By Barbara Falconer Newhall
Yes, thanks to the ever-creative minds and nimble fingers of Berkeley, California, a funny, funky gift can be yours to give for somewhere between twenty bucks and, oh, maybe, three hundred.
I took these photos at the annual Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios last weekend. The self-guided tour and sale featuring more than 100 local artists and craftspeople continues Dec. 12-13 and 19-20.
Edward Snowden Earrings — a Gift With Political Punch
You can get yourself a pair of Bernie Sanders earrings for a reasonable twenty dollars. Same goes for Edward Snowden. The cameo earrings are made by a Bay Area artist who goes by the name of Fuff.
When she’s not taking orders from all over the place for Bernie and Ed, Fuff also makes gorgeous glass art jewelry.
Funny and Functional Art Made From Vintage Books
Jim Rosenau loves books, the old-fashioned printed kind, the kind with cloth covers with embossed or stamped illustrations. He loves them so much he cuts them into pieces,
gouges them out — and turns them into clocks and shelves and sight gags. Then he sells them for $95 and up. But you can get some of Rosenau’s This Into That concoctions for a lot less if you come to him with your own books.
To find out exactly when Fuff and Rosenau will be hanging out at their studios during December, follow the links to their websites. If you’re not from the Bay Area, I’ll bet they’d be happy to take phone or email orders.
Coming soon, more fun and funk: Scary fiber dolls and scarves of hand-made felt.
