How did the Creating Christmas Craft Fair Come About?
Hi. My name is Sam Sommers. The Creating Christmas Craft Fair began as a “one day when I retire daydream”… that came true.
As I moved into retirement one of my fellow crafter/ work colleagues, a saintly woman who over the years listened to me talk about the kind of craft fair I would love to go to but even better, would love to create. After all, I do live in a log house.
She gave me that friendly push to go for it and said she would love to be involved and still is.
So, I got busy and with a lot of help, brought this daydream into reality. In 2017, the first Creating Christmas Craft Fair came into being as a Pop Up Sale. I thought it was a one off. I thought wrong.
It was popular right away which was both surprising and wonderful. There has been a Creating Christmas Craft Fair sale every year since, except … well … you know … the 2020 Covid 19 thing.
And Now?
Its 7 years later so, if you’ve been meaning to get to a Creating Christmas Craft Fair, NOW ‘S THE TIME. This year, Dec 1st, will be your last opportunity.
It has been a popular, feel good craft fair. A feast for the senses focusing on local artists/crafters, encouraging a recycle/up-cycle and innovative approach from vendors
Each year we have included a Charity Table and for the past several years we have offered that table to the Comox Valley Conservancy Partnership. In the “What’s Going On This Year” section, see ‘David Stapley’, for more info. Come purchase your 2025 calendar from him and see all the CV Conservancy Partnership has done to preserve sensitive green spaces in the Comox Valley.
I have been very proud of this little Craft Fair, and am honored to have met and worked with such creative, hardworking and FUN artists/craft makers and volunteers. Those of you who have attended a Creative Christmas Craft Fair know what I mean and, those who know someone who has attended … well you have heard all about it, haven’t you. So this Dec 1st get cracking and get over here so you can be part of the very last Creative Christmas Craft Fair. We can’t wait to see you! See the poster for more details.
What did last year look like?
434 visitors came by this cozy log cottage last year to shop ‘til all of us dropped. Many were taking part in the wonderful Comox Winter Wander event. So, by day’s end there was a LOT of Blue Booties at the exit door. Let’s just say the BB deposit box capacity was exceeded.
The surplus booties were piled creatively and safely (impressive) by inspired guests on their way out.
The person who won the raffle last year has since agreed to be our Door Greeter Elf for this, our final, Dec 1st 2024 Creating Christmas Craft Fair (yay!). I think she is still smiling.
For a picture of the 2023 Raffle winner, see the picture, below, left.
To enter the free Door Prize draw, just fill out a feedback questionnaire. Here is last year’s Door Prize winner.
See the picture below.
As always, we got so many lovely comments from, you, our visitors, that it was embarrassing (and really nice ... so thanks). Over the past 7 years we have used as much of your feedback suggestions as possible. You had good ideas AND, many were also funny (also thanks).
Your feedback helped us build up the shine on successive Creating Christmas Craft Fairs. For example, we (husband Bill and I) made sure the music could be heard in each room; we added more lights here and there; in year 2 all of us vendors actually began selling xmas ornaments (duh!); we found a card crafter or two along the way; at the request of a 9 year old girl, some vendors added some items for pet lovers; we were asked to sell To Do Kits and some vendors have done that for this year;
; and Bill has added a few handrails here and there. As the poster says, there are stairs.
Pictures from the 2023 Creating Christmas Craft Fair
What's going on this year?
This year we have three new vendors joining us: Griffin Lindquist (OTAGAI DESIGNS); Brant Roche (Rugged Coast Flies)
and Anne Marie Holden (Remarkable Honey & Candles). For all new and returning vendors, this will be our last time to wow you with our latest and most popular creations.
Each year we have given ourselves an “artist’s challenge. This year the challenge is “denim”. So, when you visit Creating Christmas, remember to ask each vendor what they’ve done with that concept? Who doesn’t love the idea of recycled denim?
When you scroll through the rest of this section, you will see a showcase of this year’s Vendors and of those Volunteer Elves who will be running Venues. You will notice a colored rectangle to the left of each vendor’s craft photos and a striped rectangle beside information about some of the other venues being overseen by volunteer Elves.
Here’s what’s up with the colored rectangles: Each color tells you who the vendor is and where they are located. That same color will be on their name tag, on direction arrows so you know where to find them, on their price tags and, outside the room that vendor’s table is in. So, when you buy ornaments from the tree or stocking stuffers from the stocking stuffer table, the color will help you find which vendor to pay. Volunteer Elves will also be there to point you in the right direction.
Make a day of it! Carpool with a family member, a friend or friends. Once you get here you will, be able to:
take in a great selection of well priced, unique and well made crafts from 12 local crafter/ artists;
enjoy the log cottage Christmassy setting (most often described in visitor feedback as; Amazing; Awesome; Beautiful; Cozy; Gorgeous; Lovely, Magical …);
buy ornaments right off of the tree; stock up on heritage xmas stockings and stocking stuffers;
pick up a few Christmas Crackers/Snappers for some decorating fun on your holiday table;
(often people don’t pick up enough for their event and have called me later to get more. There aren’t always leftovers to get later, so. If possible, think ahead);
pick up a raffle ticket; and enter the free Door Prize Draw.
Enjoy eat-in or take away snacks from the Log Cottage One-Day Café
VENDORS AND VENUES
Citrus Green
Sam Sommers
Sam’s Scrappy Little Houses – Tiny Wooden Home Décor Ornaments. For your walls, shelves, tables, mantles and more. Great gifts for family & friends who like to decorate – Made of recycled wood and intriguing bits and pieces. (Watch out- one Scrappy Little House is often just not enough).
Orange
Linda Bizier
Towhee Leather Goods -handcrafted leather bags, pouches, and more – Stylish, quality, one of kind gifts for yourself or a dear loved one. If you already have one of Linda’s Leather Goods … you know. If you are still looking for that special something to give your look that little boost … here you go.
Red/White/Blue Stripes
Bill Massey
Log Cottage one- day Café. Sample the delicious goodies or wholesome carrot lentil soup
with fluffy scone– While you are thinking over which gifts and items to buy, why not grab a
tea/ coffee /apple cider and a goodie, to make those tough but fun decisions
even more enjoyable. Or, once you are done shopping why not get a treat or two
to go?
Dark Blue
Anna Leevers
Anna’s Charquterie Boards – for making beautiful food look even more mouthwatering, these gorgeous wood grain highlighted boards are the answer. They are a perfect gift for the foodie, or the stylista who likes to get friends/ family/colleagues/etc together for some great food and conversation.
Anna also makes edge and end grain cutting boards, trays, and coat racks (I think they would also make smashing kitchen towelracks).
Dark Green
Liz Inkster
Stunning Stained Glass Ornaments – Open up your heart and let the Sunshine in - For those who want to give a gift that will reflect your intention to bring some light into a friend or family member’s life … these dazzling ornaments have been made with you in mind.
White, blue, red, green, stripes
David Stapley
Charity venue – Comox Valley Conservancy Partnership – Calendar proceeds go
towards local environmental Education and Conservation Projects. These Calendars
contain beautiful nature focused photos making them a great gift for the
environmentally conscious friends, family members or colleagues on your gift list.
For those loved ones who don’t want material gifts, and who care about the
environment, you can still show them that you appreciate that care by getting a gift
donation card in their name. These were very popular at the 2023 Creating Christmas
Craft Fair. This Charity Table also sells Denman Island Teas which make a great
start on a gift basket.
Pink
Meg Hogan
Vancouver Island Soap Company – Offers lovely handmade soaps with a variety of
scents (or not). Even a beer scent. You know who would appreciate that. Lots of
inviting shades from pastel to pow! Something for everyone on your gift list. Great
stocking stuffers. There are Cupcake Soap shapes; Soap on Rope shapes, Slice of
Loaf shapes. Scents, colors, and shapes to suit so many different tastes. No …,
Wait …these soap shapes are not for eating! But there are Soaps to
have a relaxing bath or energizing shower with. So, come and get them.
Medium Blue
Jane Worth
Crocheted Critters – In their Crocheted Knickers, for someone young of age or of heart, that could use a crocheted someone to hug. These darling characters make a beautiful and heartfelt gift for a family member, a friend, or a child of a friend. These go fast. Just sayin’
Purple
Halo Phye
Handcrafted Card & Paper Crafts- For someone special, when an off the store shelf card just doesn’t quite say, look what I found for you!
Not that there is anything wrong with a store shelf card. Just that different times and situations call for something different with which to express your salutations. These cards appeal to those on your gift list who have a creative, artistic side to them and who will appreciate that you understand this about them. Who doesn’t like to be properly noticed?
Sage Green
Lillian Ramsden
Pear Tree Designs - Quality Christmas Stockings – For you and those you love. The
favorite “container” of Christmas Morning magic and, memories for this and years to
come. If you crave craftsmanship come and get a close look at these darlings! For
those who like a bit of humor, well … you might find some of that too.
Turquoise
Donalda Woods
Driftwood & Shell Craft Décor – Quality hand crafted items made with love, skill
and local re-cycled land, seaside and back shed finds. With these special finds,
Donalda has created unique, handcrafted and delightful Home Décor items just
waiting for that perfect spot in your home. Or, you might have someone on your
Christmas or birthday gift lists who also has an eye for one of a kind treasure. Aharr
matey and shop ahoy.
Red
Brant Roche
Rugged Coast Flies – This vendor comes from 4 generations of fish lure tiers.
Hand-tied fish lures for those fly fishers on your Christmas
list, and for those who wish they were. Don’t they deserve to have their love of
fishing and wish to fish noticed? And, if you fish with them, or wish you fished with
them, don’t you deserve that too? So, whether for you or some other fisher, there is
something special waiting. You know there is a fish tale here just waiting for you to
bite.
Yellow
Griffin Lindquist
OTAGAI DESIGNS – Echoes of our beautiful local landscape - re-cycled aluminum
metal coasters and soap dishes, for someone who knows someone who likes a bit of
style about their place and maybe that someone is YOU.
Mauve
Anne Marie Holden
Remarkable Honey & Candles – Here are some sweet as honey gifts and candles for you , your honey, or someone on your gift list with a discerning sweet tooth. Or, for someone on that list who likes to create a clean and bright atmosphere in their décor or event making.
Beekeeping has been in Anne Marie’s family for 100 years and over that time, they have learned a few things.
Did you know that these beeswax candles are all natural, burn brighter, up to 5x longer, and without the carcinogen chemicals of paraffin? Or, that the flame from the cotton wicks emit a light spectrum similar to the sun while emitting negative ions that are known to clean the air? Sweet!
White/blue/red/green stripes
Scott Worth - Elf Volunteer for the Fund Raiser & Door Prize Venue
Fund Raisers and Door Prize Entry. A dynamic Friendly Raffle and X-mas Cracker Volunteer Fund Raiser,
and Door Prize Booster Scott provides some fun for customers
while they get great deals on dinner X-mas Crackers, and a chance or two to win a great little prize. He also makes sure all customers are aware that they can fill out a feedback questionnaire for a free chance to win the door prize draw.
White/blue/red/green stripes
Jan Purcell - Elf Volunteer for the Christmas Tree Ornaments & Stocking Stuffers Venue
Jan is one of our many friendly volunteer Elves (the one that hangs out near the Tree), and she will
help you retrieve the
vendor made ornaments and/or stocking stuffers
from the Tree, or Stocking Stuffer Table. She will also point out where you can find the correct vendor to pay. Easy Peasy.
Fund Raiser Spring & Fall Teas
“I am happy to say that both our 2024 Fund Raiser Spring and Fall Teas were sold out. Thanks to all of our loyal and humorously self described “Teetotalerl” supporters who helped make our fund raisers such a success.
The Spring Chocolate Tea and the Fall Tea were so much fun that attendees wanted to show you what they thought of it all by leaping at the chance to have their pictures taken and posted here. Aren’t they a beautiful happy looking bunch? The heroic hardworking volunteers in their red and white striped aprons, who put the tea courses together, made sure that each of the three courses and tea pairings made it successfully through the obstacle course of table arrangements to the eagerly awaiting guests. Thanks to volunteer Erin Smith for perfectly brewing each tea course, and for giving us a Tea Talk. Thanks to Courtenay Tea Centre for helping me find just the right tea pairing for each course. Paris Tea was the biggest overall hit, but all of them were delish.
Fall Tea - 2024
Spring Tea - 2024
"Bill and I want to thank all the volunteers and the supporters for making the Fund Raiser Teas so much fun and such a success. It helped us pay for Blue Booties, posters, signage, and things that make for a clean, safe Creating Christmas Craft Fair."
Contact
Contact me via email. I’m happy to answer your questions.
*Please note there is a massive sewer upgrading project going on along Lazo Rd near Brent Road and at this point the road is closed. This road work may be completed before the Dec 1st Creating Christmas Craft Fair. But, to be safe, come down Knight Road, the same road that the Air Port and Sieffert Farm are on. Knight Road morphs into Lazo Rd when coming down the hill leading to the ocean front. From Lazo, turn right at Sand Pines Drive and turn right onto Sand Pines Crescent at the stop sign. Follow the road around its curve (crescent) until you get to 936. The log house on the right. We can’t wait to see you at our Craft Fair!