FAIR TRADE LOCAL ARTISANS DISPLAY HANDICRAFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.Byline: Sabrina Decker Staff Writer WOODLAND HILLS - Gerry Feher of Mammoth Lakes knew he wanted to earn his living as a musician, so he went to a local street corner with a hammered dulcimer hammered dulcimer or hammer dulcimer n. A musical instrument with wire strings of graduated lengths stretched over a sound box, played by striking with two padded hammers. and tapes of his Celtic music Celtic music is a term utilized by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Northern Europe. in hand. Ten weekends later, he had sold $10,000 worth of tapes. ``My attraction is I play along with the albums,'' said Feher, who now works at festivals selling an assortment of tapes and CDs. ``That's the draw to get people into the booth.'' Feher was just one of more than 140 artists who came to ply their trade Saturday at the 35th annual Woodland Hills Rotary Club Arts and Crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. Faire. Striped booths lined the lawn across from the Warner Center Marriott hotel. ``You can't find this stuff in a department store,'' said Dan Barton, an Agoura Hills resident who buys only hand-crafted holiday gifts. ``Creative art, that's what it's all about.'' Barton, like many fair attendees, takes time out to converse with many of the artisans. Conversations abound on the nature and technique of each type of artistry. Where did one jeweler come up with the idea for a bracelet? Answer: from Joan of Arc Joan of Arc, Fr. Jeanne D'Arc (zhän därk), 1412?–31, French saint and national heroine, called the Maid of Orléans; daughter of a farmer of Domrémy on the border of Champagne and Lorraine. . How did a nearby photographer make his pictures so sharp and clear? Answer: a digital camera. ``It's good that there's a forum where you can go and see artists' work that's not (in) a gallery - and not that expensive,'' Deborah Munroe of Calabasas said. ``When you have an artist who creates something, it's like their heart and soul is in the gift.'' The event was sponsored by the Woodland Hills Rotary Club, which hosts two arts and crafts fairs at this site each year, one in June and one in December. Together, the events are expected to earn about $40,000 in 2001, all of which will be spent on a host of local and international charitable causes. ``We've got some really nice stuff here this year,'' said Jay Saltzman, president of the local chapter and the event's organizer. Saltzman said he was aiming for more hand-crafted things at this festival. To that end, Betty Bingham of Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. sat in one booth spinning a pile of pink-dyed Angora rabbit hair Rabbit hair (also called rabbit fur, cony, coney or lapin) is the fur of the common or Angora rabbit. It is most commonly used in the making of fur hats and coats, and is considered quite valuable. into thread. Next to her, Deborah Jarchow of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. was busy at her loom weaving the thread into a scarf. ``I like the satisfaction of making something from scratch, by myself, with real fiber,'' Jarchow said. ``It's a very meditative med·i·ta·tive adj. Characterized by or prone to meditation. See Synonyms at pensive. med  i·ta thing, weaving.'' At the booth next door, Jeanne Moir of Thousand Oaks displayed an extravagant array of ceramic pots shaped like camels, elephants and clowns. ``I'm after fun!'' Moir said of her work. ``I figured if I'm going to have to make a living, I might as well be doing something I enjoy.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) A potential buyer inspects glass hummingbirds This is a complete list of hummingbirds in alphabetical order, sortable by common or binomial name. For hummingbirds in taxonomic order, see list of hummingbirds in taxonomic order Name binomial Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin Amazilia Hummingbird in Spectra Vision Glassworks' booth at the Crafts Faire held in Woodland Hills. (2) Three-year-old Noah Easley of Ventura tries a jambo drum Saturday at the Woodland Hills Rotary Club Arts and Crafts Faire, where twice a year some 140 artisans come to ply their trade in Woodland Hills. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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