Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, December 15, 2016 9 and casual Hawaiian wear. They can browse through booths specializing in women’s, men’s and keiki clothing and accessories, or check out handmade swimwear, gemstone jewelry and island-made woodwork designs. “You can deck your halls, entryways and tables with fresh holiday wreaths and centerpieces, too,” Vashishta says. “Looking for that ideal gift for your friends and neighbors? Fill your gift basket with edible goodies like macadamia nuts, coffee, pancake mix, dressing, butters, honey, and flavored popcorn.” She adds that several new vendors are in the mix this year, including Larsen’s The Simple Soapery. Larsen, who also makes bath soaks, lip balms and sugar scrubs, has been back in Hawaii less than three months but she’s hoping her products will have local appeal, too. “I wanted to find a balance between natural ingredients and cosmetically approved colorants and fragrances so I could have variety,” she explains. “My products are safe for any age. The soaps use both honey and goats milk, which are great for moisturizing and healing cracked skin.” As much as she can, Larsen uses locally sourced ingredients in her products, such as coffee and honey. “The most popular soap scents are coconut creme, lychee and blueberry pancakes,” she says. Other soap scents include hot cocoa, pumpkin soufflé, gardenia and pikake. Her other body products feature a pink Himalayan salt spa bar, kaolin charcoal facial bar and pomegranate loofah. She also has a honey oatmeal sugar scrub, Bartlett pear sugar scrub and herbal mint lip balm. “I’m really proud of our new artisans this year,” Vashishta says. “We’ve got new vendors selling baby items, handmade jewelry, bikinis and even macadamia nut beauty oil and natural mosquito repellent.” In addition to bowls, vases and paperweights, glass blower Chris Upp, owner of Uppglass and one of the fair’s new vendors this year, creates sea life sculptures and Christmas tree ornaments. He has everything from mermaids and puffer fish to octopuses and a hermit crab that’s emerging from a real shell, all between $25 and $60. “It started as a hobby about 20 years ago,” says Upp of his entry into the world of craft fairs and glass blowing. “I was a website designer by day, but I did a craft show where I made a bunch of glass fish and they all sold so I gave up my day job and started this business.” Upp, whose studio and gallery House of Fire is in Kaimu in Kalapana, says creating these pieces is his creative outlet. “Every day, I can design and create something new,” he says. “With glass, you can make anything you can think of. Each individual piece at this show is handmade. People probably won’t see anything like this anywhere else. And glass is so shiny and sparkly. They make good gifts because they are so unique.” Jewelry designer Daniel Rokovitz of The Jewel Within is a 10-year veteran of The Big Island Christmas Craft & Gift Fair. “I look forward to doing these craft fairs because it gives me a chance to meet the customers, talk to them and understand what they appreciate about the jewelry and what they are looking for,” Rokovitz says. “You can’t do that when you sell your work out of a gallery.” Galleries are where you will typically find Rokovitz’s hand-strung necklaces, bracelets and earrings made with real gemstones and pearls. “At this fair you will find my jewelry at a much better price point than in a gallery. This year, I’m doing a clearance sale where some items will actually be marked down to just the cost of the materials,” he says. Rokovitz went to school in New York for fashion design and business and worked his way through textiles and then stone sculpture before trying his hand at jewelry making. “It very quickly went from a hobby to a business,” he says. “Ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of what I make is one of a kind. My pieces are whimsical, colorful, updated classics that are more like investment pieces. These are pieces you will have for a lifetime. It’s fine quality jewelry.” Vashishta says the fair is a one-stop shop where you can find unique gifts for everyone on your list. “Not only do we have our vendors who have been with us a long time, but we also have new vendors who bring a fresh flavor to our fair,” she says. “We have some really interesting items and prices are very competitive. I think people will get a great value and can get their last-minute shopping done.” All this shopping can make a person hungry, and the Big Island Christmas Craft & Gift Fair has plenty of hot menu options, including poke and kalua bowls, waffle dogs, Mexican steak nachos and fish and garlic shrimp tacos. Other island favorites include barbecue meat and kalbi, smoked meat, pulled pork, beef brisket, loco mocos, hamburger steak, honey stung chicken laulau, burgers and sandwiches. If you’re thirsty, there will be Indian lassis, lemonades, teas, coffee, juice, soda and water for purchase. Admission to the fair is $2, children 6 and younger are free. For more information, call 981-0518 or visit hawaiiartsandcraftsfestival. com. FAIR From page 7 Daniel Rokovitz, from The Jewel Within, at his booth during a previous craft fair. Courtesy photo
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