Local shops have plenty to offer for holiday procrastinators

Local food is trendy. Why not local gifts? They're greener, as they aren't transported over long distances, and the purchase of them helps support local artisans and artists, thus the local economy.

So if you're in need of last- minute holiday gifts, head to these places today or Wednesday to check out the hand-crafted wares. Better call first, though; some shops will shorten their hours on Christmas Eve:

– Wind, Water and Light, 10 E. Main St., C. Are you sick of the Rod Blagojevich scandal and still proud to be an Illinois resident? Do you admire Abraham Lincoln, whose birth bicentennial we celebrate next year?

In response to the Blago blowup, artist Larry Steinbauer, co-owner of this gallery/gift shop, has made T-shirts sporting images that read, "Illinois citizen and proud of it. Honest Abe is my hero. Legendary wisdom, strength and integrity." Another T-shirt sports an image of Lincoln, and another has Andy Warhol-style images of the 16th president juxtaposed with Warhol, the artist.

Wind, Water and Light also has a slew of other items made by local artists: jewelry, clothes, paintings, lights, ornaments, books, CDs. It's open until 8 tonight and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Christmas Eve.

– Exile on Main Street, 1 E. Main St., C. This shop, according to owner Jeff Brandt, has more CDs by local bands than any other place in town. It has everything from the new Amasong and Tractor Kings CDs to CDs by local DJs, among them DJ Krukid. They also carry older CDs by the bands.

Most of the CDs were recorded here and range in price; for example, "Hand Me Down," which features beautiful original music by the brother-sister duo The Hathaways, from Rossville, is $6. Exile is open to 9 tonight and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

– Foodies and C-U chefs who specialize in local food have been on to the artisan goat cheeses made by Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in rural Champaign for some time now, as well as its farmstead honey.

Cheesemaker Leslie Cooperband turns out a variety of award-winning goat cheeses, from fresh chevre to brie-like to a hard tomme.

If you missed Prairie Fruits at the last holiday market this past Saturday at Lincoln Square Village, you can still buy their cheese and other local food items during an open house from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at their farm on North Lincoln Avenue.

"We'll have hot mulled local cider on the stove and cheese, honey and preserves for you to sample and purchase," Cooperband said in a mass e-mail to customers.

"If you're a true procrastinator, last-minute shopper looking to show your support of local foods and sustainable farms or if you've got family in town and you're looking for something fun to do the keep the peace, come on out to our farm," she continued. "You can even see and pet the goats and the chickens in the barn if you like."

To get directions to Prairie Fruits Farm, co-owned by Cooperband's husband, Wes Jarrell, visit online www.prairiefruits.com. Or just drive north on Lincoln Avenue, following the curves, until you see a windmill and outbuildings on the east side of the road.

– Rubens chocolates. By today or Wednesday, these delicious, creamy and fresh chocolates made in Mahomet by master chocolatier Chris Thurston and her son, Pete Hendrickx, both natives of Belgium, might be sold out. They are available at the Art Mart at Lincoln Square Village and Jennifer North in downtown Champaign and via the Rubens Web site at www.rubens-chocolatier.com/.

Another local chocolate maker is Flesor's Candy Kitchen at Lincoln Square Village and in Tuscola.

Another locally made candy, Toffee by Audra, is available at the Walnut Street Tea Co., 115 S. Walnut St., C, which also sells the local Blue Ribbon Apiary honey. Other local shops such as Art Mart also carry Toffee by Audra, which is ridiculously delicious.

– Rebecca's, the store behind Carrie's Antiques and Jewelry at 204 N. Neil St., C, has some jewelry and "kitschy" boxes made by local folks. At Robert's The Fine Art of Jewelry at 28 E. Chester St., C, you'll find finely crafted rings, pendants and earrings by Robert Laible.

Wesley Waters, owner of Butterfly Beads, an intimate gem of a shop tucked way at 1104 E. Washington St., U, designs jewelry which she sells there. Also available at her shop are focal beads and jewelry by local artists. Beads & Botanicals, a new shop at 117 N. Broadway Ave., U, also sells hand-crafted jewelry, hand-poured candles and lots of other items.

You also can find locally designed jewelry at Christopher's Fine Jewelry Design, 124 N. Neil St., C, and custom-designed work at other shops such as Calico Jewelry at Lincoln Square Village and Reed Diamonds and Design at Old Farm Shops at Kirby and Mattis avenues, Champaign.

– The hottest ticket in town: A few passes still remain for Roger Ebert's Film Festival in late April at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign. The pass, which is $125, covers entrance to all the films and gives wearers a lot of cachet. The passes are available at the Virginia (356-9063) and online at www.ticketweb.com.

Tickets to other upcoming entertainment events and gift certificates to restaurants are always welcome, and an easy last-minute buy.

– Check your bookstore for books by local authors. Jane Addams Book Shop, 208 N. Neil St., C, has the new pictorial book on Champaign by Ray Bial of Urbana, and also for history buffs, former Champaign mayor Dannel McCollum's new book, "The Lord Was Not on Trial: The Inside Story of the Supreme Court's Precedent-Setting McCollum Ruling," the historic separation of church-and-state case filed by his late mother, Vashti, more than 50 years ago.

Old Main Book Shoppe, 116 N. Walnut St., C, has books by the late Daniel Curley, who lived here.

– Klose Knit, 311 N. Springfield Ave., U, has scarves made by local artists and hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn by a spinner in Mahomet.

– Visit a local gallery for hand-crafted items ranging from small to big, inexpensive to expensive, made by local and regional artists.

In Urbana, there's the Cinema Gallery, 120 W. Main St., and the nearby Heartland Gallery at 112 W. Main St. Also in the same block is the Furniture Lounge, with jewelry by local artists and an exhibition of watercolors by Herbert Marder of Champaign.

The Old Vic Art Gallery, 11 E. University Ave., C, has paintings by owner Victor Pella, pottery by local potters, and hippie-era earrings, for $8.50 a pair, that Pella made years ago. The Boneyard Pottery, tucked away at 403 Water St., C, also offers pottery, as well as jewelry by Patty Lindbloom.

Danville artists, locales also on the market

Looking for that special something that either reminds someone of their hometown or is great for someone who collects local memorabilia?

As always, various Danville groups and organizations have a number of special items that make great holiday gifts.

Local artist Amy Chrisman has added another Danville landmark to a series of giclee prints made from her vibrant watercolor paintings. In addition to the Lamon House, Masonic Temple, and Kathryn Randolph (Red Mask Players) Theater is an aerial view of Danville Stadium.

Not only are the signed, numbered and matted prints available individually in 12x16-inch and 18x24 sizes, but boxes of note cards featuring one each of the four designs are also available.

A portion of the profit from the sale of the giclee prints will benefit the group whose building is the subject of the print.

The prints are being sold at Images Framing and Fine Art, 421 N. Gilbert St. (hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday); at Resh Frame Shop, 9 Poland Road (noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday); and at the Alley Gallery, 113 N. Vermilion St. (1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday).

The Alley Gallery also has ceramics, oil and watercolor paintings and mixed-media items by several Danville Art League members. New to the gallery are miniature oil lamps, clocks and a chess table by woodworker Stephen Chrisman, Amy's husband, and accent turned wooden lids and bases for jars and other containers by John Sleva.

Note cards featuring the work of Danville photographer Joyce Knoblach come in sets of eight of the same photo or a sets of 10 in a variety box. The photos feature area landscapes and buildings predominantly from the Vermilion County Conservation District parks.

At the Downtown Danville office, 149 N. Vermilion St., miniature, full-color replicas of the Fischer Theatre have arrived. The first in the series, the First National Bank Building (Bresee Tower), has sold out, but copies of the Vermilion County Court House are still available in addition to the theater miniature.

Call the Downtown Danville office at 443-3886 for more information between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— PAT PHILLIPS

Also on this date

• DNA work helps nab suspect in Rantoul burglary
• Man who reported robbery arrested on warrants
• Tolono hires firm to assess need for TIF agreement
• State police still dealing with crashes and cars in ditches
• Amtrak cancels trains to and from Chicago
• Power out in various areas of East Central Illinois
• Apartment-house residents escape Danville fire unharmed
• Urbana man accused of locking up wife
• Danville woman injured in I-74 accident east of Urbana
• Obituaries

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