Busy Hands

Annual craft show has successful weekend at the Armoury

The Busy Hands craft show returned to Picton last weekend, after being held at the Wellington Arena for the past several years, with the exception of 2020, when it was a combination of online ordering and drive-through pick-up at the Crystal Palace. This year the event took place at the Armoury, and while the number of vendors was less than in previous years, the customers were happy to be able to browse through the arts, crafts and food items on offer. The show was started by Vicki Emlaw and Bay Woodyard 21 years ago as a way for County crafters and makers to sell their products outside of the main tourist season. While the scope has changed over the years, the main character has remained the same. It is as much a place for people to buy handmade products as it is a meeting place for old friends. “It was so nice to see everyone in person, to look into their eyes, to talk to them, and I have to say I did hug a lot of people,” said Emlaw.

(L-R): Sam Kelly and Lucas Lister-Stevens of S and L Woodworking hold some of their cutting boards made from repurposed wood.

The show was spread out over two levels of the Armoury, providing ample space for vendors to display their wares, and plenty of room for customers to move around. All recommended safety protocols were followed, with proof of vaccination being required for entry. There was a wide range of crafts and food items available, from ceramic tableware to wooden cutting boards, maple syrup and preserves, as well as delicious snacks from Mama Hummus and Papa Ghanoush. One of the new vendors was Eve Harvey of the Broom Brigade. She makes corn brooms in the Appalachian style, using sticks that she has collected on her walk through the woods for the broom handles. She started broom-making only two years ago, and learned the craft from online tutorials, developing her own style along the way. Each broom has its own unique character. “I love to look of them. I love finding that perfect stick in the woods and knowing what it is going to become.” Sam Kelly and Lucas Lister- Stevens were also first-time vendors. They were both in the building trade for a few years before starting their own custom woodworking shop, S and L Woodworking, two years ago. They use wood milled from naturally fallen trees, and also use a lot of repurposed or scrap wood that otherwise would be discarded. They had a number of cutting boards and a table or two at Busy Hands made from wood destined for the scrap heap. “In Canada, a lot of people take wood for granted, especially in the building industry or the furniture industry. I saw a lot of wood being wasted, and I did a bit of dumpster diving, thinking ‘I could turn that into a table or a chair.’”, said Kelly. Longtime vendor Kirei Samuel made her return to Busy Hands, with a selection of exquisite fused glass pieces. She uses brilliant colours in her work as a way to cope with depression. “The first six months of the pandemic were really rough, and I couldn’t create at all. Now I have my mojo back and I’m super excited,” she said. “I love Busy Hands. It’s the best show ever. I’ve been doing shows for 30 years and Busy Hands is my favourite.”

More than fifteen hundred people visited the show on Saturday, and although there were considerably fewer on Sunday, Emlaw felt the weekend was an unqualified success. She did have some initial concern about the change of venue from Wellington to Picton, wondering how the vendors would cope in the new space. However, everything ran smoothly, particularly with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, and with support from the owners of the Armoury. “They were super helpful and very patient with all of the requests. I felt it was a really beautiful community effort on everyone’s part. It ran so smoothly all weekend,” said Emlaw. She added there was an unanticipated benefit of being back in Picton. A number of businesses on Main Street told her they saw a big increase in traffic through their stores.