Art strives to express; craft strives for excellence. Good art has good craft, good craft is artistic. Within every craft there exists artists. Within every artist there is craft." -Ralph Reichenbach & Doug Madill


A girl's gotta get her holiday bling going on

How are your holidays going so far?
 With 12 shopping/baking/wrapping/decorating days left till Christmas most people especially women are starting to feel the crunch. Most of us don't have time in our schedule to fit one more party or shopping outing into our calender. I Know! That's why I am going to take you on a virtual road trip. Even though this is sunny Florida grab your coat & scarf because it is in the low 40's with wind & fog. We are going to the Placida Saturday Arts & Crafts Market located off of Gasparilla Rd (CR 771) just a tad south of the entrance to Boca Grande Causeway. 
The market is located at the Historic Fishing Village of Placida. This is an array of little houses relocated from the local area and nestled right on the edge of Gasparilla Sound creating a wonderful place to experience old Southwest  Florida.  The village is the home of Margaret Albritton Gallery & The Fishery Restaurant. Margaret's gallery  is the ultimate art eye candy  for tropical beachy original art, crafts,  & home decor.

 The Art Market happens in the common area outside of the gallery. They have created an opportunity for any artist & craftsman to come and display their work at no entry fee. That is for free. Come on! And for the public who attend there is no parking fee & no admission fee. I always say "If it's foe free - it's foe me!" So are you ready? We're here and I got a great free parking spot right up front. Let's go stroll the art market.
My niece Pookie loves any kind of outdoor market

The fog is lifting but it is still about 55 degrees and windy


At our first stop we were greeted by a very festive looking Linda Fudala-Tucker. In her best story teller broad she read us a portion of her  self-published book " 'Twas the Night of Nativity". The illustrations are by her sister Mary Fudala Stillwagon. I bought  one for my mom and the author kindly offered to sign my purchase for me. Very nice considering all our hands were frozen from the cold.
Local author and journalist Linda Fudala-Tucker
Maren Thompson of Woodsedge Pottery
Suzanne Martin of Damselfly Creations
Shirley Campbell of Shirl's Art Works
Personal Gardener Debbie Lutman
Pretty planters
Debbie picked this chair up on the side of the road  resourced this chair.
Jody & Julie of Glitter Girls on the Gulf
The Glitter girls were just charming to chat with. Jody told me she had recently found a Junonia on the beach where she lives on Palm Island. Both ladies have turned their lanai's into temporary art studios much to the chagrin of their husbands.

What a great way to add some glitz & glamour to your holiday buffet


Designer Zella Austin of Zella's Treasures
Deborah Teachout Bailey of Bailout at the Beach
The wood sculpture below was a creation of Deborah's from her college days.  When she needed a display for her jewelry she re figured her sculpture with dowels for hanging. Her necklaces are made from beautiful shell pieces found on local beaches.
Deborah's re purposed sculpture from her college days
Artist Beverly Post Ketterer sells aprons for shelling on the beach. She got the idea from seeing people using Home Depot nail aprons.
Artist-Designer Tico Williamson from Sarasota
Artist Linda Soderquist 
Lisa M Leydon and her handblown glass Natulis
Michele Cotty Loger of Cotty Designs
Kristen of Kristis Creations
The folks from G-Bone's were barbecuing pulled pork and serving up samples of their pickled swamp cabbage
G-Bone's of Fort Ogden, Florida (863)494-3332
There was so much to see. Pookie & I braved to cold for 3 hours as were cruised the outside booths. We also stopped into the on site galleries.  You must visit the Hatch Gallery. Jon Hatch has taken beachcombing to a new level . He takes the lowly piece of driftwood and transforms them into incredible creatures of the sea and air.


I apologize to the many artists that I failed to get pictures of. I am blaming the freezing cold and frozen picture snapping fingers. 
Please visit Artist Marsha Banas
Also  Photographer Ed Brickfield who had some stunning photographs.  His motto is "life is art and art is life".


The stage where they hold special events like the Placida Reading Festival & Rotary Club's Annual Seafood Festival
Fresh Fish is not that far away. Miss Cindy's located right in the village


So there is talk that this adorable little village could possibly be bought and razed for yet another condominium complex. What a stinking shame. The shop owners have barely survived a new bridge that was just completed.  Due to the construction on the road out front their traffic was cut  by 50%. The annual Placida Seafood Festival will be held here March 19 & 20 in 2011. There is alway a hub in a community wheel that friends, family, & tradition revolve around. The Historic Placida Fisherman's Village facebook site says it all -


 "Placida Fishing Village is a small very special place, reflecting a calmer & slower pace, a bit of old Florida & the way things use to be. 
Come & Enjoy the View, the Food, the Orchids, the Shops & meet the Artist!"

If you enjoyed our virtual trip I hope you will plan to visit for real. After you cruise the art market you are only 10 minutes away from the world class beaches of Boca Grande & Englewood, Florida. Hopefully, this historic treasure will be here for years to come for our kids to enjoy with their families.


Comments

  1. WOW! I love everything! I've never seen the hand blown glass...how awesome is THAT?! I would love to come in the spring!It's definitely COOL here...especially today! Rainbow Springs will have Santa arriving on the river again next weekend! I hope you can go! It's SO much fun! I want to go again! heehee! ♥

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  2. Thanks for the tour of a warming climate-my husband was just saying we're having the worst blowing storm ever-looks like a group of really talented people!

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  3. Great show- thanks for the tour. can't wait to see what this weather brings us ....and the dredging

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  4. What a great show! My very favorite were the Glitter Girls (love their name!). And I also really loved the shelling aprons, such a great idea! Everyone looked so cold, but the 50's in December for us would be a heat wave!! Sure hope you don't get that freeze down there, I always feel so bad for the farmer's!

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  5. Wow, that was a trip! Thanks for taking us around...who knew there was such a thing in Placida...gotta go there. We usually just drive through on our way to Boca Grande.

    Those poor darlings, freezing their little artistic hands off...this weather is terrible!

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  6. That was so much fun! Thank you for sharing. I think I'm going to have to go back and get one of those glass nautlis!

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  7. Well, this was a fun tour. Of course, it wouda been betta, had I been there! I'm so impressed that they don't charge the artists any fees π veeeeery cool!

    Unfortunately, it looks as thought this darn cold kept people away. You know we are a bunch of wimps when it comes to cold. I'm missing that perfect beach weather we should be having about now. Tonight though will be the worst! 24 in Orlando sucks and we're not going to be much warmer here in Tampa.

    Love ya!

    btw, seashell tree coming soon, thanks for demanding, I mean, asking for a repost.

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  8. Thanks for sharing this delightful market. Hmmmm...I may just have to go visit (and maybe bring some art)...when it gets a bit warmer!!!

    Yeah...I'm becoming a true Floridian again (I am a native, but have lived in cold climes...and hated it!). Below 60 degrees and I am inside. Can't go barefoot at those temps!
    Hugs,
    Jane (artfully graced)

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