For the fourth year crafters and entrepreneurs displayed their talents and capabilities at the Arts & Flowers Craft Show to benefit United Christian Ministries (UCM).
More than 500 people flowed through the exhibit area at Plymouth Haven Baptist Church on Fort Hunt Road this past Saturday to make decorative purchases and learn of available services from the 16 participating exhibitors, according to Joy Newland, organizer of the show and head of UCM's Microenterprise small business endeavor.
"A portion of all proceeds from the show go to further the goals of UCM," Newland explained. "All the crafters are from Northern Virginia and the small business owners are located primarily in the Route 1 area of the county."
Newland, herself a crafter and interior design consultant, also teaches a basic business course to budding entrepreneurs as a part of UCM's Microenterprise. "There are two courses, each eight weeks long. The first teaches all the basics of business such as cash flow, taxes, and management," she explained.
"The second is an advanced course and concentrates on three subjects with particular emphasis on developing a marketing plan. As a part of the first course each student must write a business plan," she emphasized.
Prior to joining the UCM staff, Newland spent 17 years as a part owner of a financial planning group. Also having a love for creative design she was displaying some of her hand made wreaths.
"These two efforts bring everything together for me," she said.
ONE OF THE SMALL businesses on display was "Sir James Supper Club." Owned and operated by Chef Jim Gulotta for the past seven years, it provides personal chef services and event catering to individuals and organizations.
Gulotta manages the business from his home in Belle View but works out of a commercial kitchen on Prince Street in Alexandria. "I got started because I was always cooking for the family. No one else really liked to cook," he explained.
"Now I have nine regular clients throughout the area, mainly churches. I do big dinners as well as individual meals," he said. Gulotta is in his third year at the Sheraton Culinary Arts School at Tysons Corner.
On the craft side of the show was Mary Ann Graham an 11-year professional crafter and 35-year, recently retired, dental hygienist. "I started decorative painting about 13 years ago," she said.
Her booth displayed a wide array of paper mache ornaments and Christmas balls. A resident of West Springfield, Graham belongs to the Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild and will be serving as the Chair for the Fine Arts and Craft Show scheduled for Lee High School, Oct. 5 and 6.
"After a long career as a dental hygienist, with a steady income, I'm about to find out just how much can be realized from crafting," she admitted. A requirement of the Guild is that crafters must have done all the work on their products, Graham pointed out.
Others in the one day show included a painting and repair firm, a cleaning service, massage therapist, and a wide variety of crafters.