley, OH 45167
513-304-1523
Sonja Cropper, Owner
Ancient Valley Mercantile
107 E. Main Street
Bainbridge, OH 45612
740-634-0052
AncientValleyMarcantile.com
Sunday-Thursday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday-Saturday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Elaine Balsley
Elaine is self-taught and enjoys creating art in just about any medium, any genre. She's painted just about everything - including portraits, flowers, still life, classic aircraft, contemporary and landscapes.
Many of Elaine’s paintings have been created with mixed media, on an acrylic base, using various Golden brand molding pastes and pumice gels to give texture. Others have an underlying thick layer primed with Gesso. She enjoys painting flowers so they appear larger than life, and the viewer can see the dynamic beauty in nature. In addition to acrylics, Elaine enjoys pastels, watercolor, colored pencil and graphite, and has done several commission pieces. She also creates unique crafts that show off her original artwork.
In 2008 Elaine donated one of her aircraft paintings to a show sponsored by the Pentagon and is now a member of the Air Force Art Program (AFAPO). In 2010, she donated 2 more pieces of art to the AFAPO, and in 2013, has donated three. The program now has a collection of over 10,000 pieces of artwork since 1947 which have been donated by artists all over the country to record the history of the United States Air Force. Elaine is very honored to be in the company of such great artists. Some of her donated works are hanging on the walls of the main floor and Command Section of the Air Force Materiel Command HQ Building, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Fairborn, OH.
A detailed 4-page demonstration on how to paint a Chocolate Labrador Retriever puppy using acrylic paints is included in North Light Publishing’s book, Painter’s Quick Reference: Cats & Dogs.
Elaine has participated in several professional art shows and galleries, including the John Ruthven Gallery, Georgetown, OH, and has had her own gallery in the Historic Oregon District, Dayton, OH. She has been represented by the Art Vault, Troy, OH; Studio 14 Fine Arts Gallery, Tipp City, OH, and is a member of the Appalachian Artisans Guild, and on-line “FineArtAmerica.com”. S
A book about her late uncle, B-17 Tail Gunner, S/Sgt William James McQuoid, Jr., who was killed in WWII contains her original drawings. “Letters from the War – Between the Lines” is available for sale on Amazon.com.
Visit Elaine’s website, www.orchardviewstudio.com to see the many varieties of art she loves to create!
UPCOMING SHOWS:
SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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She also has painting parties in her home studio by appointment. Contact her through her website (link above) to set up a time. Invite your friends! 6 minimum; 8 maximum.
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Christy Baer
Red K Ranch
Hello! My name is Christy Baer, but everyone calls me "Red". Along with my husband, Keith, we call ourselves Red K Ranch. I'm the creative side and he's the business side. After we both retired from the Marine Corps we were still in Southern California, but that didn't really feel like home. We found our piece of h
eaven in Hillsboro and we love living here.
I learned to crochet when I was 13 years old. It was not my skill that kept me going, as all of my creations were crooked with outlandish color selections, but her desire and passion to create something tangible that kept her crocheting! That was quite a few years ago and even now when I walk into my craft area to pick up yarn and my trusted hook, I get that same sort of excitement. I've always been a hat person in the winter; never without a toboggan. When I began to hone in on her skills, I focused on things that I enjoy wearing and love making. Textures have always been part of my life and color seems to follow close behind. By crocheting and creating pieces that people love to wear has brought me extreme satisfaction and happiness. I also enjoy making blankets, throws, trivets, dishcloths, and baskets for all seasons.
My hope that I can inspire others to pick up the craft! I enjoy teaching beginners all things crochet and love it when young people show an interest! I consider what O do an art form. Each of my pieces is made with pride and love.
I would consider it an honor to share my art with others.
Red has items for sale at:
Suburban Hippie Chic Boutique
Ancient Valley Mercantile in Bainbridge
UPCOMING SHOWS:
SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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Cindy Baker
C P Baker Designs
Cindy Baker brings her jewelry-making skills to our craft organization. She got into the jewelry craft when she repaired some inherited pieces. From there she steadily developed her skills working primarily in sterling silver. Cindy is involved with the entire process. She designs, cuts, forms and textures the silver metal as it transforms into beautiful jewelry. A number of skills had to be developed simultaneously to produce the fine sterling silver pieces.
Sawing sheet silver is the most difficult task according to Cindy. She sells her pieces at a local hair salon and at selective craft fairs like our “Cabin Fever".
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Rebecca Burke
Gray House Botanicals
Soaps & Personal Body Creations
100 Water Works Road
Peebles, OH 45660
937-509-0072
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N. 2nd Street Mercantile
119 N. 2nd Street
Ripley, OH 45167
513-304-1523
Sonja Cropper, Owner
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UPCOMING SHOWS:
SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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Tracy Burske
Tracy Burske Designs
I am Tracy Burske and for over 30 years I have been an Interior Designer. I started my craft 6 years ago as a result noticing in my workroom that several bolt ends of fabric from completed projects would be thrown away. I thought that would be a terrible waste, so I developed several bag styles made out of those fabric ends. I also have an endless supply of discontinued fabric samples that turn over by the manufacturers seasonally. I design and hand sew all my bags. I match the fabrics, linings, and trims to create a one-of-a-kind work of art. I make several styles of bags from tote bags, book bags, gift bags, lunch bags, wine bags, Bible bags, larger weekender bags and my most popular styles wheelchair and walker bags. I now have a design that is perfect for I Pads, Tablets, Nooks and Kindles. The bags are made from high quality designer fabrics, many with accent trims and tassels. I look at it as an earth friendly craft as I am saving these fabrics from going to the landfill and my bags are useful and reusable. Include in the email colors, patterns and the bag style you desire. We will then locate in our workroom suitable samples of fabrics that we will scan and send back in an email for you to make a final selection. We accept checks on local banks along with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & PayPal.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Jackie Hetrick-Cupp
Somehow, I always end up sitting at a sewing machine. After studying Art (drawing, painting, sculpture) at Ohio State University, I have attended many workshops and private classes in drawing and painting. I love to travel and admire landforms, horizons and seasonal colors. My country home outside of Hillsboro, Ohio, affords me beautiful landscape views from my windows.
My great-grandmother and my grandmother were quilt makers. My mother was a talented garment seamstress and she helped me through my first 4-H dress assignment. I have since made a few wearable items such as Halloween or high school theater costumes, but most of my projects have been home decorating items such as curtains, drapes and blinds. Table runners, hot pads and pillows allow me to experiment with patchwork blocks.
For a time, I found myself sewing pantyhose on an industrial sewing machine in a textile mill in North Carolina.
Recently I have combined my love of nature and sewing into creating quilted landscape wall hangings. Not wanting to waste a single scrap, I use my machine to fashion miniature landscape note cards.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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Robin Dement
Hello! My name is Robin Dement and my passion is knitting! Years ago when I was in grade school we took a trip to a local museum. The only thing I remember about the museum is a gorgeous bedspread knitted with five bicycle spokes because the lady who made it couldn't afford to buy knitting needles. I decided someday I would learn to knit. For quite a few years after that I grew up, got married, had a family and forgot about knitting. About seventeen years ago I remembered that dream. So I went to the library and got some books on knitting. My sister and I sat down and slowly figured out how to knit. I've been going strong ever since!
I love to collect knitting patterns and try new things. I've had the privilege of knitting for Warm-up-America and my grandkids. I've also gotten to teach knitting to others.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Bill Dreger
Spiritwood Studio
1781 Foster Road
West Union, OH 45693
937-373-7102
www.mapletreeinteriors.com
Woodworking, specializing in tables and chests.
A career in the hardwood lumber and millwork industries and a lifelong love of working with wood were the impetus behind the birth of the Spiritwood Studio and his woodwork efforts. Through the years, he's been fascinated with the old-hand woodworking techniques and the many antique tools for working wood no longer seen today. He has resisted using labor-saving power tools whenever possible in favor of hand working the wood. "There is a real connection to the piece you are working on when you continually handle it through the process of creating it." Bill works primarily in painted pieces from pine and poplar.
A resident of Adams County, he sometimes uses wood from his property for some of his rustic pieces. Reproduction 18th and 19th century dowry chests have been Bill’s major woodwork endeavor. "I hand-cut and fit the dovetailed corners just as they did over 100 years ago. The task today could be vastly accelerated with dovetail jigs and routers, but the dovetails would be uniformly monotonous and not produce as strong a joint. Hand-cutting the dovetail corners offers strength, character and pride in a piece. The enjoyment of working with wood for the sheer pleasure far offsets the economic rewards. I enjoy a challenge and can make custom pieces for customers. I will make custom pieces from a photograph or if you just have an idea, I will sketch it for you."
Products from Spiritwood Studio are available by contacting Bill at home (above address).
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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Diana Harvey
Rack-It
Sturdy, practical, long-lasting and elegant creations for the home, crafted in wood.
4651 Bennington Road
Hillsboro, OH 45133
937-393-2747
For many years, Diana Harvey & her late husband, Hal, have designed and made practical (or just fun) wood and fabric items for themselves and their family, and upon semi-retirement from teaching, Rack-It was born. From large laundry racks, herb racks, tables and chairs to simple toys and wooden kitchen utensils, Rack-It makes over four dozen sturdy, practical, long-lasting and elegant creations using a combination of hand and power tools.
Our demonstration is a very hands-on approach to imparting an appreciation of the ingenuity and expertise of Appalachian craftsmen of the past who used simple tools and readily available raw materials to make the necessities.
We challenge people to open our reproduction of a wood lock on a miniature smokehouse, handing them the large wooden key, and showing the ingenious inner workings through the window at the back of the door.
We invite children and adults to play with simple Appalachian wood and fabric toys: The dancer and whooies (which Hal carves at the booth), tops with launchers, climbing bears, various puzzles, and dolls.
As professional educators, we cannot resist the opportunity to teach why these things were made, how they were made, why they were made of certain materials, and how they worked.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
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Jack is a self-taught artist-blacksmith dedicated to promoting the ancient art of blacksmithing. Jack’s specialty is hand-hammer, forged, and manipulated hot steel. He gravitates toward Colonial-style wrought iron. He designs his own work that includes candle holders, fireplace accessories, tools and axes. In addition to the Appalachian Artisans Guild, Jack is a member of the Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil and The Artist Blacksmith Association of Northern America.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Rachel Nixon
I grew up in Blanchester, Ohio and live in Wilmington, Ohio. I began crafting when I was around 10 years old beginning with hand embroidery and sewing. I later taught myself to cross stitch. I currently make hand painted t shirts, crochet hats and scarves, garden art and jewelry. I also enjoy making jewelry, charms and golf ball markers from polymer clay.
I have a shop on Etsy under the name T-rifx and plan to do some craft shows this fall.
In the near future I would like to learn to knit.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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Bootsie Robison
Locust Hill Farm
Peebles, Ohio
Hand-spinning, Knitting, and Felting
I have a small flock of Columbia/Rambouillet sheep and find various ways to use the wool they produce. I learned to spin yarn in the late 1980’s, which led to my learning to knit and felt, two very different ways to use wool. Having my own sheep gives me the satisfaction of experiencing the entire process, from seeing lambs being born, to wearing a wool sweater I created from their fiber. I try to keep the wool pipeline flowing at all times. Once shearing is over there is sorting, washing, carding and spinning to be done, followed by dying, knitting, and/or felting. On any given day, several of these might activities might come into play. I enjoy sharing my craft through workshops and festivals. I value the traditions it represents. These were skills our ancestors needed in order to survive as our country was being formed, and it’s important that they not be lost.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
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SPRING AAG WORKSHOPS, SATURDAY, APRIL 29
9:00 AM-3:00 PM
Presbyterian Church Hillsboro, OH
Go to Recent & Upcoming Events to See the Schedules & Pricing.
