BY CLIFF SMELLEY
You can check out books on crafts at the Bradford County Public Library, of course, but on July 29, patrons were also able to purchase crafts as part of the Friends of the Library Young Makers Market.
The market allowed tweens and teens to display the results of their artistic talents and sell them as well.
“It’s pretty fun,” said Eve Gravelle, who was joined by Christian Gravelle in selling such items as bracelets, cake-mix cookies and wooden signs. “It’s a good experience.”
Christian Gravelle said he found it fun to make bracelets, but Eve Gravelle said her favorite thing to make was probably cake-mix cookies because “they smell good.”
The cake-mix cookies weren’t the only items to be found to satisfy a hunger craving. Nathaniel Gifford, wearing a chef’s hat, was selling flatbread and offered apple butter, grape jam and peanut butter for people to use on it. His favorite spread is peanut butter.
Several of the young entrepreneurs, like the Gravelles, offered an array of different items. Allyssa Kudlesky, for example, was selling bracelets, earrings, paintings and clay figures.
“I’ve been painting since I was close to 7, 8, and making jewelry since I was about 10,” Kudlesky said. “These mushrooms (her clay figurines) I’ve been doing for about a year. I’m 16 now, so I’ve been at this for a while.”
Other sellers specialized in one type of craft. Benjamin Gifford, for example, was selling figurines he crafted out of melting beads. It’s a hobby he’s enjoyed for approximately four years.
“It kind of started earlier (in life) when I wanted to make myself toys,” he said. “It’s just taken off.”
Tabitha Gifford uses buttons to make designs on painted canvas. She said it takes her a couple of hours to decide what she wants to create, but then only a couple of minutes to bring a work to completion.
Carenna Alexander showed her artistic side by adding to the look of existing dolls. She calls it semi-customizing.
“I fix up their hair, and I make different clothes for them,” she said.
Alexander said she wanted to start collecting dolls, but she obtained one that had matted hair. Through online research, she learned how you can fix a doll’s hair the way that you want it to look and became aware of the art of customizing dolls.
“I’ve seen people sell full-custom dolls for like thousands of dollars,” Alexander said. “I’m just starting off small.”
Who knows? A small start for any of the vendors at the Young Makers Market could turn into something big in the future.
At the very least, though, some of the youth may have discovered a lifelong hobby.
