Chica and I recently attended an arts and crafts fair to get a little inspiration from other artists and of course, to enjoy some “fair food”! As we strolled through the many booths displaying everything from unique jewelry to gorgeously constructed rocking chairs, I snapped some pictures of a few of my favorite creations. I spoke to the artists in some of my favorite booths letting them know I wanted to share their creations with our readers. I also wanted to get a better idea of the people behind the creations. It was great fun meeting new people and stuffing ourselves with funnel cake! Here are some sample works by some of the extraordinary artists I met.

Renee Dinauer Sculpture reneedinauersculpture.com		I never knew that wood could bend this way! The combination of scale, color and texture made these pieces stand out in the crowd. Check out her site to see installations of her pieces…gorgeous!
Iron Chinchilla ironchinchilla.com		The bookcase has just enough whimsy to delight me! I love the slightly slanted shelves and the curling of the metal. It looks just like a bookcase you would find in a fairytale or a Harry Potter novel. The towel rack pleases the eye as well as my sense of utility. However, if I were to get this, I would definitely need to upgrade my towels!
Steve Terlizzese, Mosaic Guy mosaicguy.com		Another great integration of form and function. His mosaic creations will make your eyes dizzy dancing from one tiny detail to the next. I just wish my Sonicare tooth brush would have fit in the toothbrush holder. This piece would be perfect for a guest bathroom. Check out his web site to see the mantle clocks he is now making.
Augusta McDonald, Bold Mary boldmary.com	Photo courtesy of boldmary.com	I bought my daughter an adorable skirt that she calls a Rah, Rah skirt. I couldn’t resist the pattern, it has dolls from many different countries on it. For Christmas though, I think I will order her one of these adorable hoop skirts. I saw girls wearing them around the fair that day and you can just imagine the grins on those faces! Augusta herself was sporting one in her size and I thought it was delightful and a part of me wanted one too!
Ron Lederer, Urban Oriental forvalent@comcast.net		I am afraid my photographs do not do this pottery justice. It was amazing to gaze into this booth and wonder how he made pottery glow. I felt like I could put a piece of this in a dark room and it would illuminate the entire room on its own! The shapes were original and the glaze effect was surreal!

There were so many delightful booths I couldn’t possibly show them all to you here but these are a few that inspired me. There were a few others but I can’t post my images because they are for Christmas presents!