Flower vases shaped like World War II era hand grenades and clocks depicting the iconic Barack Obama “Change” image are some of the items thatcrafter Toby Fraley will display at an upcoming craft fair, Handmade Arcade.“While this is my first year participating it seems like a great event,” Fraley said in an email interview on Nov. 14. “The quality of the work at the show has always been high and the timing is perfect just before the holidays.”Fraley will join the rest of the150 fellow crafters at Handmade Arcade, an independent craft show taking place Sat. Dec. 8, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. With vendors from all over Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, the free event serves as an opportunity for attendees to purchase handmade gifts for the holiday season.“The Handmade Arcade puts Pittsburgh on the map,” Jennifer Baron, a co-organizer for Handmade Arcade, said in a telephone interview Nov. 7.The event was founded in 2004 by a group of crafters, according to Baron, 42, of Homestead. The organizers wanted to provide members of the art community a place to sell and share their work, specifically in Pittsburgh.The first Handmade Arcade included 35 vendors, which has since increased to 150 vendors. They received over 300 vendor applications this year, which were presented in front of a jury for selection. According to Baron, the jury “breaks into small groups to review specific categories” and holds a daylong jury process to decide on the best vendors for the event.”We like to have a balance of vendors in each category, and also a balance of price ranges, so that many of the crafts for sale are affordable,” Baron said. “You can come to Handmade Arcade and spend $5, or you can spend $75.” This year’s event consists of 14 categories, including accessories; jewelry; posters and prints; clothing;artwork and illustrations;T-shirts;stationery and paper craft;housewares;children’s clothing and accessories;bath and body; toys;music, zines and multimedia; and others. A new category appearing this year is geekery, which includes crafts inspired by comic books, cartoons and videos. Moirin Reynolds, a new vendor attending this year’s event, makes lotions, deodorants and diaper rash oil under the brand name Bridget’s Apothecary. She attended the event for years before deciding to apply as a vendor.“It’s a really well-run fair, and it’s a place to see what people are doing all around, not just in Pittsburgh,” Reynolds, 32, of Hopewell Township, said in a telephone interview Nov. 12.Zak Kruszynski, 28, of Friendship, who is also a new vendor, found out about the event in spring 2009 when he and a friend checked it out at the Union Project, a grassroots community center.“It was really exciting to see so many creative people putting their work out there, and I think it’s amazing that Pittsburgh has such strong community support for the arts,” said Kruszynski in an email interview Nov. 13. Paul Roden, 33, and Valerie Lueth, 32, are a husband and wife team that make handmade woodblock prints as the brand Tugboat Printshop. The duo has participated in Handmade Arcade since about 2007.“Handmade Arcade is a wonderful event that we look forward to every year,” Roden said in an email interview Nov. 13. “We do a lot of similar style of indie market craft shows from New York to Chicago, and there is something really great about the hometown crowd.”Roden and Lueth draw and carve their images out of wood and then print all of their drawings on paper by hand. One painting the couple created was a woodcut print of an RV with a green forest and rainbow behind it. Another vendor making a return is Tricia Brancolini-Foley, who helps raise money for Hands-on Handmade, an activity area where shoppers of all ages can participate in hands-on arts and crafts activities held by local artist and arts organizations. Brancolini-Foley first found out about the event from her friend when they both worked together at WYEP years ago. She left the company in 2005 to be a freelance graphic designer and be home with her kids. Then, she and a group of mothers who had a crafting group at the time thought it would be a good idea to make eco-friendly crafts for kids and sell them at the event. This year marks her seventh show involvement.“It’s a whole different way of shopping,” Foley, 38, of Brentwood, said in a phone interview Nov. 12.
Some Hands-on Handmade activities include making “LED/Circuit Jewelry,” which involves learning how electricity travels through a circuit with LEDS, batteries and wires. Another activity is titled “Knit the Bridge,” which will allow attendees to knit and contribute a square for a Pittsburgh Bridge project.This year there will be new hands-on activities to do in the Hands-on Handmade event. There will be an indie rock band, DJs and food available for purchase.For those who want to sneak a peek at vendors’ items early and beat the crowd, Early Birdie Passes are available for $15 at www.handmadearcade.com. The pass grants attendees access to the event an hour early before the event is opened to the public. Those who purchase the pass will also receive a bag of treats and coupons from vendors.
