Rittenhouse Fine Craft Fair is the perfect shopping experience for mom

Rittenhouse Square will be filled with gorgeous works this weekend by artisans from far and wide as the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen's Fine Craft Fair returns to Center City. There, you'll find artworks in all media, ranging from glass to leather (there are some fabulous pocketbooks worth checking out) to wood and fabrics.

While it's fun just to walk through the square and look at all the wares, Mother's Day means you have an excuse to splurge a little, whether it's on your beloved matriarch or on yourself.

We suggest you check out Stockton, N.J., glass artist Karen Caldwell's Sunflower Glass Studio. She has been showing at the fair for so long that she sets up at a favorite spot: 18th and Locust, across the street from Parc. She begs for her spot because she has found that it's the least-windy in the area. "Wind and glass don't mix," Caldwell said.

Her prices range from boxes that will run you about $42 to small and midsize windows that are about $150 to $450. But, c'mon, it's Mother's Day weekend, and if you're really looking for something special, check out her $1,800 34-by-18-inch "Iris in the Meadow" piece that took her about two weeks to complete.

- Molly Eichel
Rittenhouse Square Fine Craft Fair, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Rittenhouse Square, 1800 Walnut St., 717-669-6278, www.pacrafts.org.