Community Corner

Craft Show Brings Unique Gift Items from 80 Vendors to Farmington Hills

The city's fifth annual Holiday Shopping Expo is bigger and better than ever, organizers say.

From scarves for your puppy to "re-purposed" vintage jewelry, the City of Farmington Hills 5th Annual Holiday Expo showcases gift items from 80 area crafters and vendors Dec. 7 and 8 at the Costick Center. 

"We have 80 spots, and there's no more space left for vendors," city recreation superintendent Bryan Farmer said. "We're getting more calls than ever, there's more variety ... Things you wouldn't see in many other places." 

Local resident Judy Glass will bring her hand-painted sweatshirts, which she and her sister have been creating for more than 20 years. "We just started doing them for ourselves, and people started asking for them," she said. 

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Cathey Carico of Embellishments said she uses vintage jewelry to create cell phone and camera bags, jewelry boxes and ornaments. It started when she inherited her grandmother's jewelry. 

"I had all the jewelry and I couldn't wear it, but I loved it on her," she said. Now, when she looks at the "memory egg" she created using items like a peacock pin, she thinks of her grandmother. 

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Carico's partner is Kathryn Cieszynski; the two women are mothers-in-law, their children are married. 

"We have become friends," Cieszynski said. "We love spending time together. It's a lot of fun to do these." 

Carol Caurdy's service dog, Nina, models the scarves she creates for her Nothing But Knit business. She also makes scarves for people, in a variety of sizes, patterns and colors. 

Caurdy said she took up knitting six months ago and "became totally addicted to it. I've made 100 scarves since then. I'm trying to average a scarf a day." She also knits baby blankets and pillows, but said, "it has to be straight. I don't even purl yet." 

Shoppers are encouraged to bring the kids, Farmer said, because Santa will be making appearances on Friday, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday, 12 p.m.-3 p.m. Shopping hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 248-473-1803.


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