At Gainesville’s GLAM Craft Show, Novice And Experienced Artists Sell Wares

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More than 80 vendors and hundreds of customers filled the historic GRU Operations Warehouse in Gainesville Sunday for the GLAM Craft Show, a do-it-yourself fair featuring knick-knacks, art pieces and food-truck dining.

Though the event, now in its eighth year, predominately featured vendors who had been there before, a handful of young faces found a new platform at this year’s show.

Seventeen-year-old Carina Dybevick brought her craft skills to the show for the first time this year, but her mother, Roxanne, has attended the event previously to sell her own paintings. 

“My mom really encouraged me from a very young age,” Dybevick said. “She’s like my cheerleader, and we do a lot of art shows together.”

Central among the colorful trinkets for sale at Dybevick’s booth were a series of miniature sculptures she calls “ice cream monsters.”

“I wanted to make a really realistic ice-cream scoop, but I didn’t really know what to do with it after that,” she said. “So I messed with it to try to make something unique, and the ice cream monster was created.”

One of the busiest booths at the convention was Bea Sweet Bakery’s. High school senior Beatrice Dain, 17, opened the bakery, which she runs out of her home, when she was a freshman. She said baking has been a part of her life since before kindergarten.

“My grandma owned a bakery when she was younger,” Beatrice said. “I thought, ‘Why the heck not?’”

Beatrice said she drew inspiration for her sweets featured Sunday from a recent trip to Germany, and they proved to be a smash hit.

“I had these espresso fudge cookies that just sold out within, like, two hours,” she said.

Other high schoolers featured albeit in a different way came from Gainesville High School’s branch of DECA, an entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and hospitality education organization for students interested in those industries. 

Dawn Bekaert, a teacher at the school and its DECA advisor, said the group set up a table right outside the warehouse’s main entrance to fundraise for a trip to a scholastic competition.

“We’re doing the gift wrapping,” she said. “It’s donation-based only. The gift wrapping is free, and all donations are appreciated.”

Rebecca Thrift, 32, sells food from the Bubba Luigi’s food truck while teaming up with local artist, Lyssa Bowen, 34. (Photo by Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Rebecca Thrift (center), 32, sells food from the Bubba Luigi’s food truck while teaming up with 34-year-old local artist Lyssa Bowen (right). (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

 Dee Mullen's small succulents are displayed at her booth. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Dee Mullen’s small succulents are displayed at her booth. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

Mary Fukuyama and her bird, Bebop, talk with local artist Cat Lisle about her pieces. (Photo by Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Mary Fukuyama and her bird, Bebop, talk with local artist Cat Lisle (center) about her pieces. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

 Karan Newman, a local artist, crafts purses inspired by her love of birds and of the Florida Keys. (Photo by Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Artist Shane Bracewell of Crazy Bird Threads says she crafts purses inspired by her love of birds and of the Florida Keys. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

Leanne Ward, 29, pours mango-flavored syrup on a snow cone on this hot December day. (Photo by Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Leanne Ward, 29, pours mango-flavored syrup on a snow cone on what turned out to be a hot December day. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

 Monica Bradna helps her friend and local artist Gianelle Gelpi sell her original artwork. (Photo by Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)
Sweet Wild Press’ Monica Bradna (behind table) talks with the company’s Gianelle Gelpi. (Lauren Gandy/WUFT News)

 

Birdhouses hand-painted by Raquelle Crusado. Crusade picked up the hobby for therapeutic reasons after a traumatic injury. (Photo by Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)
Hand-painted birdhouses by Raquelle Crusado are on display at the event. Crusade said she picked up the hobby for therapeutic reasons after a traumatic injury. (Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)

 

Megan Saillant, an attendee of the GLAM Craft Show, browses for jewelry at one of the booths. Saillant purchased a wooden animal for her daughter. (Photo by Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)
Event attendee Megan Saillant browses for jewelry at one of the booths. She ended up purchasing a wooden animal for her daughter. (Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)

 

Dee and Phil Mullen, owners of the floral design company Willow Gardens, prepare to check out customers. This was the Mullens’ first year at the GLAM Craft Show. (Photo by Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)
Dee and Phil Mullen, owners of the floral design company Willow Gardens, prepare to check out customers. This was the Mullens’ first year at the GLAM Craft Show. (Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)

 

Rockhill’s nod to the Gator Nation. The inspiration for this sign was Gator Football radio announcer Mick Hubert and his catch phrase, “Oh my!” (Photo by Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)
The inspiration for this sign for sale at the event was Gator football radio announcer Mick Hubert’s catch phrase, “Oh my!” (Sophie Smadbeck/WUFT News)

Editors note: This story has been updated to correct a caption that misidentified Shane Bracewell of Crazy Bird Threads as Karan Newman. 

About Jordan Milian

Jordan is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 904-477-3727 or emailing jordanmilian6@gmail.com.

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