The crafts included knitted and crocheted wearables made from Brentwood hand-dyed alpaca wool; vintage, exotic Asian and African or shabby chic decor and accessories; pet products; gift baskets; beads galore; dazzling crystals and handmade jewelry.
East County crafter Liese McCause of Charming Wine Lamps turns old wine bottles into lampshades with lots of personality, enhancing your home decor and allowing you to enjoy your favorite bottle for many more years. Bring your own bottle and call her at 752-6725.
Stitches, Etc. offers themed handcrafted runners and placemats of excellent quality and reversible style that are popular for many homemakers, especially during the holidays. Owner-crafter Jill Hohler of Oakley was hooked by her junior high home economics class and has been sewing ever since. She started her business in 2001 and has expanded her line to screen bags and coin purses and embroidered guest and golf towels. Call 550-8546.
Black Diamond Alpaca Creations display knitted shawls and sweaters made from hand-dyed, painted and spun alpaca yarn. Alpaca comes in 22 natural colors and can be blending into infinite combinations. Three times stronger and five times warmer than wool, alpaca is durable, lightweight and has excellent thermal and insulating properties.
Owners Mike and Donna Dachuk are alpaca ranchers and fiber artists who left the high-tech industry for a simpler way of life. Their Brentwood farm is open to the public. Call 240-1540.
Lon Givens sculpts leaves of gold and bronze in a variety of delicate shapes and tones, depending on what the welding process will achieve. His round mirror frames and wall decor will take your breath away. Call 778-8641.
The Final Touch Boutique booth was adorned with vintage button jewelry and antique bits and pieces recycled into interesting decor for this millennium. The coat hangers made from antique doorknobs or old yardsticks with mismatched hooks were a big hit. And the bracelet links made from manual and old-fashioned typewriter keys were just as striking.
Owner and crafter Betsy Holets scours the county's antique and estate sales for odds and ends she can breathe second life into. "My grandmother was an antique dealer," she said. "I had to have a creative outlet for all my antique collections because I couldn't keep everything I bought. I've been doing craft shows for 12 years and then went on to doing exclusively antique shows."
Happy customer Deborah Lutz from Antioch purchased a couple of vintage button bracelets. "I love them. It's like looking through my mom's button box," she said.
For more information on The Final Touch Boutique, call 836-5452.
On the food front, Greenlee's Best Cinnamon Bread sold out early on both Saturday and Sunday, despite a price of $6 a loaf.
The Faire continues this weekend. It's open today, Nov. 16 and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $2. Parking is free. The fairgrounds are located at 1201 W. 10th St. in Antioch.
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