Craft Fair With Local Vendors

By Sam Desmond

On Sunday, October 18, a multi-vendor outdoor craft sale was held on the corner of Purick and Sylvan Avenues in Bayport.

With a wide variety of goods and services from glamorous make-up transformations, to cooking utensils, and doll clothes, there was something for everyone in the family.

The pieces in Blue Harbor Jewelry’s collection ran the gamut from everyday simplicity to statement necklaces for the Met Gala. The creations are all made by Jeanette Leonard, a Blue Point mom. A life-long Islander, Leonard has found the blues, grays, and ocean treasures of sea glass and pearls as natural media for her visions of elegant jewelry on confident, whimsical ladies.

The idea of transforming nautically sourced beads into floral patterns is part of Leonard’s fascination with all things natural, as the truth of nature is what she considers to be most beautiful. “The cornflake pearls reminded me of petals,” says Leonard of one of her most spectacular creations that would be at home on the ear of a society powerhouse charity patron at a Saturday evening opera.

Her intricate jewelry was displayed on contemporary and minimalist stands to contrast with the soft femininity of the pieces.

Peter Maniscalco of Blue Point, and owner of LI Sawdust Factory had a Willy Wonka-grand display of knick-knacks and home décor items at his table with something for everyone in the family. A specialty of his shop is refurbished piggy banks made from wooden box frames and antique Post Office Box doors. “I get them from eBay, antique stores,” said Maniscalco of his creation that was further personalized with Art Deco-style numbers made from a Cricut machine. Fueled by a lifetime love of locksmithing, Maniscalco offered each piggy bank with its own instructions and special combination to open the front-door.

Each piece from LI Sawdust Factory was custom-made with the idea of its buyer or recipient treasuring the piece for years to come. Wooden tic-tac-toe boxes containing storage for marbles were the perfect heirloom toys for young children and brought a vintage feel of play-time.

Jess Johnson of Blue Point and Kim Passamonte of Bayport, had dozens of looks for the manicure-obsessed with their Color Street display. The brand, American-made and New Jersey-based offers gel-like manicures with a fraction of the time as they are made of press-on film that includes a base coat, color, and top coat.

A welcome addition to the beauty cache of anyone who has been relegated to home treatments because of the pandemic, Color Street nails provide a wide variety of tones and patterns to accommodate a year’s worth of holidays.

Purported to last a good two weeks and at an average cost of $11, the Color Street nails are a good, budget-friendly alternative to time-consuming gel or powder manicures.