The St. Lawrence County Arts Council has lined up 50 craftspeople at 23 locations across the North Country for the 23rd annual Artists’ Studio Tour, to be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6 and 7.

The annual tour gives people a chance to meet the artists, see their work and how they do it, and to purchase items for themselves or as gifts, all within driving distance of home.

The tour takes people to the studios and workshops of creative people of all sorts, such as painters, potters, woodworkers and jewelers, photographers, fiber artists, and more, in and around Canton, Potsdam, Parishville, Colton, Akwesasne, Morristown, Waddington, Winthrop, Stockholm and Ogdensburg.

To launch the tour, the public may attend the opening of “ConTEXTile – text, context, and textiles,” an exhibit of handmade books and paper weaving by fiber artist Velma Bolyard, Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at 51 Market St. Velma will be a guest artist during the tour and will demonstrate paper weaving on Saturday.

Other special events during the tour include a 1 p.m. bead glazing workshop each day at Radiant Gem Studio, 347B River Road East, Morristown, and pottery throwing demonstrations on request at Crary Mills Pottery, 174 Cty. Rt. 35, Canton.

A free tour map and guide provides information about all the participating artists and driving directions to their studios and galleries. Tour open dates and times are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Not all studios will be open all hours; the guide has details.

Stops on the tour include:

• Colton area, Leon LeBeau, Studio L, 15 Arbuckle Lane; Mary Holland, Marygwyneth, 365 Hanson Rd. with guest artist Roberta Paccione; Mary Ann & Malcolm Owen, Winged Camel Metalworks, 145 Irish Settlement Rd.

• Parishville area, Anne Burnham, Stoneware & Porcelain, 109 Picketville Rd., with guest artist Claire Poirier, Second Time Around; Helen Condon, Adirondack Rug Braiding, 1737 Main St.; Sandy Maine, SunFeather Natural Soap Co., 1551 St. Rt. 72; Rustick Creations & Birchbark Bookshop, 40 Ashton Rd.; Michiko Taylor, 53 Co. Rt. 47.

• Downtown Potsdam, St. Lawrence County Arts Council, 51 Market St., with guest artists Mary Ann McLaughlin, The Silver Studio, and Velma Bolyard, conTEXTile; also guest artists James Bullard, Jeffrey Davis (The Corner Studio), Sara Lynch, Radmila Zuman, all at Downtown Snell Hall, 2nd floor; Ed Clark, 64 Waverly St.; Rustick Creations & Birchbark Bookshop, 1 Maple St.

• Potsdam area, Sharon H.J. Cheng, 102 Wheeler Rd; Lamar Bliss, 619 Baker Rd.; Susan Heberling, Crowing Hen Designs, 619 Baker Rd.

• Canton area, Judith Utter Studio/Gallery, 5 Jingleville Rd.; Roxanne Locy, Rockhead Creations, with guest artists The Crafty Crew, 169 O’Brien Rd.; Ronald Larsen with Linda Buchanan, Baskets by Linda, Crary Mills Pottery, 174 Cty. Rt. 35.

• Ogdensburg, Leigh Chapman, Heart First Greetings by Leigh, 412 Crescent St.

• Waddington, Artworks Creperie Gallery, Gift Shop & Café, 2 Main St.

• Morristown, Melanie Connor, Radiant Gem, 347B River Road East.

• Akwesasne, Akwesasne Artists, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Senior Citizens Center, 29 Business Park Road, Hogansburg, with guest artists: Akwesasne Quilt Club; Judy Hemlock Cole; Cheyenne Doxtator; Gail General; Vaughn Phillips; Kaly White.

• Stockholm & Winthrop, Virginia Burnett, Luna’s Baublebilities & Goblins’ Market, 988 Cty. Rt. 49, Winthrop; Gerard F. Monnat, Emmanuel Acres, 1058 Cty. Rd. 47, Stockholm.

You can pick up a tour guide at the SLC Arts Council, 51 Market St., Potsdam, or request one by calling 265-6860 or by email at arts@slcartscouncil.org. Copies of the brochure should also be at each of the tour sites.

The self-guided tour is a good way to meet some new artists and learn about their techniques, and a chance to purchase beautiful handcrafted gifts for the holidays.