Rust Belt Market !!!

What trip to Michigan could be complete without a visit to the Rust Belt Market? Located in the very charming town of Ferndale, the Rust Belt Market is a super venue for the local art talent. If you're ever in the area, you owe it to yourself to stop in!

Visit the lovely Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood and take home some treasures! I did!

Check out this comfy lounger made of black rubber thingys normally used for toilet tank repairs!

Handmade doll amulets!

Snag some record album bowls for your chips and pretzels!

Stroll around this sweet little town and have a delicious lunch -- so many places to choose from!

Ubiquitous . . .

. . . is a word I first heard long ago in my first Microbiology class. Roughly translated, it means "found everywhere." The lovely Janet Hill, owner of Free to Bead in Peoria Heights, Illinois, taught me to make this bracelet. Which I now find is "ubiquitous." A quick survey of  Etsy.com shows versions of this style available for $3, $390 (yes, that's THREE HUNDRED and change) and the entire range of prices between.

Still, it's a cute style and very "zen" to make. A couple of hours of weaving leather, silk and beads produces a nice little accessory. To do my part in continuing the ubiquitous-ness, I've got my friend Taylor making these as well.

Doing a great job, isn't she?

Here's Taylor with her BFF, Emily. And my BFF, Peanut. To know just how precious this photo is, you would have to been witness to Emily's previous terror of my furry friend. Looks like we've cured that fear, eh?

  

Who hasn't been to an art show . . .

. . . and seen plenty of this? Booth after booth of pottery, jewelry, paintings, photography, turned wood, stained glass, and the list goes on.

It's nice to take a break from the talking, showing, selling. I like to get a feel for the locale that hosts the show, and one of my favorites is Plymouth, Michigan. It's such a delightful town and one that I never seem to want to leave.

Lucky us! Our booth is across the street from the Dairy King!