Last week Janet, Denise and I hit the road and headed west to Gatlinburg, TN. February is a busy month of planning for us and whenever we can combine planning with visiting - all the better. We stayed at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and had a couple of Guild meetings. We also found time to visit with the good folks at Arrowcraft, take a winter hike and eat at the finest Gatlinburg restaurants including the Mountain Lodge (thanks to Jim Gentry's recommendation) and The Brewery (Laurey-Faye Long's recommendation).

Craig Sponburgh, Arrowcraft Manager

Arrowmont's Sandra J. Blain Gallery featuring 15th Sevier County Biennial Juried Exhibition

It's interesting being in Gatlinburg in February. Obviously there are not nearly as many tourists bustling about, but most places are still open and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The hike was beautiful because it had snowed the evening before we arrived. The trail runs right along the river and the rushing water and snow-covered path made for an invigorating walk.


Another highlight of the trip for me was purchasing a Claudia Lee necklace at Arrowcraft - I never seem to leave that shop without buying something. Craig and his staff do an awesome job keeping the shop beautiful! They represent Guild artists well!

While in Gatlinburg many plans were made for the Guild's Annual Meeting which will be held at Arrowmont on Saturday, April 16. We are excited about the opportunity to meet new members, do some Guild business, and most importantly to re-connect with friends. Mark your calendars and we will be sending more information to members once plans are finalized.

Special thanks to the Guild members and staff who were able to join us in Gatlinburg - from the Membership Committee: Laurey-Faye Long, Bill Henry and Hugh Bailey; and from the Annual Meeting Committee: Tamela Wells, Ray Snyder, Jim Gentry, Craig Sponburgh.

Laurey-Faye Long, Hugh Bailey, Janet Wiseman

Mary Dashiell, Jim Gentry, Tamela Wells, Janet Wiseman, April Nance

Wow! Just looked at the calendar only to realize Christmas is next week. I'll have to admit working at the Folk Art Center can bring out the procrastinator in me because I know I can always go downstairs and do a lot of my shopping right after work. That said, the weeks leading up to the holiday I walk through Allanstand thinking of ideas about perfect gifts so I thought I would share some with you:

Teacher gifts:

Christmas tree ornament by Walt Cunningham of Zirconia, NC ($21)

Christmas tree mini ornament by Jeff McKinley of Asheville, NC
($10 - $16)

Handwoven guest towel by Peggy Whitted of Sevierville, TN ($15.50)

Gift for Mom:

Ceramic bowl by Laurey-Faye Long of Sylva, NC ($91)
and salad tongs by Allegheny Treenware of Thorton, WV ($31)

Gift for Dad:

Wood kalaidescope for his desk by Alice Houser of Spruce Pine, NC ($95.50)

Gift for High School or College student:

Journal by Darryl Maleike of Asheville, NC ($81)
and polymer clay pen by Irene Semanchuk of Asheville, NC (30.50)

Gift for Neighbor:

Ceramic mug by David Grant of Maryville, TN ($27)

Gift for Niece or Nephew:

Toy train by Richard Nease of Gore, VA ($41)

Gift for sister or friend:

Sterling silver earrings by Barbara Joiner of Brasstown, NC ($54)

Gift for brother:

Brontosaurus wood puzzle by Peter Chapman of Bent Mountain, VA ($71.50)

And last, but not least, a gift for me:

Ceramic clock "all is well" by Chiwa of Asheville, NC ($216)

The Southern Highland Craft Guild is proud to be participating in American Craft Week which begins today and runs through October 10. One way we are celebrating is by sponsoring a raffle to raise money for CERF+ Craft Emergency Relief Fund Artists' Emergency Resource. We are selling $5 raffle tickets for the basket pictured above.

The handle basket was made by Dolly Taylor. The material used was white oak and the dyes used were walnut, bloodroot, and yellowroot. The basket comes with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board certificate of authenticity from the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc. of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and is valued at $195.

You can purchase the raffle tickets at Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center or you can call the Folk Art Center: 828-298-7928 to order them over the phone. The drawing for the winning ticket will be held on October 31. You do not have to be present to win. We will also be drawing tickets throughout American Craft Week for VIP passes to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands coming up October 21- 24 at the Asheville Civic Center

Help us celebrate American Craft Week and raise money for a worthy cause supporting craftspeople across the country!

During American Craft Week the SHCG will also be sponsoring craft demonstrations - some of the artists will supply hands-on activities or they will be donating a portion of their earnings during the week to CERF+ as well.

In addition to nearly 200 fine craft exhibitors and educational demonstrations the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands also presents live regional music. Today local band Woody Pines graced the arena stage for the first time. “I pick and choose the best sounding stuff,” said Pines. “Everything from swing band to old country blues goes into our music, along with life’s influences.” Thanks to Woody Pines for coming out to support the Southern Highland Craft Guild - we hope they will play for us at a future Craft Fair.

The music continues tomorrow with Red June, Bear Down Easy, The Fabulous Guildenaires, and The Moore Brothers Band.

Maud Boleman, booth 225

Tim Hall, booth 412

Kathryn Faille, booth 218

Ed Byers, booth 11

Jason Green, booth 21

The Guild is pleased to welcome the above members to the Craft Fair for the first time as exhibitors. It is always great to see new work and new faces at the show. We encourage you to go by and welcome them.

Day 2 of the July Show enjoyed a steady stream of visitors. We also had several visits from the local media including the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mountain Xpress, WLOS - Asheville, and WYFF - Greenville/Spartanburg. The music schedule started today and continues through the weekend.

The Summer Edition of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands has begun! Featuring nearly 200 exhibitors, craft demonstrations and live regional music, the show takes place at the Asheville Civic Center and runs through Sunday. Here are a few images from the show's first day.

Fair Director Janet Wiseman and Guild Member Billie Ruth Sudduth

Billie Ruth announced that this will be her last craft fair. She will still be making baskets in Bakersville and selling them in fine craft galleries, but this will be her last show. Come by and see her and celebrate all the wonderful years she has been an exhibitor!

Felt making demonstration by Breanna Rockstad Kincaid

Demonstration by the Asheville Quilt Guild

Lace making by Rita de Maintenon

Quilt design demonstration by Elizabeth Garlington

Children's craft projects with Arts for Life

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Asheville Civic Center to celebrate the first day of the July Craft Fair. We'll be updating the blog daily with more glimpses from the show.

On Saturday Janet Wiseman and I had the opportunity to take a class at Cloth Fiber Workshop at the Cotton Mill Studios in the River Arts District of Asheville. Cloth, which is owned and operated by Guild member Barbara Zaretsky, hosts a variety of textile art workshops. We took Fabric Brooches taught by Margaret Couch Cogswell.

The class was appropriate for all skill levels. The participants included jewelers, quilters, nurses, teachers, and interior designers. The class appealed to me because I knew it would be a fun escape from my routine and a way to get the creative juices flowing. I can also see how it would be beneficial for artists who may want to try out a new technique or work with a community of peers. Everyone was supportive of one another. It was inspiring to see what everyone made - the limitless possibilities of collage.

We learned about the construction of the pin and different ways to layer fabric and incorporate stitches and embroidery to create wearable art. I loved that by the end of the day you had at least a couple of pieces you could wear right away without having to invest in a lot of materials and time. It's also something that you can have fun with on your own after just one day of instruction. Margaret was awesome - she gave each student individual attention, making sure they were making the most of their time there. She sent everyone a follow up email about the materials and directions covered. Barbara was also there - making sure everyone had what they needed and offering encouragement along the way. Since we were in the River District during our lunch break we had a picnic at River Park just down the road. A pleasant day indeed.

Margaret Couch Cogswell leading the class.

Everyone hard at work!

The next workshop coming up at Cloth is Hands On Shibori taught by Guild member Jen Swearington. Check out Cloth's website for all the details.

Of course, along with Cloth there are many other wonderful places throughout the area and the Appalachian mountains to study crafts. We'd love to hear about your favorite places to take classes - please share with us in the comments section.