Much to see on Santa's Sleigh Ride

You know how it goes ...

"Fifty years old - The Metallic Age: Silver hair, gold teeth and a lead bottom."

At least that's what Sharon Morales says, and she painted it on a wall hanging. The sign was just one of many, many hand-painted goodies - like the chair with the cat picture and the ironing board with Santa - on display Saturday at her LeRaysville shop, The Country Goose Studio.

"We do a little bit of everything!" Morales remarked.

Popping with color, The Country Goose, which specializes in painted pieces, was open and doing a brisk business during Santa's Sleigh Ride. Santa's Sleigh Ride is the self-guided tour of craft and artisan shops going on this weekend in the Northeast Bradford area. Every year right after Thanksgiving, the shops get together and hold open houses at the same time for the Ride, and shoppers travel from one to another looking at specialized items, many handcrafted. It's part shopping spree, part ride through the country.

This year's Ride began Friday, continued Saturday and has its last day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

It features 16 stops. Many of them in the Rome area, and others in or near LeRaysville or Windham, the businesses feature items for people with different interests.

Are you mad for maple? The Ride has it. Wild about wood? The Ride has it. Seeking ceramics? No problem. Jumping to get jewelry, jam, jelly? Got it, got it, got it!

And then you have quilted items, wine, wreaths, artwork, soaps, decorations ... you get the idea.

Plenty of shoppers seemed to be making the rounds, too.

"We've had a lot of people in and out," Morales stated. "They actually travel in little packs," she added with a laugh - sometimes families or women carpooling.

"I'm supposed to keep count!" she admitted with a laugh. She didn't.

Morales herself seemed to be enjoying the day, laughing and chatting as she stood in front of a wall of plaques painted with pink, blue, brown Teddy bears; flowers; "Welcome" greetings. Morales and husband Frank do the painting, photography and other craftwork for the shop, with daughter-in-law Elysia helping.

They've produced photos and paintings of nature scenes, stuffed Teddy bears, ornaments and a host of funny, cute, lovely and thought-stirring gifts: The frying pan painted with pigs and chicks - titled "Bacon and eggs." The pink sign advising, "Plant Kindness, Gather Love." The gray, self-confident feline stating: "You're nobody until you've been ignored by a cat." A gentle reminder: "'That love thy neighbor thing ... I meant it!' - God."

And the signs, showing the - uh, hind parts - of a pig, and a cow, and a duck. "Bye," they state.

Nancy and Monte Hughey of Towanda were taking in the wisdom of the little slate signs. Nancy laughed at her favorite: "If you are what you eat, I'd rather be a bon-bon than a Brussels sprout."

Over near Rome, Alan Coolbaugh of Elmo's Crafts/Karen's Doll Clothes said the Ride had been "busy as usual."

"Yesterday was steady all day," he reported. Those shoppers seemed to be the Black Friday crowd; Saturday was more like family day.

The visitors come from everywhere, according to Alan - Towanda, the Valley, Scranton, Harvey's Lake. He's even had phone calls from West Virginia and Ohio. He expected Binghamton shoppers for Sunday.

Sherry Cook, Alan's neighbor, reported a good turnout. She'd had a "lot of people through ... lot of people from away." She opened up her whole house to display ceramics, quilts, wood products and more, which she and friends and relatives made.

Up in the woods of Orwell Township, Hearthstone/Sue Belli Knits was a fragrant world of wreaths, dried flowers, knitted caps and more. Outdoors stood a little zoo of lawn ornaments - cats, puppies, frogs, rabbits ... even a gecko.

By the cash register hung a sign: "Top 10 Reasons to Garden." No. 1 was "dirt therapy." No. 5 - "Listen to God's Symphony." And No. 10? "Cheaper than a Spa Day."

Business for the Ride had been "very good. Probably better than ever," owner Donna Brink stated. She believed good weather helped.

Participants in this year's Santa's Sleigh Ride, according to the event's Web site, and some of their products are: The Country Goose Studio, LeRaysville - featuring "nature-inspired creations"; Gibbs Garden Center, LeRaysville - wreaths, flowers, decorations; The Parish House, LeRaysville - lunch, crafts (closed Sunday); LeRaysville Cheese Factory; Genevieve's, Windham - glassware, linens (closed Sunday); Endless Mountains Cabin Maple Syrup, Rome - maple products, candles, wooden and quilted gifts; Antler Ridge Winery, Rome; Studio C, Rome (a new stop this year) - glass jewelry, scarves, handbags, Danielle and Co.; Wilmot's Apple -n- Spice, Rome - jams, jellies, ornaments and wreaths as well as maple items from Beckwith Maples and hand-painted products from Lil Bit of Country; Abell Productions, Rome - wooden items including toy boxes, rocking horses, storage chests; Rainy Day Knit -n- Sew, Rome - quilted items, candles, dolls, soap; Back Achers Farms of North Rome - goats' milk soap, woolen items, maple gift baskets, organic foods; Pickering Winery, Rome; Cook's Ceramics, Rome - ceramics, crocheted and sewn items, bird houses; Elmo's Crafts, Karen's Doll Clothes, Rome - wooden toys, doll furniture and chests as well as pewter, rocks and jewelry and clothes for American Girl Dolls; Hearthstone and Sue Belli Knits, Orwell Township - dried flowers, wreaths and ornaments as well as knitted hats, mittens, baby blankets.

For more information and a map, go to www.santassleighride.com.

Sign up for Text Alerts

Sign up for e-mail newsletters