Treasure Hunt
Handmade is all the rage now, but the Cleveland Bazaar has been offering a holiday artisan market for 10 years.
Look around at our smokestacks, our bridges, our hulking buildings. Working with our hands is as much a part of us as the Cuyahoga. If you need more proof, head to the Cleveland Bazaar Holiday Show Dec. 13 and 14 when more than 150 artisans sell wares in the 78th Street Studios for the show's 10th anniversary — and its largest event to date. "In Cleveland, we have a tradition of manufacturing; we have a tradition of building things," says founder Shannon Okey. "I think you see that reflected in the artwork." She handpicks 10 artisans' booths to check out.
The Bubble Process
Sean Higgins and Nicholas Rezabek of the Bubble Process craft screen-printed posters inspired by Cleveland concerts such as local rockers Welshly Arms' Beachland gig. "It's not a mass-produced Monet — it's a poster that's actually art and it's designed locally," Okey says. Buy This žª St. Vincent concert poster, $25, thebubbleprocess.com
Liz Sabo
She's the most stylish bag lady you know. From screen-printed, sturdy totes and trendy wristlets, Liz Sabo's collection carries on its own style. "The market bags that she does are especially useful," says Okey. "It's a bag that's not only big but sturdy." Buy This žª Screen Printed Wristlet, $40, lizsabo.com
Forest City Portage
For Michael Hudecek, finding ways to compartmentalize while cycling is important — and so he began sewing messenger bags. "He's using everything from vinyl signage to old coffee bags to fabric," says Okey. Buy This žª Small roll-top backpack in green "paint chip" colorway, $218, forestcityportage.com
Jewelry By Jenny
Eight years ago, Jenny Bendis stepped into the bazaar for the first time and was later inspired to start Jewelry by Jenny, quickly becoming a favorite by reusing pop culture objects. "For Halloween, she had an entire horror movie-inspired collection," says Okey. Buy This žª Heart Ohio/216 pendants, $25, etsy.com/shop/jenscoobysnacks
Button Down Designs
Emilie Collens Illson creates jewelry made from buttons. She has more than 40,000 cleaned and sorted buttons in her home dating from 1840 to 1940. "She's an absolute encyclopedia of knowledge about old buttons," says Okey. Buy This žª Great Gatsby, $95, buttondowndesigns.com
Tart Boutique
From black ink-sketched birds on a wire to clusters of bare trees, Beth Hess screen-prints T-shirts and elegant dish towels made from flour sacks that emanate Rust Belt chic. Buy This žª Women's Bella Long Sleeve Flowy Screen-Printed Tee, $28, etsy.com/shop/clevelandtart
Jennifer L. Worden
She's been with the bazaar since 2012, but Worden's been melting down broken bottles and collecting scraps of wood and metal for more than 12 years to make glass art and jewelry. Buy This žª Glass Trees, $13, jenniferlworden.com
Sassyfrass
Ten years ago, when Okey's operation was called Bazaar Bizarre, Jessica Kinsinger was making bowls out of records. Now the artist has transitioned to fashioning earrings, necklaces and bracelets out of quirky objects such as a rubber gorilla and a '50s airplane pin. "She has evolved over the years and pretty much exclusively makes handmade jewelry made out of vintage pieces," says Okey. Buy This žª Cuff Bracelet, $45, ilovesassyfrass.com
Lise Anderson
While on the road with pop-punk band Cock Robin and as a solo act, Lise Anderson began creating her own jewelry. She has since made necklaces and earrings out of antique glass for Whoopi Goldberg, Lenny Kravitz and Roseanne Barr. "She's been doing jewelry for over 20 years," says Okey as she recalls her involvement since the first bazaar. Buy This žª Czech glass bead earrings with gold-filled wire, $26, etsy.com/shop/liseanderson
Infinite Abyss
Pittsburgh transplant Samantha Hartman debuted her upcycled fabric bow ties and multipatterned bags at last year's bazaar. Buy This žª Men's self-tie bow tie in teal, $24, etsy.com/shop/infiniteabyss
