For the 92 stallholders of Weston Creek Uniting Church's 20th pre-Christmas craft show, there's a lot of pleasure to be had in creating something beautiful by hand.
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Trinity Christian School technology teacher Pam Taylor, of Campbell, is offering up sweet stuff - hand-shaped and moulded Belgian chocolate - as well as sewn items such as cloth elephants that take about a day to make.
''I've always enjoyed the satisfaction of creating things,'' she said. ''There's so much joy in finishing things and in seeing a well-finished, unique item.''
She also delights in seeing a stranger fall in love with something she has made, as has been the case at previous years' shows. ''I came and saw people saying, 'Oh, I can't make up my mind which one I want'.''
The craft show is on tomorrow from 10am-9pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm at the church's parish centre at 16 Parkinson Street, Weston.
Each stallholder can bring up to 100 items to the show that typically attracts about 2000 shoppers annually.
Crafty types handy at all manner of things, but especially sewing, knitting, jewellery-making and making Christmas items and cards, will have their wares on offer.
Spokesman Simon Hearder said most exhibitors had been in Canberra for a long time, ''but last year we started to see a change in the make-up, with some young people coming through''.
Some of the long-standing stallholders have exhibited since the craft show's beginnings. Many are on low incomes and use the show as a means through which to supplement their pension.
Most items on sale cost $15-$50.
The commission on items sold will be used to help the church with its work in the wider community. One beneficiary is to be Frontier Services, which looks after community services, health centres, aged care, family support and student hostels in rural Australian communities.
