Saturday is the date set for Sunrise Festival of the Arts, and a great day is planned in Veterans Memorial Park, Sidney. The wonderful smells of homemade cinnamon rolls to nachos to deep fried hot dogs will fill the park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Performances on stage will also begin at 9 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. with entertainment from gymnasts, forms of martial arts, vocal talent to instrumental pieces.

Now, as in years past, craft vendors will have booths lining the park with fabulous fashions to birdhouses, from jewelry to beautiful handmade pottery, plus a whole lot more!

One craft vendor comes from Roscoe. Paulette Spencer of Spencer Gifts designs kitchen and children’s crafts, scrubbies, towels, birdhouses, hot and cold packs, along with those much-needed neck coolers for hot summer days. Spencer tells many of her customers, “Use your purchases! Don’t keep them in a box or packed away.” Spencer explains how important it is to use the things you have. She said when she was younger and her house burned to the ground leaving the family with very few materials from the home. “But, if we would have used what we had boxed up to save for a rainy day, we’d have those memories to share of using those items.” A good lesson learned and one to preach – Use your collections, don’t hoard them away. Her craft days started in 1992 when her children began graduating from high school. She had time on her hands, and plenty of avenues in which Spencer wanted to create. She started with cross-stitched projects and hot and cold microwave bags. Spencer tells of the first time she set up her craft booth. “My first show in Billings I sold completely out. Since then I’ve added 25-30 different projects. A friend once told me, ‘Make the every day things that you would use each day, and you will do great in the crafting business.’ So I did, and I do,” Spencer said.

Spencer attends 12 to 35 shows a year in which Billings, Sidney and Bismarck, N.D., are the biggest events. It’s easy for her to answer the question, “Where do you find most enjoyment in those three towns?” Sidney of course, but anywhere there are customers, she says. “I enjoyed being in lots of places and meeting new people. I make friends everywhere I go.” Spencer has been coming to Sidney for about 10 years for the Festival of the Arts, and the Richland County Fair as well.

Stop by to visit with Paulette Spencer at the Spencer Gifts booth at the festival Saturday, and if you do make a purchase with her, don’t save it for a rainy day – use it. The crafts she creates are things to use in your home!

homespun@sidneyherald.com