For the second time, the 113-year-old white church-turned-studio at 167 Cottekill Road in the very small village of Cottekill will be filled with unique and artful wares for the annual Holiday Shop, on Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27. The very opposite of a mad-dash Black Friday scene, Crafted is a warm and friendly experience where a group of local artists and designers will showcase their high-quality, locally handcrafted gift items. The two-day curated holiday shop offers a diversity of wares, a range of prices and ongoing demonstrations, such as botanic illustration with Wendy Hollender, spinning with Cal Patch and live silhouette portraits with Jenny Lee Fowler.
Shoppers can explore the open displays while sipping on hot tea and nibbling cookies, relax with friends on the couch by the fire and get to know each craftsperson. Collectively they have been featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, American Craft, Huffington Post, Better Homes and Gardens, A Way to Garden, Country Living, New York Magazine, Ceramics Monthly and more.
“Using goods that are made by hand connects us to the many hands that have crafted our world over centuries,” says Crafted participant Ken Greene of the Hudson Valley Seed Library. “When you hold a handmade bowl, slice on a hand-carved cutting board, snuggle into a hand-knit hat, savor homegrown sauce or plant handcrafted seed, you are connected to the life of each individual artist and to the greater part of human history when almost everything was produced locally.”
The artists participating in Crafted this year represent a broad range of creative energy alive in the region, including Arthur Hash (contemporary jewelry and wearable objects), Ayumi Horie (functional ceramics with drawings of animals), Josh Vogel (sculptural wood turnings, useful cutting boards and cutting board oils), Cal Patch (stylishly sewn, knitted, embroidered and dyed hats, scarves and clothing), Christine Fromm (fashionable winter clothing made from recycled wool, cashmere and mohair sweaters), Shannon Springer and Kate Prescott (Dirty Girls Design: all-natural holiday décor, holiday wreaths and seasonal floral arrangements), Ken Greene and Doug Muller (Hudson Valley Seed Library: heirloom seeds and contemporary art, all in one pack), Jane Hollinger (modern metal jewelry), Jenny Lee Fowler (heirloom silhouette portraits and unique paper cuttings), Sarah and Megan Snow (Treeo Design: elegant and eclectic eco-friendly wrapping paper and gift boxes), Jasmine Redfern (Whimsy Home: swanky lighting and home accessories), Wendy Hollender (Hollengold Farm: farm-inspired botanical products, edible preserves, ferments and botanical artwork), Jennifer Wooden and Paul O’Connor (ornaments), plus chocolates from Lagusta’s Luscious and tasty treats from Sweet Maresa.
Doors will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Check out Crafted’s new website at www.craftedhudsonvalley.org, where you can browse photos of work from the participating artists, see the demonstration schedule and pre-order wildcrafted wreaths to pick up during the sale. For more information, log on to www.craftedhudsonvalley.org or call (845) 204-8769.
Join the family! 
