Tales from Brome Fair
“Handbound” – From a hobby to a livelihood “Mes Tresors sur la Plage” – “Treasures from the Beach”
Stephanie Raudsepp is proud of her homemade paper products produced from the fibers of t-shirts and jeans.
Stephanie Raudsepp is now based in Montreal, but her mom was born in Cowansville, and she and her brother have been going to Brome Fair all their lives. The Brome Fair connection continues as her mom’s sister, Jill Cady, is married to David Cameron, and together they have run the candy booth inside the main white building for many a year.
Stephanie started to make her homemade paper products about ten years ago, but the last year and eight months she has made it her full-time occupation. She uses material from t-shirts and jeans and recycles the fibers to make her papers. She says she is building her business one book at a time.
She sells in shops and in craft fairs and also on line. She is building up a clientele, as her work is kind to the environment and unusual and beautiful all at the same time. She will hopefully be back at Brome Fair next year.
Amelie Loyer has had a booth under the grandstand at Brome Fair for three years. She was raised in Farnham and this year she is also a teacher on the French side of Massey-vanier.
Three years ago she began her prototype jewelry, which has now branched out as well into wall art. She goes to Tadoussac, a five hour drive from Montreal, to collect mussel shells. The last time she was there a group of whales were visible from the shore. It confirmed for her the special quality of the shells, as they are part of the water world of nature that is shared with the whales of the St. Lawrence River. Amelie crushes the shells to put
NLocal artisan, Amelie Loyer, creates jewelry from the mussel shells found on the St. Lawrence shore near Tadoussac. into a resin to form unique pendants customers who come to see in stainless steel frames. what she has designed each new She wants to create something year. She even designed a new that is different, from nature, display board that was made to and is beautiful to behold from look like grey, seaside type, different angles and in different boarding, and from it, dangled lights. all her new styles of jewelry.
She is thankful for the returning early one hundred youth participants entered in the Handicraft competition at Brome Fair this year. Some entered many categories while others entered just one or two articles, but all the work was on display and visitors admired the projects of the young artists from the youngest to the teens.
This year three new faces came in first, second, and third overall in the Youth Division. In first place was Gregory Tryhorn, in second place was Victoria Paquette, and in third place was Alice Farnam. Gregory was not feeling well on the Monday but he came in anyway to be able to receive his ribbon. He was a real trouper.
In the adult division, Norma Sherrer came in first, Louise Smith in second, and Linda Allen in third. They have been entering for many years but there were new participants this year in the adult division and it is hoped that more will enter next year too. The work of the adults, from photography to quilts, was clearly displayed as well.
It was very hot and humid on the Tuesday night when entries were handed in to be judged, and it ended up being very wet on Monday night when the entries had to be picked up. Hopefully Mother Nature will be kinder to the participants next year.