Tuesday, August 8, 2017

I suppose I should cross "Photographer" off my resume.

Wouldn't you think that attendance at a craftsmen's fair would warrant a slew of photographs?  Well, yes, it would, had the attendee been anyone but yours truly.  I was too busy gawking at all the neato stuff to remember to photograph it.  There were a few times the penny did drop into the slot, so to speak, and those will follow.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable time - both because of the quality of the workmanship on display, the site of the fair and the quality of the company.

I had a strict budget and it was tough, I tell you, TOUGH!  It finally came down to a delightful repurposed sweater cat and an amazing print of a porcupine.  I decided on the former - way cheaper - but am still thinking about the latter.  I did pick up the printmaker's card and may revisit her website and order it.  Such talent.

Here's some (very few) shots of our trip:

After the forecast of rain all day, it turned
out to be lovely.

Wonderful weather vanes

If I had the money, I would have spent a bundle
on this guy's beautiful clay stools.

OMG, I wanted one of these SO badly!
It's been added to my bucket list.

There were so many extraordinary artists!  Everything from leather, clothing, jewelry, ceramics, paintings, lithographs, photography, crafts of all shapes and sizes - there were some giant chickens made from fun fur turned into feathery spikes that were so adorable... - it was just overwhelming.  My sister got a beautiful stained glass hanging that she wants to suspend in front of her French doors in her dining room.  And the music!  There was a bluegrass band that was wonderful - it was difficult to leave our seats, but time was limited and there was so much ground to cover.  The event is held at the Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, NH.  A beautiful spot, even without all the art.  We have made a date to add this to our annual trips. 

We had left extra time for our return trip, having spotted a couple of interesting spots on the way there.  However, we were yakking away and missed a turn and ended up having to go a different route home.  I think that calls for a return trip...


Getting home earlier than usual allowed me to tackle some of the mounting pile of produce in the fridge.  I put together a sort of ratatouille that strained the borders of my largest cutting board.

This needed the BIG pan!
Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to get a pile of wonderful RIPE tomatoes, a gallon bag of green beans and some interesting peppers from my friend, Marianne.  I have tons of tomatoes on the vine.  All green.  I may have ripe tomatoes by September if we ever get warm enough weather.   I did some canning - it's all that I can do to hold myself back - and finally got red currant jelly that jelled.  I also made Cherry Salsa and the jury is still out on that.  It had better be darn good, as it involved four pounds of cherries that had to be stemmed, pitted and chopped.  OMG.

Saturday night was spent with my two favorite guys - the Lithuanian Lawn Guy (aka The Neighbor) and my friend, Denis.  The menu was veal osso bucco, rosemary roasted potatoes and carrots and a French cheese, the name of which escapes me.  Which is a very good thing, as I was tempted to just eat it with a spoon until I keeled over and I daren't keep it in the house.  D's house is up at the end of a hollow, surrounded by mountains and forests and was built in the 1700's.  It's so beautiful up there!

The LLG and Denis
And, introducing "Claude"

Aiiiii.  The squeezability factor is high.


  1. Hi Susan :) I LOVE Claude! :) Is he named after the 'fraidy Claude The Cat from Looney Tunes? Did you cook an osso bucco???? I have never tried that before. And any cheese you can eat with a spoon is good for me! I eat Camembert with a spoon, forget the bread lol...I love craft fairs, you just don't find that kind of workmanship anymore. Good for you for staying on budget! I have a tough time with that too when I see nice well made things! I laughed at the thought of you pitting 4 pounds of cherries...Alex did all the pitting for us and I know he was hurting after! I hope the cherry salsa works out!

    1. I LOVE Claude the Cat...I had forgotten all about him. Yes - why not? I did not cook, Denis did. That made it all the more wonderful! The funny part about all that pitting is that I was talking (whining) to one of my neighbors and she said, oh why didn't you say something? We have an automatic one! If this stuff is any good, I may just make it again.

  2. Whenever I go to those type of events, I can't help but thinking that I can do many of the things I see on display. However I never (or at least rarely) do which is why I end up buying them. I have always said, so many hobbies, so little time!

    1. Isn't that the truth? You should have seen the wood crafts - amazing!

  3. I hate craft fairs. Because I see so many truly wonderful handmade items that I WANT and must have! But usually pass them by because of always thinking where the $$ would be better spent. And then, of course, later wishing I had bought XYZ anyway. See what I mean? Totally frustrating!

    So, did Claude follow you home from the craft fair or Denis's???

    1. Claude followed me from the fair - an artist who does tapestry and has created a thriving cottage industry (love that whole thing) sells a huge variety of this repurposed sweater animals - they are wonderful! I used to torture myself, but now I just stick with a budget (unless all my resistance breaks down) and try to enjoy basking in all the creativity around me.

  4. i would have gone a bit crazy at that fair! it gets harder and harder to find nice stuff. i love osso bucco and haven't made it in quite a while. i just might have to make some soon!

  5. Sounds like a perfect weekend. I love it when I can glide from one good thing to another all day long. Rarely happens but when it does it's magical.

    1. Isn't that true? It's like refilling your joy pitcher so that you can pull out the memories when you need them.

  6. Susan,

    Claude is a cutie!!! Going to the fair is just so exciting. My favorite part,all the vendors selling their homemade items. The down side, having to budget ones self. I would want to buy all kinds of stuff :-) You did good girlie staying on budget and making wish list.

    All your vegetables look fabulous! It's after 11PM here, and I'm drooling for your Ratatouille.

    Can't wait to hear how your cherry salsa came out.

    Your neighbors sound like amazing friends.


  7. Looks like fun! Great that you're feeding the "lawn guy"! I wanted the sheep weather vane, so cute!!!

  8. In my experience, craft shows and strict budgets absolutely do not mix! LOL Great fun though. Cherry salsa sounds like a wonderful idea and I hope your tomatoes ripen soon!

  9. End of a hollow? I would have moved in, ha ha! Sounds like a lot of fun!