Published: November 29, 2008 11:40 pm         

Santa’s Showcase features the homemade

Santa’s Showcase Saturday brought crafters of all varieties from across the state. The event featured many crafts, including trash-to-treasure can airplanes, recycled wood crafts, gems and stones from across the world and handmade quilts.

John Shirk, owner of John’s Can Airplanes of Oklahoma City, displayed his creations at the show.

Shirk started making can airplanes about two years ago when he was working on a job away from home.

“I worked for an engineering firm, and I got stuck on an out-of-town job for 14 months,” said Shirk, “I hate hotels, so I rented a little house. The dog and I didn’t have anything to do, so I started making the basic design.”

The tools needed to make the planes are not very high tech, according to Shirk.

“All you need is a pair of scissors and a hot glue gun, but you have to know where to cut,” said Shirk.

Shirk makes the can airplanes from Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and Budweiser cans, but he says he doesn’t drink the beverages from them.

“I find them on sale and pour them down the drain,” said Shirk, “I can find them sometimes as cheap as 15 cents a can.”

Shirk visits about a dozen craft shows throughout the year.

“I usually go to a half-dozen shows in the spring and a half-dozen in the fall,” said Shirk. “I like it because it gets me out and I get to meet people.”

Michelle and Guy England, owner of Barebutt Wood-n-Things of Piedmont, have been going to craft shows for 16 or 17 years, but this is the first year they brought their woodwork to Enid.

“This is the our first time in Enid,” said Guy. “We will be back.”

The Englands began woodworking shortly after they got married because of their kids.

“When we got married we had his, mine and ours,” said Michelle. “This is how we did Christmas, with found wood.”

They also got the name of their business — Barebutt — from the bare butts they saw when their kids were young.

The Englands try to keep their prices low so people can take a piece home with them.

“We try to keep our prices reasonable,” said Guy. “We don’t really want to take it back home.”

Guy uses scrap and used wood for the projects.

“We will recycle just about any piece of lumber,” said Guy.

Guy said he gets much of the wood he uses from a friend that has a company that works with wood.

The Englands said they go to about 12 to 15 craft shows a year.

Steven Harkey, owner of Rainbow Journey Gems of Midwest City, brought his gems, stones, fossils and jewelry to the show.

Harkey has been mining gems and stones for 15 years and doing wire-wrap jewelry for 11 years.

Harkey said he travels the world and collects many of the stones himself.

“I have stones from all across the world,” said Harkey. “I travel for a lot of them.”

Harkey had pieces on display from China, Morocco and many other countries. He said he could name the country each stone came from.

Harkey said he taught himself wire wrapping to make the jewelry pieces.

“I was into picking up gems and crystals,” he said. “I saw other people wrapping and I taught myself.”

Harkey uses argentium sterling silver wire to wrap the gems.

“I use argentium sterling silver,” said Harkey. “It won’t tarnish. It will stay bright and shiny.”

Harkey said he has sold his items across the states and across the world.

Patty Wilson, a member of the Grandma’s Quilts team, displayed a collection of handmade quilts.

Wilson said she does not make the quilts, her job is selling them.

“Three other people make them,” said Wilson. “I just sell them.”

Wilson said she tried to help make them but felt like she took out as many stitches as she put in, so she sticks to selling them.

“I love to sell them,” said Wilson, “They sell themselves, the prices are so great.”

The quilts are made in several different ways.

“They are machine-pieced,” said Wilson. “Some are hand-quilted and some are machine- stitched.”

Although Wilson doesn’t make the quilts, she enjoys selling them.

“I do about 12 shows a year,” said Wilson. “I never know what I will have. I love it.”

Regardless of what or who shoppers were shopping for, Santa’s Showcase probably had what they were looking for. Whether shoppers were looking for an OSU item, an OU item, Christmas gift, cooking instrument, can airplane, woodcraft, jewelry or quilt, Santa’s Showcase has it all.