When I have money, art-crafters will rejoice!

I have a feeling all of us at OFP were down at Penn's Landing this weekend for the Art Star Craft Bazaar, at one point or another. I'm sure each of us had favorites--here were mine!

First prize goes to Rachel Sherman of Malagueta. Her card says "wearable art, surface design, upholstery" and she ain't kidding. The skirts and tops she designed each featured amazing modern graphic designs in stitching and layers of applique, both subtle and stunning at once, and exquisitely (and ingeniously!) fitted. The pillows displayed similar abstract topstitching and intricately pieced fabrics. There were even sweet little fabric handbags! I fell in love with a skirt that I would have bought a week ago, before Quicken informed me what my monthly expenditures have been of late ... as it was, I came ever-so-close to blowing my budget and buying at the very least a pillow. Instead, I took pictures. Sherman doesn't have an online shop yet, but maybe drop her a line at rachelsherman@hotmail.com and let her know she should!

Second place goes to the duo of Alexandra Snook of adorn natural and Edward Way of wook woodworking with their beautiful wood jewelry and furniture. Way's bamboo honeycomb shelving was the talk of the bazaar, and I absolutely adored his tiered cherry cabinet with sliding doors. And I have every intention of visiting Snook's website to buy her three-circle necklace, a cleanly modern design in ebony and sapwood. (Image courtesy of their shop at etsy.)

And third place, with special mention for what-a-great-idea!, goes to Nicole Kulp of Recycle My Dress. Got a bridesmaid's or special occasion dress that you shelled out a bunch of cash for but can't imagine ever wearing again? A dress that while lovely, simply SCREAMS "someone else is making me wear this so that I match a tablecloth"? Send it to Nicole! She'll collaborate with you to come up with alterations that will make that dress both beautiful and wearable. I gotta check my mom's closet to see if she saved any of those old prom dresses from the 80s ... or, dare I say it, my wedding dress? Oh, fun!

I managed not to buy anything at the bazaar. I did, however, just buy that necklace online. After all, the recession can't last forever, but a beautiful piece of wearable art can last a lifetime!