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Featured this month on the AdkNCcrafts.com home page - A.N. Original Jewelry and Oneida Lake Artisans
Pure Mist Naturals Opens Up The Blue Bird Shop
In the Tug Hill Region, three miles north of Lowville on Rte. 26 Pure Mist Naturals has built a much larger shop to house the owner's bath and body products as well as product lines from other producers, many from the region. Still on the farm with its spectacular view over the Black River Valley towards the Adirondack foothills, the business address is now 8311 Rte. 26, Lowville, 13367.
Two New Fiber Shows and One New Quilt Tour
The Adirondack Museum choose to showcase the wonderful talents of the many textile artisans of the region by creating the Adirondack Fabric & Fiber Arts Festival, held on Sept. 15, 2007. The trend of new fiber shows and other related activities emerging across the country is indicative of the growth in the media itself.
For quiltmakers, the first Circling the Adirondacks Shop Hop on August 23 - 26, offered door prizes, a mystery quilt with a step from each shop, snacks and many great fabrics, books, patterns, notions and more at the following shops; Adirondack Quilts (Glens Falls), Black Bear Trading Post (Inlet), Dreamcatchers Quilt Shop (Watertown), The Pieceful Quilt Shop (Westernville), and The Yardstick (Cobleskill).
TAUNY rewards Underwood Herbs with Heritage Award
On Oct. 14, at the Best Western in Canton at 2 pm, TAUNY will acknowledge some of the finest artisans of the region with awards at their annual ceremony. Jane Desotelle, Underwood Herbs, will be recognized for her many herbal traditions. Jane Desotelle has been an exhibitor at ANCA's Buyer Days for 21 years!
The Maine Crafts Association and The Maine Highlands Guild Merge
It is a delight to see Tracy Michaud Stutzman's vision become accomplishment in such a short time. A project partner in the Handmade in the Northern Forest Guidebook since 2001, Stutzman became director of the newly formed Maine Highlands Guild in the same year. She now assumes the executive director role for the Maine Crafts Association having been one of the main forces resulting in the merging of the two organizations.
The Rosen Group Decides Not to Launch StudioArts
After a two year run, the magazine Craft Business was purchased by the Rosen Group who intended to republish it as StudioArts but decided in mid spring not to do so. They continue to publish Niche which is an excellent trade publication for retailers, particularly for those who sell handmade.
AJL Designs Receives Microenterprise Boost Award
AJL Designs, a regular exhibitor at ANCA's Buyer Days in Saratoga Springs, will be able to purchase a trailer to transport her rustic lamps, lampshades and home furnishings with the award she received from WREN, located in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Her products are some of the most popular in their giftshop, WrenOvation, which has recently doubled in size.
General Trading Company in Plattsburgh to Relocate
General Trading Company Owner Susan Coffey says the move from the Plattsburgh Plaza, where the shop has been located since 1993, to Smithfield Boulevard in the first week of January 2008 gives her an opportunity to reorganize the floor space. She plans on carrying the same selection of inventory.
August Seems to Have Been a Good Month
Representatives of the Lake Placid Business Association and the Lake Placid Visitor's Bureau and the Lake George and Saratoga Tourism Associations have stated that August has been a good month for most tourism related businesses. Visitation at state Olympic Regional Development Authority sites this summer totaled 149,010 on Sept. 4 as compared to 148,670 last year on the same date. The Wild Center of Tupper Lake had 62,500 visitors, an increase of 14,000 from last year, and the Hyde Museum of Glens Falls states that their numbers are up by 67 % from the same time in August last year. Before the increase they had been averaging about 30,000 per year since 2004.
With the Canadian dollar at par, the Bureau has noticed a 15-18% increase in the number of Canadians venturing south into the region. Mike Beglin, of Beglin's Lake Placid Jewelry and Gift Store said that the Canadian business this summer made the difference in traffic on Main Street.
Jim McKenna, President of the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitor's Bureau, stated,"Over the last 20 years, fall - more than any other season - has seen the biggest increase (in visitors)."
The travel industry brought in $107.9 billion into the country in 2006 - essentially making services to travelers one of the nation's major exports. New York City is one of only a few U.S. urban centers that did not see a drop in the number of overseas visitors between 2000 and 2006. While the number of travelers around the world is rising, the number of U.S visitors from countries other than Canada and Mexico fell 17 percent from 2000 to 2006.
Record Numbers Attend Two Studio Tours
Jay Studio Tour had the highest attendance numbers ever this past July, according to Terry and Sue Young of Young’s Gallery. Held the third Saturday of July for 15 years, Joan Turbek, with the help of Cheri Cross of Jay Craft Center and others, infused new energy into, and used new marketing techniques for, the tour. Some new businesses along the tour were M.E. Baughman Designs, fused glass jewelry; the Village Green Gallery, with a number of local artists; and Robert Segall, hand-built pottery, all located in Jay.
Brenda Valentine, chairperson of the Country Christmas Tour in Indian Lake which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, said that they had a great turnout last year both in artisans and tour participants. The committee would love to build on the success of last year’s with more artisans at the upcoming Country Christmas Tour. Applications and Country Christmas Tour information can be obtained by contacting Mary Vianese at (518) 648-5740. Made in the Adirondacks is the theme for the event to be held Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Two Company Surveys: Retailers are Ordering ...
The annual Canadian Gift & Tabletop Association survey Market Pulse summarizes the product reordering patterns of one thousand giftshop owners. For example, retailers will be ordering less handmade product lines. The easy-to-read 8 page report is downloadable as a pdf from Canadian Gift & Tabletop Association. The spring 2007 survey provides best selling categories, what's trending up and what's trending down. Also available are past surveys dating back to 2003 that also delve into areas such as key buying influences, supplier service, average annual turn rates, mark-ups, sales volumes, operational statistics and product sourcing. SalesPulse is a quarterly survey of giftware retailers. It reports on retail conditions related to sales, margins, inventories and outlook for the next quarter.
The Home Decor Buyer Magazine annually surveys Styles and Trends of 3,000 of its subscribers; buyers from home accent stores and furniture shops, designers and gift retailers. The 12 page pdf includes five pages promoting the High Point Spring Market and seven pages of surveys reviewing styles, products, buyer design motif preferences, store types, and material preferences. The 2007 survey should be coming out soon.
Over 1,350 craftspeople, food producers, retailers and service organizations receive the Adirondack North Country Association’s news and announcements. Newsletter compiled and edited by Nadia Korths, Craft Programs Coordinator/ANCA. Email korths@northnet.org with your news. For those of you who have recently provided Korths with news, look for it in future frequently issued and short e-newsletters.
AdkNCcrafts.com is your regional crafts resource portal where the News For and About the Artisans and Retailers of the Adirondack North Country are archived!
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