Local Talents Give Bountiful Gift

Rural community people seem to be multi-talented in every nook and cranny of the hobby world. All of us interact with a myriad of people through our day jobs; it is always delightful when we find out they also play with an entirely different skills set outside of their professions. The variety of crafts that local residents are able to create add another dimension of gift giving that allows us to buy local during the holiday season-or all year round. After all, money that's spent local, often stays local.

Bobbie Britzman of Glasgow is a radiologic technologist certified by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. She travels to the clinics in Wolf Point and Plentywood, each tour lasting several days. On this day when she was on-call in Plentywood, she talked to the Courier between her appointments, fingers no doubt moving along swiftly on a new hat that's taking shape of a Minion.

"All my life I liked to make things," she said, recalling that her aunt taught her how to crochet 50 years ago. "I like to do something with my hands while watching TV." She has been selling her craft at bazaars for five years now, specializing in crocheted hats, hair band/clips, and mittens. While it takes her several months to make enough items to fill a table, crocheting is an all-year round hobby that has branched out from making wearable art for family and grandkids. The money that she makes "is a nice way to supplement the hobby," usually going right back into buying more yarn and accessories, which she tries to buy locally as much as possible. She gets great satisfaction seeing kids around town wearing the animal and Scottie hats that she has made. "Every piece is made with a little bit of love," said Britzman.

Lorraine Hughes is a full-time dental hygienist. She also mixes and pours soy candles in her spare time at home. Although she has "slowed down" in recent years to spend time with her grandson in Washington, Hughes still enjoys creating custom soy candles in her basement workshop. It started when she and her husband, Mike, became empty nesters after their two daughters were grown. "I was looking for something to do, and I learned about soy candles from a peer when I went to a dental hygienist convention," recalls Hughes. She was attracted to soy candles because it contains no petroleum, and she began traveling around the state to sell her creations at craft fairs. Her first show was in 2006.

In order to present a nice showing, Hughes would start prepping about a month beforehand, 20 to 30 hours a week during evenings and weekends. She also maintains a stock of selections at home. "Anyone can bring a fireproof container for me to refill," said Hughes. She explains that because soy candle burns completely, it has to be contained in a jar or "it'll melt into a puddle," she said. Experimenting with mixing colors and scents to customize the candles is a fun and therapeutic outlet for her; visiting with people at the show is also satisfying. Hughes won't be able to attend the AAUW bazaar, but do look for her display at Glasgow's Senior Citizens Center early December.

In this season of holiday bazaars, we come to anticipate familiar products and familiar faces behind the tables, and so we start planning the gift list. Juanita Morehouse has been showing her craft at bazaars for 20 years. While she still works at the Plaid Square two days a week, Morehouse has also "gone pro" with her embroidery business, "Busy Bee Embroidery," and sews on the side her Morehouse Made quilts, pot holders, and the popular scrubbers. Old timers might remember Morehouse at Baker Jewelry, where she had worked for 15 years and gave up eventually because of demand from the embroidery business. "I'm too busy," Morehouse said, when asked if she uses a website for marketing.

Morehouse maintains a showroom in her basement, where people are welcome to come and browse. She pretty much works seven days a week to keep up with the demand. She doesn't stray far from Glasgow in her showing, and enjoys visiting with customers who never fail to give her new inspirations.

If you glance around a young reader's book shelf this season, your eyes might be attracted to a vibrant book by a local artist and first-time author, Toni Marie LaGree. Most people in Glasgow know LaGree as the instructor at her Yoga Wellness Center in downtown Glasgow; few know her also as a horse trainer, oil painter, hair stylist, and now a writer.

The idea for her book began years ago when she was unsettled by the countless alphabet books in which the shape of the alphabet does not match the illustrated object. Not finding the type of visual learning that she was searching for, she decided to create one of her own. Therefore, "Move Over Apple, A is for Arrowhead!"

Unlike many other crafters, LaGree has two young children at home. She waited until this Sept. when Quinn and Poppy went back to Irle School, and proceeded to paint, pen, digitize, design and self-publish. The first shipment of her labor of love arrived on Nov. 12; social media and her personal website have since helped spread the word.

Along with her husband Sean R. Heavey, local electrician and landscape photographer, the couple will display their art at the upcoming AAUW bazaar.