North Bay Farmers' Market begins...

Tomorrow is the opening day for the North Bay Farmers' Market!

For those of you who live in the North Bay and surrounding area here is a bit of information about the Market!

This photo was taken May 2010

North Bay residents of all ages will soon be able to wander through the booths of local growers of bedding plants and vegetables, producers of baked goods, preserves, jams, jellies, wood products, soaps and unique handmade goods. The 2011 season begins Saturday May 21st, with more than 30 LOCAL vendors. Many of your favorites are returning but come out and see who and what’s new at the Market!

• The North Bay Farmers’ Market, in its ninth year, will be open every Saturday 8:30am to 1:00pm – RAIN or SHINE through to Thanksgiving . Once again the Market will be located in the McIntyre St. Parking Lot #11 – across from City Hall (behind TD CanadaTrust on Main St.). There is NO CHARGE to attend the Market and the live entertainment adds a festive flare to the visit. You never know who you’ll bump into that you haven’t seen in ages!

• Many exciting things are happening at the North Bay Farmers’ Market this year including the 3rd Annual PANCAKE FESTIVAL which will take place May 28th. Check back for more information next week!

• Our entertainment for the day will be Rachel Barber-Scarrow from 8:30am to 9:00am...and the jazz/blues sounds of Tim Beckett from 9:00am to 1:00pm...come out and enjoy their performances!
  

For upcoming Special Event dates & information or to learn more about the Market’s vendors, visit the Market website at: www.northbayfarmersmar​ket.com

I'll try to remember to bring my camera and then remember to take photos to post next week!

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Market...

Cheers

Crazy Buzy!!!

As the title says I've been "crazy busy" & I will be for the next couple of months as I'm moving!

The first Market day went well....hot, sunny, great entertainment & a good crowd for a long weekend, fun was had by all! The only negative was I had a necklace stolen!!! I didn't get any photos last week...I actually forgot!

Yesterday was another wonderful Market day, two warm sunny Market days in a row, so perfect. Our yearly Pancake Festival was very well received, we had huge crowds of people at the Market yesterday. Unfortunately I had another necklace stolen and another vendor had her cash box stolen($500.00)...I was not happy last week, but this Saturday I was down right angry!!!! We contacted the police but we don't hold any hope in anything being returned or the perpetrators being caught...having said that the Police department needs to be aware...we plan on checking into what we can do about having a police presence at the Market once or twice during the day!

On a happier note here are a few photos I managed to take yesterday...

In the booth next to me was an occasional vendor, a great lady by the name of Claudette Jesso, (not in the photo)...she makes fabulous bags from upholstery fabric, some with a bit of bling for added character...you can see the fellow holding up two! :0) Claudette also makes wonderful baby quilts and cute long eared bunnies!

Checking out some of the gorgeous potted plants available at the Market!

If you look very carefully, depending on how good your eyes are...:0) there is a sign on the left hand side, hanging from the blue tent which says "Pancakes $1.00"...there was a long line most of the Market day with people waiting to enjoying tasty pancakes drizzled with delicious Mathews Maple Syrup... a heartfelt thank you to the folks from Mathews Maple Syrup a local producer & one of our vendors for making the pancakes & supplying the syrup! Well done!!!

I didn't get photos of the Buskers, but they are somewhere in the sea of people above!!! A young fellow by the name of Aidan entertained us with his violin skills first thing followed by the Celtic sounds of Stack of Barley...I enjoy the festive feel the Buskers bring to the Market!

All things considered it was truly a great day!!! Looking forward to next Saturday...

Cheers

Count down is on...

This Saturday May 22nd, is the opening of the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market!!! I felt the excitement when I spoke with a few of the 33 vendors who are busy preparing for the big day...I know the customers are anticipating! Won't be long now...we will have, limited vegetables, plants, herbs, potted flowers, baking, health & beauty products, jams & jellies, weaving & knitting, eco-friendly products, jewelry, cards, maple syrup, honey, meat, wood crafts, flower arrangements, candles...all manner of unique hand made goods!!!

Beginning May 22nd, the Market will be open very Saturday 8:30am to 1:00pm, RAIN or SHINE until October 9th, at the McIntyre Street parking lot between City Hall and TD Canada Trust on Main Street.

Don't forget...when you buy drinks or snacks from the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market Booth you will be helping to make the possibility of a permanent home a reality as all the proceeds go towards this endeavor!

Local resident Derek Morin, (musician/singer) will be at the Market to entertain on opening day...Derek recently produced his first DC!

These two photos were from the June 1st, 2009, North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market!

There is even a "Market Season Opens" page on Facebook...take a look!!!

Stop by & say hello, we would love to have you visit us...there is so much to see as we begin a new North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market season!

Cheers

A bit of everything!

I'm a bit behind on my postings, picture taking and just about everything else, but that really isn't anything new...

On June 27th the North Bay Downtown Farmer's Market Busker was a singer who had been part of the Market entertainment for a number of years...he moved away and was back for a short while this summer so he agreed to perform twice, once on June 27th and again July 25th...his name is Matt Amond and he is a great "one man show"!!! As you know... as a Busker tips are your payment, Matt chose tho donate his tips for the day to the North Bay Food Bank...way to go Matt! Friday July 3rd my daughter and I started our third Market...this one is on the beautiful shores of Lake Rosseau. I particularly love this Market as it is almost like a mini vacation every Friday. There is a huge children's play area, which my grandson loved for the last two years...he is getting a bit older and not interested anymore. Below is the beach front before the swimmers and volley ball players arrive...there are life guards, as well as councilors who play games with the kids, everyone has a great time...part of the vendor's view! Early in the morning before it gets crowded...this is part of the vendor's view...can't ask for anything better!!! The NBDFM on Saturday July 4th was nice and sunny but that darn old north wind just won't go away...our Buskers for the day was the C-Denny Band...

The above photo is a file photo from their previous visit...it really was sunny on Saturday...I just for got my camera!

Our third Market is put on by the Callander Legion...hence the name is the Callander Market...it runs from 9:00am to 1:00pm every Sunday, in the Legion parking lot. I don't have any photos yet, hopefully next week...this market is very new, only three days old, so there is much to learn and figure out, right now the vendors and Market goers are not consistent. I'm hoping everyone will have patience while the Market goes through its growing pains. I've taken on the task of Buskers Coordinator but I'm having a difficult time coming up with Buskers, not sure if it is because it is on a Sunday or because it is new and not a great deal of people milling around? Regardless, I will keep going as I feel very strongly this could be a great Market for the community of Callander!

Here is my first attempt to make earrings using the RAW, which as many of you will know is the right angled weave...the design is courtesy of a tutorial by Carol Ladine Lagoski...the tutorial was well written, great photos and easy to work with...most important for me the whole process was enjoyable. If it isn't fun I won't be doing it! Since these I've made a quartz crystal pair as well... Cheers!

Four times is a charm???

Saturday was a beautiful day, sunny, pleasantly warm and NO WIND!!!!! Such a treat...

The entertainment this week was a a 12 year old boy who played an electrical acoustic guitar...he is very good and has a confidant way about him...you would think he had been playing much longer than 3 years!

We had two guests last Saturday, the second being the North Bay Astronomy Club, they brought three telescopes and promotional information regarding the club...very well received by the Market goers.

Below is the smallest telescope, and the young fellow taking a peek is my grandson...he loved looking through the telescopes and asking a million questions...this one was focused on the sun...very interesting to acutally look directly at the sun.

This is the second telescope...focused on Venus...imagine! Look at the size of the telescope!
I actually don't know what this last telescope was focused on because I was called back to my booth and didn't get a chance to take a look...


Great fun was had by all visiting with the North Bay Astronomy Club...they've agreed to make a second visit in the fall!

I don't have any jewelry pieces today as I've been way to busy this week making pieces to take their photos, but what I do have is a photo I took last evening of a spider crawling along the floor...the board he/she is on is 2 inches wide...this fellow was huge!!! I do not have a fear of spiders, when I see one I leave it alone, but I do have to say this fellow actually made me give a little yell and then I ran for my camera. The color is a bit off on both the floor and the spider, it should be a few shades darker...I have never seen a spider this big in real life before...I almost wonder if it came with my fruit I bought the day before??? Or maybe I've just lived a sheltered life and not seen a spider this size before... :0)

Cheers

Threes' a charm!

This is the third sunny Saturday in a row for the Market...there was one draw back though, in the form of a very strong north wind. It blew things around, knocked over displays... I don't know if that's what kept the Market goers home but something did...I'm assuming it was the wind because all the brave soles who did venture out could talk about was how cold it was! I'm not complaining it could have been raining as well!!!!! Can't win them all!

Above is a couple of fellows jamming away...they didn't have much of an audience this week but these two enjoyed it just the same! Musicians playing for the enjoyment of playing...I do enjoy those hand drums...

Below is a chunky chalk turquoise necklace just longer than choker length made with turquoise, glass, polymer clay, wood, sterling silver and ceramic beads...love turquoise!


Another chunky necklace...gotta love this one, natural yellow turquoise, smokey quartz, yellow jade, hand blown glass and sterling silver beads!

I'm preparing for a ten day show beginning June 26th so I've not had a great deal of time for much else besides making pieces in the last three weeks...I have to take everything to Toronto on June 22nd so I'll have more time after that...who am I kidding!!!!!
Cheers

Another Beautiful Market Day!

We had another beautiful sunny Market day this past Saturday, a little cool for this time of year, but I'm not complaining!

The entertainment this week was Stack of Barley, a huge success with the Market goers! Below they are warming up first thing...


People gathered around to listen to them most of the morning...they did some Irish tunes that had people clapping...
Below is a pair of earrings that I hammered with the new square hammer, I like the detailing. The gemstone is topaz...I'm a fan of sodalite vs lapis... sodalite is a deeper darker blue, while lapis is rather pale...this lovely necklace is part of my Heart & Stroke collection...as always once sold a donation will be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Yes this is my hand...modeling my fine silver rings...I've been doing some fusing and rather enjoy it...I can do rings resonably well but I would like to make a bangle and for some reason I can't seem to get it to fuse...will have to practice more I guess!


Cheers!

Great Day!

We had a wonderful Market day Saturday...sunny and warm enough to be pleasant, which brought out a larger group of people. Not as many Market goers as in the midst of the summer but enough to make for a pleasantly busy day!



Meet Ken our resident "Balloon Man"...he is there most Saturdays making balloon creations for the children...a very popular fellow as you can imagine!!

C - Denny Band We had the C - Denny Band perform for us...they do a mixture of easy listening songs acoustically. They have a new CD just out this past winter and a portion of the sales go to the Cancer Society! This group is always enjoyed...


Of course I couldn't end the post without at least one piece...another long necklace this time in white lead & nickle free metal, with a white shell circle...
Enjoy your day!
Cheers

Rain & high winds!

The first Market day came and went with a down pour... I arrived at the Market at 6:50am, it was overcast and the forecast was 100% chance of rain but it didn't start until I had my tent up at least. Then we had heavy rain until around 11:00am, mixed in every once in a while was high winds, thank goodness the winds weren't continuous, but gusts catch you by surprise...so needless to say very few people where out and about to enjoy the vendors! Even so it was enjoyable catching up with the people I've not seen over the winter...

Here are a few pieces I managed to photograph recently...

I've made a few long necklaces as they seem to be rather popular this year...this one is silver plated over brass and copper...
This is a favorite of mine...striking agate chunks spaced with tiny gold filled beads, with a resin leaf pendant...included are the pair of matching earrings.


Another long necklace...these can be worn long or doubled as the lengths vary ...this particular one is all sparkling sterling silver.

For some reason I'm attracted to smokey quartz...here are a pair of square smokey quartz beads, from which are hanging sterling silver stars, hanging from hand made SS wires.


Last but not least...another long necklace...as the first on silver plated copper and brass but with three gorgeous purple mother of pearl circles mixed in for a little color... purple has always been my favorite color.

There you have it for today...
Cheers

Market Time!

It's that time of year again...the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market begins this Saturday May 16th, and runs through until October 10th 2009...8:30am to 1:00pm rain or shine! Cross you fingers that it doesn't rain...

I'm looking forward to opening day...at the North Bay Downtown Farmers' Market you will find fresh produce and fruit in season, as well as all manner of handcrafted items including baking, jams, pickles, knit and weaved items, body oils, soaps, wood carvings, pet treats, honey, plants and jewelry just to name a some of the wonderful items available. Last year saw the opening of a Market booth where shoppers may buy coffee, tea, and snacks. I enjoy the interaction with all the people as well as the festive atmosphere of the day!

This year I'm been in charge the Buskers...of finding entertainers/demonstrations, which has kept me busy. I'll post photos of the market in the coming weeks.
I haven't yet heard the number of vendors this year but there will be between 30 and 35...you may be sure there will be something for everyone!

Cheers