As several hundred people meandered through the crowded maze of vendors inside South Richmond's Plant Zero, Vanessa Alsondo didn't seem to mind the commotion.
Her fingers were in constant motion, even at times when her attention was elsewhere, as she crocheted a bag she hoped to finish by the end of yesterday's Spring Bada Bing.
"If I don't run into any mistakes, I'll have a bag when I'm done," said Alsondo, owner and designer of Ninnycat Crochet.
The Washington resident said she planned to price the bag at $35 to $50 when it was finished. She could easily charge more for the bag and other items she makes, but she said she wants to keep them affordable for the shoppers who are interested in her handmade accessories.
Arts and crafts were plentiful as shoppers turned out looking for offers they couldn't refuse yesterday at the Richmond Craft Mafia's fourth annual Spring Bada Bing.
The line of people waiting at the door to get in to the five-hour arts-and-crafts extravaganza reached about half a block at the outset, organizers said. Even as the day progressed, Plant Zero teemed with people browsing the wares of the 65 vendors, some of whom came from as far away as New Jersey and Tennessee.
Items on sale ran the gamut -- from Dawn Anderson's magnets and Christmas ornaments made from Scrabble tiles to Beth Hess' handmade scooter-themed trinkets.
Anderson, who is one of the founders of the Richmond Craft Mafia and owner of Lark Studio, displayed many items -- paper, notebooks and felt drink coasters -- that were made with recycled material.
"It's a creative challenge -- what can this become?" Anderson said of recycling items.
Even the Scrabble tiles she incorporated in her crafts were reused. Instead of breaking open new games to repurpose the tiles, Anderson finds the pieces in thrift shops.
Anderson displayed Christmas ornaments yesterday with the words Faith, Dove and Toys. Last year, one of her biggest sellers was the word Hope.
Hess and Alsondo, along with Mary Kearns and Erica Burns, represented the D.C. Craft Mafia at yesterday's event.
Each has a specialty they focus on -- handmade jewelry for Burns; organic and natural bath and body products for Kearns; crocheting for Alsondo; and scooter-themed items for Hess.
In another area of the room, Richmond resident Amy George displayed her city-inspired perfumes and colognes -- Ginter Park Wisteria, Shockoe Bottom and Maymont, among others.
One of the first fragrances she created was one inspired by the Byrd Theatre, incorporating the tantalizing, familiar aroma found in the national landmark on West Cary Street -- hot, buttered popcorn, Milk Duds and Coca-Cola.
Contact Jeremy Slayton at (804) 649-6861 or jslayton@timesdispatch.com.
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