Artists' creations at Iqaluit's Christmas craft sale 'you just don't see anywhere else'

In the workshop of Moe Lewis, there's the smell of burning boneas he sawsand polishes handles for the ulushe's selling at this year'sChristmas craft sale in Iqaluit.

He wears a pair of dark blue coveralls and a mask overhis nose and mouth to protect himself from the dust.

Lewis says hecan't guess how manyulushe'smade over the years, but in his workshop on Thursdayleading up to the craft sale this weekend, there were about 100 in various stages of readiness.

"That's been my hobby for several years since I retired, my past time and good hobby," he said.

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Lewis's variety of ulus includessmallonesmeant for sewing, as well as much larger ones that have caribou-antler handles, which match theircaribou-antler stands.

"Most of them are working ulus," Lewis said.

"These are good for eating," he added, pointingto about 20 ulus ready to go in a blue Rubbermaid bin.

'We stick together'

Lewis says he likes Iqaluit's Christmas craft sale because hecan sit and visit with other artists.

"We stick together Matthew and Dan,we usually have a table right beside each other," he said.

Lewis is talking about jewelers Mathew Nuqingaq and Dan Wade, who were also getting ready Thursday afternoon for the weekend's sale.

Like Lewis, Wade sayshe started making his art after he saw other people's work and thought that he could do it too.

He says the craft sale is so popular because it's a place for people to get giftsthey can't get anywhere else.

"If you're shopping for jewellery down south, you can't get the things that we make here," he said.

"There's a lot of ivory in our products, a lot of it is Northern-themed that you just don't see anywhere else."

It's hard to tell what the artists'most popular items will be, so Wade says theyoften displaya variety of their art.

Butpeople like the new creations, he said.

"I have some tattoo rings that I've recently made.Alot of people have been asking me about those."