THE annual Canonbie craft fair attracted stallholders from near and far and over the two days in the hall there was a steady stream of customers coming through the door.
The fair is organised by Canonbie United parish church and Kirsteen Davies ran the Fair Trade stall.
Jenny Pike of Canonbie was selling items for Eden Valley Hospice and promoting its campaign encouraging people to collect used stamps to raise money.
Jenny said: “With Christmas coming up, there will be more stamps than usual. People can take them to Liz at Canonbie post office, to Holmspun Gifts and Crafts in Langholm and to the hospice’s shops in The Lanes and Lonsdale Street in Carlisle.
“They can accept stamps of any denomination and from any country.”
Among the stallholders was Ruth Atkinson of Many Nice Things. She sold fruit wreaths which were made from willow she cuts herself from hedges, along with coasters and decorated boxes.
Maureen Sharp of Hollee makes ceramic and glass placemats in mosaic patterns.
She said: “I’ve been doing it since I retired. A friend asked me to a mosaic workshop and I got hooked after the second one.”
Sybil Williamson of Solway Silver, Lockerbie, makes beautiful jewellery using silver reclaimed from technology industries.
It began with car and chemical companies in Japan in the late 1990s and comes from circuit boards. The silver is also reclaimed from photographic equipment and medical cameras.
Silver clay comprises extremely fine particles of pure metal, almost like dust, mixed up with a non-toxic organic binder. The binder burns out during firing, leaving a pure metal piece.
Sybil said: “I came across it by accident when I went to a workshop; it’s still a developing art form. Everyone now wants to be recycling and reusing.
“The silver jewellery, which is produced, is 99.9 per cent silver and I use sterling silver for the chains to hold the weight of the pendants and it’s the sterling silver which is hallmarked.”
Sarah Smith and her band of helpers worked very hard over the weekend. There were lots of stalls featuring crafts made by local people, ranging from knitting to woodwork and jewellery to cards, Christmas decorations to Fair Trade foods and gifts.
More than £2,200 was raised. They would like to give a huge thanks to Sarah, her helpers, the stallholders and everyone who supported the event.