For many people the annual gift and craft sale by Creative Country Crafts is as much about having a visit with old friends as it is about checking out unique locally made and handcrafted gifts.
“Everybody loves to come to the sale because it’s like coming to the corner country store,” explained co-organizer Monk, who is also one of the vendors. “People come in, they have a glass of punch. You know them. ‘How has the year been?’ It’s more than just a sale; it’s a social event.”
The location may be in Sturgeon County but it’s really just a few minutes’ drive from Hole’s, Monk said. Plus the items are high quality, made by local artists and artisans.
“The quality that’s here is absolutely incredible. I love to have my name attached to things that have to do with quality and this certainly does. There is not one little space in this massive home that doesn’t have some type of beautiful creativity going on. These crafts are exquisite. A cutting board is a piece of art.”
The event has grown every year since it started in 1995. Adoline Glenn, the other co-organizer, said that some of the most frequently heard comments from visitors bode well for the next edition of the sale.
“‘We’ll see you next year’ is a big one,” she said. “There’s a time when we’re going to have to stop doing this. It’s an expectation. We’ve been established for so many years. When they say, ‘See you next year’, it’s just like, it’s going to happen forever.”
The selection of items this year includes Glenn’s pottery and Monk’s paintings of course, plus the following: fabric art by Mary-Jane Cousins; Tots and What Nots from Jenni Taylor; turned wooden treasures by Rene Parenteau; handmade cards and gifts by Joan Mestinsek; stone birds by Walter Babiy and Otto Mestinsek; rocking horses and fine furniture by Aurel LeBlanc; and handmade jewelry and decorative painting by Natasha Mestinsek.
