Antiques and crafts embellish park

Folks meandered through vintage trinkets, digging for treasure at the fourth annual Antiques in the Park at Sisters Creekside Park.

Wide assortments of collectable antiques were on display in booths, from glassware to a 1915 gramophone. Mixed in the huge treasure chest spread across the park lawns were an array of crafts from handmade belts to decorative collars for your pooch.

Vendor Patricia Beckingham had her diversified display of antiques set up in and around her tent.

"I have been a collector of countless antiques for so many years. This is my chrome toaster collection," said Beckingham, holding up a toaster from 1915. "All these antiques on display are from our home, just a few things out of the countless collections we have. My husband and I are in our 70s and just don't need all these collectables anymore. I have rockers from the 1850s and hatbox dressers from the 1930s. I'm happy that they can be someone else's treasures now."

The Anvil Blasters entertained throughout the day on Saturday as patrons strolled by or sat for awhile to listen to the band's acoustic blend of rowdy and mellow songs with a hint of bluegrass thrown in.

The American Legion had their own booth, selling military magnets to support the veterans in the Sisters community.

Vendor Elise Guise from Big Bear City, California, not only sews her own women's clothing and accessories, she designs them as well. It's been a journey through fabric and colors for Guise with her home-based business, Captured Colors.

"I sew everything myself and I enjoy using fabric that will drape and flow that is airy and light. Cottons tend to be too stiff," says Guise.

Her husband, Layne, also displayed something homemade, yet quite different from fabric.

"I make Dr. Layne's No More Pain in a jar crème that's good for what ails you," said Guise. "I use aloe cornstarch base instead of animals."

Wherever folks searched as they threaded their way through the tents there was some forgotten novelty or small rarity to capture their attention.

You could smell the leather coming from Gene Nawrocki's booth, where folks were bustling around, noticing the fine craftsmanship of his handmade leather belts, dog collars and wrist bands.

"Everything I do is old-school. I buy big sides of leather and do all the work by hand. I've been a leather craftsman for 37 years. All of my supplies come out of Oregon," said Nawrocki. "I live in La Pine, but travel to more than 40 events a year to sell my leather accessories. Craftsmanship is all about the details and it's the hard work you put into your product that really speaks for itself."