Advertise with us!

One of Indie Craft Parade’s goals is to serve our greater community. We want to help you tell the world about your business, and we can do that by offering advertising space on our blog. Since we're no longer in peak season, our prices for blog advertising has dropped. But that doesn't mean that your ad won't be seen by hundreds or even thousands of people. Our website traffic will continue to be high through the holiday season as people are looking for handmade gifts from our artists and learning more about the upcoming Maker's Summit. We’re offering competitive pricing and great exposure for your business–so click on the image below to get more information and see how advantageous this opportunity can be!

men's Gift guide for the 2012 Indie Craft Parade

As we are rapidly approaching the big event, I've been giving you sneak peeks at the artists' work who will be at our market. So far we've focused on individual artists, but today (and next week) I want to do something a little different. I've put together a gift guide for you. It's not too early to be thinking of Christmas gifts, and if you don't find the perfect something for everyone on your list at Indie Craft Parade, good luck finding it elsewhere. Indie Craft Parade truly has something for everyone--even the men in your life. People often mistakenly think of art markets and festivals as being for women. And while, yes, many of our vendors and shoppers are women, that doesn't mean for a second that we don't have some really great things for guys.

Check out these awesome items below. The dapper gents in your life will certainly be happy to receive them.

1. The Maker Tee from Parachute Clothing

2. Gentle Giant Tee from Fuzzy Ink

3. Etched Pint Glass from Phoenix Fire Studios

4. Handmade Bow Ties from The Cordial Churchman

5. Block Printed Toms Shoes from Matt Butler

6. Travel Journal from Useful Books

7. Screenprinted Poster from Shed Labs

8. The Skinny Jean from Billiam Jeans

Reminder: Etsy Craft Party!

Don't forget, the Etsy Global Craft Party is tomorrow night!

Friday, August 24th from 7 - 9 pm at the studio of J. Aaron Greene (1252 Pendleton Street Greenville, SC 29611)

Please join us for this night of BYO Crafts. It's a perfect time to start, further, or finish a project you haven't been able to get to. Just bring your supplies, and get to work.

To participate in this one night of crafting awesomeness, simply sign up at Meetup.com.

Featured Artist: Heather Keew

Time for another sneak peek! This time from one of our fiber artists, Heather Keew. Heather specializes in creating nature inspired pieces from felt and stitching. I love her work for its creative twist on plants, trees, and landscapes. Her pieces have such an ethereal quality to them, and the whimsy of it all just makes me want to collect each piece. (I am lucky enough to already own one.) Come see Heather's work in person! You'll love it as much as I do.

Martha Stewart's American Made Awards

Are you the owner of a small creative business looking to expand and bring more attention to your craft? Well, today I'm sharing one fabulous opportunity with you. Martha Stewart has created the American Made Awards, where she will be recognizing a number of artisans. See the details from her website.

Martha and the editors of Martha Stewart Living magazine are searching for the rising stars in a new generation of small-business owners. Ten American Makers will be selected. Their work will share the quality, beauty, inspiration, possibility, and creativity embodied by Martha.

One American Maker will be selected by our audience and will be given the Audience Choice Award. If you have your own small business, shop, or Etsy shop and are doing innovative, high-quality work, nominate yourself (or someone you know) for the Audience Choice award.

The winner will be honored at the American Made event in New York City, will appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine, and will receive $10,000 to further his or her business.

So if you want to showcase yourself as the next American maker, check out the simple application form. Or, if you know of a really great business who should be recognized, you can refer a friend. If nothing else, this is a great way to get your business listed on Martha Stewart's website.

And this is great news...Indie Craft Parade veteran Sarah Mandell of Once Again Sam has already been nominated. We'd really love to see more friends and participants of Indie Craft Parade on the list.

Applications close on August 25th, so hurry on over there to apply or just to see who's in the running. There are some really gorgeous businesses to browse.

Featured Artist: desoria design jewelry

Olivia DeSoria's pieces are a fresh take on handmade metal jewelry. Inspired by nature and travel, Olivia designs her necklaces and earrings to reflect the beauty she's found around her. All of her pieces are cut and assembled by hand. The clean lines and quirky designs make her jewelry perfect for any look or occasion. To see more of her work, check out her Etsy shop.

Featured Artist: Hawks and Doves

One of the great themes of the indie craft movement is repurposing. Whether the objects be vintage finds or things headed for the trash, indie artists can find a beautiful use for them. Jessica Reed, the artist behind the Hawks and Doves shop, does just that. She finds vintage feed sacks and turns them into these fabulous pillows. Every feed sack has a story, and Jessica preserves that story through her amazing work. I can't wait to see these in person!

Featured Artist: Emily Jeffords

Emily Jeffords, one of our 2-D participants, has her hands full as a wife, mother, and full time artist/designer. But she still manages to produce really beautiful, fresh work inspired by life's travel and experiences. Adept in many mediums, Emily will be bringing paintings, collages, and unique jewelry pieces to Indie Craft Parade...in just a couple of weeks! I can't wait to see these in person.

Emily also has a fantastic blog. If you want to know more about her work and inspiration, check out Beautiful Hello.

Featured Artist: Spectrum Jewelry

Julia Riffel has been a vendor at Indie Craft Parade in previous years. But she's bringing a brand new line of jewelry to this year's event. Within the past few months, Julia began playing wood shapes, and soon after, Spectrum Jewelry came into existence. Her beautiful geometric inspired pieces are sure to make a stand out presence at Indie Craft Parade. To check out more of Julia's work, see her blog: Life without Television.

Featured Artist: Jeanette Zeis Ceramics

I'm so happy to be sharing the work of Jeanette Zeis Ceramics with you today! Her work is amazing, and I'm so excited to add this brand new vendor to Indie Craft Parade this year. Jeanette has created a fresh line of functional ceramics from her Atlanta based studio. These whimsical pieces from cake stands to berry bowls to salt cellars and more are going could look incredible in any kitchen. To see more check out her Etsy shop. She also does custom work such as personalized items and registries. Can't wait to see these in person!

Join us for the Etsy Global Craft Party

We're so excited to be helping again with the local manifestation of Etsy's Global Craft Party. Last year we had so much fun meeting new crafters, sharing our current projects, and learning more about art and craft in Greenville. Well, it's that time of year again. We're partnering with the local Etsy Street Team to bring you this fun (and FREE) event. Even though the party is still over a month away, we want to give you plenty of time to put this on your calendar.

Not sure what the Etsy Craft Party is? Here's what Etsy has to say about it: Craft Party is a time to get to know your neighbors and exercise your creative spirit. Craft Parties take place around the world when communities come together to participate in art, craft, design and DIY in every form. Anyone can organize a Craft Party and anyone can participate — the power is literally in your hands!

So join us for a night of BYO Crafts. It's a perfect time to start, further, or finish a project you haven't been able to get to. Just bring your supplies, and get to work. Or you can participate in the global theme for the night: "Wish You Were Here." Etsy is encouraging everyone to make crafts inspired by their hometowns.

To participate in this one night of crafting awesomeness, simply sign up at Meetup.com. And the sooner you sign up the better. If we have 25 participants committed by August 12, Michael's will donate a box of craft supplies for us to share the night of the party. So don't drag your feet. Get over to the Meetup page and sign up. You can always find updates for the event on our Facebook Page.

Featured Artists: Ink Meets Paper & Sparrow Nest Script

Now that we've posted this year's official vendor list, we get to do something fun--give you a sneak peek of what kind of goods will be available at the 2012 Indie Craft Parade. Each week from now until the festival, we'll be featuring a smattering of artists from each of our 6 categories. So be sure to keep checking in to not miss anything! Today we're featuring two artists who will be selling paper goods--specifically cards and other stationary. Emily of Sparrow Nest Script creates beautiful, hand-lettered cards. These are absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to see this beautiful calligraphy work in person.

Then I also want to introduce you to Ink Meets Paper. They're husband and wife team Daniel and Allison, and they have a letterpress studio that's brand new to Indie Craft Parade this year. They have a great website where you can not only buy their paper goods but also you can see a little bit about their process. Check out the video below! If you're not very familiar with letterpress, this is a great clip to learn a little more.

http://vimeo.com/44220265

We're getting so excited about this show! Can't wait to share more vendors with you next week.

Felting Workshop

We wanted to let you know about a fun opportunity coming up very soon. A felting workshop will be held next month, July 19 from 4-6 pm, at Greeville's Slow Food Upstate Earth Market. Cassie Larsen, of Little Creek Plantation, will teach you how to make felt with wool from her own sheep, the Navajo-Churro breed. Space is limited, so reserve your spot now by emailing janettewwesley@yahoo.com.

The class is held outdoors in the shade, and water is used for felting; so dress comfortably.

Here are all the details: July 19, 2012, 4–6 pm $70.00 Materials and Class Fee (Limited to 10 participants) 10% discount to Slow Food Members

Confirm Reservations by check to: Little Creek Plantation c/o Earth Market Workshop 1845 Turpentine Still Road Brunson, SC 29911

What are you working on? Local Art and Craft.

We've seen a lot of crafty goodness recently--from people's personal projects to local craft nights to official art shows. We love being a part of this brilliant community, and I've got some fun pictures to share from some recent events. First a round of photos from last weekend at Craft Bar Happy Weekend--the show in Columbia. We had a great time reconnecting with some of the vendors who participated in the 2011 Indie Craft Parade.

Rachel Feece pottery

Shed Labs prints

Owlette Collective children's accessories

Fox to the Opera fabric jewelry

17 Dove Street jewelry

Marisol Spoon fine art

Second, I wanted to show some pictures of the fabric jewelry making class held at Even A Sparrow. Such a fun night!!

The group learning to make yo-yos.

The adorable Anya, showing off her fabric rings and pin.

If you're getting your craft on, we want to know about it! Email pictures to jen@indiecraftparade.com. Or better yet, submit an application to be a vendor at the 2012 Indie Craft Parade!

Meet our Jury: Doug Young

Today, I'm happy to introduce the third member of our jury, Doug Young. He has been an artist for nearly thirty years, with sculpture as his primary medium. His work is quite recognizable in Greenville. He's best known for sculpting Shoeless Joe Jackson, located in Greenville, South Carolina. As a member of the Metropolitan Arts Council, Doug plays quite the leadership role in the Greenville art scene. He is also on the advisory board for Upstate Visual Arts, as well as the Pendleton Street Arts District Business Association and Indie Craft Parade. His work is on display in his studio as well as in private collections around South Carolina.

Indie Craft Parade: Have you always been a sculptor, or did you start in another medium?

Doug: I’ve always been interested in sculpting, but I didn’t really get consumed with it until 7 or 8 years after college. I took a night class at a community college in North Carolina and “caught the bug.”

Indie Craft Parade: You've been active in the Greenville art scene for a number of years. What kind of changes have you witnessed over the years? Is there a direction that you would like art in our city to take?

Doug: I've seen Greenville develop an appreciation for the arts that makes artists, from other places, very envious. Maybe, in the future, we could start an "art community center" (sort of like the YMCA) where artist could go and work-out.

Indie Craft Parade: Your sculptures have become quite iconic in the Greenville area--particularly Shoeless Joe Jackson. Are you currently working anything that you're particularly excited about?

Doug: I've been working on a sculpture commemorating the start of the first settlement school. It represents a teacher giving a book to a student and will be installed in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Having been a teacher, I'm really excited to be part of this project.

Exciting Weekend Event--Sale from Parachute Clothing!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope your weekend plans include some handmade goodness. I have two events to share with you--one starting tomorrow and the second for the first week of June. First, ever shopped on Fab.com? It's a limited-run deal site that features design-y products from kitchen goods to original artwork. And frequently the site features handmade goods, vintages wares, and well-designed accessories. If you've never looked into the goods on Fab.com, you're really missing some nice work. With that introduction, one of our 2011 Indie Craft Parade vendors, Parachute Clothing, is going to be having a sale on Fab.com this weekend, and we wanted to let you know about it. For the next three days (starting Saturday, Sunday, and Monday), all Parachute items will available on Fab.com for 30% off. All of the shirts are designed and printed by hand here in Greenville, SC. And the guys of Parachute would love to see some hometown support for their sale. Plus, they're going to be releasing a brand new set of tees just for this sale. 

Second, if you're in Columbia next weekend, June 1 or 2, don't forget about Craft Bar Happy Weekend. It looks like it's shaping up to be a fun handmade craft show, and there will also be a handful of Indie Craft Parade vendors present.

Have a great weekend!

Meet our 2012 Jury: Barb Blair

I'm very excited to be introducing Barb Blair--another member of our esteemed jury. Barb has made quite the name for herself with her one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. As the artist behind Knack Studio, Barb manages to turn passed over chairs, headboards, and chest of drawers into unique works of beauty. And her talent has been noticed by movers and shakers in the industry. She has been a guest contributor to notable publications such as Design*Sponge, and she's even becoming a published author herself. To get a personal look at Barb's fabulous work, you can check out her studio on Pendleton Street in Greenville or at the lovely Antiques on Augusta shop, also in Greenville.

Indie Craft Parade: Your business has expanded quite a bit in the last year, and your upcoming book is incredibly exciting. What can readers expect to find in the new book?

Barb:The book will be chock full of furniture tutorials, makeovers, and beautiful photographs that will get you motivated and inspired to create.

Indie Craft Parade: I know you find your diamond in the rough furniture from all sorts of places. There's potential everywhere from estate sales to junk heaps. In the past year, what has been your most interesting (or favorite) find? Anything with an unusual story?

Barb:I think one of my favorite finds this year was a sweet little nightstand that I purchased at an estate sale. When I started to clean it out and prep it for painting , I discovered that the drawer was full of hand written poetry. I ended up permanently lining the drawer of the piece with some of the poems and named the piece after the author....whose name was "miss Jenkins".

Indie Craft Parade: You've been working in furniture restoration for a number of years, yet your pieces continue to be fresh and inspiring. How do you manage it?

Barb:Thank you so much! Sometimes it is hard to "feel" creative and invent new designs on a regular basis, but I always try to keep things fresh by traveling, taking photographs, pinterest, magazines, and nature. I find that just day to day living inspires me to create, and that inspiration is around me at all times whether it is a fallen leaf, an outfit that my daughter puts together, a pretty plate of food, or a piece of art. Being creative to me is about being able to create even when you don't "feel" like it.

Meet our 2012 jury: Teresa Roche

We have just over 2 weeks until Indie Craft Parade applications open. We're so incredibly excited to see the new talent that comes our way. We're also excited about our fabulous jury that helps us bring to our event the very best of the applicants. And we love introducing them to you. All of our jurors have made an impact on the Greenville art scene and continue to shape and develop it. Our first juror is also an Indie Craft Parade board member. Teresa Roche, the manager of Art and Light gallery, is often at the center for Greenville’s artist community. Besides the numerous tasks that come with running a chic art boutique that boasts some of the best finds in town, Teresa manages to produce her own work. She’s best known for her whimsical mixed media pieces. Next chance you get, visit her gallery in the Pendleton Arts District. You won’t be disappointed.

Indie Craft Parade: What kind of projects currently occupy your time?

Teresa:I am so excited to say that at the end of the summer  I am moving my gallery to a new location - open 6 days a week (#2 Aberdeen Drive off Augusta Rd). In the new gallery I will be curating seasonal openings with four collections a year to include my own mixed media art, as well as some exciting new and "old" furniture and lighting. I will continue to feature many of the same resident artists that I currently feature, but will have a more finely curated collection. A new website/blog is in the works as well!

Indie Craft Parade: Art and Light is famous for hosting trunk shows or events-- such as the mini book collective--that are lot of fun and totally unique. Are you planning any new or different type of events we should expect in the future?

Teresa: Absolutely! An art exhibit combined with a book signing (the art inspired the writer) -- and of course these two talented female artists are from Greenville and two very special people in my life - excitement ahead and more details coming soon! And oh, Sarah Mandell, Once Again Sam is working on a felt installation for the new gallery's grand opening - can't wait for everyone to see!

Indie Craft Parade:In managing you own gallery, you have many opportunities to rub shoulders with many types of artists. Have you learned any great tips or advice that you'd share with artists or crafters who are just getting started?

Teresa: I have learned so much in my career and especially from the artists I have been so fortunate to meet and get to know.  I think the advice is simple - First, start with a business and marketing plan - execute that plan but have enough flexibility that you can respond to changes at any given time. It's not enough to be a great artist or crafter, Business basics are extremely important.  Second, always be a "Love Cat", a term coined in the book, Love is the Killer App by  Tim Sanders. It is the business book that I live by. Embrace your business partners, and remember the value of relationships - sharing your intangibles. Your biz partners are each and every person in your work life. As Tim says, "share your knowledge, your network and your compassion."  Third, have a strong work ethic. I can't say enough about how important that is. And last, create a buzz about your work!

Sign up for a Fabric Jewelry Class

Looking to expand your crafty skills? Want to learn to make some new jewelry? Well, there's a fun jewelry class next week that you might be interested in. Jen Moreau, an regular Indie Craft Parade participant, is teaching a fabric jewelry making class at a local boutique, Even a Sparrow. The class will include all of the supplies and instructions to make a fabric ring and a brooch. Plus it will be a great evening of meeting other crafty people in Greenville. So sign up with a friend, and contact Holly at the boutique if you have further questions.

To see a sample of Jen's work and get an idea of what kind of jewelry you'll learn to make, check out this link.

Etsy Treasury of Mother's Day Gifts

There's a week and a half before Mother's Day, which means you still have time to buy presents. Seriously, this year skip the teapots and flowers (unless they're orchids), and make sure she knows how much you love her with a fabulous handmade gift. To give you some inspiration, we've put together this Etsy Treasury, featuring local and regional artists. The list includes cards, jewelry, even a DIY book for all the crafty mamas out there. But if this list doesn't fit your fancy, many of the other treasuries for Mother's Day have great ideas you'll want to check out. Mom's are awesome, and they deserve the (handmade) best.