Tehachapi News

Local vendors show off for BVS holiday bazaar

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Bear Valley Springs resident Shirl Bender made her first stuffed animal for her grandson eight years ago for his initial day of pre-school.

Eight years later, Bender displayed “oh god, hundreds” of her hand-stitched furry companions - complete with blanket compartments on their backs - at the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association Nov. 27-28 at the Whiting Center in Bear Valley Springs.

What started as a gift for a family member turned into possible income for Bender, a trait shared by many local vendors at the holiday bazaar.

Joan Skinner, who said she has been painting for 15 years, is retired, and now sells her own original watercolor art works to supplement her income.

She said she didn't expect to sell too many of her paintings at the bazaar, but just wanted to introduce herself, and her art, to members of the local community.

“I'm trying to make my painting full time,” Skinner said.

Nestled in a barrage of lively colors - not just the standard Christmas green and red - Tehachahippie Stuff owner Lauren Alexander sewed multi-pattern custom bags and other items for passersby during the bazaar.

“One guy came by and wanted a bag that had one side Dachshunds and one side cellos,” she said. “I guess he likes both of those.”

Alexander, whose items also included a bevy of tie-dyed apparel, said the event was her first time as a vendor at the Bear Valley bazaar.

“There's some people with unique stuff here,” she said.

Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association Co-President Nicki Keene said the bazaar was usually held each year in the first few days after Thanksgiving.

Keene said all items for sale by vendors must be handmade by local residents, or someone sponsored by a local resident.

“We have never promoted commercial vendors because it doesn't highlight Bear Valley Springs members,” Keene said.

Frankie Oldenburg said she originally wanted to make wooden statues of saints, but the process was too lengthy and tiresome to create just a single figure.

Oldenburg said she then heard about a way to make dolls, some 14 inches tall, out of simple cornhusks.

Ten weeks later, Oldenburg had given life to dozens upon dozens of cornhusk dolls, some of which were embellished in Christmas decoration. She displayed her first batch during the bazaar.

The art is known as Enconchada, which is Spanish for cornhusk. Bigger cornhusk dolls went for $7.

“It's different, and it's inexpensive,” Oldenburg said of her craft.

Oldenburg, who was raised in New Mexico, said it took her a little more than half an hour to create one cornhusk doll.

Denise Salamunovich, who has traveled from Venice Beach to sell at the bazaar for five years, said Bear Valley Springs was a good place to show off her handmade scarves, hats, tote bags, tooth fairy pillows and trivets, made from recycled wine bottle corks.

“That was the best part,” Salamunovich said with a laugh. “Drinking the wine to get the corks.”

Salamunovich said she usually sells “just during the holidays.”

“It's always a good group up here,” she said. “Other people don't appreciate the handmade anymore.”

The bazaar even had room for the newbies.

Joyce Tanaka sold “explosion books” - foldable picture scrapbooks - during the festival despite having only learned to make them two weeks earlier.

Tanaka said she learned to make the books during a scrapbooking class at Picture Perfect & Stamp on Tehachapi Boulevard.

Alongside Tanaka was T.C. Phillips and “Snowman Central,” an array of homemade snowman-related merchandise Phillips said she has been making for six years.

“This is only my second year selling,” said Phillips, whose works included snowman candles made from baby food jars. “I mostly make them for gifts.”

Two Tehachapi sisters had different reasons for pushing homemade picture frames, necklaces and blankets.

Bayleigh Wiggins, 20, and Madison Wiggins, 16, wanted to raise money to allow them to do volunteer work in Russia and Ecuador respectively.

Bayleigh said she would work at an orphanage, while Madison said she would help build a school.

“This is going to help, even a little bit,” Bayleigh said.