Show and Sell event celebrates craft fair’s 15th anniversary

Artists and crafters from the South Hills will be among the participants in a free event celebrating the 15th anniversary of Pittsburgh’s first and largest independent craft fair.
Show and Sell, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 at Construction Junction, 214 N. Lexington St., is presented by Handmade Arcade, which now is held annually in December at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The first Handmade Arcade was in 2004 at Construction Junction.

Eco-friendly crafts by Kara Magoolaghan
All 30 of Show and Sell’s featured crafters, makers, artists and designers are participating in a Handmade Arcade event for the first time, according to Dormont resident and Mt. Lebanon High School graduate Jennifer Baron, director of marketing and outreach.
Among them is Bridgeville resident Shanin Hundt.
“I enjoy creating new stories for antique photos of people whose identities have been lost to time,” she said. “I take copies of the antique photos and hand color them with acrylic paint and distress crayons. Once hand colored, I affix the images, ephemera and torn pages from antique books to stretched canvas. The piece is then sealed.”
South Park resident Kara Magoolaghan is another participant. She said her crafts are created using “eco-friendly products such as organic cotton macramé rope and scrap wood from house projects.”
“I’m always keeping my eye out for ‘garbage’ that I can repurpose into something functiona,” she said. “I take a lot of inspiration from modern brands like Rejuvination and Semihandmade, adding an eclectic touch much like Anthropologie. I’m an avid environmentalist and try to make efficient use of materials, using every last bit of whatever I have.”
Haylee Bunner of Canonsburg creates jewelry, with hoop earrings as her specialty.

Hoops by Haylee Bunner
“I started creating my endless hoops when I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted in stores. Everything was either not quite right, or much too expensive,” she said. “I aim to provide an affordable, high-quality, option for people who require hypoallergenic earrings. I use .925 sterling silver and 14-karat gold-filled and rose gold-filled jewelry wire to create my earrings. I’ve created a number of unique shapes, and offer most earrings in a variety of sizes so people can pick what works best for them.”
Taking place during Construction Junction’s ongoing Earth Month celebration, Show and Sell features a variety of handmade products, good and wares for sale, including jewelry, accessories, home decor, fashion and clothing, bath and body products, children’s products and original artwork in a variety of media.
Food and beverage trucks such as Blackberry Meadows Farm, Zeke’s Coffee and the Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck will be on site. Those who attend the event also can sample and purchase Crafted Apple, a special collaborative release from Handmade Arcade and Threadbare Cider.
For more information, visit www.handmadearcade.org/events/showandsell.