Henry County Holiday Bazaar
New
Castle’s Burnett to sell
his miniature farm implements
17th
annual event to feature
30-plus artisans, crafts people
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
NEW CASTLE, Ky. (November 2009) – Anything you
see on a farm, Christopher Burnett can make. Since his first toy show
in 1986, Burnett has been molding, assembling, painting and customizing
miniature farm implements out of die-cast metal to the delight of old
and young alike.
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Photo
by Helen McKinney Chris
Burnett make |
At 1/70 scale, his farm toys are a bit larger in size
than Hot Wheels. Burnett, 36, began custom building the miniatures in
1984. Since then he has learned what he knows on his own, spending many
hours perfecting his technique.
“The more you do it, the better you get at it,” said the Campbellsburg,
Ky., native. Adults are interested in his collectable farm toys, said
Burnett. Sales have begun to pick up between the 12-18 age market because
of FFA members who construct farm displays for contests.
Burnett has crafted tractors, pickups, tractor implements and silos,
many of which have been custom built from scratch. He can customize
the toys with decals, exhaust pipes, cabs, drive axle and dual tires.
“A lot of customers want pulling tractors,” he said.
After college, Burnett became a teacher and only built farm toys as
a hobby. He has since then gone full-time with this second career. He
wants his miniatures to “look like the real ones, only shrunk down
in size,” he said.
His wife, Alissa, teaches and helps him when she can.
“I’m on the road a lot doing 34 shows a year,” Burnett
said. He travels to toy shows in Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa.
Burnett is just one of more than 30 artisans and craftspeople who will
be set up at the 17th annual Henry County Extension Holiday Bazaar on
Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 4-H Fairgrounds Building.
It is located on Hwy. 421 between New Castle and Pleasureville.
The Holiday Bazaar is sponsored by the Henry County Homemakers Organization
with the intent of providing a unique shopping experience close to home,
without all the hassle of driving to Louisville in heavy traffic during
the holiday season. The wide variety of items at the Bazaar “will
help you fill up those stockings with no problem at all,” said
Maryellen Garrison, Henry County Extension Agent.
Items for sale include hand stitched wool designs, sterling silver and
natural stone earrings, music boxes, painted gourds, wool chair mats,
wood turned bowls and vases, tobacco art, nature photography, stools,
purses, painted furniture, ornaments, soy candles, leather items, rare
African violets, and baked goods. Senior Citizens with the Tri-County
Community Action Agency will have soups, sandwiches and desserts available
for purchase.
The Henry County Homemakers Organization sells chances on theme baskets
for a Teddy Bear Tree every year. Saundra Smith is a member of the Homemakers,
in addition to being a member of the Henry County Arts and Crafts Guild.
As an artist, she will have painted gourds, stools, jewelry and purses
on display for sale.
Since the first Bazaar was held, it has “really improved in quality.
There are more skilled artisans who take part,” said Smith. Many
participants are also Guild members.
Much of the appeal of the Holiday Bazaar has to do with “the wide
variety of items we have,” Smith said. Shoppers can find unique
gifts, a majority of them handmade.
Because this is a fundraising activity for the Henry County Homemakers,
they do not limit the participants to hand-crafted items only, said
Smith. “It is open to anyone that wants to rent a booth space and
basically to whatever they want to sell.”
One such individual is Teresa Baker, who will be selling Longaberger
baskets and pottery that she does not craft herself. “I wish I
could say that I actually make these beautiful baskets and pottery,
but they are made in Dresden, Ohio, by the Longaberger Factory,”
said Baker. The baskets are hand-made by employees at the Longaberger
Factory and Baker is a home consultant for the company.
This will be the fourth year Burnett has participated in the Holiday
Bazaar. The biggest advantage to it is that “we get to see local
people,” he said. When he attends a toy show, the closest one is
one-hour away.
Shopping the Holiday Bazaar saves gas, money and time for locals. “If
you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the person who
has everything, this is the place to shop,” said Smith.
• For more information, call the Henry County Extension Office at (502) 845-2811.