On Sunday, the weather cooperated a bit and I made it over to Brooklyn to attend The Fourth Annual Renegade Craft Fair. Started in Chicago by crafter Sue Daly, this fun show took place at the McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. (additional shows will be held later this year at Chicago’s Wicker Park and at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion in San Francisco) Brooklyn’s event featured handcrafted goods from over 200 talented and completely creative craftsters.

A little bit of everything was at the show. For the fashionistas, there was a lot of jewelry, plenty of totebags, and multitudes of clever t-shirts and onsies. Always a sucker for letterpress, I took the opportunity to stock up on cards and stationery.

Designs ranged the gamut, but one big trend was owls and birds–the passion for these feathered friends just doesn’t seem to be ending.

Here are some of my favorite decorative finds:

handcrafted and handpainted Glazed Porcelain Plates from kg+ab

Custom Printed Window Shades by Addie Gartland of Drink and Dream

ted lights: custom tea lights available in singles or groups from domestic construction

Kitsch-Plates—switch plate covers, tissue box covers, and night lights découpaged by hand with vintage wallpaper by Fondue Art + Design

Letterpress Photo Mats by Sycamore Street Press

These are great–you adhere your photo to the mat, cut your mat to the desired size, and frame.

Typographic Neighborhood Posters by Jenny Beorkrem of Ork Posters

Jenny currently has designs from New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. This blue and white one is soon going to be hanging on my wall!

Just a few other things that really made me smile:

Handprinted Vintage Hankies by Bird & Banner -they even do custom invitations printed on hankerchiefs!

Needle Felted Birds handcrafted by Lauren Alane—So cute!

colorful Straw Flower Jewelry made with vintage craft straw by Cathy of California

handcrafted Tin Bird from Bossa Nova Baby

And, one of my very favorite things was this clever Postcard Machine:

Watch her piece on You Tube to see how it works. Hilarious!

Most of these clever crafters sell their pieces through Etsy, a great website that provides a marketplace for all things handmade. Visit their website and spend some time exploring the offerings of hundreds of creative folks. You’ll be amazed!

—Jennifer Kopf

Technorati Tags: Renegade Craft Fair, handmade, craftsters, crafting, letterpress, Brooklyn, Etsy, wall art

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