about
Well, folks, they’ve done it again! The craft fair wizards of Renegade are putting on an incredible event in McCarran Park this weekend. We spent a lovely afternoon strolling among the colorful tents, marveling at the beautiful, creative, witty, clever, and superlative designs. There are over 300 independent artisans from around the country, and I guarantee that you will be amazed by many-if not most-of the people you meet and the things you see.
Take a look at some of the creations that caught my eye, listed below and in the photo gallery above (all photos by James Wesolowski):
- Delicate ceramic figures by Michiko Shimada, sharing a tent with ceramicist Beetle and Flor
- Soft and funny handmade dolls with great expresses and even mustaches by Pinkypunk
- Rustic birdhouses made from reclaimed wood by Eric Erf Wood Design out of Chicago
- The Better Than Jam Co-Op features handmade fashion and accessories by local designers
- Knitsybitsy works with Ecuadoran artisans to kit their hysterical sea creature toys
- Ornamental Things brings her handmade jewelry all the way from Austin, TX (and the recent Renegade Craft Fair there)
- Gold Teeth Brooklyn makes great and unusual gold teeth jewelry, and other cool things like pistachios, not to mention greeting cards featuring Peeps (and more)
- Clay, Wood & Cotton has a collection of beautiful home decor items under their red tent, which they’re sharing with the super cute and clever KnitKnit Knits
- Shara Porter prints lovely and familiar items, from hedgehogs and guinea pigs to bicycles and horseshoes, on leather handbags, wallets, and purses, many of them vintage
- If you’re looking for chalkboard bedside tables to remind you of your To Do list every morning, check out Scraptones, who is also selling very cool decorative wooden blocks with architectural images printed on them
- Illustrator Virginia Kraljevic’s “tent” is actually a small boutique full of wit and charm. She’s right next to the ever talented members of The {NewNew}
- I picked up the cutest octopus necklace from Destroyed By Design. I may need to get that kiwi too. This artisan is sharing a tent with her fabulous sister and clothing designer AngelRox
- Moth Written is selling really fun t-shirts with sayings like “I Love Brooklyn,” or “Kiss Me I’m Irish,” except written in Arabic, the idea being to foster a dialog between East and West. I almost got a “Peace” pin, but I opted for “Breakfast,” because nothing fosters dialog like toast and eggs (only not with your mouth full).
These are just a few of the thousands of handmade items at the Renegade this year. Put on your walking shoes, grab your sunblock and water bottles, and enjoy a day of inspirational shopping!
