Carft fair

Many people roamed Locust Walk yesterday as the annual Spring Fling crafts fair began. Merchants from near and far came to sell their wares to students and city residents looking for the out-of-the-ordinary. Artisans, craftsmen and the like came from as far away as New Mexico to peddle jewelry, ceramics, clothing, leather goods, paintings, bonsai trees and assorted other goodies. Most of the merchants sold their own hand-made crafts. Some were veterans of the crafts fair, others were newcomers to Locust Walk. Jewelry was a main theme of the fair, but other booths attracted the most browsers. A merchant selling puzzle rings showed off his craft which represents thousands of years of design, craft seller Cindy Levinson said. She said a poisonous ring is the strangest item she sells. Another artisan, Ken Reichman of Candle Wizardry, sold candles in the shapes of wizards and other wax items. Reichman has been coming to the fair since 1978. He said wizards holding different objects are his best sellers. His wizards range from the scuba diver wizard to a wizard with the surfboard to a wizard who plays the piano. "Inspiration for my wax creations comes from the magic realms of my mind," Reichman said. One local artisan, Charles Nalle, sold all kinds of ceramics. He said one of the teapots he is selling is named the "Dr. Seuss for demented adults teapot." Another unusual creation is the "around the corner teapot." "People like my work," Nalle proclaimed. "People come back to see me." The American southwest came to the crafts fair in the form of jewelry. The Navajo, Zuni and Hopi indians were inspirations for the artistry, craft sellers said. Turquoise, lapis and onyx were just some of the materials used in the jewelry. Bonsai tree seller Nirmal Debnatch brought a "small" piece of Japan to Locust Walk. Debnatch sold bonsai trees that ranged from $15 to $300. The older a bonsai is, he said, the more costly it will be. Debnatch said he thanks Mr. Miaggi from the movie The Karate Kid for giving publicity to bonsai trees. "He gave me business because everyone saw the bonsai tree," he said. Lu Don Enterprises brought marionettes to the crafts fair. The marionettes came in all different colors and were in the shape of ostriches. One even was decked out in the University's red and blue. "I liked the little dancing things," College freshman Julia Loscalzo said. "I thought they were really cool." Jeff Nelson of Hudson River Inlay, sold a wood inlay similar to one which currently graces the White House. One of the paintings that Nelson is selling was bought by President Clinton in November 1992. Nelson said business was decent yesterday. "Maybe students are poor," he said. "I hope that the faculty comes out." Students were very enthusiastic about the craft fair and the beautiful weather. "The weather is absolutely gorgeous," said College sophomore Meera Jegathesan. "It just makes you want to stand on the walk all day and look at the pretty jewelry." "The fair was awesome," Nursing sophomore Valerie Carroll said. "[It was] even better than watching reruns of The Brady Bunch." The crafts fair continues today from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.