Tag: Holiday House Tour

Beaded Snowflakes

Marilynn lives in Middletown and has done various crafts before becoming addicted to beading. She has been at it for 6 – 7 years now.

She works with a large collection of beads in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes made of crystal, glass, resin, and wood.

She even has hand-made ceramic beads she bought as a young teenager which were simply strung into necklaces.

Now she stitches bracelets, earrings, and necklaces using beads of all kinds, some only 1/16″ in size.

Her snowflakes are created on metal forms with beads of various colors, shapes and cuts to catch the light when hung on a Christmas tree or in a window.

Beading requires creativity, an eye for color and texture combinations, plus a bit of dexterity and patience. There are so many beads and so many options; you just have to be open to the possibilities.

“Sometimes I even dream in beads!”

Steve and Abi Callahan

Jack Knuckle Gourmet, Winchester’s first gourmet food truck, was opened in 2014 by dynamic husband and wife team Steve Callahan and Abigail Gomez. Steve has been a chef in the industry for over 20 years, and was thrilled to be involved in bringing the exciting food truck culture to the area!

JKG specializes in delicious gourmet sandwiches, but along with street-side vending, they also offer on-site and in-home catering, with exquisitely prepared menus and mouth-watering creations from the skilled hands of the chef.

Whether you stop by the truck in Old Town Winchester, or have JKG cater your event, you are guaranteed to try something new and love every last bite.

Visit Jack Knuckle Gourmet at www.jackknucklegourmet.com and on Facebook.

Jack Knuckle Gourmet will serve lunch at the Bough & Dough Shop between 12-3 PM Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4.Jack Knuckle Gourmet menu for Dec. 3 & 4.

Outside on the deck of the Winchester Little Theatre awaits a bounty of freshly-cut greenery for your holiday decorating. Buy greenery in bulk by the bag at the Bough & Dough Shop this weekend, including pine, juniper, magnolia, spruce, nandina, holly, and boxwood, or buy handmade decorated wreaths, arrangements, and bows for your decorating needs. Special thanks are due to Lynne Caldwell, Cheryl Crowell, Donna Downing, Howard and Joan Lewis, and Nancy Murphy for providing the bulk greenery.

Nate Windle will return again with fabulous finished greenery creations. In addition to the traditional fresh greenery wreaths and arrangements you have come to expect at the Bough & Dough Shop, Nate will provide some limited artificial greenery decorations so you can enjoy his artistic skills for years to come. If you are making your own arrangements from the bulk greenery, you can also expect a selection of bows made by Nate that are suitable for adding the finishing touch to your handiwork.

Graustark Farm’s Fiber Products

Linda Brown has been spinning, weaving and felting with fiber for over fifteen years. Her foray into the fiber world started with spinning angora from her daughter’s 4H bunny. From there she progressed to raising a few sheep and llamas. After realizing how soft, luxurious and easy to clean the llama fiber could be, Linda developed a breeding program to raise a variety of llamas specifically for their soft fiber and good temperaments. Llama fiber is different from sheep wool in that it is a hair fiber which has no barbs and contains no lanolin.

Through the farm business, Graustark Farm LLC, Linda uses her llamas’ fiber to create custom wearing apparel and accessories through weaving, knitting, crochet and felting. The process starts on the farm with shearing in the spring and then progresses through hand spinning the yarn to weaving or other needlework. Almost all of Linda’s designs are created with her own handspun yarn from llamas living on the farm; other fibers may be added for color or texture. In addition to using llama fiber for her own designs and private commissions, Linda creates with the other farm fibers of alpaca and Romney wool as time allows. The farm participates in fiber shows and promotes llama fiber as a new horizon in luxury fiber.

Linda feels that education about llamas and their wonderful fiber is as important as the sale itself. She hold the position of Senior Consultant with the Camelidynamics program of llama and alpaca handling and training as well as being active in several regional llama associations. Graustark Farm displays llamas and Linda’s fiber art in various settings, such as the Bluemont Fair, Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival, the Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers Guild, Franklin Park Arts Center Gallery and of course by appointment on the farm. Learn more about llamas and their fiber on the farm web site, www.graustarkllamas.com

Klay Haus Pottery

Lin grew up in Western New York, and has been living in Yellow Spring, WV since 1989. She has been creating art with clay for over 25 years. She first studied pottery in Geneseo, NY, then Towson, MD, and other locations. Her works range from mugs and bowls to birdfeeders and birdbaths. Her goal is to make utilitarian pots that are well-crafted, aesthetically interesting, and enjoyable to use. Throwing on the wheel and hand-building with clay allows her to make things by hand that are pleasing to the hand and eye. She also likes to experiment with various techniques and firing methods, exploring the endless possibilities and qualities of clay.

She also enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for pottery with others by teaching classes, where she tries to pass on the skills and enjoyment of working with clay.

She currently teaches non-credit classes at Lord Fairfax Community College, and is a member of the Shenandoah Potters Guild.

Handcrafts of the Shenandoah Valley

Jackie has been creating something for as long as she can remember.

Encouragement and inspiration came from her multi-talented grandmother, who not only taught her to sew, but provided her with self confidence and unlimited materials to make things. Create something from nothing? Of course!

Over the years, Jackie has participated in many Shenandoah Valley Craft Fairs and Shops. She was a partner in Stone Soup Gallery on Winchester’s walking mall, where you might find her creating hand woven baskets or painting detailed images on newly designed Holiday ornaments. Currently, she has added upcycled wood creations to her palette, greenery arrangements and dried flowers from her garden, and so much more.

Jackie works full time with children at Virginia Avenue Elementary School. She lives with her husband Bill, has two grown children and six grandchildren.

Visit Jackie at her Facebook page.

Blooming Hill Lavender Farm and Gift Shop

Cyndie Rinek, along with her husband Peter, a landscape architect and arborist, is the owner of Blooming Hill Lavender Farm and Gift Shop, located in the tiny Western Loudoun County hamlet of Philomont, Virginia. With a degree in journalism and a professional background in retail management, Cyndie left the corporate world 23 years ago. Over the years and through hard work as well as a lot of trial and error, Cyndie has taken what was once an interest in flowers and plants, to a passion and then turned it into a business specializing in lavender at her home, aptly named Blooming Hill. She now has a collection of one thousand lavender plants in almost one hundred different varieties and also tends the many formal, informal and herb garden beds that fill the 4 1/2 acres patch of paradise with a view of the Blue Ridge that make up Blooming Hill.

Cyndie is a member of the United States Lavender Growers Association, the Potomac Unit of the Herb Society of America, a Master Gardener and also a member of a local garden club called the Night Bloomers and often hosts talks at Blooming Hill or travels to garden clubs and groups and speaks on the subject of lavender and other various garden topics. Aside from being a landscape architect/planner and arborist with over 30 years of experience and whose design aesthetic is the backbone of Blooming Hill, Peter is also an accomplished artist and craftsman, creating beautiful eucalyptus wreaths and original oil paintings of Loudoun County Towns in his unique “Americana” style and has developed a loyal following of art enthusiasts.

Blooming Hill is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays and other days by appointment, April through December. Visitors to the farmlet may tour the grounds and gardens, peruse the gift shop on the property, hear Cyndie and/or her husband share their gardening knowledge and, on certain and/or special occasions, enjoy a lavender infused traditional cream tea or traditional full tea on the porch.

Visit Blooming Hill online at bloominghillva.com.

Watercolorist

Eugene’s refined approach to watercolors includes wet-on-wet and dry-brush techniques. He uses a subtle palette, preferring to let the water coexist with the pigment in each composition. Eugene also works in printmaking and Chinese brushwork.

His subjects range from the nearby mountains and historic villages to the dunes and seascapes of coastal Carolina and Florida. Two separate bodies of Eugene’s include an Asian inspired style featuring meditative still-life compositions and his Abstract artwork which is thought provoking and ever changing……ideal for a burst of energy in any space.

Eugene’s diversity of styles has created a large market, leading him to establish the Eugene B. Smith Gallery in Old Town Winchester, Virginia. He shows his work at this gallery, at juried exhibits throughout the U.S, and at special events, including charitable benefits.

His works are included in private collections internationally, and he has held a one-man exhibition in Okayama, Japan.

A largely self-taught artist, Eugene is a graduate of Lord Fairfax Community College in Virginia and Shepherd College in West Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business.

Click the thumbnails for larger images of Eugene’s work, or visit his website at www.eugenebsmith.com

“Madeira” Hand Carved Wood Products

Since my youth I have admired trees and loved wood. I love working with wood and sharing my knowledge with others. Out of desire and economic necessity, I have made most of the furniture for our home. About sixteen years ago, my mother-in-law asked me if I could make her some spoons from scraps. I told her that I would try, and I did. As it turns out, she never used them. Instead she hung them on her kitchen wall, where they still hang today. When we visit her, and I look at those spoons, I tell her that if anyone asks who made them, not to tell them it was me! Those original spoons were crude. But with practice I have refined my product.

I have expanded to bowls and other utilitarian accessories. My wife and partner, assists me with the design ideas, marketing and sales, and the occasional back rub after a long day of carving and shaping.

Most of my wood comes from our wood lot, trees that have been damaged by storms or attacked by insects. Though, I will never turn down a log or piece of wood given to me.

We sell our product at craft fairs in Virginia, West Virginia and at Farm Markets. Our spoons are in gift shops at Belle Grove Plantation, and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia. We enjoy working with the public. We have developed friendships with our fellow crafters and our customers.

We strive to sell a quality product at a reasonable price.