They’ve been working at home for one year, shaping anddecorating crosses, frames, giant letters of the alphabet and otherhandmade wood crafts in relative secrecy, doing business only byword of mouth.

On Saturday, Brookhaven sisters Michelle Hall and Kelly Portertested their work in public at the 36th annual Ole Brook Festival,setting their works out for public consumption as Sisters HandmadeFrames and Crafts. It was their first appearance at the downtownfestival and the first time they’d brought their business out inthe light.

After a few hours that morning, their alphabet had dwindled tojust a few letters.

“We’ve sold a lot this morning,” Hall said as a customersearched in vain for the letter “P.” “I think that’s why peoplecome to these festivals, to get the handmade stuff. Everything elseyou can buy in the store.”

Sisters Handmade Frames and Crafts was just one example of manylocal artists and craftsmen who set up shop in downtown BrookhavenSaturday to help push through Ole Brook organizers’ promise ofincreased quality in 2010, muscling out the trinket and shirtsalesmen of years past and bringing more homemade, unique crafts tothe market-style festival.

The draw of finer shopping paid off this year, with abiggest-yet festival that saw more than 200 vendors and likely metand exceeded last year’s tally of around 8,000 visitors.

“We see a definite increase in quality,” said Cliff Brumfield,executive vice president of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamberof Commerce, which produces Ole Brook each year. “The biggestindicator of that is the number of shoppers on the street totingtheir purchases. When they see what they like, they buy.”

Brumfield and the dozens of Ole Brook planners sought and foundhigh-quality vendors for this year’s festival by using a referralprogram, in which the festival’s vending veterans were offereddiscounts for inviting other quality craftsmen to town for thefirst time. It worked like a charm, and Whitworth Avenue was packedwith all manner of woodcrafts, clothing and accessories and artworkwhen festival visitors arrived early Saturday morning.

“These are the types of vendors people want to see,” Brumfieldsaid.

Wesson’s Chris Johnson brought his talents to the festival,selling 17×11-inch inked portraits of rock giants like JimiHendrix, Carlos Santana and the Beatles.

“I did the Rocking Railroad Festival in Hazlehurst last week andI sold 17 prints, so I figured I’d take that money and roll it overand do Ole Brook,” he said.

Brookhaven’s Tammay Gardley brought her business, Matters of theHeart, out to Ole Brook for the first time, too. She had waited thewhole year for her chance to set up shop at the festival, signingon to sell her quilted and embroidered items as soon as the chamberbegan taking applications.

“People had purchased some of my items by word of mouth, andsomeone said, ‘You should be at the Ole Brook Festival,'” Gardleysaid. “I signed up on the first day.”

Bogue Chitto’s Shelby “Buddy” Brister is a longtime Ole Brookvendor. People seem to have an appetite for his rustic goods, likefurniture made of boards pulled up from McComb’s former Q Store anda variety of old bottles and glassware he’s collected for 40years.

“Most of this old stuff I’ll sell before the day is out,”Brister said. “People like this old stuff, even the youngfolks.”

Ole Brook’s shoppers, meanwhile, weren’t as particular when itcame to new stuff and old stuff – so long as it was fine, handmadestuff.

“I love the woodcrafts,” said Wesson’s Dara Moak. “It takes alot of time and skill to make those. I’ve already bought some.”

Evelyn Thornton was in town visiting family all the way fromWest Hills, Calif. She didn’t know the festival would be on whenshe made the trip, but after taking it all in for the first time,she said next year’s visit to Mississippi would be planned tocoincide with Ole Brook.

“Next year I’ll come back around this time. I’ve picked up somereally nice pieces,” Thornton said. “The atmosphere is very nice,and the people are wonderful.”

For some festival visitors, it was all about the people.

Brookhaven’s Nathan Bullock didn’t buy a single thing at OleBrook. But he still managed to have a good time because – like agood boy – he knows his place in the world.

“My wife likes shopping, I just provide the cash,” Bullock said.”I’m mainly just spending time with my family, taking my son overto the fun jumps and allowing my wife and mother-in-law to spend mymoney.”