Arts and crafts

Arts and crafts opportunities abound for crafters and shoppers in the Fox Valley. To have your craft or art show included in this list, send information via e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, or mail to Daily Herald, 385 Airport Road, Suite A, Elgin, IL 60123.

Saturday

• The 28th annual Seton Christmas in the Country Bazaar, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Crystal Lake South High School, 1200 S. McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake. More than 75 juried crafters and artisans are participating including Mary Ann Johnson crocks and cards, pottery houses and Santas, tree skirts, wall hangings, olive wood religious pieces, several types of jewelry, handmade baskets, personalized metal signs, sewn items, wood items, lighted and unlit centerpieces and wall hangings, soaps, dry soup mixes, doggie treats, soy candles, hand-knit American Girl doll sweaters and clothes, ornaments, and many more items too numerous to mention.

The parish will sponsor a bake sale, candy sale, food court, religious Advent calendars, Oplatek, and raffles. Admission is $1. The event is sponsored by the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Women's Group. For information, call (815) 477-9258.

Saturday-Sunday

• Epworth United Methodist Church hosts Red Bird Mission Crafts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, (Nov. 17) and 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday, (Nov. 18) at the church, 37W040 Highland Ave., Elgin.

The Red Bird Mission, in the southeastern Kentucky mountains, is an agency of Red Bird Missionary Conference related to the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Red Bird Mission has a school, medical center, community outreach, community housing improvement, and economic opportunities.

By providing a market for local artisans, the craft program is a vital part of economic development. This source of income is important in an area of 50 percent unemployment.

They will have many crafts made within an 80-mile radius of the mission. There will be baskets, some made of honeysuckle vines and creek willow, that are family traditions developed in an age when self-sufficiency was necessary in the isolated mountains. Another native art is the woven rugs. They will have an assortment of corn-shuck items including a variety of flowers.

Other items include handmade dolls, unscented beeswax candles, jewelry, jams and jellies. There are note cards, history books of the area, recipe books, hand painted gourds, woven place mats, and handmade brooms.

The wooden crafts consist of toys, games, utensils, cutting boards, cooling racks and furniture. Adorable wood and cloth Christmas ornaments and an assortment of nativity sets add to the colorful display. For details, call Kara Berg at (847) 931-5400.

November 23

• "Santa Comes to Hampshire Craft Show" will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 23 at Hampshire Middle School, 560 S. State. In addition to free photos with Santa, there will be entertainment, crafts and games for the children. Food will be available for purchase. Crafters needed. For details, contact Paige Hughes at Paige.Hughes@citizens1st. com.

November 30

• The Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital will sponsor its annual Craft and Vendor Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30 in the main lobby and ground level meeting rooms of the hospital. Fifteen percent of the sales from this show will be donated to area food pantries.

Crafters are still being accepted for this show. If you are interested in participating, call Lynette Eeg at (847) 381-0123, ext. 26-5058.

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is at 450 W. Route 22, two miles west of Route 59.

December 1

• St. John Lutheran Church Ladies Society will hold their annual bazaar, "Christmas Delights," from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at St. John Lutheran Church, 13N535 French Road, Burlington.

There will be Christmas decorations, crocheted and knitted items, kitchen items, embroidery, quilts, baked goods, and lunch will be available for purchase. For details, call the church at (847) 683-2338.

• A Holiday Cookie Walk will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 1 at Cary United Methodist Church, 500 First St., Cary. Get a start on the holidays and choose from a huge selection of cookies at $8 a pound. Proceeds of the sale will be given to local and global missions. It is sponsored by United Methodist Women. For details, call (847) 639-7627 or visit www.caryumc.org.

• The second annual "Mall in the Halls" craft show and bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at Creekside Elementary School, 655 N. Airlite St., Elgin. There will be a variety of exhibitors displaying crafts, products and services. There will be a raffle and bake sale. Free admission and parking. If you have a craft item, product, service or flea market item that you would like to include in the event, call (847) 830-3400 or e-mail pattii@wideopenwest.com.

• St. John's Lutheran School, 300 Jefferson St. in Algonquin, will host a craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 1. A soup and salad bar will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For details, call Char Eineke at (847) 854-2304.

• Chesak and Martin elementary schools' parent-teacher associations are sponsoring a Holiday Craft Extravaganza from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at Hannah Martin Elementary School, 10920 Reed Road, Lake in the Hills. Vendors will be selling jewelry, candles, personalized ornaments, doll clothes, picture frames, fleece hats, scarves and blankets, baby items and more. Many items will be priced under $5. Admission is free. For details, call Chesak Martin PTA hotline at (847) 659-5831 or e-mail to pta@cmpta.org.

December 15

• First Congregational Church of Dundee will hold its seventh annual Cookie Walk from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 15 at the church, 900 S. Eighth St. (Route 31 and Angle Tarn), West Dundee. The community is invited to this event. Admission is free.

Homemade holiday cookies and candies will be available in many varieties and sold by weight.

Pick your own specialty holiday cookies from the selection. The church also will sell its latest cookbook, "A Taste of Heaven," for $6 each or four for $20. Many of the cookie recipes are included.

The church provides financial support to six area organizations in the community serving children and families. All proceeds from Cookie Walk 2007 will be used to fund these charities helping the hungry, the homeless and those in need.

For details, call First Congregational Church of Dundee at (847) 426-2161, ext. 210 or visit the Web site at www.dundeefcc.org.