Tag: crafts

Raleigh Area Enameled Jewelry Artist Hopes to Inspire Fair Visitors to Craft at any Age

Black and White necklace

You may never know when you will accidentally stumble upon your artwork when you are an artist. Linda Payne, a Fuquay-Varina resident who is very modest about her beautiful jewelry designs, will never forget that one time she stepped into a local Chinese take-out restaurant in the Raleigh area.  “I paid for my food, turned around, and noticed the woman behind me was wearing my black and white enameled earrings. I recognized my work immediately,” recalled Payne.  “She noticed that I looked at her, so I spoke and told her I designed and made the earrings she was wearing. I…

Continue Reading

How a Notorious Doodler Turned Her Doodling Into Functional Wood Burning Art

Martin Birdhouse with Sunflower Design by Jeanette Egan

One of the most popular exhibits at the N.C. State Fair is the Village of Yesteryear. More than 75 crafters dressed in period clothing will spend eleven-hour exciting days educating fair visitors in this “working-artist” interactive exhibit that features traditional heritage handcrafts. Jeanette Egan, who specializes in pyrography and woodburning, will make her Village of Yesteryear debut this October. “I’m in awe to be part of the Village of Yesteryear this year. This is a fabulous opportunity to be able to educate others on the art of wood burning,” said Puerto-Rican artist Jeanette Egan, a descendant of the Taino Boriken…

Continue Reading

“Touch and See” offers interactive display for Fairgoers with visual impairments

The Handicrafts and Hobbies competition showcases the work of some of our state’s most talented painters, wood carvers, quilters, glassblowers and potters. In the Commercial Building, you’ll find handmade items created by young and old alike. However, the displays come with a warning: please don’t touch the crafts. Judith Uhrick, superintendent of Handicrafts and Hobbies, hopes to change that with a new exhibit. She and others developed an idea for “Touch and See” – an interactive, tactile display that makes Handicrafts and Hobbies more welcoming to those with visual impairments. At Touch and See, participants can hold and manipulate different…

Continue Reading

Weekend Update: May 20-22

It’s a celebration of food and agriculture at the ninth annual Got to Be N.C. Festival.  Come enjoy a mix of food, fun, music, carnival rides, tractors and more. Gate admission is free. Highlights include: Homegrown Fare, sponsored by Lowes Foods, will be in the Exposition Center. Nearly 100 North Carolina companies will be sampling and selling their products. 8th annual Masonic Carolina Pig Jig BBQ Cook-off will be Saturday beside the Expo Center. Enjoy barbecue from 40 Masonic Lodges. Tickets are $15 for ages 12 and over, $5 for ages 7-11, and free for ages 6 and under. Barbecue…

Continue Reading

Deep Fried Ambassador: Low-Cost and No-Cost

This is a guest blogger post by our Official Deep Fried Ambassador, Amy. We’ll be reposting her State Fair adventures from her Practical Cook blog throughout the Fair. Low-Cost and No-Cost: The Practical Cook’s Guide to Attending the Fair on a Budget (with video) The Practical Cook is thrilled to announce that aside from a bit of sunburn (one Gentle Reader referred to TPC’s complexion by way of a popular pork slogan, ahem), yesterday’s adventure with the Juniors went swimmingly. As the Juniors were bankrolling part of their own trip, it’s the perfect time to discuss attending the fair on a…

Continue Reading