World Heart Day - Sept. 29

Jude Stuecker heart coin purse

World Heart Day was created in 2000 by the World Heart Federation, to highlight heart disease and preventative measures.  We realize the importance of this day and are participating by featuring our heart themed handmade crafts.

Wood paper weight by Chris Kamm

The heart has also long been recognized across cultures as being a symbol for love, charity, joy and compassion. The Gallery has hearts in various media and forms - fabric, lovely rings, pins, bracelets as well as wood and ceramic.  Show your loved one you care - give them a heart!

Robbie Diffey copper ornament

Ceramic frog ornament by Julie Calhoun Roepnack

Simone Wilson wood heart

Elvie Zell dog copper enamel dog pin

Micki Chaet rhodolite garnet ring

Heart silver bracelet by Jim Littlewolf 

Wayne Wichern For National Fall Hat Month!

Leaf cloche

Back in the day, when hats were much more in style, September was the month when you put your straw hats away and took out your felted cool weather hats.  The Gallery is celebrating Fall Hat Month by featuring our winter hat lines.  Wayne Wichern is the king of felted hats - trained in millinery by professionals from years gone by, he retains the vintage flair in his lovely cloches and toppers.  Each hat is handmade and finished with lovely details.

Riding topper by Wichern

Red topper

Another leaf cloche by Wichern

Wichern cloche

Playing Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday this week. Please visit them!

Happy International Rabbit Day!

Cindy Hendricks greeting card

International Rabbit Day is celebrated the last Saturday or Sunday in September. The House Rabbit Society uses this day to promote the protection and care of rabbits both domestic and wild. 


According to their web site :  "On International Rabbit Day, we think about the many ways that rabbits bring joy to our lives, and also the many ways in which they are harmed, by hunting, eating, medical experimentation, product testing, fur-farming, and living isolated lives in outdoor hutches. House Rabbit Society's mission states that "ALL rabbits are valuable as individuals, regardless of breed purity, temperament, state of health, or relationship to humans. The welfare of all rabbits is our primary consideration. In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits...Domestic rabbits are companion animals and should be afforded at least the same individual rights, level of care, and opportunity for longevity as commonly afforded to dogs and cats who live as human companions."

Leslie Bowman quilted purse

The Gallery carries many kinds of  handmade rabbit items from cards to purses to pottery.  If you are not a rabbit person - watch this video produced by the Rabbit Society and Amy Sedaris and then see how you feel! Plus it is full of great rabbit facts.

Lyn Lyndall painted leather handbag

Patty Bilbro 14" ceramic platter  

Camera Critters

Hiking Sticks and Hip Pockets

Hip pocket

September is a great time to hike - the weather is still warm but without the heat of summer and the trails are less crowded than during the peak summer months.  What better way to carry you keys, cell phone and essentials than in Kathleen Lewis' hip pocket.  Hand made from upholstery scraps, they fasten to your belt loops for hand free walking.

Many colors!

Here are some good hiking tips form Treadlightly.org.:

Travel responsibly on designated roads, trails and areas.

• Stay on the trail even if it is rough and muddy.
• Walking on the track edge and cutting switchbacks increases damage, causing erosion and visual scarring.
• Walk single file to avoid widening the trail.
• Spread out in open country where there are no trails. Spreading out, rather than following each other’s footsteps, disperses impact and avoids creating a new trail.
• Flagging and marking trails is unsightly. If flagging is necessary, remove it as you leave. Consider using a Global Positioning System (GPS) instead of flagging.
• Comply with all signs and respect barriers.
• Buddy up with two or three hikers, reducing vulnerability if you have an accident.

Paisley print  hip pocket

Tree spirit walking stick 

Hiking sticks help keep your balance and add support while crossing over rocks or creek beds.  These hand carved creations by Steve Duncan add some whimsy to your walk.

Highlander walkign stick

Bearded man walking stick

Outdoor Wednesday

Folk Art and Painted Birds - Why Fall Feeding Is Good For Birds

Stephanie Jones Indigo bunting

The Gallery's newest artists Jay and Stephanie Jones create simple, straightforward and quiet works of folk art.  All the birds are hand carved, painted in latex acrylic and signed.  The wood is cedar, either found on the forest floor downed by storms or given to them by friends. The birds are carved by Stephanie and she takes great pride in their construction and painting.  Jay carves the fish and turtles which are made from pine, and painted and signed by Jay.

Using Grandma Moses as an inspiration, the couple's work is also self taught, naive and colorful, based on the quiet beauty of the world around them.

Al Ramirez hummingbird giclee' print

Fall is a busy time for birds - some are preparing to migrate to warmer climes for the winter and others are checking out the best feeding spots for the cold winter months.

According to birdwatching.com, What you do as the days grow shorter lets the birds know that you want their business and invites them to come back when serious winter comes.


People who don't start feeding birds until severe weather arrives may be missing out. Fall is the season to begin, even though natural foods are plentiful and the birds like the tufted titmouse above may not spend much time at your feeder yet. They are out in the fields and woods, feasting on seeds and berries and well-fed insects.

Jones cardinal

Ramirez Indigo bunting

The birds that do visit feeders in the abundance of autumn are scouting. They need to be ready when cold weather hits. The red-bellied woodpecker at left was well acquainted with our feeding station before winter arrived.


Cold will increase their calorie requirements, right at the moment that food becomes harder to get. Insects stop flying and wiggling. Snow covers seeds. Ice seals away tree buds, wild fruits, and the insects that woodpeckers and nuthatches like to find under the bark of trees.


So they need to be ready. That's whey they're studying their resources in advance. Noting where food is available. Locating alternatives. Taking inventory of contingent provisions.


It's good to be included in their inventories. If the birds discover that your yard is worth visiting, they'll remember. And when that first storm hits, they'll show up. Hungry. Chirpy and chattery. Red and blue and black-and-white and yellow. Fun to look at on a snowy day.

Ramirez goldfinch

Local artist Al Ramirez creates stunning bird portraits of the local mountain species set with a seasonal  background. They are sure to please the bird lover on your gift list!  Each one is reproduced using the professional fine art giclee' method.

Ramirez cardinal

Jones goldfinch

Jones hummingbird

Mellow Yellow Monday

Ruby Tuesday

Black Bears in Autumn

Lowell Mosely bear in wild cherry

The mountains are blessed to have an abundance of black bears.  Maybe too many, as they seem to be moving into the city neighborhoods and making themselves at home like this guy here. This video was taken in downtown Asheville last year.



In autumn black bears begin to store fat and, usually in December, enter a winter den. The den is frequently in a site with heavy ground cover, and bedding material is sometimes gathered. Black bears, unlike some ground squirrels and rodents, are not hibernators. Unlike true hibernators, black bears are relatively easily aroused from their winter dormancy. Dormant black bears have decreased heart rate and respiration, but their body temperature declines very little. They remain dormant from two to four months during the year, even when the weather is mild.

Julie Roepnack's spoon rest

We have lovely bear themed crafts - Lowel Mosely's hand carved bear, Julie Calhoun-Roepnack's bear pottery in mugs, spoon rests and plates, new potholders from Joy Carfaro and stunning earrings in the native American style by Jim Littlewolf.

Bear mug

Joy Carfaro potholder

Jim Little Wolf bear earrings

Please join us for Camera Critters today!

Harvest Moon

Linda Banner plate

Tonight is a full moon and it is also a Harvest Moon.  All full moons rise around the time of sunset. In general the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. As it moves in orbit around Earth, the Harvest Moon and Hunter's Moon are special because, around the time of these full moons, the time difference between moonrise on successive evenings is shorter than usual.  Thus, there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise around the time following these full moons. In times past this feature of these autumn moons was said to help farmers working to bring in their crops (or, in the case of the Hunter's Moon, hunters tracking their prey). They could continue being productive by moonlight even after the sun had set. Hence the name Harvest Moon.

The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. It is the first full moon closest to that equinox. When the night of the harvest moon coincides with the night of the equinox, it is called a "super harvest moon" 


Often, the harvest moon seems to be bigger or brighter or more colorful than other full moons. The warm color of the moon shortly after it rises is caused by light from the moon passing through a greater amount of atmospheric particles than when the moon is overhead. The atmosphere scatters the bluish component of moonlight (which is really reflected white light from the sun), but allows the reddish component of the light to travel a straighter path to one's eyes. Hence all celestial bodies look reddish when they are low in the sky.
It appears larger in size because the brain perceives a low-hanging moon to be larger than one that's high in the sky. This is known as a moon illusion and it can be seen with any full moon. It can also be seen with constellations; in other words, a constellation viewed low in the sky will appear bigger than when it is high in the sky.  (from Wikipedia)

Jude Stuecker purse

The lovely pottery pattern by Linda Banner shows the moon over the mountains in warm earthy colors accented by purple. She creates this special line just for the Gallery. The moon purse by Jude Stuecker is one of my favorite - depicting the loveliness of a moon rise over the mountains.

Blue Monday

September is National Honey Month

Charlie

September is National Honey Month.  Simone Wilson's Charlie the Bee Charmer makes the perfect spokesperson for honey bees and the honey they make.  Made of colorful yellow and black found objects - metal scraps, kitchen utensils and wire, he is has a halo of honey bees circling his head.

The National Honey Board tells us that honey is a natural source of carbohydrates - the primary fuel the body uses for energy - which makes it ideal for your working muscles. At 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon, honey provides an effective energy boost before, during and after your workouts… or any time you need a quick pick me up.

This recipe for Honey Energy Bars is an easy and delicious way to boost your energy levels. With three ingredients, you can whip this up in no time and be back to your workout routine before you know it.

Honey Energy Bar

Makes 36 servings

• 2/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 4 cups granola mix

In 4-cup microwave-safe container microcook honey at HIGH (100%) 2 to 3 minutes or until honey boils. Stir in peanut butter; mix until thoroughly blended. Place granola in large bowl. Pour honey mixture over granola and combine thoroughly. Press firmly into 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Let stand until firm. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars.  (The National Honey Board)

Gov Perdue Shops at The Gallery

During the recent Southern Governor's Conference, held at the Grove Park Inn, The Gallery had a special shopper stop by.  Gov. Bev Perdue made some purchases from our all American handmade crafts.