LOCAL CRAFT FAIR

I've been missing New York more than I expected to, so now that we've started to settle in I've been trying to get out and remind myself how awesome Boston is. Sunday was spent with a friend at the ICA followed by a fantastic craft fair where I saw lots of pretty things but didn't buy many. And so, the best retail therapy - blogging about what you want but can't have!

Although Shana Porter has been featured in magazines like Lucky, I hadn't heard of her and was blown away by her delicate hand-printed bags, wallets and other leather goods. Many of the pieces she prints on are vintage, and although some are classically ladylike (the bows and bees are among my favorite motifs), others are printed with dinosaurs, biplanes, trucks and wrenches. I could have found a present for basically everyone I know in her booth alone. 

images from Shana's website and
http://www.quintessential.com.sg/content/?p=277

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15088839@N00/2219487343/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Jewelry is always popular at craft fairs, and there was plenty of it here. After wandering through aisles filled with felt and glue-gunned craftiness, Nervous System was a beautiful breath of fresh air. It's not surprising to learn that these pieces are a collaboration between two MIT grads: an architect and a mathematician. They say it best:

Formally we are attracted to complex and unconventional geometries. Our inspirations are grounded in the natural forms and corresponding processes which construct the world around us. From coral aggregations to interference patterns, a study of natural phenomena is an essential ingredient to our design process.

I only prevented myself from taking advantage of this because I have no more space for anything on my walls, but – Repeat Press was making custom letterpress posters WHILE YOU WAIT. For $10. 

image from The Phoenix

And now for the two things that I actually did buy, one for myself and one for the boy. I think you can figure out which is which...

earrings from Ferdinand, $5

and mystery thing that I'm not going to include a picture of because that would ruin the surprise!