A Sneak Peek at Three Festival Vendors

With close to 450 vendors slated to attend the Towsontown Spring Festival this weekend, festivalgoers' biggest dilemma will be deciding at what booth to stop first.

To make that decision easier—especially for fans of high-end, handcrafted artisan wares—here's a sneak preview of some of the premier vendors who will be setting up shop all weekend at the festival.

The three vendors we chose to highlight are all making their Towsontown Spring Festival debut this year. We like these vendors not only because the unique hand-designed products they make are so eye-catching, but also because the stories behind their businesses are as compelling as the goods they produce.

Hand-crafted belt buckles for women of all shapes and styles        

Last year, with the economy at rock bottom and countless Marylanders searching for work, Annapolis-area moms Susan Judge and Jacki Podoley did something seemingly rash: They quit their full-time jobs and started Word of Mouth, a home-based business making designer-quality belt buckles.

Judge explains why. “We have seven teenagers between us. We’re sitting vigil. We’re hands-on parents,” she said. "When you're monitoring teenagers’ texts, Facebook…it's so intense."

So too is their booming new business. Each unique, bling-laden buckle is made from Austrian-originated Swarovski crystals, which Judge says offers "beautiful glitter power."

The buckles are made to suit women of all styles and shapes. They range from funky to sophisticated, and they each cost $69.99 (at the festival they're going for $65.99). Plain belts to accompany the buckles run $5.00, and go up to size 3X.

"We have women cry because they never thought they could wear a belt," Judge said. "It's all about slinging the bling. When you stop by our booth, you get a fashion lesson too," added Judge who, along with her business partner, will be at the festival all weekend. They're bringing full-length mirrors, ready to help customers find the perfect glittery belt buckle.  

In addition to being sold at  local festivals and online (WOMStyle.com), accessories from Word of Mouth can be found at four regional boutiques and, debuting this fall, on a prime time reality TV show.

Hawaiian-inspired glass jewelry and art

David Tucker spent twenty years as a combat photojournalist for the Navy. Now, in what he calls “semi-retirement”, he makes hand-blown glass pendants and figurines inspired by the natural beauty that surrounded him in Hawaii, where he lived for ten years before moving recently with his wife to Annapolis. The change sounds drastic, but it suits Tucker.

“It’s an outlet for me and my wife. On the weekend, in the evenings, this is what we do. It’s just us and the glass,” he said.

By fusing two types of glass, Tucker turns each piece he makes into a semi-transparent blend of bright colors. That distinctive look characterizes all of the products from Hot Lava Glass, the name of Tucker’s business—inspired by the hot lava Tucker felt under his feet as he’d walk on the surface of volcanoes in Hawaii.  

The pendants Tucker makes have a "beachy" flair to them. They feature animals you might stumble upon in Hawaii, such as dolphins, hummingbirds, and turtles. The pendant necklaces are strung with black adjustable kordz. With their bright colors and casual elegance, it’s easy to visualize Hot Lava Glass’s jewelry developing a strong following among teenage girls.

Look for Hot Lava Glass at the corner of upper East Pennsylvania and Baltimore Avenues all weekend.   

 Making decorative, handmade plant rooters is a family affair  

What’s a plant rooter, you ask? It refers to a plant cutting taking root. That’s what happens when you snip off part of a plant, say from an herb or a bit of ivy, then place it into a custom-made glass vase filled with spring water and held in place by a decorative copper rod.

In the town of Wells, VT, making these decorative “rooters” is a family affair for David Emmons and his wife, son, and two daughters. They all have helped operate Vermont Nature Creations, a business launched over 20 years ago by Emmons’ brother-in-law.

These specialty items cannot be found in your major chain nurseries, or in any store for that matter. They can be spotted, however, at select flower shows and festivals across the nation. Emmons and his son travel to about 20 art and flower festivals annually.

This weekend, father and son make their first foray to Towson for a double-header event: on Thursday and, of course, the this weekend (). They'll be set up on the newly paved walkway on Washington Avenue.

Come early for the best selection; these vendors' products will move fast. The festival will be held in central Towson on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday, May 1, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.