Antique and craft show draws a crowd

Swarms of people browsed through hand-crafted goodies and vintage trinkets at Sisters Arts and Crafts Festival and Antiques in the Park at Sisters Creekside Park for a weekend of rare finds.

Wide assortments of collectible antiques were displayed by vendors from antique teakettles to vintage posters. Mixed in the huge treasure chest that spread across the park lawn were an array of crafts from infused glass to metal art.

The combination of antiques and crafts together made for an eclectic show for people of all ages.

Nearly 50 vendors filled their booths with artwork, jewelry, vintage furniture, and rare finds such as a 19th century gun case.

Los Angeles native Katt Desehene and Katya Gogol from Russia are best friends and think of themselves as “Cosmic Twins,” which is the name of their handcrafted jewelry business. This was their second time participating in a craft show as artisans.

“We met in Los Angeles where I was selling rocks and gems. Katt is a jewelry maker and works with a lot of copper,” Gogol said. “We decided to learn how to design both together.”

Desehene added, “When we realized that we had so many similarities in common, we combined our skills and formed our company. I help with the jewelry and the social media marketing side as well. We both contribute to the company, and our strengths and skills complement each other really well.”

The talented duo came to check out Central Oregon and found Sisters to be just what the doctor ordered.

Gogol noted, “We have a lot of appreciation for this pretty little town of Sisters. The locals seem to know a lot about gemstones and are very interested in our craftsmanship.”

By 1 p.m. on Saturday the park overflowed with people and their canines carousing through the show listening to classic rock tunes by live performer Scott Brown.

Once a year textile dealer Margaret Meier drives from her home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Sisters to sell her unique goods at this event. She has been selling “Vintage Fabrics, Etc.” for 45 years.

People stopped by her booth searching through a variety of vintage European fabrics for just the right color schemes. Meier also treks to Europe twice a year to buy only the best homegrown fabrics to sell at shows all over the nation.

She told The Nugget, “They’re all spun and woven on farms in Europe, which means no chemicals or machine processes. I have been collecting homespun linens for years and have five warehouses full in Florida. I lived in Europe in the late ’60s and then again in the early ’80s.”