A dozen festive holiday fine craft shows and artists’ open studios help ratchet up the Christmas spirit this weekend and next.

New on the schedule this season is the “South Perry Neighborhood Arts Show” on Saturday at Liberty Park Florist.

“This art show is in conjunction with ‘Girls’ Day Out,’ a one-day shopping event highlighting the small neighborhood business districts around Spokane,” says jewelry maker Amy Mickelson, one of the organizers. “We figured it was a perfect fit because the South Perry area is home to many Spokane artisans.”

For the second year, as many as 26 potters from around the region plan to show their work at the Clay Arts Guild of North Idaho’s annual Christmas Pottery Sale on Saturday.

Returning with holiday open studios are such longtime Spokane artists as glassblower Steve Adams, sculptor John Jankovsky and painters MariAnne Figgins, Stan Miller and L.R. Montgomery.

Montgomery is showcasing a recent series of watercolor landscapes, “Why We Live in the Northwest – Places People Love,” this weekend.

He’ll be joined by Jankovsky, who is moving to Mexico soon and is selling a large selection of his own sculpture along with works from his extensive collection of Pacific Northwest artists.

Adams is introducing new handblown glass vessel forms and colorful Christmas ornaments. “I’m also going to have frequent ‘Blue Light’ specials during the weekend,” he says.

Celebrating 25 years as an artist, Clegg is showing his newest transparent watercolor still lifes.

During the weekend of Dec. 9, Figgins, a realistic watercolorist, is unveiling the latest addition to her popular St. Nicholas series, while egg tempera and watercolor painter Miller is showing paintings created during a summer trip to Trinidad.

“That area of the Caribbean is a very relaxing place to be – so simple, so peaceful and warm in a world that seems complicated and dangerous at times,” he says.

Along with the artwork, visitors to these open studios will find such enticements as hot apple cider and homemade cookies.