Here’s how the table looks this year. There was room to add a tall, skinny shelf to the right — perfect for some of my assemblages.

Here’s to buying handmade and local. Cheers!

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Getting ready for the Allied Arts holiday show. I juried for both my Realms lotions and soaps, plus the art assemblages I’ve been doing all year. So my booth is going to be a little of both.  Here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

Time Gone By

Gramophone dog

Red

Eiffel Tower necklace

Been having fun with some mini shadow boxes — in necklace form. They are double-sided.

Sisters necklace

Lotus flower necklace

Turquoise butterfly necklace

Mucha necklace

The Glass Slipper

The shop is filled with handmade art. Every little nook is filled with treasures.

Inside The Glass Slipper

A few of my half dolls and seeing eye dogs found a home in this lovely cabinet.

New temporary home for some of the menagerie

Milk Glass Half Doll and Seeing Eye Dog

And a couple are hanging out in other locations.

Bronzed shoes shadow box

Lori is a gem; she calls everyone honey.

Proprietess Lori Leighton

Thanks for finding me, Lori.

The Scott Collection in La Connor

We forged an agreement and I’m delighted to say the store is now carrying Realms lotions in eight different scents. Yay.

The fountain plaza at the Ferndale Public Market

What a cool venue! The fountain plaza is right along Main Street with beautiful stone work.

The River Walk

Then it bends around and follows the Nooksack down to Pioneer Park.

The fountain at the Ferndale Public Market

Kids had a blast in the fountain all day long and we had a great day. We’ll definitely be back next Saturday.

Milk glass lady

This is an old German half doll which I think works perfectly with this milk glass vanity jar.

Sisters

I’ve also been pairing them with tins.

Preserving youth

This was formerly the top to an old bubble gum machine. The ceramic baby powder shaker was still filled with powder.

Shaving brush dog

I’ve also been making animal assemblages.

Animal crackers

This dog has a little pig mixed in.

Image shadow box

I’m finding a few themes that are recurring: self image, love, motherhood, beauty, music and things with wings.

Sad Cupid shadow box

Some of the items I’ve collected over the years. Others I find at garage sales and on eBay.

Baby's first shoes shadow box

I fell in love with these bronzed baby shoes.

Egyptian tin

And, I’ve always had a thing for containers of any sort: tins, boxes, bottles…

Fell asleep with her tutu on shadow box

I gave this one to my sister, Debbie, who has always been a talented ballerina.

Green silk embroidered shoe shadow box

Shoes are also a recurring theme.

Angel box

And anything with wings.

It is with sadness I announce the end of the Skagit Valley Saturday Market. Two thirds of the starting vendors left the market. We were left with six on Saturday — not enough to continue — so we voted to close the market.

I’m not sure why it didn’t take off. The fact is we just weren’t seeing enough traffic. Was it the economy? People without much expendable income? Was it the location? Was it we didn’t have any farmers with fresh produce joining our ranks? In my mind, the economy was the biggest factor.

The most difficult part for me is saying goodbye to many fellow vendors who have become my Saturday family — Kate of Funky Country Clothing, Bev of Blue Collar Dog Treats, Janet of UKDK WA, Laura of Islander Herbs, Anne at Bush’s Nursery, Tammi of Tammi Layne Designs, Petra and her sweet children of Liliana Beauty Care, Dan and Gail Ferris of Ferris Wheel Creations, and many more. I hope to see you all on down the line. Hugs.

Trying on some lotion silky goodness

They came by car and motorcycle, and even by bike.

Bicyclists checking out the market

This was the first of four Senior Saturdays — happening the first Saturday of every month — where vendors at every booth are offering discounts to anyone 60 and up.

Shoppers checking out Felted Fantasies

A popular booth was Ferris Wheel Creations, where visitors tried out the handmade Adirondack chairs.

Testing out the perfect Adirondack chair

While the whirlygigs worked overtime.

Adirondack life

Opening day at the Skagit Valley Saturday Market

Mother Nature definitely put her stamp on the day. We fought to tether our tent walls in the wind and the skies opened with wild outbursts of rain. But we lashed our poles and good thoughts together and did our best not to let the rain dampen our collective spirit.

Realms booth at the Saturday Market

We have since posted a press release on PRWeb and are getting some good indexing and pickups, including an article on page three in the Skagit Valley Herald.

Skagit Valley Herald article

Here’s to thoughts of sunbreaks for the Saturdays to come.