Mid-Valley Made

Show Photos

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:21:03 -0800

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all of the amazing vendors who turned out to our first ever Mid-Valley Made event!

Here are just a few snap shots of our happy shoppers and vendors at the show…

Two young shoppers enjoying the Carnegie Library’s display celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday

Brittany Novak of Shades of Light was creating new pieces of art right there at the show!

Jim Lamp’s wooden clocks were a big hit with shoppers

From wooden clocks to wooden pens, here we have Mark Diller’s booth surrounded by some of our other great vendors

Kat’s Kreations explaining how her herbal remedies work for sore joints and stressed muscles

A display by Mae Designs showing off her new collection of frames.

Oh and there was so much more, but its hard to get photos when you’re so busy shopping!

Check back for next years date and location or follow us on facebook to stay updated! See you next year!

Show Time!

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:20:09 -0800

Now is the time…

Come down to Two Rivers Market to see Mid-Valley Made!

Open Friday and Saturday March 2^nd & 3^rd from 10am-6pm

Mark Diller: Featured Seller

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:09:34 -0800

I live in Albany, Oregon with my wonderful wife of 10 years and our two little boys. My boys love to watch me work (from a safe distance, of course) and go to wood stores with me. They always have questions and like to try to guess the different kinds of wood I’m using for projects. I suppose my childlike wonder at discovering new types of wood has rubbed off a bit.

For me, bringing out the natural beauty in wood gives me joy. I prefer not to use dyes to change the color of wood since I feel the natural beauty should stand out. Every piece of wood is hand picked to be unique, so I always look forward to finishing a piece and seeing how it turns out… pun intended :). Handmade wood pens are a perfect item to share and treasure in this age of mass-production since each one has a character and story of its own. To me, writing is much more enjoyable with a quality instrument than a disposable one.

My philosophy is quality rather than quantity which is why I am meticulous in my pen making. I want to ensure that each instrument is precise and the finish is pristine, so they can be used and treasured for years to come. When I first began making pens, I just used a woodturning polish until I found that polishes break down with handling and exposure to finger oils. I use an acrylic finish that is durable and clear to withstand years of use while showcasing and preserving the natural beauty of the wood. The process I use takes more time, but again, my philosophy is quality rather than quantity. While my pens may cost a little more than some others, I’m confident that you will be very pleased with the value of your purchase!

I hope you’ll have the opportunity to see and feel the quality of my products first-hand. All pens I sell are refillable and refill types are noted in each listing. They are simple to replace for years of use. If you don’t see exactly what you want, there are thousands of potential combinations available, so let’s visit!

Passport Spotlight

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:39:49 -0800

Kat’s Kreations has donated this amazing basket for raffle! The basket includes bath teas, facial cleansing grains and facial cleansing pads, Lavender Creme and a scented candle. What a fantastic gift!

And here is yet another gift basket waiting for you at Mid-Valley Made. Gourmet Mix Market has generously donated a basket filled with two savory dip mixes, a sweet dip mix, pie mix, cookie mix, bread mix, and a soup mix. Oh my, I’m getting hungry already!

Crafty Carvings: Featured Seller

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:50:59 -0800

The two most frequently asked questions that I receive regarding my carvings are, “What are they made from?” or “Are they real?” Simply answered, they are very real, very breakable eggs shells. It is hard to imagine, even for me at times, that it is possible to create these very unique carvings.

I find egg carving very fulfilling. I am a fully licensed x-ray technologist and very passionate about my career. It requires technical knowledge, a certain level of creativity and precision to produce a film that meets the high quality standards demanded in diagnostic radiology. Two years ago, I suddenly found myself on the opposite side of the x-ray tube and not able to work. Until I am able to return, carving fills many of the same needs that I found rewarding being an x-ray tech. It requires a certain degree of logic, understanding of basic physical laws and precision while still providing a creative outlet. I also find it very therapeutic. When I am carving, nothing else exists. It is a calm, quiet, deep focus creating something as delicate and fragile as a goose egg carving.

Less than a year ago I stumbled upon this craft. Easter was on its way and I was gathering what I needed to dye and decorate eggs. I intended to blow and disinfect the eggs before I got started. The cordless dremel was nearby and I thought what better way to make holes in the shells to empty the eggs than with the dremel. It worked wonderfully! But wait, if I can drill a hole, maybe I can carve a line. If I can carve a line, what else can be done? Before my family knew what was happening, the house was filled with eggs. Eggs of all kinds. Chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, turkey eggs, emu, ostrich and rhea eggs. I was hooked! The dremel was quickly replaced with a high speed rotary tool similar to a dental drill. This gave me the ability to move from the crude, simple shapes I had been carving into intricate, beautiful and detailed designs of most any kind. From farm fresh until finished product, I personally complete each step in this delicate process. The chicken, goose and emu eggs I use are purchased from local farms making these uniquely carved eggs truly mid-valley made.

Many of my items can be found in my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/craftycarvings. Custom or personalized items can be requested and arranged by e-mailing me at ask_amy2@yahoo.com.

(photos and text courtesy of Crafty Carvings)

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Passport Spotlight

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:39:00 -0800

Dyl Pickles (sharing a booth with Mae Designs) is donating this adorable and reversible butterfly apron to the raffle!

And whats this??? Two Spotlights in one post!

EclecticAims has made these custom coasters using their own photography of our beautiful Willamette Valley.

Check back soon to see what other great prizes you could win this March 2nd & 3rd!

Walnut Vale Woodworks: Featured Seller

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:08:27 -0800

From my teenage years working with my uncle, a contractor with a strong disdain for covering up the beauty of wood with paint, I have had an interest in all things wood. I have particularly always enjoyed works that exhibit a simplicity of line, a minimum of extraneous ornamentation, and an appreciation for the natural characteristics of the woods used. Now, almost 30 years later, I am the one selecting woods, seeing designs, and making the objects that I hope others will find beautiful and useful for years and years.

Since 2004 I have been working from a shop I created after removing the horse stalls from a metal barn on the 2-acre property we bought in Albany, Oregon after moving from Virginia, where I had been serving in the Marine Corps Reserve since leaving active duty in 2001. Having completed the final 9 years of my 20-year service in 2010, I have now fully traded that uniform for a shop apron, and I design and build furniture, cabinetry, and fine gift items full-time.

I particularly appreciate working with hardwoods native to the U.S., and have several favorites among the hardwoods native to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. As we continue to realize the cumulative costs and environmental effects of transporting both raw materials and finished goods across oceans and continents, it is very satisfying to me to be able to offer my local clients beautiful pieces crafted from wood that has never travelled more than a few hundred miles. When a project calls for woods from outside this area, I ensure that I am buying FSC-certified lumber in order to ensure that neither of us is contributing to illegal or unethical harvesting of hardwoods.

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(text courtesy of Walnut Vales website, photos from etsy)

Passport Spotlight: Shades of Light

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:41 -0800

Albany’s own Brittany Novak of Shades of Light is donating this adorable charcoal piece to the Mid-Valley Made Passport Raffle! Just one of 16 great prizes you could win by coming to Mid-Valley Made this March 2nd & 3rd.

There will be 2 raffles each day so get your passport stamped and put in that raffle box for a chance at some amazing prizes!

Kats Kreations: Featured Seller

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:15:13 -0800

Like so many people in the USA, I was laid off work after ten years of working for the government. I used this time as an opportunity to go back to school and become a Licensed Massage Therapist, where I learned how to make my own oils and creams using homegrown organic herbs and natural essential oils.

People are becoming more aware of the unhealthy effects pesticides, preservatives and synthetic chemicals have, not only in what we eat but also

what we put on our skin. Research has demonstrated the remarkable therapeutic healing properties of herbs, and as a result more and more people are looking to natural ingredients for their skin care products.

A flower in the Marigold family called Calendula is one of the greatest first aid herbs for the skin. It soothes and heals sore, angry, or inflamed skin, containing natural anti-inflammatory properties. My “Happy Feet Foot Balm” contains Calendula, soothing dried cracked inflamed feet, dry cuticles and hands, and minor abrasions.

Another herb that grows like a crazy weed is Comfrey, which is also excellent on damaged tissue such as sprains, bruises & scars promoting cell repair. I use these and other amazing herbs in my “Sore No More” pain relieving salve bringing relief to muscle and joint pain, osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic injuries and diseases.

By making my own body and bath products I can be assured of their contents. I have more control over the freshness and purity of my ingredients. So it is important for me to grow most of my own herbs and use only natural preservatives, high-grade essential oils and other organic ingredients.

I find myself always looking forward to creating new healing products that bring relief to those who suffer from not only physical pain, but that calm the mind and spirit as well.

(all photos coutesy of Kat’s Kreations)

Look for our flyers in your town!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:02:09 -0800

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Our Favorite Foods: Featured Seller

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:41:01 -0800

Inspired by Grandma Rose’s recipe for pickles and named for my husband Duke, we’ve been making Duker’s Dills for years and giving them as gifts to friends and family. Then in 2008, my dear friend Gayle brought me the brochure for a class she insisted I must take. Getting Your Recipe To Market. This class is a part of CLIMB through PCC, and supported by SBA and The Food Inovation Center. Wow!! I had Soooo much Fun!!

Since then we have been taking “baby steps” forward developing our brand Our Favorite Foods, our products, and our strategy.

We currently sell our products in Portland specialty stores, online at our website: www.ourfavoritefoods.net, at Oregon City’s Winter Farmers Market, and at special events like Mid-Valley Made.

Duker’s Dills is developing a following of special customers. One of my favorite stories is about Norma from Texas. I met her at a 2010 Christmas show in Portland, she was visiting her daughter. Each time she visits her daughter, she calls and we meet up. In November, she met me at the Oregon City Farmers Market and she counted out the jars of pickles she was buying “November, December, January”. Love Norma!!! I look forward to seeing her in February!

(all photos courtesy of Our Favorite Foods)

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Deliberation

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:27:32 -0800

The application deadline has passed…which means only a few more days until we find out who will be joining us March 2nd & 3rd as vendors!

Check back this weekend to see the list of vendors so you can start making your shopping list!

HERDESIGN: Featured Seller

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:14:57 -0800

Creating unique and unusual jewelry started as a hobby for me. While working as a city planner for the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, I arrived at work one day wearing three bracelets and left wearing only one, having sold the other two to colleagues. A move to Oregon in 2001 and the scarcity of jobs in my field made the transition from urban designer to jewelry designer seem like fate.

Inspiration for my designs comes from materials, environments, and lifestyles. The urban sophistication of New York and the natural beauty of Oregon are combined to give my work a distinctive look. My studies in architecture and urban design have taught me the impact detail has on style. It is my firm belief that jewelry should make a statement, not a suggestion; my designs reflect that principle in their boldness of scale, texture, and color.

Gemstones, pearls, crystals, glass, natural and found materials are used as accents for handmade fine silver beads crafted by the Karen Hill Tribe in Thailand. They have been creating hand-made silver beads and jewelry for over 700 years. Silver jewelry is used in tribal ceremonies and to show social status. By bringing their work to a wider audience, these artisans can maintain tribal traditions and earn a fair and living wage. I have been fortunate to have beads I designed made by the Hill Tribe for my work.

Design has its challenges, including learning new skills and incorporating new materials. The ever escalating cost of silver has prompted me to start using copper and other metals, drawing inspiration from artist Alexander Calder’s amazing wire jewelry. I look forward to the next phase of jewelry design.

Gourmet Mix Market: Featured Seller

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:10:00 -0800

Sheela Terry, of Gourmet Mix Market, has always loved to cook. It was the easiest way for her to show her love and appreciation to friends and family. Gourmet Mix Market started with her creative “Gifts from a Jar” designed special for each individual who received one. These ranged from cakes and cookie mix to minestrone soup, or even potting soil for friends with orchards and gardens.

Here are some of her items which will show the great variety in products she offers.

Here you can find a great Beer Bread mix (as seen above) or you can search from one of her other categories like drinks and pastries. Below you can see her Russian Tea mix along with her Cranberry Orange Scone mix to the right. She even has a whole sugar free section!

Her next step for the shop is to move from her rented kitchen to a space of her own with a front door for walk in customers. Currently all of her products can be found at shows like our Mid-Valley Made or ordered over her website.

(all photos courtesy of Gourmet Mix Market’s website http://www.gourmetmixmarket.com/)

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Passport Spotlight

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:52:37 -0800

Can it be?! Even more free goodies!!!

Today’s Passport Spotlight is brought to you by Bonnie Tallis of TalPalace Glamour & Glitz.

The pendant is a Turquoise cabochon - wire wrapped with Argentium Sterling Silver (tarnish resistant). Valued at $56.00!

Here again is how it works:

Each entrant into the event will be given a Passport at the door with a map of the event. Each participating vendor will be marked on the map and you (the happy customer) get to scavenger hunt to each booth for a stamp on that vendors square.

Once ALL squares have been stamped then guess what?! You turn it in to the box and that will serve as your raffle ticket! Each vendor that participates will have donated a prize to be raffled off so there will be multiple drawings each day.

Mae Designs: Featured Seller

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:05:00 -0800

What do you do when you can’t find the perfect accessory out there for yourself or for your little one? This stay at home Mom, Shelby Blanton, has the answer: “Make it!”

Shelby Blanton’s shop “Mae Designs” offers a beautiful handmade collection of fabric rosette hair clips, adorned headbands, brooches, jewelry & home accent pieces!
Shelby prides herself on using quality fabrics combined with “previously loved” (recycled/earth-friendly) pieces to create her work. Which also means, no two items will be exactly the same!

Along with being her toddler daughter’s accessory designer, Shelby runs her shop on Etsy, has sold her items at Russell’s Salon and Day Spa in Salem, and participated in Mission Mill’s Holiday Heritage Faire. Shelby says her favorite part about designing and creating her items is when she see’s someone’s face light up and say that they found “exactly what they’ve been looking for.” Maybe you too, will find something that catches your eye at her booth this March!

(All photos courtesy of Mae Designs. To contact Shelby email her at shelby.blanton@yahoo.com)

Kacie Cross: Featured Seller

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:44:00 -0800

One of Portland’s up and coming designers, Kacie Cross, is now hitting the market place. She’s a student, a wife, a designer, and a stylist. This girl can do it all and we’d like her to because her eye for style is flawless. She grew up in West Salem, a neighbor to us here in Albany, and now resides in the greater Portland area.

One of her most recent accomplishments was winning first prize at the Portland Fashion Week Launch Party with her sequin flared pants and flowing orange top (as seen illustrated by the designer). The Portland fashion blog The Fashion Ate One described Kacie by saying, “not only is she amazing in general, she also designs amazing clothes…This girl knows how to take risks, and I dig it. She is the future of Portland Designers.”

Some of the items she will be bringing consist of jewelry, dresses, bags and more.

We can’t wait to see what she pulls out for us at this years show!

Check out the recent article written up about her on the fashion blog Student Stylists

(Photos: 1. Designer’s Native American Inspired Bag 2. The designer and her husband at the Portland Fashion Week Launch Party 3. Illustration of winning design 4. Outfit designed and styled by Kacie Cross)

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A Passport to Prizes!

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:29:47 -0800

Mid-Valley Made has what every shopper wants…free stuff!

Our highlighted passport raffle prize of the day is from Alesha Jess who created this lovely freshwater pearl bracelet valued at $30+. Thank you Alesha for such a beautiful prize!

Make sure to check back to see what other prizes you could win at this years Mid-Valley Made!

Barefoot Boards: Our First Featured Seller!

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:24:00 -0800

Up in North Albany there is a room full of reclaimed and recycled wood ready to float Oregon’s rivers and lakes. Chris Bryant is the founder and owner of Barefoot Boards where he hand crafts stand-up paddle boards, surf boards, body boards, and their own organic board wax to boot.

His journey started in Hawaii a few years ago when he and his family tried stand-up

paddle boarding for the first time. The love and passion they had for sailing now had a new outlet. So with Chris’s technical knowledge and his wife’s engineering skills they crafted their first board and from that a product was born.

Although their passion for sailing is still as strong as ever, they are now capable of exploring areas of the water where a boat can’t go. They have always felt at home on the water and now they are sharing that feeling with others, giving people a new way to explore the tangled web of Oregon’s rivers and streams that flow throughout the state.

To read more check out the Gazette Times article or to see their products go and see their website barefoot-boards.com.

(all photos courtesy of barefoot boards website barefoot-boards.com)

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Welcome Vendors!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:21:00 -0800

Well Hi! Its so great to meet you!

We are excited over here in Albany about all the vendors signing up to be in our very first show! Exclamation points for everyone!!!!

If you are a prospective vendor here are a few key things you are probably wanting to know:

The event will be held at Two Rivers Market right in the heart of Historic Downtown Albany
Yes! You can share a booth with another vendor.
We are looking for a wide variety of products so all are welcome to apply!
And yes, the show is going to be awesome. Crazy awesome.

Anything else you might want to know can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Thanks for checking us out! We can’t wait to see you in March!

And don’t forget we have a facebook too!