Frank Kudla - Metalsmith

Frank Kudla is a master metal-smith.
 He loves to garden (especially growing heritage tomatoes)
do gourmet cooking, is a history buff and has a passion for working with metal.
Frank designs and creates mother's rings,
pendants, earrings and is now making a new line of silver bracelets.
He lives in Baraboo with his artist wife, Char.

Our Very Merry Poster

Lucy Schonfeld

Lucy Schonfeld, water colorist
 and lamp maker, is inspired by nature.
She constructs her beautiful lamps made from curly willow and handmade paper.
 No two are ever alike!
This year she has added color to her work.
Lucy and her husband, Mike, live in Reedsburg
where they enjoy their children (who are world travelers),
grandchildren and "new puppy".

Linda Hinseth - Author

Linda Hinseth loves to take travel,
take pictures and write children's books.
She uses her own pictures and her own words to tell her of her adventures.
Linda lives in the Madison area.  

Dee Hooks - Mixed Media

Dee Hooks loves to collect "Stuff"!
She has been doing this her entire life.
She collects things to make other things that are fun and useful.
She thinks "differently" and her work shows her creative playfulness.
This is Dee's first time in The Very Merry. 

Maia Persche - Card Collage

Maia Persche is our youngest exhibitor.
.  We are extremely happy to have a second generation artisan.
Her cards and collages reflect nature - a key element in the center her life.
She has "inspired" us all.
Because of her and a friends hard work, families can now raise chickens in their back yards in Baraboo.
A civics lesson in action and we benefited from what they learned and did.
You MAKE things happen...you don't wait for things to happen!
She lives in Baraboo with her mom and dad, little brother and six chickens!
Welcome Maia!

Wild Flour Bakery

The Wild Flour Bakery
is one of Milwaukee's beloved bakeries.
 They sometimes put the bakery on the road
and visit shows and fairs throughout Wisconsin.
Dolly and Greg, seen here, started the bakery
 and specialize in Breads, Bagels, Cookies for the Season and More.

Opening Gala Benefit

Over the last four years
The Very Merry Holiday Fair Gala - Friday December 9 - 5-8 PM 
has raised over a thousand dollars for our favorite local non profits!
Boys and Girls Club, Sauk County Art Association and the Summerset Art Festival!
This year the Gala will benefit all three!

Sandy Myhre - Quilter

Sandy Myhre - Quilter from Andover, Minnesota.
Wall hangings, placements and more!

Sue Anderson - Fiber

Sue Anderson is a busy textile artist.
Spinning, knitting, sewing and surround her home with the feel and smell of delicious fiber.
Every year she brings something a different from the year before.
 All ,of course, made of fiber.
Sue lives in Baraboo and works at the University of Wisconsin Baraboo/Sauk County.

The terBeest Kids -Circa 1957

Rod-Dave-Ted-Char, 
about 1957, near Harmony, Minnesota.
Just a "sweet" Holiday family memory.
The Holidays are celebrated with families,
Your  immediate family or your "friends" family.
Celebrate the season with people you love.
(Another artisan post will come later today.)

Sara Rath - Author

We are very honored to have Sara Rath 
as one of our featured authors!
Her home and writing studio is in the rolling countryside near Spring Green.
Sara has loved writing from an early age.
She wrote plays and poetry in grade school.
Star Lake Saloon and Housekeeping Cottages was her first novel
and was a WPR charter a day read.  
Night Sisters, HH Bennett 
and a new "to be release book" are published through The University Press.
 She has two children, Joy and Laura.
Sara is married to Del and they share they home
 with Sadie, Manx, Nellie and Emma.

Sasha's Dressings

Kathy and Ken Taft spent years perfecting
their tasty line of dressings for salad and sandwiches.
 Kathy says it was tons of trial and error until she had the just right favor.
Their dressings business is named for their daughter, Sasha.
Their son, Ken, also works in their business.
They are based out of Mukwonago, Wisconsin. 

Paul Dominquez -Drawing

Paul Dominquez, loves nature,
as well as, hunting and fishing.
Though he majored in music, you will see him at art fairs
with his pencil drawings of birds, fish and more drawn on different plywood boards.
An unusual "canvas" is his choice to depict his subjects with total accuracy.
He has also illustrated his own bird and fish books.
He lives in Watertown with his artist wife, Jenni Hopfinger,
she's in the Very Merry. You can see her work in an earlier post. 

Another Gala

Take a Picture With Santa

Our friendly Santa Cut Out will be at The Very Merry.
Bring your camera or use your phone to take pics with Santa.
 Share them with your friends and family on Facebook,
He'll be there with his happy wave and rosy cheeks.  

Scott Allen - Woodworker

Scott Allen studied to be an engineer.
He is now working with wood and crafting beautiful items for the home.
He can make cabinets and chairs,
but for The Very Merry he has spoons, cutting boards and Lazy Susans.
Scott lives west of Baraboo with his wife - she's The Baraboo Head Librarian.

Shop at The Very Merry

Happy Artisans and Happy Patron!

Nick Kelly - Our Piano Man

Every year our favorite piano man, Nick Kelly,
plays music during the
Gala Opening of The Very Merry .
.  Nick is one of our local piano teachers.
He's activity in our community.
 Our gala support the local art scene.
 For five dollars you get a glass of champagne,
can shop early, and eat all the chocolate you want.
 And... listen to Nick's music!
Thanks Nick!

Jenni Hopfinger - Mixed Media

Jenni Hopfinger uses glass as her painting surface.
She chooses interesting shapes (stem ware, plates, goblets - more)
 and uses safe paints to express her
understand of shape, design and color.
She lives in Watertown with her husband,
Paul, another Very Merry artisan. 

Three Girls - Fun At The Gala

The Very Merry Holiday Fair
has an smashing opening Friday Nite Gala.
The Gala is a fundraiser for the art scene in Baraboo.
This years Gala will raise dollars for the Sauk County Art Association,
 Summerset Arts Festival
 and the Boys and Girls Club.
We ask for $5 at the door
which includes a glass of champagne
and tasty chocolates at six different sponsor tables. 
Very Merry Attire IS - Optional!!!!!

MA Katke - More Than Gourds

MA Katke is one talented lady.
 She began as a metal-smith, basically silver jeweler.
She moved into amazing  and intricate small silver ornate boxes.
When she and her husband, Tom, moved back to
Wisconsin from Hannibal  Missouri,
just a few years ago it was gourd art.
And what a treat for all of us.
Everything she learned from her metal crafting goes into her gourd work.
She has small decorated Holiday ornaments to large decorative gourd globes.
She has fallen in love with Baraboo and is considering moving her studio here.
 Tom is an abstract painter and their work is widely collected.

Ursula McCarthy - Wearables

Ursula McCarthy from Mukwongo
designs and constructs jackets, scarves, tops and more.
Her beautiful wearables are impeccably
constructed, fun and elegant.
  Her husbands likes to make his own flies for fishing.
Ursula has been with The Very Merry for five years.

Julie Montee - Mittens!

We found Julie Montee,
in a way back hallway at a show in Sparta.
She agreed to do The Very Merry and has been with us for five years.
She recycles wool sweaters into really "cool" affordable mittens.
They have been a fair favorite, so shop early.
Julie teaches school in LaCrosse.  

Bill and Leslie Genszler - Ceramics

Bill and Leslie Genszler, Briggsville ceramics artists,
uses the ancient technique called sgraffito.
The images "scratched " on each piece are intricate and
 reveals their relationship with their environment and life.
When not in her studio,  Leslie is
director of retail at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
Bill is a avid runner and continually curious about the world that surrounds him.
Bill and Leslie have been with The Very Merry for all five years.  

Julie Sutter-Blair - Drawings

Julie Sutter-Blairs work is like no other.
This Belleville artist, will make her first appearance at The Very Merry.
Her drawings and prints have won numerous awards at art fairs across in the Mid-West.
She says "Nothing is permanent in nature", so she captures and holds it  in her graphics.
 Noted Wisconsin author, Jerry Apps, and Julie collaborated on
a beautiful book - Wisconsin Travelers Companion.
Julie is married and their son, Patrick, keeps them busy and happy.
Welcome to the fair!

Kae Taylor - Batik Artist

Kae Taylor, went to art school in Nebraska
 and started out as a metal sculptor.
When she and her husband, Bud, moved to Madison
she explored Batik, a wax resist dyeing on cloth.
She has perfected this ancient art form with her amazing images.
She is one the best batik artists we know in the upper Midwest.
Because we are getting our first storm today,
 we'll show her penguins playing in the snow.
 Kae and Bud have three daughters. 

Shari Grenzow Mauer - Heart to Heart

Shari Grenzow Mauer's, work is definitely a family affair.
Her creative outdoor creations have a distinctive look,
 that are far above all others.
Almost to pretty to go outdoor,
 but definitely made to withstand whatever "mother nature" throws at them.
From Kiel, Wisconsin, Shari and her husband travel far and wide.
We are very lucky to have Heart to Heart in the Very Merry.

Phil Rego - Photographer

Photographer, Phil Rego, is inspired by nature.
Phil has been taking pictures his entire life!
 Last year he made his passion a business.
After spending many years in Minnesota,
 he and his wife, Chris, returned to Lyndon Station
 and started The Big Cheese Magazine. 

Author - Kathy Steffen

We have authors at the Very Merry!
Lone Rock's, Kathy Steffen, was our first author
and is returning to the fair this year!
She says she "makes stuff up all day and teaches others how to do it".
 Kathy has three books of fiction.
Her latest book is the Theater of Illusion.
She teaches writing and has a blog for writers.
She is married to Rob and they have three cats.

Mona's Friends

Mona Marks, doll maker extraordinaire - Baraboo.
Her dolls have been featured on the
Very Merry postcard and poster for the last three years.
Her figures start as detailed illustrations
and they grow into fascinating dolls with grace and charm.
 The Very Merry is the ONLY fair she does and
her sculptures have found their way into many collections.
She lives on a peaceful street in Baraboo
with her husband, Ben, and their three children.

Lisa Nelson's - LiL chocolates

"Life is like chocolate" says Lisa Nelson,
truffle and chocolate confections expert from the Wisconsin Dells.
  New to the Very Merry this year, we are looking forward to her amazing treats.
Her chocolates will delight the senses and entertain the thoughts.
She tried the corporate world, but decided she'd rather
be in her artisan kitchen dreaming up new combinations.  

A Little Something from the Boys and Girls Club

The Baraboo Boys and Girls Club
will be back to the Very Merry with their
"Little Canvases" fundraiser.
Each "Little Canvas" will cost five dollars.
Helen's Daughters Studio donated the canvases and
Arlene Beagan worked on the project with the kids.
You can't leave the Fair without one of this special paintings!
The BG Club is one of the nonprofits that will be represented at the Fair!

Pat Kroth

Pat Kroth's silk scarves are dyed individually.
They use leaves and nature for there inspiration.
Pat is from the Madison area
and her work is exquisite. 
She is into exercise and good health
has competed in the Madison Iron Man competition.
We're glad she is returning to our 5th Very Merry.

Win Byers

Rock Springs, Win Byers,
is one of two potters at the Fair this year.
Win lives with his artist wife,
Sandy, in a decades old school house.
They have a huge studio space,
show their work all over the United States and are widely collected.  
Win is known for the enormous hand thrown platters.
Elizabeth and Carl complete their family.