ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — On the Friday before Christmas, plenty of Alexandrians were getting their not-quite-last-minute shopping done, exploring Old Town and meeting artisans in the Del Ray neighborhood who were providing stocking stuffers.

“I tend to shop and when I do shop, I can only think about everyone else,” said one shopper who travelled from Warrenton.

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Beyond the traditional shops and deals on the popular King Street, a group of craftspeople were selling their creations at the Del Ray Artisan holiday market.

“It’s been a real unexpected surprise,” said Susan Lefler, who was selling wood block and linoleum block prints. “There are people interested in what I’ve made. It’s been wonderful connecting and seeing people want to buy my work for presents.”

Among the other potential gifts were jewelry, pottery, and Susan Pawlukiewicz’s “Carvings in Lucite.”

Pawlukiewicz said the craft is a continuation of a legacy — her father gave her the tools and the lucite decades ago.

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“That makes me really happy that they see the joy in the art,” she said of her customers.

Back in Old Town — the aura is “nostalgic,” one shopper said, as people prepare to gift and to get, for the holiday season.

The shops will be open for one more day before Christmas, on Dec. 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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