Ruth: Soap, lotion, bath and skin-care products John: Wooden wine racks and accessories
I've started working on incorporating epoxy resin into my woodworking. Here are the first couple of charcuterie boards I've made. The larger one is black walnut, and the smaller one with the blue is piece of cherry I've been hanging onto from one of the first loads of hardwood we bought over twenty years ago. It was far too pretty to discard, but I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I think it turned out very nicely.
We've got a pretty full season of shows planned this year. Below is a list of the shows we expect to be at in the coming months. There often additions to this list, so check back periodically and see what else has come up.
Murphysboro, IL
Sept. 16-17
This long running festival kicks off our fall season. Rides, parades, food, and yes, apples. We look forward to meeting lots of old friends, and making new friends, at this show every year.
Mandala Gardens, Marion, IL
Sept 21
This will be our first time at this event. The grounds are beautiful, and we’re sure the art will be as well.
DuBois Center, Dubois, IL
Oct. 6
You'd be hard pressed to find a nicer location for an outdoor craft fair. Held on the grounds of the DuBois Center, this show offers free parking and free admission.
Wine and Art Festival at Rend Lake
Artisan’s Center, Whittington, IL
Oct. 12-13
I’m not certain, but I think we may be the longest participating vendors at this show. We look forward to this every year, with some of the best artisans in the area and some the best wine in Illinois.
Makanda, IL
Oct. 19-20
If you only get out once this year, it should be to VultureFest in Makanda. It gets bigger and better every year. We promise you will never find another show like this one.
John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL
Nov. 9-10
Back on campus, this is one of Southern Illinois’ best shows, and we’re looking forward to another great one this season.
Show-Me Center, Cape Girardeau, MO
Nov. 23-24
We are fortunate to be close enough to Cape Girardeau to get there fairly easily, and this is our favorite show in that city. We'll be at the Show-Me Center again.
Alto Vineyards, Alto Pass, IL
Nov. 30
A great way to do your holiday shopping, with a glass of Southern Illinois’ finest wine in your hand. Another glass, and even Great-Aunt Gertrude will be easy to shop for.
SIU Student Center, Carbondale, IL
Dec. 5-7
If you are looking to give locally crafted, handmade gifts to your loved ones this year, you have to go to this show. Three days, Thursday through Saturday, with some of the best artisans in Southern Illinois.
Are you left -handed? Or do you need a gift for a friend who is left -handed? Take a look at this left-handed cheese slicer, hand-made from Southern Illinois black walnut, finished with mineral oil and beeswax from our own hives. It measures 5-3/8 x 8 inches, $36.00.
My contribution to the eclipse, these cutting/charcuterie boards are made from local wood, finished with mineral oil and beeswax (from our own hives!) with an epoxy resin sun. These will be available from us at our show this Saturday at Alto Vineyards, and at Town Square Market in Carbondale.
It's getting close. Just a few more days until the event we've been waiting for for nearly seven years: the second total eclipse to cover Southern Illinois. It's rare for an eclipse to pass over any site, it's rarer still for an eclipse to pass over the same place twice - but to go over the same location twice within seven years? It's practically unheard of. So those of us in Southern Illinois are very happy and proud to be at the crossroads of the 21017 and the 2024 total solar eclipses.
As part of the celebration of this historic event, we will be at Alto Vineyards on Sunday, April 6 for Total Eclipse of the Art, for local artists with an eclipse theme. We will have several different eclipse soaps, and a new line of eclipse cutting/charcuterie boards, as well as all of your favorite products from Ruth & John's.
Our second eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so make the most of it this Saturday at Alto Vineyards.
If you're reading this, it means you've probably been a fan of ours for some time. I'm sure you've seen our old logo, as we've been using it for over twenty years.
It's not a bad logo, and it represents us fairly well, I think. We never really chose it as a logo, however. The first year me made soap, we decided to give it to the family as Christmas presents. I designed the above in MS Word (what else?), and we made paper bands to go around each bar. When we started selling soap and doing shows, we just adopted the image from the soap label for the business. We just kept on using it, and suddenly, over twenty years had gone by.
Ruth's daughter, Elizabeth, has a good head for business, and she gently encouraged us to look at getting a new logo. She came up with the one we use now, along with several variations. We picked the one we liked best, and, well, you can see the result below.
We like it. It's clean, eye-catching, and if you'll notice, at the top it incorporates a honey bee. We are beekeepers and use beeswax from our hives in many of our products, so it seemed apt.
We've been using the new logo since last summer, and it has been well received. But what about you? What do you think of it? Drop a line or a comment and let us know.
We're starting off the new season of shows with the Maple Syrup Festival at SIU's Touch of Nature. This popular event features lots of demonstrations, vendors, and a pancake breakfast. Admission and parking are free, there is a charge for the breakfast.
We've got a number of new items to show you, including eclipse soaps, cheese slicing boards, and herb strippers. So come on out and join us for a good time in the woods.
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