Finding treasures in Camp Sherman

Attending the Camp Sherman Holiday Bazaar has been a long-standing tradition for residents and visitors to Sisters and Camp Sherman.

Another tradition over the years has been the gifts made by Camp Sherman's Black Butte School students to contribute to the bazaar, which is a fundraiser for the school. This year the children made cards, soaps and wreaths.

"We added coloring and scent to the soaps, and embossed them with Celtic Knots," said student Madison Mayfield. "It took us a few tries to make the colors even. Our math teacher (Toni Coleman) had us do math calculations of how much we would make based on the number of sales."

"We made the cards with our art teacher," Mayfield said, "She brought in a bunch of pictures for us to work on sketches. She taught us texture and dimensions. My dad made copies of all the cards."

The crafts they created weren't just about fundraising. The students learned about the Celts, and created a sign listing a bit of what they learned as part of their medieval studies.

The students' treasured wreaths, decorated with holly and pine cones, ribbons and berries sell out quickly, but this year the students offered to take orders for those who missed out on their bit of greenery.

Two ladies from P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) graced the far corner of the community hall. Money raised from the sale of their cards goes to scholarships for women.

"All our materials are donated," said Susan Sandberg, treasurer, "so all the monies raised go to the scholarships."

Their cards are embellished with handcrafted paper, quilting or flowers. Some even sport animal shapes made from dough that looks like gingerbread cookies.

Dotty Barringer, chair of the education committee, embellishes cards with pressed pansies from her garden at Black Butte Ranch. "I like pansies because in Victorian times, pansies represented remembrance," Barringer said.

Nestled in a corner next to the fireplace and colorful knit hats, mittens, and scarves, doll dresses, and dozens of holiday decorations, Craig May took photographs to help families remember the 2009 holiday season.

"I've been a photographer for 25 years," said May. "I've gone from sports to portraits and am doing team and individual portrait work at the (Sisters) high school for their sports events."

What would a Holiday Bazaar be without baked goods and jams? Betty Farm returned this year with her bestselling Sisters Traffic Jam, a mixture of four berries plus apples and rhubarb.

"I have done this bazaar for about 10 years," Farm said. "I also sell my jams to Depot (Café), who uses them on their turkey sandwiches, and I sell some to the Camp Sherman Store."