GUEST: BRENDA ANDERS

If you love crafts or have an interest or family tradition in making crafts, you are going to love this episode! You'll learn Dogwood Crafters Cooperative featuring Brenda Anders.

In today's episode, Joseph is joined by our special guest Brenda Anders, she is a true daughter of the Smokies who has lived in WNC since 1978 when her husband took a job with WCU. Not long after that, Brenda joined Dogwood Crafters, one of the most storied crafts cooperatives in the Southeast, located in historic Dillsboro, N.C. Since then Brenda has played an integral role in the success of the business --which was first formed in 1976 –serving in various key leadership positions including President and Chairman of the Board, along with heading multiple operational committees within the organization.

Website: https://dogwoodcrafters.com

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

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SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1

Joseph begins by mentioning the sponsor, The Meadowlark Motel as well as smokiesadventure.com and some upcoming events. On May 13th and 14th, they're having the Icons of Hotrodding Festival. Also May 31st -June 4, they'll have an event called Slingshots in the Smokies and more festivals and camps later in the summer. Joseph also reads a poem related to today’s topic and events by Marcus B. Christian called “The Craftsman.” He introduces his guest, Brenda Anders, who has lived in WNC since 1978 when her husband took a job with WCU. Not long after that, Brenda joined Dogwood Crafters, one of the most storied crafts cooperatives in the Southeast, located in historic Dillsboro, N.C. Brenda grew up in Tennessee and says that she didn't realize how lucky she was. Sometimes she forgets to look at the mountains and realize the beauty of the environment but is always reminded when she has company in the car with her as she rides. Brenda moved to Western North Carolina when her husband got a job as the director of the Computer Center. She got involved with Dogwood Crafters after falling in love with the art there. She explains the workplace then and now with her team and how they've stayed successful.

SEGMENT 2

Brenda says that there is one active original member in Dogwood Crafters, who also helped get the organization started with their husband. She also mentions another crafter who recently came back, Don Wood, who now does beekeeping. Brenda explains what artists must go through when wanting to create something and be a part of Dogwood Crafters. When you are interested, she says that you would go to Dogwood and fill out an application and bring the item you want to make. A jury committee made up of anonymous crafters, look it over and make sure that it is some time that has not already been offered to make. She mentions having a coordinator for every room in the log cabin where they work and have the chance to showcase everyone's work and sell a variety of items. Brenda also talks about using recycled items. On the Facebook Livestream, she shows us several items like a pair of mittens that were made by using a couple of different sweaters. They can make something with just about everything!

SEGMENT 3

Brenda explains how she and her team were able to acquire all 12 rooms in the log cabin which was once a motel. Everyone in the organization works very hard on keeping things in order from building to supplies, maintenance, flower boxes, and more. Dogwood Crafters also offer free classes to anyone as long as you pay for the supplies that you would be using. They also have a scholarship committee where they give money to different schools and students wanting to learn the Appalachian craft. They have different projects that they do in order to earn this money. They come up with different ideas, for example, she says that they also sell jams and jellies. As a nonprofit, they don't have a lot of money, but the percentages that they earn comes from the crafters and their pantry. Brenda also mentions how Dogwood has been involved in the North Carolina Mountain State Fair. She also talks with Joseph about the rooms in the log cabin and how they are all themed differently.

SEGMENT 4

Brenda talks with Joseph about Mary’s Garden. Mary Nolan was a member of Dogwood Crafters for many years and when she passed away, they wanted to pay tribute to her. So they had their side yard bricked and they have a plaque with her photograph on it and it's called Mary’s Garden. It keeps Mary with them, and Brenda says that everyone in Dogwood is like family. She also mentions supporting customers by continuing to have good quality crafts and each crafter comes up with new ideas. They also talk about Dogwood being a part of festivals. In Dillsboro, they are part of three main festivals. One of them is Front Street in July, Colorfest in October, and Luminaire which takes over the first two weekends in December. Dogwood tries to connect with its community and show people that all of its work is handmade. She mentions the different events that they do like the Easter Parade where hundreds of people join in, being a free event for families. Brenda says that her vision for this co-op and Dogwood Crafters is that they continue to recruit crafters, continue to carry on its legacy and keep it there for generations to come. Although it's hard work and hard to get young people into crafting, she says that they do their best to show them that they can craft their own rug, socks, and much more than they think. You can find out more by searching for Dogwood Crafters on Facebook as well as their website dogwoodcrafters.com.

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TRANSCRIPT

00:00:45.450 –> 00:00:56.640 Joseph McElroy: Howdy, welcome to the gateway to the smokies podcast this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National park and the surrounding towns.

00:00:57.030 –> 00:01:06.660 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty, a deep-storied history, and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:01:07.110 –> 00:01:14.490 Joseph McElroy: I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family is living in great smokies for over 200 years.

00:01:15.030 –> 00:01:27.360 Joseph McElroy: My business is in travel, but my heart is in culture today we’re gonna be talking about the dogwood crafters cooperative with Brenda Anders but first I got some messages from sponsors and some events.

00:01:29.760 –> 00:01:39.870 Joseph McElroy: imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past, yet modern and vibrant with the “Chic Appalachian” feel. A place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:01:40.470 –> 00:01:49.050 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on a fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.

00:01:49.830 –> 00:02:02.400 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place with old-time music and world cultural sounds. There is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina. Your Smoky Mountain Adventure starts with where you stay.

00:02:04.620 –> 00:02:09.540 Joseph McElroy: Another Sponsor is SmokiesAdventure.com. The smoky mountains and surrounding areas are a vacation destination for all seasons.

00:02:10.260 –> 00:02:17.070 Joseph McElroy: Some of the nation’s best hiking trails, waterfalls, outdoor adventures, and family entertainment can be found, right here.

00:02:17.580 –> 00:02:28.230 Joseph McElroy: start your adventure by using smokiesadventure.com, smokies plural adventure singular.com to explore all the wonderful features of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

00:02:28.620 –> 00:02:37.770 Joseph McElroy: trails waterfalls, Cades Cove, and more. Then check out all the awesome family attractions and entertainment you and your entire family can enjoy.

00:02:38.160 –> 00:02:48.360 Joseph McElroy: And if you’re looking for places to have a wedding or an outdoor life event or a honeymoon or romantic getaway check it out there are places that you can go to do that there’s well.

00:02:48.630 –> 00:02:56.430 Joseph McElroy: The goal of smokies adventure.com is to become a leading information portal for adventures and experiences in the great smoky mountains.

00:02:57.120 –> 00:03:06.600 Joseph McElroy: Now I mentioned some events coming up in Maggie Valley knowing we have this great festival and the May 13 and 14th for having the icons of a pop music festival.

00:03:07.020 –> 00:03:29.340 Joseph McElroy: And then, in the 1950s and 1960s hot rod and custom cars trucks and vans for cars and vehicles, all of them 1969 and then they’ll be 50s and 60s music automotive vintage vendors kids drivers food vendors judging with awards and trophies presentation it’s a family-friendly.

00:03:31.560 –> 00:03:40.680 Joseph McElroy: urging you to come on down and check it out and then on May 31 of June 4 we have slingshots in the smokies and see and know slingshots in the smokies.

00:03:41.850 –> 00:03:47.370 Joseph McElroy: is known as the super bowl for slingshot of its for those who don’t know slingshots or a sort of a.

00:03:49.200 –> 00:03:58.710 Joseph McElroy: motorcycle on three wheels, and so this will take place in the Maggie Valley festival grounds and again we’ll have all sorts of wonderful things going on.

00:04:00.510 –> 00:04:07.620 Joseph McElroy: Since we’re talking about crafts, I need to talk about July 9 and 10th on Maggie Valley festival grounds, you have the annual.

00:04:08.280 –> 00:04:24.390 Joseph McElroy: Maggie Valley arts and crafts show it’s the largest Maggie Valley largest gathering of artisans and crafters it comes to go to the seller handmade treasures artists and small the southeast attendance and there’ll be chains are demonstrations of lots of festivals.

00:04:26.010 –> 00:04:39.540 Joseph McElroy: So you can go to maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.com to find out more about all the festivals coming to Maggie Valley, which is where you can go and how you can partake in enjoying all these different things now the Meadowlark is, as announced a big.

00:04:40.710 –> 00:04:51.270 Joseph McElroy: big event coming up in August we’re going to have a Songwriters Camp and Concert with Grammy-award winning artist Jim Lauderdale and Charles Humphrey III

00:04:51.660 –> 00:05:03.690 Joseph McElroy: Along with other award-winning artists like Darren Nicholson and Balsam Range, Clay Mills, and Charles Chamberlain. it’s a two-day event of interactive songwriting instruction from world-class musicians.

00:05:04.350 –> 00:05:14.250 Joseph McElroy: a DEMO tape produced for each participant, and concerts by Songs from the Road Band on Friday night and a Barbecue dinner, and also our concert on Saturday night.

00:05:14.910 –> 00:05:21.420 Joseph McElroy: This is a unique event like no other and space will be limited to ensure individual attention is given to all participants.

00:05:21.720 –> 00:05:31.050 Joseph McElroy: the price is $675 per person including all activities and DEMO tape, two world-class concerts, and the Barbecue dinner on Saturday night.

00:05:31.470 –> 00:05:43.980 Joseph McElroy: And then their special room prize packages are offered from different kinds of places to stay to include lodging providing for Friday and Saturday night call 8289261717 for details.

00:05:44.400 –> 00:05:55.110 Joseph McElroy: And there’s also a limited amount of concert tickets available for the concerts and Friday Saturday night so check it out again and reserve your spot at 8289261717 so.

00:05:56.220 –> 00:06:08.370 Joseph McElroy: Now, you know that I like to introduce some times what’s coming up with the bed with a poem I might write your fine I found that interesting going by a guy named Marcus B. Christian written in 1970 is called the Craftsman

00:06:10.320 –> 00:06:19.650 Joseph McElroy: It goes like this, I ply with all the cunning of my art. This little thing, and with consummate care, I fashion it—so that when I depart,

00:06:20.100 –> 00:06:35.070 Joseph McElroy: Those who come after me shall find it fair And beautiful. It must be free of flaws—Pointing no laborings of weary hands; And there must be no flouting of the laws Of beauty—as the artist understands.

00:06:35.670 –> 00:06:46.530 Joseph McElroy: Through passion, yearnings infinite – yet dumb-

I left you from the depths of my own mind And gild you with my soul’s white heat to plumb, The souls of future men.

00:06:47.160 –> 00:07:02.250 Joseph McElroy: I leave behind this thing that in return, this solace gives:

“He who creates true beauty ever lives.”

wonderful poem little focused on one gender but it applies I think across the board.

00:07:03.720 –> 00:07:09.570 Joseph McElroy: So somebody has a lot about crafts and we’ve introduced today is our guest her name is Brendan Anders.

00:07:10.710 –> 00:07:19.770 Joseph McElroy: She’s a Maryville Tennessee native and then a true daughter of the smokies who’s lived in Western North Carolina since 1978.

00:07:20.490 –> 00:07:26.190 Joseph McElroy: Since then Brenda has played an integral role in the success of Dogwood Crafters Cooperative,

00:07:27.000 –> 00:07:34.440 Joseph McElroy: One of the most storied crafts cooperatives in the southeast, located in historic Dillsboro, N.C.

00:07:34.950 –> 00:07:45.690 Joseph McElroy: Brenda has served in various key leadership positions including President and Chairman of the Board, along with heading multiple operational committees within the organization.

00:07:46.260 –> 00:07:58.470 Joseph McElroy: For more than four decades Brenda’s work and leadership with Dogwood Crafters have created a template for many other artists and crafts cooperatives to follow throughout the country.

Hello Brenda, how are you doing?

00:07:59.220 –> 00:08:03.300 Brenda Anders: I’m doing just fine glad to be here and share the story of dogman crafters.

00:08:03.480 –> 00:08:09.060 Joseph McElroy: I’m glad to hear about a little learn a little bit about yourself first you grew up in Maryville Tennessee.

00:08:10.380 –> 00:08:22.170 Brenda Anders: I did, and I went to business college with my husband’s cousin and he came upon a fishing trip to visit his uncle he likes to say he used the wrong bank and got married instead.

00:08:23.550 –> 00:08:34.080 Brenda Anders: And we did get married shortly after we only had about six dates, as he went into the air force, and then we got married moved to Texas for 13 years.

00:08:34.530 –> 00:08:41.520 Joseph McElroy: Well yeah sometimes I mean, I had the opposite experience, I met married my first wife within six weeks.

00:08:43.980 –> 00:08:45.390 Joseph McElroy: didn’t last for three years, but.

00:08:46.920 –> 00:08:52.050 Joseph McElroy: I learned a lot from it so sometimes you learn lots of times you find your life mate right.

00:08:52.470 –> 00:08:52.920 Right.

00:08:53.970 –> 00:08:57.840 Joseph McElroy: So you wrote they’re having grown up in the foothills of those folks.

00:08:58.530 –> 00:09:02.760 Brenda Anders: Well, to me, I didn’t realize at the time how lucky I was.

00:09:03.270 –> 00:09:09.900 Brenda Anders: It was just a natural thing it’s just like right now, when I drive around in the mountains, sometimes I forget to look at them.

00:09:10.320 –> 00:09:12.120 Brenda Anders: Until I have company in the car with.

00:09:12.120 –> 00:09:19.980 Brenda Anders: me and they start commenting on how pretty it is, and I have to jerk myself up and check myself and look around a little bit to appreciate what I have.

00:09:20.670 –> 00:09:26.160 Joseph McElroy: Now America was a sort of a suburb of Nashville right wasn’t more suburb or more role and your.

00:09:27.180 –> 00:09:27.660 Brenda Anders: role.

00:09:27.990 –> 00:09:35.400 Joseph McElroy: yeah and so you got to do all the good home cooking and all that sort of stuff that we all familiar with, he grew up in the mountains.

00:09:36.300 –> 00:09:41.640 Brenda Anders: As the iron, my mother did all the cooking but back in those days, we had to iron.

00:09:42.330 –> 00:09:47.370 Joseph McElroy: Oh, there you go did you have an electric guard do you have to use it like the one here.

00:09:48.300 –> 00:09:49.380 Brenda Anders: I’m not quite that old.

00:09:54.630 –> 00:09:56.280 Joseph McElroy: So when did you read Maryville?

00:09:57.210 –> 00:09:59.460 Brenda Anders: And I married in 1965.

00:10:00.060 –> 00:10:00.480 Okay.

00:10:01.620 –> 00:10:02.280 Joseph McElroy: go around.

00:10:03.510 –> 00:10:06.690 Brenda Anders: He worked for champion paper cut me for just about a month.

00:10:07.710 –> 00:10:18.600 Brenda Anders: Until his school started it and then he was in school got a job at the computer Center and then he’s been in computer work ever since until he retired.

00:10:19.200 –> 00:10:23.700 Joseph McElroy: was good, so what brought you to Western North Carolina.

00:10:25.170 –> 00:10:28.800 Brenda Anders: He was it got a job as Director of the Computer Center at Western.

00:10:29.370 –> 00:10:31.080 Brenda Anders: Ah, and I followed him.

00:10:31.590 –> 00:10:33.030 Joseph McElroy: I guess you had to, right?

00:10:37.290 –> 00:10:39.690 Joseph McElroy: Did you end up in Dillsboro for that time or was.

00:10:40.770 –> 00:10:50.160 Brenda Anders: About four miles, out of a Dillsboro in a town called Sylva all the surrounding areas of Sylva and we have little communities like Webster and Dillsboro.

00:10:51.750 –> 00:11:06.930 Joseph McElroy: I love Sylva and those are there, wonderful little towns so so you got involved with the dogwood craft cooperative I saw it just a couple of years after he’s found it so you are your sort of a founder of it honestly.

00:11:07.980 –> 00:11:14.310 Brenda Anders: Now I wasn’t that lucky I wish I could have said, I was part of the 12 who got that started.

00:11:14.880 –> 00:11:25.710 Brenda Anders: But I was a member of the newcomers club index and county and we had a field trip, one day, and we went into dogwood crafters and I just fell in love with the art.

00:11:26.640 –> 00:11:41.040 Brenda Anders: There, and my question was who does the decorating here and Rosemary jar or who was President that day or that year, she says, I think you do because you’re the first one that ever mentioned that word.

00:11:42.150 –> 00:11:46.200 Brenda Anders: up to that point, the crafters had to get this stuff off of the street.

00:11:47.520 –> 00:11:48.450 Brenda Anders: legs.

00:11:49.500 –> 00:11:52.740 Brenda Anders: The plastic legs things and they were great jewelry over it.

00:11:54.240 –> 00:12:05.220 Brenda Anders: Raw the things that you put electrical wire around the big round things they drug everything they could dig it dogwood started and that.

00:12:06.270 –> 00:12:12.810 Brenda Anders: is a tribute to them, but I got there about three or four years later and I’ve been happy there ever since.

00:12:13.830 –> 00:12:17.970 Joseph McElroy: Oh, you successfully know I’m an artist myself.

00:12:19.980 –> 00:12:24.420 Joseph McElroy: you’re in a speakeasy down there at the Bellagio look around a lot of those are by my paintings.

00:12:25.800 –> 00:12:36.990 Joseph McElroy: And you know it I’ve been involved in a few artists and craft things and they don’t a lot of them have a moment in the sun, then they just disappear, so you guys are really done something.

00:12:37.890 –> 00:12:48.210 Joseph McElroy: To it intrigues me that you managed to create something this last this long list and so successful, and in fact, you’ve sort of become a model across the country for how to run.

00:12:48.870 –> 00:13:02.400 Joseph McElroy: A cooperative so so you know I look forward to this conversation find out more so, so you basically started with land and paper.

00:13:03.150 –> 00:13:11.580 Brenda Anders: Yes, a little ad that says, if you have handmade crafts and that you’d like to sell them, will you come to a meeting at the library.

00:13:12.000 –> 00:13:27.660 Brenda Anders: And 12 people came and they set up the rules and the regulations over the next little while that we still go by today and they started meeting in a House there in Dillsboro that is chocolate factory now, but they would come set up their little.

00:13:28.710 –> 00:13:40.230 Brenda Anders: TV trays and tables they had their own cash box and they sat and visited and, at the end of the day, they fold everything up and took it home pretty soon I realized that.

00:13:40.650 –> 00:13:57.750 Brenda Anders: If I took turns and helped each other like you’d be homemaking crafts, the rest of the tap so that was the word cooperative that we still go back today, because without each and every one of the members of chocolate it couldn’t operate the way it is.

00:13:58.950 –> 00:14:14.400 Brenda Anders: Basically, we have two crafters every day working the front counter a cashier and a bagger, and we have only one paid employee, no one was foolish enough to sign up to do the bookkeeping of the record-keeping of.

00:14:14.850 –> 00:14:26.400 Brenda Anders: club thousands of items that we have a dogwood that the word volunteer and everyone are this thing is the key to the success of Dogwood Crafters.

00:14:26.610 –> 00:14:27.870 Joseph McElroy: Cool. Well, we got to take a break now.

00:14:29.310 –> 00:14:39.060 Joseph McElroy: and come back we’ll talk more about how you how it works and what the insights you gained and then the how’s that actually propagated in the world.

00:14:40.260 –> 00:14:40.770 Brenda Anders: Okay.

00:16:56.790 –> 00:17:04.890 Joseph McElroy: Howdy, I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and My guest Brenda Anders.

00:17:05.910 –> 00:17:19.860 Joseph McElroy: So Brenda I know that you joined in 1978 how many original members have you had what 12 members and what do you have about 90 now, is there any original members left.

00:17:20.520 –> 00:17:29.880 Brenda Anders: We have one very active original Member her name is Patricia Calvin and she and her husband are very active and getting dogwood started, he was a lawyer.

00:17:30.420 –> 00:17:54.150 Brenda Anders: And he helped get our policies and bio all set up and for years did leather working and she paints on glass, so we have one and another crafter who has recently come back Don Wood he was helpful in getting the Co-op started and he is now a retired from the University does beekeeping.

00:17:54.960 –> 00:17:55.320 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow. You know I’m a beekeeper

00:17:58.080 –> 00:17:58.830 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.

00:18:00.660 –> 00:18:12.330 Joseph McElroy: I did I put these in the South Bronx and actually got some recognition for that, because you know we got help the local communities do some beekeeping.

00:18:13.830 –> 00:18:15.750 Brenda Anders: Those babies when you meant to ask for.

00:18:16.170 –> 00:18:25.680 Joseph McElroy: Well, about you know, the thing is, I would create it I would enjoy it for a while and then I would train somebody in the Community, one of the Community gardens how to take it over and they take it over.

00:18:27.270 –> 00:18:39.900 Joseph McElroy: And then I create another one that now I just made now that I’m now I’m coming down there and create some beehives at the Meadowlark and or at my place and then at nine enough but.

00:18:41.520 –> 00:18:57.300 Joseph McElroy: So you know, I understand that you guys are not like a fleet right you actually your bylaws required I think for homeless originally right that all the artists must be Cherokee an art jury community and then must be the highest quality How does that work.

00:18:58.260 –> 00:19:03.810 Brenda Anders: Well, when you voice an interest you come to that word and you get an application.

00:19:05.160 –> 00:19:18.360 Brenda Anders: You fill out the application and bring one or two items that you want to make a jury committee made up of three anonymous crafters no one wants to know who they are so they can’t blame them if they’re not accepted.

00:19:18.900 –> 00:19:26.400 Brenda Anders: But they look the craft over they make sure that it’s not something already offered in dogwood and you’re in, and you can be.

00:19:26.820 –> 00:19:40.290 Brenda Anders: A 20% crafter means we take 20% of your money at the end of the month, and you promised to work 176 hours a year keeping the shop open working at the counter.

00:19:40.770 –> 00:19:54.480 Brenda Anders: Are you can join as a 40% or you might be older, you might have a real job this a lot of different complications that don’t allow you to work and we take 40% of that application.

00:19:55.470 –> 00:20:04.890 Brenda Anders: So that’s how you become a member, and then, once you’re a member you’re sucked in there to help us work to volunteer on our committees and get things done.

00:20:05.760 –> 00:20:07.410 Joseph McElroy: And why do you mean.

00:20:08.610 –> 00:20:13.650 Joseph McElroy: Why do you think that originally I mean why you know that originally, why did they decide to make it.

00:20:15.030 –> 00:20:23.580 Joseph McElroy: You know, instead of just being a sort of craft a flea market and make it into this real sort of excellent source of art.

00:20:25.170 –> 00:20:33.390 Brenda Anders: Well, we wanted to be the best that we could we have a coordinator now for every room, we have 12 rooms in this log cabin.

00:20:34.560 –> 00:20:50.220 Brenda Anders: That has used to being cannons cottages an overnight stay staying place back in the 30s we joined us with the help of our very helpful landlord three of those log cabins and then built a big room onto the back.

00:20:50.760 –> 00:21:03.630 Brenda Anders: And every room has a different theme and every room has a coordinator that comes and redecorates the room about every six weeks after every major holiday and we did not want everything lined up.

00:21:04.890 –> 00:21:23.100 Brenda Anders: Like a grocery store all the band-aids on one jail all the baskets on one shelf we decorate according to theme and color and that drugs, it gives everybody a fair chance to have their crafts highlighted in the spotlight it’s worked and it works well.

00:21:24.150 –> 00:21:30.090 Joseph McElroy: that’s great is there any restrictions on the materials or what can be displayed they’re.

00:21:31.170 –> 00:21:32.040 Brenda Anders: Not so far.

00:21:32.190 –> 00:21:32.520 yeah.

00:21:36.840 –> 00:21:39.210 Joseph McElroy: Well, you said there might be room for art, you know what I do.

00:21:42.030 –> 00:21:44.490 Brenda Anders: In the first place it’s too big you’ll have you’d have.

00:21:44.550 –> 00:21:46.890 Brenda Anders: To do some smaller to get into our lives.

00:21:48.630 –> 00:21:49.620 Joseph McElroy: A little flower vase.

00:21:51.360 –> 00:21:54.750 Joseph McElroy: But I’m saying you have a Christmas shop right.

00:21:55.830 –> 00:21:56.280 Joseph McElroy: yeah your.

00:21:56.910 –> 00:21:58.650 Joseph McElroy: Christmas selection.

00:21:58.890 –> 00:22:10.470 Brenda Anders: Yes, we have a room that is called the Christmas room and we sell more Christmas items throughout the year, than we actually do Christmas, because during Christmas people mostly look for gifts.

00:22:11.160 –> 00:22:30.780 Brenda Anders: What what I like about dogwood is working behind the counter and the door opens and somebody walks in, and I said oh you’re still here and I said oh you’ve been here before, and he says, my parents, dragged me in here as a child and then during dragging my children in

00:22:31.740 –> 00:22:41.820 Brenda Anders: Where is the toy room now that’s it usually it’s the same place so it’s good that children remember and come back to us.

00:22:42.480 –> 00:22:56.850 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah yeah that’s part of the Meadowlark charm too we had people that had honeymoons in the 60s and they bring their children back and their grandchildren back and they’ll be coming back for you know our whole lives it’s kind of Nice.

00:22:58.500 –> 00:23:08.460 Joseph McElroy: So I understand that you guys take a great deal of pride and using a lot of recycled products very hard to just hold them off the handle of a cane or something like that.

00:23:08.820 –> 00:23:19.110 Brenda Anders: We do like this, this pair of mittens are made out of old sweaters and there are about five or six different sweaters here and there, NASA morn and.

00:23:20.100 –> 00:23:32.820 Brenda Anders: This is not really a recycled item but this little Christmas ornament it’s a pine Cone it’s been run over years and years and it’s really flat and it’s called a roadkill Santa.

00:23:34.740 –> 00:23:44.340 Brenda Anders: And we have a man who recycles concrete nails and missionary nails and he makes this cute little reindeer we recycle.

00:23:45.330 –> 00:24:07.710 Brenda Anders: lot boat doorknobs just a lot of things, and this day in town when people are cleaning out their parent’s house we get a lot of items donated to us fabric yarn and everything and we share those and then pass them on to other crafters and things, so we have about 17 items

00:24:08.730 –> 00:24:13.260 Brenda Anders: Different types of items using recycled material wow.

00:24:13.350 –> 00:24:19.920 Joseph McElroy: Do you have like a little warehouse of recycled material that artists can come to find for them.

00:24:20.190 –> 00:24:29.730 Brenda Anders: We have a very small office when the public brings things to us, we put it in their free atoms somebody might say.

00:24:30.330 –> 00:24:36.840 Brenda Anders: Even a half a bushel basket of light bulbs and bring them in and say we don’t know why we save these, but here you are.

00:24:37.230 –> 00:24:52.560 Brenda Anders: Because we, this is a shop and we say that you, you make things out of lot books so it’s a pass-along thing our customers and the public helps us but recycle we collect liquor bottles from restaurants that.

00:24:53.190 –> 00:24:53.670 Joseph McElroy: For you.

00:24:55.650 –> 00:24:56.700 Joseph McElroy: So you say.

00:24:58.230 –> 00:24:58.590 Brenda Anders: well.

00:24:59.310 –> 00:25:06.390 Brenda Anders: they’re painted with alcohol eighth and little bitty lots put them in them and they make that real beautiful nightlife so.

00:25:07.530 –> 00:25:12.660 Brenda Anders: We can make something out of just about everything, our crafters are very, very smart.

00:25:13.950 –> 00:25:20.250 Joseph McElroy: that’s cool are most of your Members from the area, how far spread is your membership.

00:25:20.970 –> 00:25:29.310 Brenda Anders: Since everyone is in charge of their own inventory and when you join and you’re trained to be a dogwood crafter you’re trying to about.

00:25:29.760 –> 00:25:43.800 Brenda Anders: How the shop is laid out and when you come the next time you put your own crafts out, knowing that you can move some another crafter item over a little bit, but you can’t just throw it to the side or move it to the next room so.

00:25:46.200 –> 00:25:49.380 Brenda Anders: We learned to do that now I forgot your question.

00:25:49.650 –> 00:25:57.510 Joseph McElroy: Of course, it was how big of an area or you remember part of are they like, I mean, how do they live, just to build for the little.

00:25:57.990 –> 00:26:04.950 Brenda Anders: Oh yes, I’m sorry, they have to live within 175 miles.

00:26:06.210 –> 00:26:17.610 Brenda Anders: Of the shop in Hillsboro because we require them to take an active part you can’t just come and drop your things off and that’s the last, we see it, for a year.

00:26:18.780 –> 00:26:26.280 Brenda Anders: If you’re not able to come and work, we require you to come and do other things like donating money for cookies far luminary are.

00:26:27.420 –> 00:26:34.050 Brenda Anders: We make sure that you do something I just a little bit extra because you’re part of the volunteer organization.

00:26:34.440 –> 00:26:42.690 Joseph McElroy: Right, so that means you get, mind you might get people from my bills coming from Cherokee from Asheville your way.

00:26:44.400 –> 00:26:44.820 Brenda Anders: Yes.

00:26:45.150 –> 00:26:45.630 Brenda Anders: Very good.

00:26:46.050 –> 00:26:49.200 Joseph McElroy: As a good diversity to as well as your charity or as.

00:26:50.310 –> 00:27:06.210 Brenda Anders: Well, your you mentioned Cherokee we have Joseph red cloud who cars that lady train whistles and things we don’t have near enough of these things, but you cannot make a crafter craft unless they’re in the right mind.

00:27:06.690 –> 00:27:12.150 Brenda Anders: right but local craft local crafters is what we like recently we’ve had.

00:27:13.200 –> 00:27:18.450 Brenda Anders: A little lady join Alva Houston, and this is her hickory nut doll.

00:27:18.720 –> 00:27:20.190 Brenda Anders: You know, want to hickory night is.

00:27:20.580 –> 00:27:23.040 Brenda Anders: yeah okay her face.

00:27:23.910 –> 00:27:33.600 Brenda Anders: From hickory net and it’s an everything is here is made from her legs from a pipe cleaner covered and hose right up to the little quilt that she’s making.

00:27:33.990 –> 00:27:50.070 Brenda Anders: And that was very good fun, for us, and we have a husband and wife team that makes baskets and canes chairs, this is called the Blue Ridge basket a very sturdy basket with a wooden bottle and bottom and.

00:27:50.730 –> 00:28:06.420 Brenda Anders: She designed that in Chicago at the Blueridge basket and one of our most popular things for people to watch when we’re demonstrating is this braided rug and the children come in and they say oh look that lady’s making a carpet.

00:28:07.020 –> 00:28:11.490 Brenda Anders: You know, we love for the kids to see us ironing.

00:28:12.540 –> 00:28:23.760 Brenda Anders: cutting out things seeing a sewing machine and seeing things that are not exposed to now, so I thought that was very funny one the man says look she’s making carpet.

00:28:25.110 –> 00:28:30.660 Brenda Anders: crafter to make socks hats, we just have an abundance of different items.

00:28:31.290 –> 00:28:46.680 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know that there’s a lot of people that don’t you don’t understand our warcraft and they just deal with it on the superficial level which is you know that’s okay, too, but you know I always like to find people in know also the beauty inherent value of what people create.

00:28:47.520 –> 00:28:49.800 Brenda Anders: Like to be proud of the time.

00:28:49.830 –> 00:29:08.850 Brenda Anders: I went to my girlfriend’s house and her mother and aunt had a bad full of quilts and pillows and I said, what can you do with these well we just make them like nobody’s going to want them, but this, so I talked him into joining and those sisters were two of the most popular.

00:29:09.900 –> 00:29:25.350 Brenda Anders: counter workers that there was an in the shop and they sold the whole bed, full of pillows and blankets and at that time, the government wasn’t involved, and we could sell our homemade jams and jellies.

00:29:26.010 –> 00:29:27.360 Brenda Anders: Well, Miss Verily.

00:29:28.380 –> 00:29:37.230 Brenda Anders: Would not cus, no matter what, so there was a man standing and looking at her Delhi and he said this verily coke must be one hell of a cook.

00:29:39.420 –> 00:29:44.190 Brenda Anders: The expression on her face was something that I’ll never forget it’s such pride.

00:29:44.640 –> 00:30:01.740 Brenda Anders: And, seeing that the people who came in and bought something that they created I’m a firm believer that there is gold in these mountains and it’s up to us to find those people and sell what is so rich in the past that alone on things that are handmade.

00:30:02.280 –> 00:30:07.110 Brenda Anders: Because it’s very hard to keep people interested in handmade crafts.

00:30:07.380 –> 00:30:18.750 Joseph McElroy: yeah well, we have to take a break now all right, well, we come back we’ll talk more about the nature of handmade crafts and further what you guys are doing in Dillsboro.

00:32:26.220 –> 00:32:43.200 Joseph McElroy: Howdy, this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with a Gateway to the Smokies Podcasts and my guest Brenda Anders, so Brenda you mentioned earlier about a 12-room log building I guess it was formerly cabins and motel, it was a tourist motel.

00:32:43.860 –> 00:32:45.900 Brenda Anders: yeah yes I’m not cannons cottage.

00:32:47.100 –> 00:32:48.000 Brenda Anders: belong to the.

00:32:48.030 –> 00:33:00.690 Brenda Anders: a family who had become our landlord for all these years, Mr. Wade Wilson, and his wife Becky and like I said, we have, first in the little house one