Sponsors,Artist Showcase,Artist Showcase

Holiday Fair Gift Guide: For the Home

Artist Showcase, General Info, VendorsElizabeth Ramos
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We are so excited about all of the Christmas shopping we'll do this weekend at the Holiday Fair, and we hope you're putting your shopping list together after seeing our gift guides. Here's one featuring all of the great gifts you'll be able to find to create a more handmade home. Prints and originals by Emily Jeffords / Hand lettered posters by Paige Elizabeth Designs / Ceramic trivet by Crave Studio / Soy candle by Mercy Verity

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Hand turned muddlers by Slab / Hand stamped flour sack towels by The Hiber Fiber / Felted terrariums by Once Again Sam / Pet teepees by LoveLane

Holiday Fair Gift Guide: Part 2

Artist Showcase, Events, VendorsElizabeth Ramos

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We know as soon as the dinner plates are cleared tomorrow, you're going to start strategizing your holiday shopping. Have fun out there in the Black Friday madness (those of you who choose to participate). But remember, those truly memorable, meaningful gifts come from real people...people like our Holiday Fair artists. As you're planning your gift giving, consider these two new gift guides to help you find the perfect treasures for the people in your life.

 FOR HIM:

Skinny Straight Jeans by Billiam / Bowtie by The Cordial Churchman / Anchor Bracelet by Maritime Supply Co. / Tent and Trail Pullover by Dapper Ink

Shave Soap by The Herb Garden / Hand-thrown Mugs by April Schwingle / Sketchbooks by Shed Labs / Hand-turned razors by Slab.

 FOR HER:

Collar Necklace by Lily Pottery / Cameos by Once Again Sam / Feather Pendant by Crave / Hand-dyed Necklace by Spectrum

Embroidered Napkins by The High Fiber / Yarn Skeins by Merciful Hearts Farm / Hand-lettered Notecard by Paige Elizabeth Designs / Brick Feathers Clutch by Auspicious Miss

Thank you for an amazing festival!

Artist Showcase, Events, Festivals, General InfoElizabeth Ramos

In case you're still reliving the amazing festival weekend, we don't blame you. We just want to say a huge thank you to our 7,000 attendees, 80 artists, 42 volunteers, 20 sponsors, 10 staff volunteers, and 6 food vendors who make Indie Craft Parade possible. One of our favorite things about the festival is all the photos that came out of it. If you haven't seen it, check out the great #indiecraftparade hashtag stream here.

Here's a look at some of our favorites. We love you all! See you at our next event!

Image via SavannahMaieDae.

Image via Lindsey George.

Image via Going Home to Roost.

Image via Swamp Rabbit Cafe.

Image via Eleanor.XVI.

Image via Strawberry Moth.

Featured Sponsor: Squarespace

Sponsors, Tips & TricksElizabeth Ramos

Have you ever wanted to make a website for your artwork, your wedding, your business, but lacked the technical skills to make it happen? Or perhaps your looked into hiring a web designer but found it too pricey for your project. Well, despair no more. We'd like to introduce your new best friend: Squarespace.

Squarespace makes it simple for anyone to build an incredible website. With their beautiful templates, your portfolio, restaurant, or blog will shine. Their integrated commerce makes online shopping a breeze, and managing inventory and print packing slips is so easy it's fun. The list of perks keeps on going, including free logo design and top-notch customer service.

Squarespace is designed for creative entrepreneurs, and their commitment to quality shows in everything they do. We're so glad to partner with Squarespace for the 2015 Indie Craft Parade festival!

Try out Squarespace for free! Make a beautiful website and see what happens next.

Artist Showcase: Everything Else

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet in just over 2 weeks. Can you believe the festival is almost here?! We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! The Et cetera category has a great variety of artists and goods that stand in a group all their own. From home decor and accessories to kitchen and garden goods, you'll want to remake your life around these products.

Don't forget, if you want to see everyone, old and new, who will be at this year's festival, check out their websites, found on our main site.

Hawks & Doves is a NC based maker who repurposes found materials in conjunction with both new and dead stock American made textiles and USA leather. We're dying over the feed sack pillows and especially those gorgeous aprons.

Blackjack Wax Company focuses on creating high quality, small batch soy candles. Each candle is personally hand-poured in batches of ten or less. We think you'll love their original scents like "front porch" and "film noir."

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NATIVE BEAR products include hand printed paper goods and home decor featuring original designs and illustrations. Channel your inner bohemian and enjoy this collection.

The Zen Succulent is a mother/daughter team making contemporary glass vases filled with minimal color-blocked landscapes and live greenery. Each piece uses both live and preserved plants for a product that is one-of-a-kind.

Very Fine South makes a fantastic collection of bags and home decor. We think we can find a use for every one of her products.

artist showcase: paper goods

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet in just a few weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade!Today we’re highlighting a handful of artists from our Paper Goods category. Books, stationary, posters, accessories are just a few of the amazing things you'll find. All the sudden you'll want to send letters to everyone.

Strawberry Moth creates amazing illustrated products from cards, posters, pennants, and accessories. We can't wait to see this entire collection in person.

Linen Laid Felt combines traditional book-binding techniques with contemporary designs. We particularly love that the books can be used as photo books. Even your Instagram photos can have a place to go.

Tin Oiseau is a delightful collection of purposeful and customized stamps. You'll want something for every part of your life...library, cards, and tags. It will make sending gifts and mail that more special.

Paper Sparrow is an Indie Craft Parade veteran, but has developed a wonderful expanded line of posters, cards and stationary. My favorite is the abstracted representation of composers' work. These posters are great.

artist showcase: to wear

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet in just a few weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! Today we're highlighting a handful of artists from our To Wear category. This is a broad lot including jewelry, menswear, kids clothes, and a lot of accessories. You'll be able to find something for everyone in your life from these artists.

Esse Quam Videri uses the Japanese dying technique of shibori to create these lovely one-of-a kind silk scarves.

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Megan Cash has made a perfectly classic, yet fresh take on menswear. Keep the men in your life looking dapper with her creations.

Carolina Keiki has created an adorable line of kids' clothes from their studio / shop in North Carolina. Pretty sure you wish your clothes were this cute and comfy.

Timberline Jewelry is the creation of furniture designers turned jewelry makers. Building off strong geometric patterns and designs, this line is both classic and trendy.

Maritime Supply Co. reflects all of our needs to get to the ocean. Suited for both men and women, these pieces will make you want to head to the beach.

Artist Showcase: Fiber Art

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet in just over a month. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade!

Today we’re highlighting some of the artists from our Fiber Art category. In this section you’ll find amazing handmade work created with felt, fabric, and yarn. Often the artists are even responsible for making their own patterns, prints, and even the materials themselves. And once again we had a difficult time choosing who to showcase, there are so many talented artists in this category!

Bonnie Christine is a woman of many talents. She runs the blog Going Home to Roost, makes her own fabric designs, illustrations, and patterns. And makes the most amazing products from them all.

Jennifer Lesley Design creates a variety of original home goods and decorations. From hand printed, painted, or dyed fiber and fabric, she makes a one of a kind collection.

Muncle Fred Art is a felt florist. Whether looking for a long lasting arrangement for your living room, a gift for a special occasion, or decorations for you next big event, you're sure to love these creations.

Hey Baby Craft Co. is doing an amazing job of preserving traditional quilting with her own modern twist. We can't wait to see these in person!

Artist Showcase: 3D Fine Art

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival about a month and a half. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade!

Today we’re highlighting some of the artists from our 3D Fine Art category. In this section you’ll find amazing handmade work created with wood, glass, metal, and ceramics. And once again we had a difficult time choosing who to showcase, there are so many talented artists in this category!

Bean and Bailey ceramics is a Chattanooga duo producing small-batch functional porcelain pots. They use colored porcelain slip to construct both subtly organic forms, as well as faceted vessels inspired by natural crystals and gems.

Churp Modern combines an interest in bird houses and modern architecture. Matt Estrada uses reclaimed wood to house the yard birds in style.

SLAB creates beautifully function home goods. From the local Greenville mills, they source top quality walnut, cherry, and maple wood and produce serving boards, utensils, and perfectly streamlined furniture.

Pixels and wood combines a love of hand lettering with reclaimed goods. From the workshop in Winston-Salem, they take pride in bringing new life to old things and repurposing them in unexpected ways.

Featured Sponsor: MailChimp

Behind The Scenes, General Info, SponsorsElizabeth Ramos

One tool we frequently use that makes our lives easier also happens to be a company who actively supports creative events across the country like Indie Craft Parade. It’s our friends at MailChimp!We like to seek out sponsors whose services are valuable and relevant to our artists and fans. And we also like to share tools we use to make our organization more efficient. MailChimp is both of those.

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If you receive our Indie Craft Parade or Makers Summit newsletters, then you’ve seen MailChimp in action. (And if you’re not on the list, you can sign up at the bottom of our sites!). MailChimp makes communicating via email so much easier.

They also provide a set of great Resources for beginners, whether you're selling items online, a nonprofit like us, or just getting started sending emails. For those already familiar with MailChimp, be sure to look into the many ways you can integrate your MailChimp account with other services you use regularly like Facebook, Twitter and some eCommerce platforms!

While you're at it, be sure to let MailChimp know you appreciate their support of events like Indie Craft Parade.

Artist Showcase: 2D Fine Art

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

It’s time to start one of our favorite blog series. As we get closer to the 2014 festival, we’ll be featuring a few artists from each category. You'll get to meet them all at the festival in just a few short weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! 

Let’s start off the series with some makers from our 2D Fine Art category. There are so many talented artists; it’s hard to pick just a few!

Chris Koelleworks on a variety of illustrative, graphic, and design from here in Greenville, SC. You should check out his impressive list of published works. His series of botanical prints and originals will be a feature of his booth at Indie Craft Parade.

ElloLovey creates inspiring and whimsical prints as well as other handmade goods from her home studio. You'll find that her creations are partly inspired by her British heritage as well as the woodland scenery that surrounds Asheville, NC.

Joe Engel is a mixed media artist dividing his time working and living in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Working out of a small studio in the countryside, Joe creates original handmade artwork with a combination of salvaged materials and original designs. 

2014 jury: how it works and who's behind it

Artist Showcase, Behind The ScenesElizabeth Ramos

We're so pleased to announce this year's jury who will be responsible for choosing the 2014 exhibitors for Indie Craft Parade. These people have shaped their artists' communities both at home and abroad, and we know they're going to help us put on a magnificent show. Before presenting the jury, here’s a little insight into the process of how they will choose the participants in our show.

When all of the applications are collected, jury members review them by viewing the submitted photos as well as a brief description of the artist's work. This information is presented anonymously to the jury to level the playing field as much as possible. Each category is juried separately, so although applicants may apply in multiple categories (example: a ceramic artist that also makes screen printed tea towels). Artist's work may be accepted in some categories and declined in others. After reviewing the application, each jury member casts a vote for or against, and the application is accepted, declined, or put on a waiting list.

In previous years, our jury has met together as a group here in Greenville and curated the show in a single (very long) day. To better accommodate these generous folks and allow for a wider variety of jury members, we are moving our entire jurying process online. Our jury will now be able to review applications and cast their votes electronically. This allows us to select future jury members from a much broader area and ensures that Indie Craft Parade will continue to be fresh every year.

So without further ado, here's our jury:

Barb Blair: Owner of Knack Studios

Jon Andrews: Assemblage sculptor and professor

Katie Coston: Native Greenvillian now running a ceramics studio and shop in Oxford, England

Jude Landry: Professor and graphic designer, we love his Makers Gonna Make design

And new to the jury...The Indie Craft Parade team.

To make sure our vision for Indie Craft Parade never wavers, we've decided to claim a single jury vote for ourselves. Until this year, our main role in curating the festival has been to select the jury and facilitate the jurying day. Five years later, we'd like to weigh in. Of course, our collective vote will not count any more than other jury members. (Sorry to disappoint all of you who applicants who were ready to send bribes.) We still want the choosing of exhibitors to be guided by a panel of artists who we trust. But we do want to make sure our voice is represented as well.

So that's how it works. We're so thankful to the jury who takes the time to do a difficult job. All of our amazing applicants don't make their job easy!

Featured Sponsor: Big Cartel

Behind The Scenes, Events, General Info, SponsorsElizabeth Ramos

One of the newest sponsors to join The Makers Summit this year is Big Cartel, another partnership we are really excited about! Big Cartel has been around since 2005, and handles behind the scenes shopping functionality for all kinds of beautiful online shops. One of the biggest benefits Big Cartel offers is the ability to host your shop on your own site, fully customized. They also have very reasonable flat fee pricing, beginning with a free plan that you can try out and see if it works for you and your products.

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One of the pieces from The Big Cartel Shop

If you're thinking about opening an online shop soon and want to know what options are out there, you'll definitely want to hear our Makers Summit panel about this very topic. We'll have representatives from Big Cartel, Square Market and ScoutMob discussing various methods of selling online, and answering attendee questions about getting the most out of your shop.

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Another reason that we love Big Cartel is their support of independent artists. Initiatives like their Field Guides help artists tackle issues like copyright, taxes, and making your shop better. These efforts are perfectly in line with our plans for The Makers Summit, so we're excited to join forces and tackle these things together next month.

If you haven't already, grab your Makers Summit ticket and come see what else Big Cartel has to offer!

MailChimp: Featured Sponsor

Behind The Scenes, Events, General Info, SponsorsElizabeth Ramos
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MailChimp has been one of our biggest supporters from day one, and we're pretty big fans of theirs as well. They are a sponsor of the 2014 Makers Summit! A few months ago, we finally had the opportunity to visit their Atlanta offices. One of the first things we saw when we walked in was this amazing embroidered front desk! We knew we were in the right place.

MailChimp has a reputation of supporting creative and small business ventures like ours. So it seemed fitting that their front desk would be a giant example of craftsmanship.

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We got to explore the offices with our friend Marco, and meet a few of the people that make MailChimp tick.

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We were especially impressed by the 3D printer station for employees!

If you receive our Indie Craft Parade or Makers Summit newsletters, then you've seen MailChimp at work. (And if you're not on the list, you can sign up at the bottom of our sites!). MailChimp makes communicating via email so much easier. And they provide a lot of Resources for beginners. Here are a few to get you started:

MailChimp for Online Sellers MailChimp for NonprofitsMailChimp for Bloggers and even, a coloring book for kids!

We know you'll enjoy working with Freddie just as much as we do!

Holiday Fair: Gift Guides

Artist Showcase, EventsElizabeth Ramos

The Holiday Fair is the perfect place to take care of all your Christmas shopping. You’ll find something for everyone on your list, a one-of-a-kind gift that’s sure to steal the show. Here's a little sneak peek at the handcrafted goods you'll see this Saturday.

ChristmasSpecialties

Stocking Stuffers

Homegoods

Food & Entertaining

Artwork

Gentlemen

Lovely Ladies

Jewelry

Children

NatureInspired

And of course, don't forget to get yourself something special too from the Holiday Fair!

Featured Sponsor: Etsy

Behind The Scenes, General Info, SponsorsElizabeth Ramos
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We're so glad to have Etsy as an Indie Craft Parade sponsor this year! The Handmade Marketplace has been helping designers and makers sell their goods online since 2005. Their site has also been extremely instrumental in helping the handmade movement gain traction. Earlier this year, our team got to visit their Brooklyn headquarters and it was just as awesome as we expected. Outside Etsy headquarters.

Etsy shares our love for artists, so this weekend, they will join us alongside Spoonflower as a co-sponsor of our Artist Meet & Greet Breakfast. Etsy staff will be on hand throughout the weekend to conduct shop reviews and host a special educational workshop for our artists!

If you're not familiar with Etsy, be sure to spend some time looking around their site. They offer quite a few resources and tools to help artists and to make it easier for people to find handmade goods. Some of our favorites are Shop Local, the Seller Handbook, and their blogs.

Many of our participants sell their handmade goods on Etsy and we use a few of the Etsy tools (like treasuries) to share their items before the show.

One of this year's Indie Craft Parade treasuries.

If you want to know more about Etsy or get involved locally, be sure to check out the South Carolina Etsy Team. This is a great support group if you’re an Etsy seller or would like to be. Online, the team posts great tips for selling and getting the most out of Etsy. You can join this team if you’re an artisan “living in South Carolina who maintain an Etsy shop containing a minimum of 5 items…and who participate in group discussions and/or activities” Visit their page for more details.

Gift Guides

Artist Showcase, General InfoElizabeth Ramos

There's such a wonderful variety of handmade goods at the festival, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping. You'll find something for everyone on your list, a one-of-a-kind gift that's sure to steal the show. Who are you shopping for? The Foodie

The Art Collector

The Fashionista

The Nature Enthusiast

The Dapper Dude

The Little Ones

The Hipster

The Jewelry Admirer

The Animal Lover

The Home Decorator

The Person Who Has Everything

But enough about all these people, let's get to the important stuff... what are you going to get for yourself at Indie Craft Parade?

Artist Showcase: Everything Else

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival this weekend. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the last few days until Indie Craft Parade! Last but not least, our Everything Else category! The various goods in this catch-all will surely delight. These talented makers are handcrafting everything from artisanal chocolate to dog treats (not chocolate treats, obviously!), painted pillows to plush creatures, cake plates to candles, and stamped silverware to soap. Check out a little sample...

Finkelstein's Center never fails to wow us with their fabulous plush animals and dolls. These creatures have personality by the boatload! Not just for kids, everyone's going to want one for their own.

Asheville Soap & Sundry Company makes olive oil-based bath soaps,  solid shampoo bars, and natural cosmetics. They are dedicated to using natural ingredients,  always buying locally and chemical-free, and often grow the botanicals used in their products themselves.

Block & Hammer rescues vintage silverware, and hand-stamps it with fun phrases and custom messages. They also offer copper and aluminum collar stays, the perfect gift for groomsmen or any dapper gent.

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and come out this weekend to meet them all!

Artist Showcase: To Wear

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in just one week. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the last few days until Indie Craft Parade! Our "To Wear" category is chock-full of amazing makers. The handcrafted wearables include apparel for men, women, and children, jewelry, purses, and accessories. Here's just a little sample of some of the fabulous goods.

"Acorn + Archer is a Nashville-based accessories line inspired by natural specimens, ancient artifacts and the balance found in modern physics." We love the simple lines of their pieces, the smooth tones of reclaimed wood paired with a pop of color is just what every outfit needs.

Flytrap Clothing features hand-printed apparel for men and women. Those fabulous scarves are calling our name, how about you?

Billiam(pronounced "bill-yum") is a local fan favorite, churning out custom jeans, belts, and wallets right here in Greenville. Their line focuses mostly on fashion for males, though the recent addition of women's skinny jeans has made all the ladies giddy.

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another artist showcase next week.

Artist Showcase: Fiber Art

Artist ShowcaseElizabeth Ramos

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in just a couple weeks. We guarantee this little sneak peek will have you counting down the days until Indie Craft Parade! The work produced for our fiber art category is so varied and wonderful. These amazing makers spin wool, weave, felt, sew, embroider, and so much more! Here's a little look at a few of our talented artists working with fiber:

Chomp Textiles - Dana begins her process with hand drawn patterns which she then silk screens onto organic and sustainable fabrics using water based inks. These fabrics are sewn into a fabulous line of home goods, everything from totes to tea towels.

Precious America - artist Allison Jarrett's work is an excellent example of modern craft. The classic art of crewel embroidery becomes fresh and lively with her monochromatic color palette and streamlined stitching. What a wonderful way to commemorate a special date!

Once Again Sam - these felted curiosities never fail to bring a smile to our faces. Sarah Mandell creates an amazing range of work, everything from felted succulents (finally, a plant I can't kill!), morbidly wonderful anatomical hearts, and sweet creatures like owls, rabbits, and more!

Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another artist showcase next week.