~Wonderful World of Ohio Mart at Stan Hywet Hall~

We finished a third delightful weekend at Yankee Peddler last Sunday.....emptied the booth contents in our garage, and repacked things to set up in Akron at Stan Hywet yesterday. I'm in the studio creating Vintage Rabbits today in anticipation of Ohio Mart's 4-day show which runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. If you're in the area...stop by and say hello. We're in booth 34 in the Birch Boulevard Tent~

~The Road Back to Stan Hywet's Ohio Mart 2009~

With Yankee Peddler's three weekends behind us, we are over-joyed at our sales, the old customers who are still out there, and the many new faces we are getting to know. We had great neighbors who became fast friends.....and we packed up everything last nite very tired, but very happy. Now, once again, I'm out of Vintage Rabbits, Cheeky Monkeys and too too much jewelry to mention. I'm working non-stop as set up for Stan Hywet's Ohio Mart is Wednesday. It begins on Thursday, Oct. 1st, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 4th. Read about my first year back there after an 8-year-hiatus here.

So....I'm in the studio today and tomorrow working on Rabbits, etc. I'm anxious to see my old and new customers there once again.

If you're anywhere near Akron, Ohio this coming week, stop by and say, "hello". It's a truly beautiful show~

~The Road Back~

I really didn’t have any great expectations for my first show (Ohio Mart at Stan Hywet) after being absent from the show circuit for 6 years. After all….that’s a long time. I really didn’t expect to see people I knew. But, the past four days were beyond my wildest dreams.

Thursday began with cold temperatures and lots of rain. But…people came. And they came to buy.

Friday’s crowds uplifted the spirits of the 120 artists, and ended up to be a record-breaking day. With Saturday and Sunday’s warm sunny weather, I couldn’t even get OUT of my booth!!

But beyond all that, were the stories, the hugs, and the tears. One by one, they would come up to me. One by one, they would relate their stories. “You’ve been gone a long time. I’m so glad you’re back”. My customers, who over 14 years bought Ragamuffins for their daughters, nieces, grand-daughters. For their mothers, grandmothers, aunts. For themselves.

More often than not, we cried.

“You’ve been gone 6 years. While you were gone, I battled cancer. And I won”

“While you were gone, I lost my mother”

“Four years ago, I lost my husband, Fred. Do you remember him? He was always with me at Yankee Peddler.”

“My daughter is battling cancer. She’s 36. Remember her? She was 12 the last time you saw her. She has four of your dolls. Today, I’m buying her the Star Angel. Please keep her in your prayers.”

“I buried my mother 3 years ago. She carried your doll til the day she died. We buried it with her”

And there were the happy stories:

“I’m so glad you’re back. All my daughters have your dolls. Now I have grandbabies, and they need Ragamuffins, too!"

“I bought these dolls for all the girls in my life. Now, I’m buying them for ME!”.

“Your blog touches my heart.”

“I couldn’t wait to meet you. I read every word of your blog. I love it.”

And then there were the babies….now all grown up. Young ladies. Who stopped to hug me and thank me for making their dolls. Now, in their teens, twenties, and even older, they still cherish them. What more could I ask from something that I started so long ago?

So, to all my dear customers…..the many old ones, and the many new ones, I thank you for sharing a piece of your life with me, and for leaving with a piece of mine. My heart is overflowing.

The top photo is a path of birch trees at Stan Hywet that ran parallel to our tent, and led to the mansion.

**This post was nominated as Post Of the Day over at David's authorblog. Take a peak at the other winners!** Thank you, David!

~Ohio Mart at Stan Hywet Hall ~

I'm working on Halloween things this week in the studio, and creating things for Ohio Mart, which is October 2-5 at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron. It is a juried show of all hand-crafted art featuring 120 artisans. Held on the magnificent grounds of Stan Hywet Hall, in huge white tents which are strategically placed between the gardens, it's one of the finest shows in Ohio

In the past, it was one of my biggest shows....so I'm hoping I will run into lots of my past customers. I'm very excited and honored to have been invited. The jury process for this show is in person, and takes place in February. I've listed some of them in my Etsy shop. Take a peak!