Central States Fair

Last night I started organizing the layouts that I'm entering in the Fair. So why do I enter my scrapbook layouts and hand stamped cards in something as small as our the Central States Fair? Well it's certainly NOT about the money (the top dollar amount you can come out with is $50 total...no many how many entries you have). It's because it's fun! I love being part of the crafting community and this is just one more way to be part of that wonderful circle! Not only is the Fair a place to see what others have made, it's to show them what you've made too!
My favorite exhibit hands down is the Quilters Exhibits. Oh my gosh, all of the work that goes into making those beautiful quilts, it's breath taking! I aspire to be a good quilter one day...not great mind you, I'll settle for good :D and leave it at that! Then there's watching the Fashion Show that's put on by the 4-H clubs, that right there IS something to see! It's amazing how these young girls sew these beautiful articles of clothing. These young ladies are so talented, some no older than my daughter Hannah (who will be 11 next week).
Of course there's the oil paintings and water colors, I could only wish that I had that kind of talent. My husbands Grand Mother (Grammy Dorrie as she liked to be called) had that kind of talent. About 5 years ago I was lucky enough to come across over a dozen of Grammy's oil paintings at my in-laws house. Since my in-laws didn't want them (I found out later on that they didn't want them because the paintings were do dirty) they said that I could pick out what I wanted/what I thought I could salvage and throw out the rest. Throw them out...are they crazy? Heck Lucien and I took them all home with us! Through contacting some people in the art world in Williamsburg Virginia I was able to clean the years of accumulated dirt off of those old paintings. If you were to come visit us, you can see them hanging on the walls throughout our home. These paintings are amazing to say the least!
I don't pretend to know how to crochet anything more than scarves to go around your neck. The doilies and table clothes that are on exhibit are extraordinary! The time that goes into making them, to get the shape of the design right, I can tell you right now that I do not have the patience that making something like that, but I can fully appreciate the work!
I plan on taking many pictures while at the Fair and making some great Scrapbook Layouts from them! I think that this may be my last time to be able to participate at the Fair. We will most likely be moving within the next year. So I want to go out with a bang! I've got to get all of my entries ready, finish up journaling on pages, get my tags written up and so forth.