When the holiday shopping gets tough, tough holiday shoppers go for WHAM.

The Fresh Arts, formerly Spacetaker, Winter Holiday Art Market has bloomed year after year in revenue directly supporting the artsy ventures of local creatives. The event has morphed into a sought after three-day shopping spree for savvy consumers looking to cross off items from their gift-giving season to-do list.

With 60 artists, a third of them brand new to the affair, the preview fete Friday night at Winter Street Studios drew record crowds. Last year's $20 tariff was reduced to $10, Fresh Arts members were offered complimentary entry, and that was motivation for more than 550 spenders to meander to and fro through the well-organized network of hallways where vendors offered a colorful bounty of art, objects, personal items, jewelry and accessories — all one-of-a-kind and handmade in Houston.

Among them were Lee Wright's quaint and quirky framed portraits on Post-it notes, Piyali Sen Dasgupta's exquisite hand-printed silk scarves and sarongs, Ann Westby's contemporary earrings and necklaces, Taft McWhorter's large-scale canvasses and Carlos Pozo's avant-garde two-dimensional designs.

DJ Dave Wrangler and video artist Bryan Lozano enlivened the mood while flowing hearty beverages from Dripping Springs Vodka and Silver Eagle Distributors rendered guests chatty. Spread generously through the event were nibbles by Delectable P.I.E.S., Phoenicia Specialty Foods, Jenni's Noodle House, Whole Foods Market, Oh My! Pocket Pies and Kitchen Incubator.

With all that merry stimulation, cash tendered swelled 10 percent from last year's numbers — with many $1,000 high-ticket items sold.

That's why executive director Jenni Rebecca Stephenson and program director Sarah Schellenberg were as jovial as a Tracy Carlson photograph.

Shopping until dropping were Rachel and Ed Schipul, Houston Arts Alliance's Kenneth Franco, American Festival of the Arts Michael Remson with partner Glen Hilton, Jerry Ochoa, Mandy Graessle, Culture Pilot's Tim DeSilva and Grace Rodriguez, Mandy Trichell, Teya Sparks, Amy Tanner, Marita and JB Fairbanks, Kim-Kay and Tom Randt, Hagit and Patrick Prather of Prather Kalgan Accountants and Consultants, Arielle and Harry McMahan and Bayou City Art Festival's Kelly Kindred.

Fresh Arts' WHAM continues with free admission on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.