Visit the Holmstad Gift Shop While You’re at the Bazaar

The Holmstad Gift Shop is operated by resident volunteers. It will be open during the September 30 Bazaar. Stop in to purchase commercially produced and handmade cards created by residents. Also available are seasonal items, children’s toys and activities for quiet time. In addition to the regular merchandise, the Gift Shop will have a table of clearance bargains. Come and find that special gift!

Autumn gifts and decor are in stock. 

 

Several residents make cards that are popular in the Gift Shop. Commercial cards are also available at reasonable prices. 

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Books & Puzzles for All Ages

26 Categories of Books in the Shop

One large room is filled with books and puzzles for all ages. The books are sorted into 26 categories so you can easily find your favorite mysteries, best sellers, cookbooks, children’s books, and coffee table books. Here is a sample of more than 2,000 items that will be available in the Books & Puzzles Shop at the Bazaar on Sept. 30, 9 am – 3:00 pm.

Best Sellers

Cookbooks 

So far, there is only one copy of the Batavia Home Town Cookbook with recipes from 1833 -1983. If you are looking for it, get there at 9:00 am. 

 

Coffee Table Books

Puzzles

There are a lot of used puzzles of various sizes to browse. Note: Because they are donated, we cannot guarantee that each puzzle is complete. But they are definitely priced to sell.  

Resident Volunteers in the Book Shop

These residents have been working since May, sorting and prepping the high volume of books that have been donated this year.  

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Wilbur Zirk’s Wooden Children’s Toys

Wilbur At Work

Wilbur Zirk started making children’s toys when the nieces and nephews began to arrive. However, he’s been a woodworker since he was a teenager. Wilbur and his wife, Esther, arrived at The Holmstad in 2020. He soon became involved in the wood shop where he enjoys making wooden toys and games.

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Wilbur’s Pink Bunny was created after a request at last year’s Bazaar for a pink pull toy. This year, he thought he was done after creating several of these but then got a request for BLUE bunnies! You’ll find both at the September 30 Bazaar.

 

 

 

 

 

Handcrafted Walking Sticks by Richard (Mac) MacFeely

For The Love of Walking 

Walking sticks — or the longer version hiking sticks – have been around as long as people have walked. They are often made from branches and roots or any wood of the forest. Popular woods are walnut, maple, oak and hickory. The tops can be cast metal or carved wood. Mac will custom fit each stick to the buyer. Mac shares, “Turning, carving and assembling the sticks has kept me challenged. I love helping others find their stride.”

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Purchase walking sticks at the September 30 Bazaar

Mac’s handcrafted walking sticks make great Christmas gifts and will be available at The Holmstad Bazaar on September 30 from 9 am-3 pm. Stop by Mac’s table in the Bazaar’s Wood Shop to find out more about his handcrafted sticks.

This is more detail of one of the sticks above. Mac made this out of a pool cue and topped it with an eight-ball. 

Dave Anderson’s Bandsaw Boxes

Dave Anderson

Dave and his wife, Merrie, moved to The Holmstad in 2014. As a long-time woodworker, he made the community’s wood shop his home away from home. For several years, Dave has led the group in projects for the Bazaar and to make or repair anything that The Holmstad needed from the woodworkers. One of Dave Anderson’s popular woodworking projects for sale at the September 30 Holmstad Bazaar are his Bandsaw Boxes. 

Also see Dave’s birdhouses at the Bazaar Wood Shop! 

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Samples of designs for sale at the September 30 Bazaar

Each small box is made of several hardwoods with one or more drawers ideal to hold tiny treasures.

 

Joe Whatley’s Handcrafted Wood Boxes

Joe Whatley at Work

Joe Whatley has enjoyed woodworking for many years. Moving to Covenant Living at the Holmstad in 2019 added camaraderie to the fun of this hobby. Among the wooden items that Joe has built to sell at the September 30 Holmstad Bazaar are boxes that would make great gifts. It gives Joe a great deal of satisfaction when a box comes together well.

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Four boxes that will be sold at the Bazaar

He looks for an interesting grain or knot in the wood to incorporate in the box design. The corner joints are always “finger” or “dove tail” to create interest.

Inside one of Joe’s boxes

 

Norwegian Hardanger Needlework by Allan Dempsey

Allan Dempsey

     Forty-one years ago, Allan was looking for another needlework challenge. He had enjoyed counted cross stitch as a relaxing hobby but was ready to try something new. While traveling in Minnesota, he visited a needlework shop, and his hobby took a very new turn: Hardanger.
     The owner introduced him to this Norwegian needlework art, and he was hooked. Allan will be selling several pieces of his work at The Holmstad Bazaar on Saturday, September 30 from 9 am-3 pm. Come visit Allan’s display. He would enjoy talking with you about the Hardanger process.

Allan has lived at Covenant Living at the Holmstad since July 2020. 

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A variety of small hearts and other pieces will be for sale at the Bazaar.

Hardanger techniques

Hardanger starts with a plain even-weave fabric like linen, cotton, or synthetic. Then Allan creates an intricate lace-like pattern using counted threads and drawn thread work techniques.