Wish you were here! It was a beautiful day in San Francisco when I attended the Renegade Craft Fair at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. The event showcased over 300 makers selling a variety of handcrafted items. It was fun to chat with fellow artists and enjoy food truck snacks against the backdrop of the San Francisco Bay. So here's a shout-out to our Etsy friends on the West Coast!

Build Your Own Bento Box: How cute is this? At TwinkieChan's Bento Bar, the market-style display encouraged the creation of an original Japanese box lunch with the really sweet crocheted food! Visitors were delighted by the fun DIY's offered by the creative vendors at this Renegade fair.

Keep It Clean: Everyone needs a good apron. Todd at Tende n designs these canvas and leather aprons, along with cool accessories, such as well-made utility rolls and leather pouches.

Under Lock and Key: I love when the mundane is turned into something amazing and unexpected! While the old car key rings on display at Goat and Kettle are from the 1970's, some pieces date back to the 1800's. It's fascinating to imagine what these old keys may have opened long ago!

Piperoid Characters: These colorful paper robots from Magnote are irresistible! Each one requires only scissors and your hands to manipulate the sheets into interlocking tubes. So hard to choose just one!

Can't wait to attend the next fair! Check out http://www.renegadecraft.com to find fairs in your area.

Post by: Nicoletta Siccone / ETSY Shop: ArtologieDesigns / Website: www.art-ologie.com

Nicoletta Siccone is a lifelong artist and art educator, with an M.A. in Art Education and Administration. She travels the world seeking cultural inspiration for her art, and has worked in fibers, acrylics, oils, and sculpture. Her current work is inspired by the reinvention of the mundane zipper, elevated to an art form into unexpected jewelry designs. Nicoletta’s artwork is shown throughout New York/New Jersey and worldwide.