I found this photo online (at flickr) of Roycroft era postmen laden with holiday packages for delivery. Do you have your shopping completed and holiday cards posted? Come to the Copper Shop in East Aurora for a fine selection of gifts and cards that are sure to please. 31 South Grove Street.
Happy Hunting,
Sue
The Roycroft Winter Festival will be at the East Aurora Middle School, 430 Main St., East Aurora, New York and is directly across the street from the Roycroft Campus. There will be a wide variety of craftsmanship: from paintings and screen prints to pottery, jewelry, stained glass, woodworking and much more from the Roycroft Juried Artisans (plus food and holiday music.) Admission is $1.00 per person.
If you have ever asked the question, "How do they do that?", you may find the answer at this show. Artisans will also be stopping in at the decorated Roycroft Copper Shop Gallery, 31 S. Grove St., this weekend.
The show is from 10:00am to 5:00pm both Saturday, December 5th and Sunday, December 6th. Look for the statue of Elbert Hubbard at the school. Sponsored by the Roycrofters At-Large Association. We hope to see you!
Claudia
Here we are again. It's that time of year when western New Yorkers wonder how bad the coming winter will be so I am "re-running" my winter prediction blog. Some people check the Farmer's Almanac for the winter forecast but others begin searching the ground. We are looking for wooly bears. Not the large, four footed kind, but the small, crawling kind - wooly bear caterpillars. European folklore got our ancestors hooked on this itty bitty barometer and it still is an amusing way to attempt to forecast the winter season.
This fuzzy guy that curls into a ball as soon as you touch him is usually divided into three colored bands that - supposedly - tell how severe the winter will be and what part of the winter will be the worst. If the brown band in the middle is large, it will be a mild winter. If the black bands on the ends are bigger, it will be a rough winter. And depending on the length of the black bands at the head or tail end of the caterpillar, either the beginning of the winter or the end will be difficult - more black being colder and snowier.
So start looking for the creeping prognosticator. And if you don't like what you see on the first one, keep looking for another! This photo is the first wooly bear I have found for 2009 and seems to indicate a rough beginning and then mild after that. We'll see. . .
Just remember, regardless what the winter weather brings, there are cozy fires in the fireplaces of the Copper Shop and the Inn on the Roycroft Campus to welcome you and keep the winter at bay.
These are photos of the Roycroft Inn at different points in time. As you can see, the pictures are seasonal, also.
We know Elbert Hubbard and his family ate many meals at the Inn. Do you think they had Thanksgiving dinner at the Inn, and do you wonder if the turkey was carved by Elbert or one of the artists on the campus? Can you imagine the Roycroft Orb Logo on a copper tag attached in some manner to the bird? Of course, I am just having fun; but, learning about the charismatic, clever and often comedic personality of the Fra, I bet there were some not surprisingly silly antics at family holidays.
The Roycroft staff and volunteers hope your Thanksgiving Day was filled with love, friendship and peace to start off the holiday season. Yum--turkey, cranberries, yams, green beans, pies and a nap!
Claudia
Have you ever noticed the sign for the Copper Shop which hangs from the tree outside? It is a beautiful example of copper repousse work executed by RALA master artisan Frank Glappa. The sign began as a flat sheet of copper which Frank then hammered on the front and then the back; forcing the letters and Royrcoft mark into their raised relief form. The evenness and accuracy of his hammer work is amazing to the layman yet typical of the level of craftsmanship of RALA artisans.
You can experience the craft firsthand by taking a class at the Roycroft. Classes are offered in this technique and others. The dates and course descriptions are posted on the RCC website. If you prefer to admire the work rather than do it yourself, there are many artisan wares for sale in the Copper Shop. You will be supporting their work and adding a unique art object to your home which will no doubt become a family heirloom.
Come to the Copper to see what is in stock for the holiday season, 31 South Grove Street, East Aurora, NY.
