Lehman’s Country Life

Pottery Demonstration at Lehman's

The store was all a buzz with activity this morning as everyone was gearing up for the busy Memorial Day weekend.  This weekend is the Dutch Oven Cook Off so there is alot cookin’ inside and out!

Mary Ruth Kamp, a local potter set up her potter’s wheel in the Buggy Barn and got busy throwing clay for visitors to the store.   Before she even got a chance to set up people were anxious to see her work.  There are so many things appealing about pottery!  No wonder it is a favorite item in the store.  Lehman’s carries a wide variety of Pottery in their pottery room so its a natural fit for Mary Ruth to demonstrate how it is made.  Mary Ruth will be a regular demonstrator so if you missed her demo today you can check the Events Calendar on this page to see when she will be back.

I have been helping Lehman’s bring in local artists and crafters from the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild to do educational and entertaining demos on a regular basis.  Last week Dennis Lipp, a Kidron/Dalton resident brought his easle and oil paints to share his beautiful rural landscapes by doing a painting demo.   One of the many treats of a visit to Lehman’s begin during the drive here as you veiw the beautiful farmland in Wayne Co.   As a local resident and artist myself the rolling farmland is a continual source of inspiration. Lehman’s is known for selling unique, locally made products so to bring in local artistic talent is just an extention of their philosopy to support the local and USA workforce.   Thank you Lehman’s for providing this opportunity for us and by the happy faces in the Buggy Barn I  think I can say thank you on behalf of the visitors too!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE KIDRON, OH – May 12, 2009: Dutch oven enthusiasts from all over northeast Ohio are holding their second annual Dutch Oven Gathering at Lehman’s in Kidron on Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Over 30 cooks have already signed up for this fun event but more are welcome. Dutch oven cooks of all skill levels are invited. Individuals as well as groups like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are welcome. Bring all your supplies and a favorite dish or two to cook.

Never cooked in a Dutch oven before and want to learn? No problem: “Dutch Oven” Dave Horton will be here from Buffalo, NY to put on one of his Dutch oven training classes in Lehman’s Buggy Barn. And Lehman’s has a large selection of cast iron pots and accessories for you to choose from.

Last year’s Dutch Oven Cook-off at Lehman’s drew lots of great cooks – and great taste testers! The cooks will begin set up at 10 am – so plan on eating a great pot-luck style meal at 4:00p.m.

For more information on this event or to sign-up, please call or email: Matt Buser at 330-603-7266 or mebuser@neo.rr.com

In addition, the popular local bluegrass band Northwest Territory will be playing at Lehman’s from 11 am to 2 pm. Since 1989, Northwest Territory has been entertaining audiences with unique style and enthusiasm. Bluegrass, gospel, country, fiddle tunes and more are all in the band’s repertoire. It’s foot tapping fun for the whole family!

There is no charge for either event – don’t miss the great food, entertaining music, and fantastic shopping at Lehman’s, on the Square in Kidron, on Saturday, May 23.

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Young Colt Mural in the Buggy Barn

My name is Sue Steiner and I am the artist painting the farm animal murals in the Buggy Barn.   A couple years ago I painted the outside farm animal murals and now I am working on adding to the murals in the Buggy Barn,  an authentic century old post and beam structure used by the Amish to store buggies and house animals.  The buggy barn in the store was dismantled on the farm and reconstructed in the store.  My job has been to add the ’animal’ element to the barn.   Jay Lehman has been busy adding antique farm implements and tools in the buggy barn just as you’d expect to see in the real thing.   It is becoming quite an interesting place!  I particularly enjoy seeing the young kids faces when they see the animals.

On many Fridays from 10-2:00 you can find me working on the latest mural.  As I am nearing completion of the young colt painting (pictured above) I have begun to tally votes for the next farm animal to go in the Buggy Barn.  I’ve been asking people to leave comments here or to give me their vote when I am in the store painting.  Some of the suggestions I’ve recieved have been barn cats, piglets, goats, calf, mouse, oxen and llama.  Popular vote has been the sheep goes in next.  You can see my rough sketch with chalk below the roosting chickens as I am beginning to plan out what I will paint.

rough sketch of ewe

I am letting you determine what goes in after I complete the sheep so if you want to register your vote now is your chance!  Feel free to say any of the animals already mentioned or one of your own choosing.   I am game for what you all decide- provided it makes sense that it would be seen in an Amish Buggy Barn!

To see when I am scheduled to paint again click on the Events tab on the top of this page.

Thank you!

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Original Oil Painting By Sue Steiner

Check out the Events Calendar on this page to see the schedule of local artisans sharing their knowledge and skills in Lehman’s Buggy Barn as demos.   We are fortunate to have a wide variety of local, talented folks from the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild who welcome the chance to talk with visitors to the store on topics of interest such as environmentally ‘green’  activities, farm related arts and crafts,  pottery, wood carving, farm animal art, rural landscape oil paintings and gardening.

This week Devona of Clevernesting will be back with her garden themed crafts using recycled items normally thrown away.  Last week she shared with us seed catalog art, plastic grocery bag woven baskets and coffee bag seed starter pots.  You’ll enjoy her enthusiam as she shares her wealth of ideas and tutorials on how to make the most with the least using commonly found items!
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We are gearing up to begin another round of arts and crafts demos at the store in Kidron in the Buggy Barn from now until the end of the year.  The founder’s of Clever Nesting along with other Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild members will take turns doing demos in which they share with you their skills, knowledge and crafts.   Colleen and Devonna have a refreshing way to get people enthused about recycling.  Read on to get a glimpse as to what they do….

“Colleen and Devona are passionate about conservation and creativity. They enthusiastically want to share this lifestyle with others, hence, the Clever Nesting website was developed in early 2009. At Clever Nesting you’ll find posts about crafting techniques, full craft tutorials, and links to other great crafting resources. There are design ideas for the home and techniques for the garden, many of which reuse and repurpose items often thrown away.  Plus, read artist interviews who also share the Clever Nesting vision…a world where people do more with less.

Off the web Clever Nesting is active in the Greater Akron, Ohio community spreading the creative and repurposing spirit by hosting local events and teaching craft classes and demonstrations.”

To see dates for demos please click on the Event Calendar on this web site.  Clever Nestings demo this Saturday  they will be doing ‘Recycling Crafts using a Gardening Theme’.  You can expect to see seed catalogue paper crafts, plastic grocery bag basket weaving, and recycled coffee bean bags seed starter pots.

For more Artists Profiles go to: http://www.oacg.blogspot.com

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Beginning April 17, 2009 I will be back in the Buggy Barn most Fridays working on the farm animal murals.  My name is Sue Steiner and I am a local equine and animal artist.  I have this wonderful opportunity to do what I love best- paint animals in an authentic Amish Buggy Barn.  My job has been to add atmosphere and interest.  You’ll find old farm implements, garden tools and other farm related items and a barn full of farm animal murals!   I am inviting input as to what animal needs to go in next.  (There are still blank spots– can’t have that!!)  There is something in every farmer that knows you MUST fill your barn all the way!

I have a young colt mural I need to put some finishing touches to but after that I am ready to move to another spot.  In the Buggy Barn  in addition to the young colt we have a flock of  roosting hens, Bess; the family milk cow, a couple buggy horses and the team of Amish work horses Rex and Roy at the hitching post.   So we are fairly heavily slanted in the horse department but want to be an equal opportunity farm so lets hear it from you as to what is your favorite farm animal?  You are welcome to comment here.  I also will have a suggestion box in the Buggy Barn so if you are in the store please stop in, see the murals and give us your opinion!

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Ohio Arts and Crafts members had such a great time last fall and winter interacting and demonstrating in the Buggy Barn at Lehman’s they will be back again starting next week until the end of the year.

You can go to Lehman’s Events calendar and see who is scheduled so far and the themes of the various demos.  We are inviting a wide variety of artists and crafters to share their skills and knowledge with you for demos sure to please all ages!  Expect to see woodworking, mural painting and farm animal art, hands on crafts using recycled materials, wool rug hooking, spinning and weaving, fiber arts and pottery to name a few.

Check back often or sign up to be notified when an event is entered on the calendar.  You can plan your trip to Kidron knowing what demo is scheduled that day.  Stop in the Buggy Barn and be inspired!

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Hobby Farms Photo Shoot

Lehman’s has often been ‘in the news’ over the years but last Friday was a special day for me. It was a day that I got to be in the spotlight.  Jodi Miller, a free lance photographer from the Columbus area drove up and spent the day with me on a photo shoot for Hobby Farms Home magazine. I am an equine and animal artist living in the Kidron/Dalton area. I painted the farm animal and Hitching Post murals at Lehman’s over the last couple years during store hours as part of Lehman’s arts and crafts demos in the Buggy barn. 
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This year it seems everyone has money on their minds. In order to make the most of yours, a spending plan will help you pay the bills and realize your goals. How do you start? Here’s some steps to take to begin. Realize that it’s a plan and if you don’t follow it the first time, keep trying till you succeed. In the end, you will be glad you did.

Here are some other tips to make managing money in your home a little easier:
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My daughter just finished a book called The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs. In the story a boy is challenged to search out the Wonders in his small, seemingly-boring town. Like the boy in the story, it reminded me of how often I overlook the things that can inspire awe in the daily routines of life. But Brigit, age 9, was willing to take the novel character’s challenge. Within two days she wrote down The Seven Wonders of Brigit Brown.

Her Wonders began nine years ago with a twenty-four hour plane trip. She was born in Vietnam and had appeared in dreams for three years before her birth. I was living in Florida with my husband and young son. I flew around the world to bring her home when she was only 4½ months old.
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