The next two weeks in Edmonds will be one of the most exhilarating seasonal stretches of the summer with the popular well-attended Edmonds Museum Farmer’s Market stretching its arms in welcome from 5th Street from Main at the fountain to Bell and east up Bell Street around Centennial Plaza. Then, the Taste of Edmonds nibbles at our interest as the second weekend in August dances in with music, attractions, bites and brews, followed by Aug. 12’s event-filled Sand Sculpture Contest tugging us toward Marina Beach.

Only a rare get-out-of-town weekend prevents me from strolling the Farmer’s Market and I thought it might be fun this week to share some of my favorite artful stops from this past Saturday’s visit.

Whimsical Burrow/Restored Beauty

My first visit was to the booth of Krittiya and Alyssa who own Whimsical Burrow. The two women were sharing their space with first-time-at-the market newbie Kristin of Restored Beauty. I soon realized that booth sharing is very common among market vendors and Kristin seemed a natural as she chatted with visitors to the market about her artful restoration projects.

Krittiya, who is from Bothell, told me of meeting Kristin at a church group and their love of creating quickly became the foundation of their friendship.

Kristin was among the newest young businesswomen at the market this past weekend and as she grows her business you can find Restored Beauty through Facebook. Krittiya and Alyssa keep fans of crochet, tea towels and hostess niceties informed of their schedule on Facebook here.
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Basically Beads

At the other end of the veteran spectrum is Suzie Potter, owner and designer of Basically Beads. So much a veteran of the market Suzie gave me an interview while at the same time chatting up enthusiastic visitors surveying her many jewelry designs.

Suzie has been an Edmonds Farmer’s Market vendor for 19 years and this year is located, coincidentally, at Booth No. 19. In fact Suzie has had only one other booth location for all the years she has participated in the market.

Her going-to-market day begins at 4 a.m. and she has packed up her booth by 6 p.m.. It’s a long day for the North Seattle resident but Suzie exclaimed, “It’s an awesome market,” and she enjoys showing return customers her new creations each week.

Suzie also sells on Etsy.
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Mad Mozaics

Carman Komm of Mad Mozaics had asked her teen-age children, Angie and Joseph, to watch her booth by the time I strolled past this perennial display of glass/mixed media design gorgeousness!

Carman teaches four-hour classes in mosaic and shows off her work at www.madmozaics.com. She lives in Federal Way, where she has had a home studio for the past 13 years.
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Ca Brille

If the Edmonds Museum Farmer’s Market has a pioneer vendor it would be Jocelyne Doyon. I chatted with Jocelyne during one of her breaks from her studio work and learned of her personal history with the market.

Beginning her wire-wrap jewelry business more than 25 years ago she began showing her creations at street fairs which were more popular in decades past. Farmer’s markets eventually replaced street fairs and Jocelyne, a Shoreline resident, heard that Edmonds was planning one of its own.

“It was a very small market, maybe ten vendors at the beginning,” she recalled. Originally established “on 7th Avenue, the market eventually moved to Bell Street at a time vendors could just show up and get a space”. Ultimately Jocelyne earned a certificate attesting to her ten-year involvement as a vendor and her business continued to grow.

She has occupied the same corner booth – No. 42 – in front of the museum for the past eight summers. You might wonder, as I did, what keeps her busy in the winter. “Maui markets,” was her reply. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, her style reflects a certain traveled elegance.

By way of introduction, Jocelyne tells website visitors, “I have been making original, handcrafted, wire wrapped jewelry for 20 years. I use genuine gemstones that have been collected from various parts of the world to create unique, one-of-a-kind pendants, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I also do custom orders using semi-precious stones and I would be more that happy to restring jewelry pieces that are of unique sentimental value to you to create something that is genuine and special!” For more about Jocelyne Doyon, visit her website.
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Twisted Treasures

My next stop was to Kat Smith’s Twisted Treasures where the jewelry artist shows off her remarkable wire weaving. After the crowd thinned a bit I was able to have a moment with Janet MacWilliams, who is a fan of Kat’s work and was watching over the booth when I walked by. Janet’s talents as a botanist/artist were very much in evidence and I was drawn to the splash of color that she had created to sit atop one of the glass cases in the kiosk.

In an exclusive interview this week, I learned that Kat is an Edmonds resident and has been a market vendor for the past seven years. She revealed to me that, in the beginning, she was willing to sit on the waiting list that the Edmonds Museum maintains for its vendors for two full seasons because she wanted so badly to participate in her hometown market. “I am amazed at just how much the people of Edmonds look forward to the Edmonds Farmer’s Market,” she added. “I’m here because I love people!”

Kat uses wire weaving with a crochet technique, adding the elements of Japanese seed beads, fresh water pearls, and semi-precious stones to make jewelry that returning customers bring their friends to see. “Some of my customers even bring their favorite ensembles to me so that I can design just the right piece for them.”
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Music at the market

By the time things began winding down and I was heading back home, I heard the melodic guitar strings of Paul Olson, who often times shares the stage with his wife, Liz. Paul was minding the store at the Ramsden Ranch Mountain Beef booth.

Buskers, balloon art, kettle corn, and so much more make up The Edmonds’ Museum Summer Market, as it is officially named.

If you haven’t been to the market lately, why not? It’s an Edmonds-Kind-of experience. Learn more about the market here.

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Saturday, Aug. 12 ~ 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Sand Sculpting Contest
Edmond’s Marina Beach
650 Admiral Way South

YaY! We are all invited to the 2014 Sand Sculpting Contest. First let’s decide: Form a team, or build on our own? This is an amateur contest open to all ages.

Sign up at Marina Beach at 10 a.m. on the day of the event. Judging for the “Golden Bucket Awards” begins at noon and will be presented at 12:30 p.m. You can find additional information here.
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Join in celebrating
Neighboring community, Shoreline!

Aug. 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm.

A Free “Celebrate Shoreline!” event

Shoreline City Hall
Outdoor Plaza Amphitheatre
18030 Meridian Ave. N.

Aurora Theatre Company, Shoreline’s new theatre company, announces its inaugural performance, an adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine award-winning musical, “Into The Woods”.

“Into The Woods” is a magical retelling of one of Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales.

Directed by Scott Charles Francis, with musical direction by Avery Groenmann and Brandon Peck, the cast features local talent Rachel Brinn, Justin Johns, Andrew Larson, Candace Larson, Matthew Steven Lawrence, Patrick J. Lucey-Conklin, Sarah McGrath, Adam Minton, Chelsea Moe, and Katherine Poor.

Attendance is free, but does require a reservation. Reservations may be made here.

You can learn more about “Celebrate Shoreline!” a 10-day infusion of festivities designed to spark celebration and community spirit every year on the City’s birthday, here.

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— By Emily Hill

Emily Hill is an author and long-time resident of Edmonds. She is retired from a career in public information and news media relations. If you would like your event listed, or venue featured, in Artfully Edmonds, Emily invites you to contact her at arts@myedmondsnews.com.