Christmastime at Fine Line artisan gift sale returns Dec. 1-6

Fine Line Creative Arts Center's annual artisan gift sale is a great place to find one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items this holiday season.

Now in its 35th year, the Christmastime at Fine Line show brings together items by artists from the Fine Line community in a six-day shopping experience.

For this year's show, over 50 artists, a mix of both new and returning artists, have been invited to take part.

Fine Line is home to a community of skilled artists, reflected by the range of items at this sale. You will find many one-off things you will not see anywhere else, as well as the more traditional items such as handwoven scarves, pottery, jewelry, and seasonal decorations.

Below is just a flavor of some of the work for sale.

• Woodcarver Ron Diller is one of the Fine Line instructors who is taking part this year. His happy Santa figures are always a firm favorite at the show.

• Another instructor taking part is Alan Shontz. Shontz is the glass blowing instructor at Fine Line. While classes at Fine Line keep Shontz busy, he still finds time to create amazing tree ornaments and other glass objects. This year he has added glass bottle stoppers to his incredible repertoire of glassblowing items.

• As always, there will be an amazing range of pottery for sale at this event, including items by Elburn artist Karen Cluchey. Cluchey's Nativity scenes were well received last year, and she will certainly have some of those, along with candle stick holders and other ceramic pieces.

• Winfield artist Rhonda Lindberg's love of nature comes to the fore in her work, with delicate flowers and leaves adorning her pieces. Lindberg also works in a small scale to create Christmas tree ornaments of ceramic teddy bears and rabbits, with movable limbs.

• Vicki Kwarciany is one of the new artists taking part in this year's event. Fine Line was lucky enough to have one of Kwarciany's handcrafted tote bags to raffle at this year's "Uncommon Threads" and the Fine Line team are excited that she will be bringing some in to sell at this event. These colorful tote bags are handwoven, fully lined and are great to carry back and forth to work or to the gym.

During the Artisan Gift Sale, Fine Line also will have their annual yarn sale.

With 25% of all yarn, including many items already marked down, it's a great way to stock up on yarn to knit with during the coming winter months.

The artisan gift sale opens at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, at Fine Line, 37W570 Bolcum Road, just west of Randall Road in St. Charles.

The sale continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Tuesday, Dec. 2-6, except on Sunday, Dec. 4, it will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fine Line Creative Arts Center has ample on-site free parking available and there is no admission fee to browse the show. Get your holiday shopping off to a great start by shopping the Artisan Gift Sale at Fine Line.

For information, visit fineline.org or www.facebook.com/finelinecreativeartscenter/.

Christmastime at Fine Line artists

Kris Anderson, Valerie Anderson, Wendy Beck, Charmain Benton, Connie Blieszner, Matthew Brej, Dan Caldwell, Monica Casey, Karen Cluchey, Ron Diller, Sue Dix, Diane Drish, Barb Dyche, Ruth Dykstra, Fred Follansbee, Larry Freeson, Barbara Good, Eric Hill, Mary Howe, Scott Hunter, Terri Jacobsen, Margaret Jaeger, Joey Johnson, Ellen Judson, Denise Karabowicz, Dagmar Klos, Karen Kloubec, Kathi Kuchler, Vicki Kwarciany, Rhonda Lindberg, Danuta Loane, Lisa Lockhart, Liz Lowrie, Amy Macek, Deana Bada Maloney, Lynn McAdams, Mariana McCullough, Sheri McDermott, Mary Merges, Ellen Phillips, Marianne Picha, Barbara Powell, Susi Schuele, Georgia Schwender, Suzanne Shafer-Wilson, Alan Shontz, Esther Silvers, Amy Simpson, Natalya Sots, Lois Steltenpohl, Ann Sutherland, Eileen Walsma, Jeff Walsma, Laura Wasilowski, Nancy Weill, Heather Winslow, and Lori Woodcock.