Handmade, one-of-a-kind accessories found at Three Rivers Arts Festival

Armando Suarez creates jewelry made from horseshoe nails.

Daniel Schemel makes watches with juice boxes.

Diane Wilson fashions earrings out of terra cotta. Marty Schwartz lines his leather handbags with upholstery fabric.

And Princy Fears' ponchos are hand-painted silk.

These are the kinds of interesting, chic items you will find at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, which runs through Sunday.

These individuals are five of the more than 300 artists — from across the city and across the country — selling original, handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. The artist vendor market is ranked as one of the top 50 shows in the United States by Sunshine Artist Magazine. Artists are selected through a rigorous jury process by a variety of media, from jewelry to painting, woodworking to photography.

“We love Pittsburgh,” says Suarez, a native of Argentina, who lives in Onancock, Va., and was wearing a Steelers hat. “This is our favorite show. The people make the difference in a show likes this, and the people in Pittsburgh are really friendly, and they are interested in our work as artists.”

He chatted with customers and worked creating new nail pieces while his wife, Kim Kondrat, rang up sales, with prices starting at $20.

“Most of the items are named after people and pets because each piece has personality,” she says. “Rain or shine, we will be at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.”

Artists say they are inspired by everything they see, whether it's in their front yard or thousands of miles away.

On a trip to Sedona, Ariz., Regent Square resident Wilson became enamored with her surroundings and incorporated terra cotta, a clay which she had never worked with before, into one line of her porcelain jewelry collection. She calls it the “Spirit of Sedona.” Earrings start at $20.

Wilson says the arts festival is her favorite show because Pittsburghers have great respect for what the artists do.

“This is such a great event because it brings together artists from all over the country as well as a lot of local artists,” Wilson says. “We get to meet so many other artists. This is the best concentration of artists in Pittsburgh, and I think it is in a wonderful location where people who work in the buildings around here can walk through and see beautiful art every day. It's a perfect way to start the summer.”

That is how Heidi Stewart of Franklin Park discovered handbags from RMS Leather. She works Downtown and says she likes the quality leather and the attention to detail, such as lining made from upholstery material.

“I am an abuser of purses, so I know when I have a good one,” Stewart says. “Some bags you buy might be nice on the outside, but they rip inside, and then you can't find things in your purse. I look for this booth every year.”

Schwartz and wife Sharon of Wrentham, Mass., have been at the festival on and off for the past 25 years. They create reversible belts, wallets and handbags and other leather accessories which start at $14.95.

Making his first appearance in Pittsburgh is Dallas artist Schemel. His watches — called Nature Timepieces — are eco-friendly and made from sustainable wood and other materials, such as real flowers and juice boxes. He received this year's Juror's Merit Award for the artists market.

“The people in Pittsburgh are fashion-driven people,” Schemel says. “They have been receptive to the craftsmanship and high quality of the watches to their edgy design. We say these watches are unique pieces of art because of slight variances in texture, color and grain.”

Another artist in Pittsburgh for the first time is Princy Fears, from Indio, Calif. She fashions ponchos that are hand-painted silk. They start at $37.50. She says you can dress them up or wear them with jeans. Fears also shows you how to wear the poncho two ways.

“Pittsburgh is a lovely city,” she saysº. “I was surprised, having not been here before, but I am enjoying my time here and am enjoying meeting and talking to everyone. This is a wonderful arts festival with so many really creative people.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at jharrop@tribweb.com or 412-320-7889.