The Carrot Festival at Congregation Agudat Achim

My husband and I had the pleasure of spending a beautiful Sunday at the Carrot Festival at Congregation Agudat Achim on Union St. in Niskayuna, NY. The weather was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the music was superb, and the crowds were plentiful!

We never know who we are going to be placed next to at these events and most of the time we are fortunate enough to have very pleasant neighbors to visit with during the lulls. Yesterday was no exception. We met Kim, the owner of The Quiet Woods. Kim creates what she calls "tender jewelry" which is perfect for the those of us who are uncomfortable wearing or simply don't like the large, bulky jewelry which is so popular today. Each piece is original and hand crafted. I was impressed by her energy, ambition, enthusiasm, as well as her talents as an artist! Check out her website www.thequietwoods.com to learn more about Kim's creations.

Our booth was right outside the kitchen doors. We were treated to so many wonderful aromas from that kitchen all day long which, naturally, tempted us to sample many of the delicious foods. I can personally recommend the beef chili and the carrot cake. Both were filling and out of this world! If you would like to prepare some of these foods there is a cookbook available at the synogogue.

Kudos to the organizers of this event. There was a large group of volunteers who worked tirelessly on Sunday and for many weeks prior preparing all of the food that was served, setting up for the event, and of course, cleaning up after the event.

We are looking forward to our next event on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Rotterdam Senior Center, Hamburg St., Rotterdam. This Holiday and Seasonal Craft Fair runs from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. Mention this blog and receive 10% off your entire purchase! Hope to see you there!

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What are the scarves made of?

Many people are curious about the fiber content of the lacy scarves and necklaces that I make. They wonder where to find such fine yarn. Well, wonder no more.

The lacy scarves are made from a nylon yarn. After several attempts with plain white or beige cotton and other fibers I found this nylon yarn at Hobby Lobby in Latham, NY. The variety of vibrant colors immediately got me working on mixing different yarn colors and bead combinations. The result are the beautiful items that are for sale in my shop. 

When I started knitting the winter scarves last year I searched for a thin acrylic yarn that would accommodate small beads and began working with one of Vanna White's acrylic yarns that has a metallic thread running through it. The shimmer of the metallic thread and the beads created such a stunning effect that I couldn't stop making them. 

This year I received an order for a yellow scarf which took me out of my comfort zone since the Vanna White yarn doesn't come in yellow. This got me searching for different types of acrylic yarn. While most of them still have that metallic thread for extra shimmer I've found that some heavier yarns are coming out even more beautiful than last year's models. Check them out in my Etsy shop, cruisincreations.etsy.com or stop by one of the many craft fairs I will be at this fall to see these new items!

Craft Fair Update:
We had another great weekend at Eagle Mills Cider Company! Hats off to John who coordinated the event. He was very accommodating and kept everything running very smoothly. And, if you want delicious, cake like cider donuts the Eagle Mills Cider Company is the place to go!

Next stop? Congregation Agudat Achim Carrot Festival in Niskayuna, NY on Sunday, September 29. Stop by between 10:00 and 4:30 and get 10% off your purchase when you mention this blog.

Also, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, purchase any pink item online or at a fair and 10% of the purchase will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Can you help?
I'm working on getting 100 likes on my Facebook page by September 30. Please like my page: Facebook.com/cruisincreations12. Thank you for your help!

See you soon...Diane

A Chilly Weekend at Eagle Mills Cider Company

Spent an enjoyable weekend at Eagle Mills Cider Company's Craft Fair. The weather was crisp, the crafters plentiful, and the cider donuts delicious! I am looking forward to spending another weekend there on September 21 & 22!

As with all of the other craft fairs we've been involved with, we met some wonderful shoppers and crafters. Prior to the fair opening I had a moment to scope out some of the other booths. I spoke with Jeff from Laura's Lites Hand Crafted Gel Candles. Talk about authentic! If I hadn't known better I would have bet my day's earnings that the Coke glass candle was really coke with ice floating on top, the wine glass candle was really red wine, and the beer glass candle was really Sam Adams Octoberfest. For information on these candles go to www.picturetrail.com/lauraslites. 

Ms. Moose, aka Pegg Parker of Moose Mittens, has taken upcycling to a new level. I was so taken by her story as to how she gathers her materials, felts the wool, and achieves her designs. Pegg recycles old sweaters, corduroys, etc. that she has purchased from thrift stores into winter hats, mittens, and scarves. Her designs are unique, no two are alike, and are available in a variety of sizes. You can contact Ms. Moose at mydogkoder@hotmail.com for more information or to place an order. 

We're not sure whether being located next to Ye Olde TOFFEE Shoppe was a benefit or a hindrance since the smell of freshly made toffee and the free samples of their 14 different flavors of toffee were such a temptation all day. All of the toffee in this shop is made by one person and is sure to be fresh as it is made to order. I can assure you that all of their varieties are delicious! For more information go to www.gettoffee.com.

Looking forward to seeing you at Eagle Mills Cider Company in Broadalbin this weekend, tent #1, space 86. Can't make it? Maybe we will see you at another one of the fairs we are participating in this fall. Keep checking back to this blog for an updated events list. 

Live out of town? Shop our webpage, cruisincreations.etsy.com. Please share this information with your friends and family.

Here's another of the exclusive sets that are featured only at craft fairs this fall. This one is made from cream colored nylon yarn with green Russian serpentine chips knitted throughout. The beads give this set sort of a bohemian look. Imagine how striking it would look on a dark sweater. There's only one available so visit the fair early so you don't miss out!

Etsy Shops That Bear Notice

I recently discovered some shops on Etsy that bear mention in this blog.

JD Lord has some beautiful photos that have been incorporated into a variety of different items so if you don't have wall space you can still enjoy JD Lord's work. Check out JDLord.etsy.com to see all of the beautiful pieces that are available.

While everyone seems to be making jewelry these days, Purple Dragon Creation is another shop with unique and beautiful jewelry and the prices are very reasonable. Go to purpledragoncreation.etsy.com to view the full array of items in this shop.

Looking for candles, soaps, and other scented items? Look no further than ScentSmithStudios.etsy.com. In this shop you will find the typical jar candles along with some clever containers to place candles in. If candles aren't for you then check out the soaps, lotions and lip balms that are also available.

Kickinskreations has taken a common item, switch plates and turned them into works of art. You won't need pictures on your walls when you use these switch plate covers. Check out all  of the items available in this shop at kickinscreations.etsy.com.

There are so many talented artists on Etsy! 

I never miss the opportunity to promote one of my own creations and today is no different. I just re-listed this beautiful white acrylic scarf. It is so delicate and the way the metallic thread and silver beads shimmer in the light reminds me of freshly fallen snow in the sunshine. Its beauty does not take away from its functionality as it will keep you very warm on a cold winter day. Visit my shop cruisincreations.etsy.com to learn more about this scarf and many others that are available.



Off to Eagle Mills Cider Company, Broadalbin, NY this weekend. Saturday 9-5, Sunday 9-4. Hope to see you there! Mention this blog and receive 10% off your entire purchase!

Land of the free and home of the brave. 

God Bless America!

So much talent!

Had a wonderful weekend at the Shaker Heritage Society Craft Fair in Albany, NY. The weather was perfect on Saturday and could have been the same Sunday but the wind decided to pick up and wreak havoc on our display. We met many wonderful people and were fortunate enough to be located between two very talented men who both sell framed art. That is where the similarity ends.

On my right was Jeffrey Gardner, owner of JL Photography. Jeff has a great eye and takes photos of scenery that "capture the natural and iconic beauty of America." His photos are framed in rustic barn board frames which he makes himself. These frames suit the photos very well. You can check out his photos at www.jlgardnerphotography.com.

On my left was Scott Zampier, owner of Earthy Originals, "artwork that blossoms." Scott has developed a new form of photography calls scanography. He arranges fresh flowers, which he grows in his many gardens, on his scanner and magically creates the beautiful still life photos which he sells as note cards, greeting cards and framed art. You can check out Scott's creations at www.earthyoriginals.com.

Not too far from me was another very creative designer, Winifred White. Winnie handcrafts handbags from upholstery fabric. They are durable, well constructed, and the upholstery patterns give each bag a unique look. You can check out her creations at www.winniesoriginals.com.

There were many talented artists at Shaker Heritage Society. Many of these artists, as well as Cruisin' Creations, will be selling their creations at the Shaker Heritage Society Christmas Craft Fair. The Christmas Craft Fair will run from Saturday, October 26, 2013 - Saturday, December 14, 2013. The craft fair will be open Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Eagle Mills Cider Company, 383 County Road 138, Broadalbin, NY is our next stop. Cruisin' Creations will be inside tent one, space #86 on September 14, 15, 21, & 22. Saturday hours are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Sunday hours are 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.

We will be featuring our exclusive necklace and bracelet sets. This set pictured is an 18" white necklace and 7" - 8" bracelet with iris sapphire fire polished beads. It is stunning and the only one I have available.

Can't make it to the Eagle Mills Craft Fair? You can always shop on our website cruisincreations.etsy.com

Looking forward to seeing you at Eagle Mills!
Diane

Busy September

How I am looking forward to the weekends in September! That is when I will have the opportunity to meet the many new people who visit the Cruisin' Creations booth at each of the craft fairs I will be participating in! You can find a full list of craft fairs in the upcoming events section of this blog.

These craft fairs are special this year because along with selling many of the items you can find in my Etsy shop, cruisincreations.etsy.com, I will be selling some exclusive necklace and bracelet sets. These sets are combinations of nylon yarn and unique beads that can be difficult to find. For that reason these sets are only available at these craft fairs.

One of the exclusive necklace and bracelet sets.
Almost 100 Czech Fire Polished beads adorn this necklace and bracelet set.

 

Along with reading this blog, like us on Facebook, facebook.com/cruisincreations12, to keep up with the happenings are Cruisin' Creations!