Ellen Valeriano and Linda Laubenthal met as vendors at a Craft Show over 20 years ago. They have been great friends and crafting buddies
ever since. Linda discontinued the Craft Show Circuit in & after switching her business to an Internet Website that was doing well for her. Since she still had a lot of inventory to sell she wondered what she should do with it all. The two friends put their heads together and came up with the idea of doing a Home Craft Show. Since they were two separate businesses they needed to come up with a name for the show and a name for themselves. TheCraft Show Extravaganza by Two Crafty Ladies was born. A few years later another Crafter Friend, Kathy Peters, was added to the group. They enlisted help from Linda& neighbor Lynette Van Slyke and her good friends Paula Swider and Cecilia Hamel who they turned into Crafty Ladies.
Today there are seven Crafty Ladies: Linda Laubenthal (founder and event organizer), Ellen Valeriano (co-founder), Kathy Peters, Lynette Van Slyke, Cecilia Hamel, Paula Swider and their newest member Winona Gage. However, they started out by selling their own handmade products at Linda home using her garage and tents on the driveway. They sent out invitations to all they knew asking them to stop n’ shop for the variety of gifts they had to offer. Initially, homemade signs were put up around Linda&neighborhood leading the way to the event.
Professionally made signs now line the main roads: Herkimer Rd, Deerfield Dr. East, and Coventry Ave, in North Utica the week of the event. They are bright yellow with red lettering and lots of arrows pointing the direction to follow to the event. People look for them every year and their attendance continues to grow. The Crafty Ladies created a mailing list from those who stopped by the show every year and reminder letters are sent out in early August.
The Crafty Ladies have found their work to be a “labor of love.” Four of the Ladies are Professional Crafters with registered businesses.
Ellen is a Fabric Artist making items with decorative embroidery and machine quilting. http://www.decorative-embroidery.com Linda is a Fiber Artist using various yarns to knit and crochet her wares. http://www.knitsandbitsbylinda.com Linda is also a Silk Floral Designer offering many different and unique custom made designs. http://www.silk-floral- designs.com Kathy is a Quilling Artist who carefully selects background papers and frames to showcase her art work. http://www.facebook.com/kathysquills Winona is a Jewelry Designer with one of a kind handmade creations. http://www.tandtjewelry.com Lynette, Cecilia, and Paula are the designated bakers, weekend helpers and contributors to the silent auction.
The Crafty Ladies chose Making Strides against Breast Cancer as the recipient of their fundraiser since Ellen is a Breast Cancer Survivor.
They have been doing the fundraiser for 7 years. August 18-20th 2017 will be their 8th year. Each year has gotten bigger and better with
increased efforts by the group with advertising the event, securing items for the silent auction and making delicious home baked goods.
The Crafty Ladies each donate 10% of their sales for the weekend to Making Strides while one hundred percent of the proceeds from the silent auction and the bake sale will be donated. There are canisters for visitors to drop in loose change when browsing because every penny counts.Last year they rose over $500 in just that one weekend and are hoping to do better than that this year!
The ladies will continue to support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer for as long as they continue to host the Craft Sale Extravaganza
on an annual basis. The group attempts to gather once per month to discuss what plans they can put into action for the upcoming show. They
are always seeking out places that will donate to the silent auction, where most of the money is made for Making Strides.Ellen Valeriano both a Crafty Lady and cancer survivor of 20+ years stated, “I can’t emphasize enough what the American Cancer Society does for anyone affected. They gave me the confidence to go into my healing with a positive attitude. The research they do is so important. I know one day, we won’t need these fund raisers. Since I was treated, research has come a long way but there is a long way yet to go. We will continue to do what we can to fund as much research as possible.”
