A Positively Crafty Fair Find

There are times when I want so badly to be positive. I try to look at the situation from many angles in order to come out with something good to say, even if a day turns out to be only 10% of what I hope for.

Well... I must say, Saturday was a tough one. My husband and I have been wanting to take a trek down to quaint little Bell Buckle (and I mean, "downtown" is all of one cute block) that touts an annual art show, sponsored by the local prep Webb School that has been there since 1870. In years past I have seen indications of a juried exhibition, but this year the town was proud to host "over 500 other booths...with something for everyone."

Silly me, I looked at the web site for the wrong year. Apparently, the Webb School Art & Craft Show used to be a bona fide show, even as recently as 2006, accepting juried applications for "high quality, hand crafted work in the traditional fine craft media." What happened in the 34th annual show? It turned into a giant festival, flea market, bizarre bazaar of knock-offs, cheap goods and manufactured holiday notions. The art show? It was hidden in the park, and didn't seem to attract a host of magnificent artisans.

Sorry, Webb School.
Sorry, Bell Buckle.
You need to rename the event, the "Bell Buckle 10% Art and 90% Craftlike Almost-Goods Fair."

My ounce of positive? We found a very friendly craftsman that made wooden spoons, just around the corner from the doggy hair bows. My lovely spoon and oven rack tool are handmade from South American hardwood.

my new oven rack tool & spoon

Score! A lovely gentleman (whose name I failed to acquire) also gave us directions to the few artisan booths that were really a part of the Webb School Art Show (you know, hidden in the park). We found a few interesting booths, some good pottery, but not anything we wanted to come home with.

Oh yes, and it was a positively GORGEOUS day spent with my family.