The lineup outside the Trade and Convention Centre was a hundred meters long for much of the morning. Inside, 162 vendors from all over BC vied for attention in a packed auditorium.

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In other words, day one of the first annual Artisans Christmas Craft Fair felt an awful lot like the Okanagan Makers Christmas Craft Fair that ran for two decades before it – a hugely popular affair with great locally produced merchandise and an equally great vibe.

Day two begins this morning at 10:00 am and runs to 4 pm, and we suspect it'll be more of the same. So you may want to get there early for the best selection.

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Running the show is Vernon's Frances Callaghan and Oyama's Dawn Larden, two women with plenty of prior market experience. Callaghan in particular, who's captained such large-scale events as Vernon's Creative Chaos and the Kelowna Farmers' Market, is fully accustomed to the role of market boss.

And yesterday, she liked what she saw.

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"It's been amazing. The turnout, the vendors. Everyone has been so wonderful. Even the Trade Centre's helpfulness has been amazing."

According to Callaghan, vendor interest remained high even though it was a year of management transition.

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Laurel Burnham, the driving force behind the Okanagan Makers Christmas Craft Fair and a bit of a god in the Okanagan market scene, was forced to give up her role earlier this year when she was stricken by a third round of cancer. Burnham would ultimately pass away in the summer, but not before she knew her most prestigious market was in good hands.

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"Once the vendors knew we'd kept the show going, they were flooding us with emails," Callaghan said yesterday. "Even up to last night, they were asking if there's any way to get us in."

"And this morning before the public came in, we even used the same words Laurel always used to use to open the show."

Photo Credit: NowMediaDawn Larden and Frances Callaghan

Larden was equally psyched. "This is fantastic. We're excited. And we have lots of new vendors from all over BC. Probably 35 new vendors, from Revelstoke, Nakusp, Vancouver, Victoria."

Deb Conabree of Keremeos has been a regular vendor at the market for seven years. Her business, Okanagan's Best Artisan Foods, sells sausages and cheeses and beef jerky and more, all of it created in the Okanagan.

Photo Credit: NowMediaThe Okanagan's Best Artisan Foods display

"All our products are gluten and MSG free, so they're great for every diet. Our goal is to bring more local food to local people and make it more accessible."

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And she's a big proponent of the market. "This show's been going for 30 years under different management. It's been here for a very long time. So it's a stable show. People come from all over."

One of the new vendors is Maureen Walker of Keremeos, and her booth was justifiably popular.

Photo Credit: NowMediaMaureen Walker with one of her fabric sculptures

"I do something called fabric sculpting," she said. "You start with a wire stick body. I use electrical wire. Then you build up the body with tin foil. Then you wrap it. I use old T-shirts and old cotton fabric. Most of it comes from the second hand store."

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She said she started just a couple of years ago. "But it's really morphed into something now. I'm retired and I thought well, I have to have a hobby. And this has become a fabulous hobby."

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Walker often uses old doilies for a finishing touch. "I've had ladies come and bring me bags of doilies because they don’t know what to do with them. And they become parasols or dresses or whatever."

A similar crowd could be found at the Driftwood Works booth, where vendor Karen Nelson of Pass Creek, BC (it's near Castlegar) proudly showed off a variety of products made primarily of non-toxic resin.

Photo Credit: NowMediaKaren Nelson with a way cool acoustic guitar

Amongst the jewelry and trinkets, one item in particular stood out. They're called "orgone pyramids" –  pyramid-shaped blocks of hardened resin that contain stuff like sea shells, metal shavings, and more.

Orgones can also become memorials. Nelson says she regularly makes orgones that house personal effects from loved ones, including in some cases, cremation ashes.

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But perhaps the most impressive item in the Driftwood Works catalogue are its guitars – fully playable, fully functioning electric guitars. Nelson's son Dan makes them with salvaged wood and resin, and they are spectacular.

Granted, they didn't bring any of them to the show (though they did bring a store-bought acoustic that features a glorious resin flourish), but they do have photos and they're certainly ready to chat with anyone who's interested.

Meanwhile at one of the entrances sat a lone Christmas tree, decked out in angels. Handmade angles in fact, created by vendor Pamela Conron. And volunteer Donna Falck explained why it's there.

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"The tree is all about honouring Laurel Burnham. She went through hospice. So people come in and make a donation, and they get to take an angel home. And all the money raised goes to the Hospice House.

"And they're really awesome little angels."

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