Potters, carpenters, metal workers and artisans everywhere have worked hard all year to be ready for this season of giving and now it finally has arrived. Busy as it may be, there is beauty and grace to be found in the act of creating.
Lawton Clites, the owner of Bad Truck Pottery in Fredericksburg, throws a mound of clay onto a pottery wheel in his studio. Within minutes, the formless mass begins to take on the identifiable shape of an advent wreath.
“It’s always nice when I can specifically address the faith, like making holy water fonts or advent wreaths,” said Clites. “As an artist, our call is to let God bring the beautiful, good and the true into the world through us. Any time we can participate in that creation, I think we are connecting with God in the sense we are made in his image and likeness and he is the ultimate creator.”
The former Saint John Paul the Great High School teacher also enjoys helping others realize their ceramic skills. He offers private and group classes for students of all ages and skill levels as well as a popular seasonal workshop where participants get to make their own Christmas ornament.
“A particular part of my mission is to be able to help others realize that part of their person and assist them in their own mission of bringing the good, beautiful and true into the world,” Clites said.
Rosary- and jewelry-maker Ruth Tucker, a homeschooling mother of seven, does not have a brick and mortar studio so she often comes to church to create her beautiful tools of prayer. Quite often she can be found with her bead box in the cry room of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg during her holy hour.
“I make a rosary any time I can set aside 30 minutes,” said Tucker. “It’s great because while I’m making the rosary, I’m praying for the buyer.”
She made her first beaded creation in 2008 for the novena of St. Andrew, which starts Nov. 30 and concludes on Christmas Eve. Over the next 15 years, her hobby grew into her business, Loreto Rosaries.
“It’s named after the Litany of Loreto, for Mary,” said Tucker. “I try to make rosaries to honor Our Lady’s different titles, such as Star of the Sea, Undoer of Knots. Hopefully one day I will get to them all.”
This time of year, her St. Andrew novena chaplets are popular as well as her St. Joseph rosary and saint jewelry. Each rosary is handcrafted with various semi-precious gemstone beads and solid bronze or sterling silver pieces, which are made in the United States.
Tucker’s daughter Adrianna started her felt saint business in 2009. Tucker was invited to be a vendor at a Catholic conference and had the idea to sell saint dolls with her rosaries. Though she didn’t have the time and skill to create them, Adrianna did. An Our Lady of Guadalupe doll was sold at the conference and just like that, My Little Felt Friends was born. Adrianna has found her craft to be a great way to help her family financially, while dealing with a growing list of medical issues. This time of year, she makes sure her inventory is fully stocked with her popular nativity scenes, St. Nicholas dolls and “Good Deed Baby Jesus” sets. That set was inspired by the French custom of preparing the manger for Baby Jesus by performing good deeds and sacrifices throughout Advent. There are also more than 90 saint doll designs along with saint bookmarks, headbands and keychains. For those who want to learn how to felt, she offers several saint kits on her Etsy shop.
For many people, the act of creating serves as an oasis from the stress of the world. Michael Traylor tried his hand at woodworking a year ago, a craft that provides purpose and peace during his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Thanks to help from YouTube videos, he worked on some projects with positive results.
“I like to create useful things that make people smile,” said the retired U.S. National Guardsman and father of two.
After attending the Called and Gifted seminar at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, a three-step process to assist Catholics in discovering their spiritual gifts, Traylor decided to focus on making items with a religious theme.
At the request of Rex Rappahannock owner Heather Gardner, he made some items for her shop, which opened this year. Elegant cutting boards, laser cut with saint insignias, adorn the shelves. Traylor says he is working on a series of kneelers as well.
“It’s truly a team effort with my wife, Lara, who has the knack for the ideas and design,” he said . “She told me if I was going to do this, we needed to give the business a name.” They decided on St. Nicholas Owen Woodworking, in honor of the English carpenter and martyr known for building hideaways for priests.
This Christmas season you might receive a gift handmade by a Catholic artisan. In the spirit of the season, take a moment to say a prayer for these makers who strive to create something that is beautiful, true and faith filled.
Ashleigh is a freelancer in Fredericksburg.
