Winter arts and crafts fair held at Sanders County community market

The Sanders County community market held its winter arts and crafts sale at the Sanders County Fairgrounds in Plains on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Even though the temperature outside was a bone-chilling 2 below zero, the community came out to look at the variety of arts and crafts on display. The Plains Woman’s Club was present and sold hot coffee, hot tea, soup and sandwiches.

A large table had handmade chain mail by Ben McFudgen.

“I have been making the chain mail jewelry for three years now,” he said.

Ben’s wife Jane McFudgen was making handmade jewelry, adding “I have been making the tatted work since 2004.”

There was even more jewelry available at another table. Charlene Wall of Plains was selling silver and gold-plated jewelry and said “I have just started doing this back in September of this year. I do it for fun and to meet people.”

Dorothy Devolder of Paradise had a space set up with several pieces of her glass etchings.

“I originally started etching by hand,” she said. “I now use an etching cream and then transfer the photo onto the glass. There was one woman who saw the glass that has the design of an elephant’s butt on it and she had to have it.”

Devolder went on to give more information about the community market and how it is growing.

John Burch stepped forward and said, “I had someone from the USDA call me and they discussed how they are interested in helping us become like a farmer’s market. The USDA has programs where seniors can buy produce using food stamps or other assistance. The representative mentioned they may be able to help us with information and advertising.”

Burch is one of the organizers with the market. He creates art and useful household items like trivets and a paper towel holder using horseshoes.

“I have over 500 pounds of horseshoes that I get from Pacific Hide and Fur in Missoula,” Burch said. “I have slowed down making much with the horseshoes, as it all needs to be cleaned.”

Another community market member sold homemade jams, jelly and bread.

“This started out at first as a joke,” David McClenahan from Missoula said. “Now it is all of the jams and jellies here.”

The variety of jams and jelly ranged from apple to pumpkin. There was also homemade bread that could be sampled and purchased from McClenahan.

Among the more unique items on display and for sale was a peramiscope, which was handmade by Ken Jones, who is the sexton at Plains. It is made of wood and glass.

“It helps people with the right side of their brain and some professionals use it in therapy,” Jones said. “I use the golden rule which is 1.168 as the formula on all the products I make and sell. I have used a book matching technique when working with wood and keep the boards in sequence so they mirror each other. I like to use old and diseased wood that no one else wants to use.”

Jones also sold old printed gunnysacks that he had found, and the large frames of wood that were around each one.

“The wood frames on those (gunnysacks) are from an old fence that was on Third Street in Plains that had to be torn down,” he added. “The wood is over 100 years old. The wood had been sitting in storage for 30 years.”

The community market is for anyone who wants to show and sell arts, crafts, food, jewelry and more.

“We have people who are here that want to make money with what they create, as well as people who do this as a hobby for fun to get out and meet other people,” Devolder said.