The Roadkill Festival & The Shindig: Come on out and have some fun!

Today was an overwhelming success and a lot of fun for me at the The Roadkill Festival held in Pocohontas County, West Virginia. The festival is wildly popular and had quite a turn out. In years past, this annual festival, promoted by the Pocohontas County Chamber of Commerce, has been covered by major news outlets like CNN, Travel Channel and The Discovery Channel. Programs like All-American Festivals, Fest Quest, and The Today Show have all done segments on this very unique event.  The authors of the best-selling Weird U.S. have even recognized the zaniness of The Roadkill Cook-off! It was a fun filled day for all who attended.

The Roadkill cookoff came about when, several years ago, West Virginia made it legal to take home---and use---animals killed by cars. Marlinton, West Virginia soon became the home of the very unique Roadkill Cook-off & Festival. The festival offers many unique dishes to test your palette on. You might find dishes like Rigormortis Bear Stew, Asleep at the Wheel Squeal, Tire Tread Tortillas, Deer on a Stick and lots more. While it is certainly true that citizens of the state have been picking up and cooking road kill long before they named a festival in honor of the practice, the festival is sure to offer something exciting for everyone.

Besides the amazing food to tease your taste buds, the festival also features many artisan's booths offering all sorts of crafts made throughout the state. I am proud to say that Cranberry Ridge Design was one of the booths featured. It was so much fun. I truly enjoyed chatting with all the wonderful people who came by. Many of my purses "Oh Wow bags" and other handmade items were sold today.

If you missed the festival, I invite you to mark your calendar to attend the festival next year. It is surely a "must-do" event. Let's face it, where else could you possibly get creamy squirrel gravy over biscuits with a side of deer sausage? (You can find more information by contacting the Pocohontas Chamber of Commerce.)

In the meantime, Cranberry Ridge Design will occupy a booth tomorrow at the Cranberry Nature Center at the Shindig in Pocohontas County.
It will be a lot of fun.
The Shindig, is a **'traditional appalachian festival featuring live folk dancing and music. Local artisans will be set up demonstrating and selling their goods from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Demonstrations and goods including blacksmithing, spinning wheel, basketry, fly tying, wooden bowls, homemade soap, fudge, and much more.' There is sure to be something for everyone. I hope to see you there.

Cranberry Nature Center
Located at the junction of Route 150 and Route 39/55, 16 miles from Marlinton and 22 miles from Richwood. 304-653-4826
Click HERE for more information on Cranberry Nature Center.


For those of you who won't be able to come to the event, remember, I do take custom orders for my "Oh Wow Bags" and for my other handmade items and welcome you to contact me with your design wishes. (You can find my contact address on the right hand column of this blog.) My items are also sold at Tamarack in Beckley, WV and on Etsy.

I look forward to seeing those of you who can make it to the Shindig tomorrow.
For those who can't attend, I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for visting my blog today.
Connie

**http://www.pocahontascountywv.com/events/1426/2011/september/cranberry-shindig.aspx

Festivals and more Festivals!

CRD is starting to gear up to show off their wares at local festivals!

First on the agenda CRD will be traveling to Flatwoods, WV for the 2nd annual West Virginia Made trade association wholesale/retail show.  You can read all about it at  WV Made trade show  .It will be held Sept 9th and 10th, 2011. The first day will be for wholesale only and the second day for retail sale. At Flatwoods visitors will have the chance to shop at the Flatwoods Factory Stores . They feature  the Fiestaware store, Black and Decker Tools store, etc. So, ladies there is something for you and something for that man that I am sure will want to bring you to central WV!

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 CRD will be at 19th annual Roadkill and Cook off and Festival in beautiful Pocahontas County, WV! The county has a population of 9000 but the festival has the county being host to over 18, 000 people!! Looks like roadkill will bring them out of the woods!

The following day Sunday, Sept 25, 2011 we will be enjoying the wonderful Cranberry Glades area.
CRD will be setting up their wares at the 23th annual Shindig This event was started by my husband, Roger so many years ago!

The weekend of Oct 7th-9th, 2011 CRD will be joining the 31st Annual Arts and Craft Show at Fairlea, WV.  Lewisburg, WV will be where the 27th annual TOOT (taste of the town) will be held on Saturday that same weekend. Come out and bring family and friends and have a weekend to taste some wonderful food and help worthy causes.

Congratulations to Barb, our winner. Surprise..you won again!!

Our recent giveaway winner, Barb Cantrell, was kind enough to share a photo of herself with her new one of a kind, handmade purse. Congratulations Barb! Thanks for sharing your photograph with us. Enjoy your bag!

AN ADDED SURPRISE FOR YOU BARB......
In addition, Pixie Paint Studio, the graphic artistry and ongoing site maintenance company that takes care of our online and many of our offline graphic needs, has graciously added a custom photo package to your winnings in celebration of our recent opening of Cranberry Ridge Design and our impressive induction into Tamarack. You should receive your photos via email very soon. Congratulations & Enjoy!

I encourage you to contact Pixie Paint Studio for all your graphic, online or photo enhancement/digital needs as well as for your handpainted design needs. You can contact Pixie Paint Studio on Etsy or by emailing PixiePaintStudio@comcast.net
Pixie Paint Studio has been both helpful and instrumental in opening my business and honestly, has made much of it almost effortless for me. Putting my online needs in their hands allows me more time to do what I love doing most...sewing & creating fabulous new designs for Cranberry Ridge Design!

Stay tuned for more new designs and future giveaways.

Thanks for visiting today,
Connie

Purse Giveaway: We have a winner!!!

CRD is pleased to announce the winner of the current purse giveaway!

........AND THE WINNER IS:

BARB CANTRELL!

Congratulations Barb!

Thanks to everyone for liking Cranberry Ridge Design on FaceBook!

**For those of you who didn't win this time, keep checking back frequently for more great giveaway's from CRD in the future.

Thanks for stopping by,

Connie



Tamarack!!

I am quite pleased to announce that on 08/11/2011 

I was successfully juried into Tamarack!!

I couldn't be more pleased to be a participating Tamarack artisan and now considered

part of "the best of West Virginia." I invite you all to visit Tamarack (Beckley, WV) to see not only my work but the work of all the fine artisans whose work is displayed and sold there.

Below you can read about what I believe is at the heart of Cranberry Ridge Design!!

Artisan Statement - Connie Ridgeway

The support Connie receives from family and friends has empowered her passion for creating memories. Whether it is a personal item like the "Oh Wow Bag", a quilt, or clothing for her grandchildren, it brings a heartwarming delight to her soul.

The reality of Cranberry Ridge Design (CRD) finally came to fruition with the creation of the "Oh Wow Bag". The first bag was made for her daughter Debra, and the next bags were made for daughters’ Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Rebecca! CRD was on the way to becoming a lifelong dream!

As a child, Connie was lovingly influenced by her maternal grandmother Iona Diamond, her mother Madge Diamond, and her older sisters. The love of sewing had begun in a young girl’s heart! Through their tutelage, the skills Connie attained became the bedrock for her creation of Cranberry Ridge Design.

It takes more than skills to foster one's craft. You need the tools for those crafts to flourish. Her father, the Rev. Amon Diamond, always kept the old family Singer sewing machine in good repair. She now uses a Janome 6600 sewing machine along with a Singer serger sewing machine to create her designs. She devotes over 30 hours a week to her passion of sewing. Her hand crafted creations reflect the values she treasures from her Appalachian heritage.

Connie frequently visits "The Quilt Shop" owned by Mrs. Vickie Fleer of Summersville, WV. Vickie provides immense guidance by inspiring creative design. She has afforded Connie the opportunity to work with customers and assist in this exquisite shop. Connie has assisted seamstresses in choosing the right fabrics and color choices that fit the color schemes of their project. Connie derives enjoyment from her sewing and quilting and uses that enthusiasm to encourage new seamstresses who come into the shop to take up the craft of quilting and in keeping that craft alive.

"May the warmth of love always surround you!" This self-authored phrase is placed on a hand created label that is added to every quilt Connie makes and presents to newlyweds. It conveys the joy and blessing she gets while stitching each quilt and her wish that the quilt will be treasured for years to come.

Connie’s goals are to be admitted into Tamarack and to participate in other ventures that feature West Virginia artisans. To have the opportunity to showcase her skills and talent in the textile medium would be a wish come true for Connie. Connie also plans to continue to provide mentoring to beginning students who have a keen interest in textiles.

Cranberry Ridge Design: "One of a kind design…one at a time!"

Connie Ridgeway Bio

Connie was born and raised in eastern Kentucky. It was there she learned the art of creating and sewing from her grandmother, mother and sisters. She was asked in high school to assist others in learning the art of sewing. She creates for family and friends.

In the late eighties Connie chose to pursue a degree in nursing. She attended a branch of the University of Kentucky and graduated with a degree as a Registered Nurse. Connie has provided care from the east coast to the west coast in top ten medical centers. Her passion in nursing has been in the oncology population.

Connie moved to Nicholas County, West Virginia in 2000. Connie is the biological mother of one daughter and one son. When she married Roger Ridgeway in 2007 she became a mother to three more daughters and a son. They now have one granddaughter and two grandsons. Of course, lets not forget her extended family - her Yorkie brood!

Thanks for learning a bit about CRD and for visting my blog today!
I am glad you stopped by and hope you will visit me here again soon.

Connie

 

 

       

 

Purse Giveaway! You can win!!

Cranberry Ridge Design is offering a giveaway for this awesome handmade bag.

It is easy to win. All you need to do is LIKE Cranberry Ridge Design on Facebook.
Enter for this purse through August 17th, 2011. Winner will be announced at 9pm Eastern time on Aug 17th.

You can go to Cranberry Ridge Design Facebook directly from this page. Look for the link in the right hand column of this blog.

Will it go to you?

*Pass this news on to all your friends too.
Good Luck!
Thanks for visiting my blog today!
Connie

I have a new bag for sale! Don't miss this one! It is beautiful!

I have had so many orders for my bags that I have had a hard time sewing fast enough to build up some stock for those who want to buy ready made bags or totes. I have finally completed one that I have placed for sale on Ebay.

This is an "Oh Wow!" bag.
Styled of fashionable black and pink fabrics, it is definitely a bag that will turn heads.
This bag is approximately sized at 15" wide x 18" high x 5 deep, or 38 cm wide x 46 cm high x 13 cm deep.
This is a roomy bag, perfect for looking stylish while carrying all your treasures. This beautiful handmade one of a kind bag is made of top quality 100% cotton fabrics
Snatch this one up while you can for it is certain it won't last long.
You can go directly to my Ebay auction by clicking HERE.

This would be a great bag to put back for that special gift for that special someone.

Thanks for visiting my blog today,
Connie

If you are interested in ordering a custom "Oh Wow!" bag or a "Little Sister" bag in custom fabrics, contact me so that I can make your dreams come true. I can design a bag custom made just for you. You can find my contact email address in the right hand column of this blog. Hope to hear from you soon.