If your trunk isn’t stuffed full of unique handcrafted gifts for everyone on your Christmas list this weekend, you’re just not trying.

Between Christmas in the Country and the Bainbridge Island Winter Studio Tour there are 18 locations across the island featuring nearly 120 artists and craft businesses Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The variety is enough to make your head spin.

There are old-world Santas and hand stitched quilts, landscape paintings and abstract sculpture. Garden art and bookmarks, wearable fiber art and enough jewelry and furniture to sink a battleship.

While the studio tour sticks mainly to artists showing their own work and that of fellow artisans in their studios, Christmas in the Country also features free pony rides at Countryman Stables, a book shop in the woods and several opportunities to contribute to community organizations for the less fortunate.

The Stephens House, run by the Bainbridge Island Special Needs Foundation at 191 Winslow Way W, is participating in Christmas in the Country, with its selection of handmade bath and body products, decorative boxes, trays and greeting cards, as well as its signature hot and fresh mini donuts.

Artists setting up at the Stephens House are Jerry Hansen, Indonesian art; Peggy Langlois, eclectic jewelry; Mary Ann Mack, scarves and hats and Sally Noedel with handmade paper art and jewelry boxes.

The Christmas House, 15060 Washington Ave. NE is the place to head to stock up on decking the halls gear, with handcrafted and vintage items for tree, home and garden.

Christmas House owners Bob and Carolee Pedersen will match any donations made at Christmas House to the Helpline Tiny Tim adopt-a-family fund.

At Hazel Creek Farm, 8903 NE Koura Rd., students from the Montessori School offer arts and crafts and goodies from the “elf” bakery.

The farm also hosts the largest number of artists on the Christmas in the Country circuit, with 16 vendors offering everything from ornaments to organic clothing.

Look for handmade ornaments from Elyzabeth Ashcraft, suet bird feeders from Lynne Hollister and decorated switchplates by Janet Saupp, just to name a few. Dea Perry will be selling bracelets for the Bainbridge Island Sumatra Tsunami Relief Fund.

This is the 12th year for Christmas in the Country, organized by Sharon Soames.

Soames welcomes tour guests at Rose of Sharon’s, 10359 NE Seaborn Rd., featuring eight artists and their wares.

Rose of Sharon’s features the opportunity to pick up holiday crafts at bargain prices, as Soames said she is clearing out her floral supply business and offering wreaths and holiday decorations at clearance prices.

If the very word “Bainbridge” brings to mind the image of dollar signs, Soames assures visitors that Christmas in the Country offers items for every budget, from 50 cents up to thousands of dollars.

“We try to give opportunities to as many people (artists) as possible, as long as it’s quality work.”

Winter Studio Tour

The Bainbridge Island Winter Studio Tour is a juried event, now in its 21st season. This is the largest studio tour yet, with 60 artists in nine venues, from small studios to several community halls. It is sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council.

The studio tour is a good opportunity to purchase directly from the artists those items you have admired in galleries around the island, and talk with them about the artistic process.

Artists on the tour include Syndi Sterling at the Bainbridge Commons, with paintings of water gardens and koi, Diana Cronin at Fenwick Arts Studio with “playful porcelain for the light hearted” and Karl Kirchofer at Sally Prangley Studio with practical works in wood and metal.

Studios on the tour are Mauri Piper Studio, 9431 Capstan Drive NE, Sally Prangley Studio, 7869 Fletcher Bay Rd. NE, Fenwick Arts Studio, 7861 NE Day Rd., Mesolini Glass Studio, 13291 Madison Ave. NE, and Cecil Ross Studio, 12851 Madison Ave. NE.

Artists will also be set up at the Bainbridge Commons, Filipino American Community Hall, Seabold Hall and Bainbridge Island Grange Hall.

Both tours are free and self guided.

Christmas in the Country takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 4. Descriptions of the artists and a driving map can be found at the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and online at www.christmasinthecountry.info.

Bainbridge Island Winter Studio Tour 2005 takes place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 4. Printable map and complete information on the tour can be found online at www.bistudiotour.com. wu