ADAMS -- As crafters go, they are a fearsome foursome.

Joni Osmundson, Arvis Gunderson, Joanne Croker and Jan Weness.

Individually, each is a skilled artisan.

Collectively, they are unstoppable.

The 20th annual Country Peddler and Friends craft and antique show begins Thursday.

It will be held at Minnesota Warehouse Furniture Store on Main Street (Highway 56) in downtown Adams.

Door prizes will be given away daily and refreshments served. The crafters' friend, Renee Schmitz, will offer lunch and pie specials at Renee's Cafe nearby.

The 20th anniversary show is scheduled Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

A special guest Friday and Saturday will be Joanne Hansen, who wrote the book, "Blinded By Deceit." The Austin author will sign her newest book on both days, during the 20th anniversary show.

"The Country Peddler has a reputation for selling good quality craft and gift items at a reasonable price," Croker said.

After a Bloomington mother and daughter visited the Country Peddler at the Bank Boutique, the mother called to say she was very impressed.

The same reaction came from a Chicago, Ill., tourist who stopped by this summer.

The crafters are also helping to preserve a rare building for the city of Adams by doing business at the Bank Boutique.

"It's a nice way to preserve this building for everyone,"

Croker said .

Osmundson does folk painting, Croker cross stitching, Gunderson florals and Weness dolls, Teddy bears and doll clothing. The Country Peddler started small and grew big quickly.

It has moved from a basement and garage to the Bank Boutique in the historical First National Bank of Adams buildings in the heart of downtown Adams. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the former bank is now part office building and treasure trove of craft and gift items.

"I don't know what exactly is was, but we were so busy at the start and became a success from the beginning," Osmundson observed.

Croker and Gunderson said part of the success was due to the support the Country Peddler received from locals.

"They supported us from the beginning," Gunderson said. "Now, we have customers that come from all over, but we still are fortunate to enjoy a strong customer base locally."

In 20 years of crafting, the Country Peddler's crafters have worked hard to improve their skills. However, they all admit some items have failed to appeal to customers, while others have surprised them.

Considering the highly competitive and crowded world of crafters, customers can be very fickle when decided how to furnish their homes with crafts or purchasing gift items for friends and families.

That means, sometimes pure and simple "good luck" or "good timing" at the introduction of an item goes a long way to success.

Throughout the two decades of craft-making, good things have happened to whet the crafters' appetite for refining the old and trying something new.

For instance, Osmundson was flabbergasted when more than 1,000 of her personalized wood necklaces became a "must"-have item in stores on this continent and Europe

"It was in 1990 and the country look was just starting to really take off in the craft world," Croker said.

Gunderson reaped the benefits of the same trend, selling hundreds of angels.

The other artisans' original ideas also flourished and soon Croker's cross-stitched hearts with words-to-live-by stitched on them were a popular item. Meanwhile, Weness enjoyed the interest shown in her Teddy bears.

When that happened, the crafters' knew they had "arrived" and the annual show had a mailing list of more than 600 postcards.

Other craft stores and boutiques sold the Adams' crafters' hand-made creations, which also caught the attention of customers at area craft sales and shows like their own.

Not bad for a Country Peddler fall craft show that started in Osmundson's home, moved to Jo and Dick Strand's home for a seven-year stretch, moved again to the Schaefer Department Store for two years, next visited the Bank Boutique building and for the last seven years has enjoyed the Minnesota Warehouse Furniture Store location.

"We started small and by word of mouth and then just grew," Osmundson said.

In addition to the original four crafters, Shari Wagner sold her homemade pillows at the very first show in 1982.

This year, mother and daughter, Ramona Reuter and Kellie Nelson, will sell their antiques, pictures, dolls and other craft items at the weekend show.

There will be many fall-oriented items, including Osmundson's gourds, but Christmas also will be featured with Gunderson's wreaths and tree.

The crafters are largely self-taught. Osmundson and Croker have taken classes. Otherwise, they are career women, who have polished their skills in their spare time while juggling homemaking, raising families and careers

The formula has worked

for 20 years, but the question must be asked, "Is there an end in sight for the Country Peddler?"

"When it isn't fun anymore, we won't do it," Osmundson said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com