Only Here For A Short Time: The First Wave of Exhibitors at The Summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair

Spotlighting the Artists and Craftspeople of various mediums here for just the first few days of the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair at the Convention Center.

The summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair is kicking off on July 11 and will run daily from 10-5 through the 20th. However, not all the attendees will be at the Convention Center for the duration of the event. I don’t want you to miss anyone, so here’s a listing of the exhibitors that are only here for a little while—the ones staying from July 11-15. Let’s briefly introduce them and show you what they do!

HERNANDEZ, LIDIANA: Mixed Media

Personalized by Lilly Tumblers & More is her business that beautifully personalizes your tumbler cups in her own creative way that will capture your memories.

YERKEY, KIM: Wood, Pyrography, Decorative Painting

Kim’s Yerkey Creative consists of artwork hand-burned into the wooden "canvas" using a pyrography tool and then stained. The textures of the burned wood are embellished with multiple shades of metallic paint, giving the subject an iridescent sheen that’s hard to appreciate from a photo. It’s then sealed with polyurethane.

McDONALD, LISA-ANN: Military & Keepsake Boxes, Coin Display Boards, Jewelry, Wood

*no further details were found*

GRIFFITH, MICHAEL REEVES & DYLAN: Mushroom Kits, Extracts, Coffee & Mushrooms

*no further details were found*

HOLMES, SARAH: Upcycled

Sarah represents Paperdoll Handmade, which uses handmade/upcycled home decor and gifts created from rescued books, or made with book themes.
Material used include books, paper, wood, floral, natural elements...

HULSEY, CONNIE: Recycled, Vintage Crafts

Connie uses books, book pages, worn Tupperware or LP’s- purses- game boards- all kinds of things to create journals, coasters, clocks, lights, mirrors, keychains, bookmarks jewelry and other functional objects.

ELLIS-BEHNKE, RUTLEDGE & JULIE: Mixed Media

Cinder Lane Toasted is their business. Rutledge invented this process which ages whiskey in 4-7 days, instead of 4-7 years. Wood chips are sifted, toasted hand-blended, and hand-packed at their SC farm. Great fun for the whiskey-drinker to tinker.

DILLINGHAM, KAY: Metal Working, Books

Kay’s specialty is personalizing books for kids with her Personalize A Book For Me, where Children’s books are personalized with the child’s name on almost every page. Books are printed, collated, and bound on site, with over 40 topics to choose from.

ROPER, EMILY: Engraving, Leather

Emily’s business is Brightland Leather Company, which takes raw materials, such as leather, metal ammo cans, and jewelry, and uses a laser engraver to personalize them.

GOITEIN, SHULLI: Jewelry, Leather

ShilliDesign is her business. She has created an extraordinary jewelry line created for women who enjoy making their own statements. Her work is entirely hand-made using Italian luxury leathers.

MERCIER, JEAN: Fabric, Home

Jean’s business is Minky Girl, LLC. She hand-makes Minky throws of all designs for all ages, and also embroiders hand towels with humorous designs and sayings.

THUN, TRAVIS & AUDREY: Gourmet, Tea, Other

Thun’s Buns and Jams is their business. They offer a unique selection of handcrafted, small batch jams, caramel sauces, seasonal sweet breads, and hand-blended loose-leaf teas. All items are their own creations, or recipes passed down through our family.

PICON, RACHEL: All Natural, Organic

Rachel owns Adiya God’s Treasure. She makes skincare and health products with beef tallow, herb infused oils, and organic materials including essential oils. She also mixes loose leaf organic herbal teas.

GLANDON, GREGORY: Guitars & Stands

*no further details found*

SNUGGS, JOHN: Wood

John is representing Mason’s Woodworks, and he uses various hardwoods to create cutting and charcuterie boards that are both beautiful and functional. All of his pieces are handmade from slabs of locally procured hardwoods and designed to highlight the natural beauty of the lumber.

HICKS, MICAH: Art-Acrylic, Paintings, Outdoor, Wood

Hix Chix is Micah’s business. He hand paints and personalizes door hangers to celebrate any reason and every season! (Not Cricut generated)

MICK, SUSAN: All Natural, Paper, Frames, Art

Susan makes wood frames that are made and embellished with nature.

DERENCH, JUDY: Woodcarving

Judy’s business is The Global Gecko, and she takes "fallen" tree branches, stumps, burls, and driftwood and hand-carve flora and fauna using hammers, chisels, knives, and Dremels. All carvings are done free-hand from photographs which she prefers taking, in order to get a sense of the creature's movement and personality.

RHODES, LORI: Jewelry, Pearl, Vintage, Glass

Lori Rhodes Jewelry makes two lines: the first is hand-knotted freshwater pearl jewelry, and she also makes simple wire-wrapped pearl jewelry with sterling silver; the second is a more Bohemian vintage style using antique brass and glass beads and buttons from the Czech Republic. Her style has a vintage feel.

DEWYNGAERT, LISA: Ceramics

Steel Rain Pottery is Lisa’s business. She produces hand-built and wheel-thrown functional pottery. She hand-paints and fires everything solo in her studio! All of her pottery is made from porcelain stoneware that’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe.

RUTTER, IAN: Art-Watercolor, Author

Rutter is an artist who works in water based media, primarily watercolor. Trout, fly fishing, and wildlife are the subjects he paints. He is also an author of books about fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains.

KRANZLE, JEAN: Ceramics, Sculpture

*no further details found*

GRAYSON, MICHAEL: Glass, Jewelry

Michael is representing FromFrom Glass. They are glass artists who use lampworking techniques, which involve melting borosilicate and soda-lime glass with a desk-mounted torch. They melt the glass, add colors, change shapes, and do fun things to it.

KLEE, KATHY: Wine Slush Mix, Gourmet

Kathy’s business is Cocktails with a Kick, and she specializes in wine slushies and quick-and-easy dessert mixes made from scratch.

Please click on the exhibitor list here for a more details, including more pictures!

I hope you’ll be in attendance for this summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair. Again, admission is $10, children are free, and you can go inside to get a multi-day pass so you don’t have to pay for another day! See you soon!

Thanks for reading the details of some of the artists who’ll only be around for the first half of the fair. Stay tuned for more news and happenings real soon from my home here in the tourist town of Gatlinburg! It is appreciated!