Pinterest as a marketing tool

Do you use Pinterest? It seems like most of the creative types I know do. Pinterest is a fabulous resource for collecting inspiration and finding new resources. It has a simple but lovely interface, and best of all it stores everything in one place. But did you know that some people are using it for much more than just a creative morgue? Pinterest is quickly becoming an effective marketing tool for big and small businesses alike. This creative infographic from MGD Advertising gives a lot of insight into just how powerful Pinterest can be in driving people to you. Granted, the examples given below are for huge corporations. Nonetheless, the information might inspire you to harness the potential of a social media site that you already use and love .

For a better look at this graphic click here.

Just a final note: whether you're new to Pinterest or have been using for some while, please make sure that your usage is professional and above board. And mostly--give credit where credit is due. Pinterest has a good explanation of pin etiquette that is a helpful guide.

Moveable Type Truck Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to the library last week to support Kyle and her Moveable Type Truck. We had over 150 people signed up to attend, and it was an awesome event! Participants crowded into the truck to learn more about the art of letterpress, and they even got to try the process themselves, taking home a souvenir poster. The great turnout and enthusiastic attitude shown by everyone just makes us so happy that we're part of this community. We're looking forward to many more events in the future!

So many people came! The line was 50 people long at times.

Crowding into Kyle's truck to get a better look at the process.

Inking the type before printing.

Kyle explaining the process.

The final product! A poster just for Greenville.

Indie Craft Parade fans showing off their hand printed goods!

Want to see more pictures? Check out our Facebook page!

Downtown Library and Indie Craft Parade Host Moveable Type Tomorrow!

We're so excited to meet Kyle Durrie and her type truck tomorrow. Letterpress cards, bookmarks, and posters, here we come! If you're just now hearing about Moveable Type, or if you've just put off signing up, don't wait any longer. Call the Downtown Library (864-527-9293) to sign up for the FREE event. You won't want to miss it.

Speaking of the library, did you know that the Main Branch downtown is a great crafting resource? Almost every Saturday they host a knitting and crocheting class, and on weekdays there are fun crafts for kids! Check out their schedule of events to see what all is available.

One Week Till Moveable Type Arrives!

Just a reminder that you only have to wait one more week until Moveable Type arrives in Greenville. Next Thursday, February 16, Kyle Durrie is rolling into town in her mobile letterpress studio. Her demonstration will give you a chance to learn more about and experiment with letterpress printing. Don't forget to call the Hughes Library Downtown at 527-9293 to sign up for visiting the Moveable Type Truck.

This is a free event and definitely something you don't want to miss! Check out all of the details at our previous post.

For a preview of Kyle's work and how Moveable Type works, visit her website and watch this video.

http://vimeo.com/27138467

We've Found the Perfect Handmade Valentine's Day Gifts

With St. Valentine's Day fast approaching, I know many of you still have your shopping to do. This year, show your valentine(s) how much you really care and skip the shrink wrapped chocolate boxes and the mass produced stuffed animals. Instead check out some of these fabulous handmade valentines in our Etsy Treasury. These gifts have all the charm, and your loved ones will have something truly unique.

For another collection of handmade Valentine's goodness, check out the Art and Light Blog. They've got a wonderful selection of local artists' goods.

Buy Handmade — Cupid would be so proud!

An Indie Craft Christmas

We had fun doing a little virtual Christmas shopping for this post! Many of our 2011 Indie Craft Parade artists have Etsy shops, so we love to use tools like Etsy Treasuries to make pretty collections of their work. We wanted to make an Indie Craft Parade Christmas treasury to remind us of all the great things we saw back in September. In  this treasury, we chose items for decorating as well as gift ideas for friends, family members and even your pets! Click on the image to view the treasury, and don't forget that we link to our 2011 artists' online shops at our Participants page! We want to make it easy to support our artists throughout the Christmas season and the coming year!

Tools of the Trade: Marketing

We all know that making our crafts is the easy part. Running the business is where it gets hard. Even though Indie Craft Parade isn't necessarily a business, it takes the same focus and effort of a business venture to put on our event each year. So we want to share the resources we use to make our lives a little easier. To follow up on last week's post on keeping your business organized, we wanted to give you a few online sites we use that focus on marketing and selling goods.

Facebook is truly one of the best ways to network your small business. The social sphere online has a massive audience, which means your products can be spread way beyond your physical contacts. The more you post, the more people will acknowledge your presence. Plus Facebook provides a perfect occasion for others to spread your information. It definitely takes creativity and a bit of discipline to maintain your online presence, but the rewards are certainly worth it. We've heavily relied on Facebook to get the word out about Indie Craft Parade. Besides it's potential to reach new people, Facebook makes it very easy to create events and interact with fans.

Mail Chimp has been a great tool for managing our email campaign. The software is surprisingly simple and easy to use, and it has features such as customizable templates which make the emails going to your fans look organized and professional. Not only does Mail Chimp manage your email lists, but also it shows you stats about unsubscribers and if your emails were read. The service is also free.

Big Cartel might be a good fit for you if you are thinking about opening an online store. Although we think Etsy is a fabulous resource for selling your goods online, Big Cartel gives you your own website, and you won't have the hassle being lost among the thousands of other vendors on Etsy. We've used Big Cartel to sell Indie Craft merchandise after our event in September. The entry level of Big Cartel is free. That subscription only allows you to sell a couple of products at a time, which isn't a problem if you're just getting started. But the prices of higher subscriptions are reasonable if you want to fully customize your store.

Twitter has many of the social benefits of Facebook paired down into small bits of information at a time. Unlike Facebook where you primarily follow friends and personal contacts, twitter allows you to follow and be followed by people with similar interests. This is an excellent way to get your products and information out to a group of people with a specific interest in arts and crafts. If you're not particularly internet savvy, and maintaining both a Facebook and Twitter account isn't appealing, you can link them together. You can configure your accounts so when you update one, the other updates as well, saving you the time and effort.

Again, this list is just the beginning of helpful resources. We'd love to hear your opinions and experiences about these services and others that you've used. Let's help spread the knowledge!

Tools of the Trade: Staying Organized

As you expand your craft business, find new inspiration, and make new connections, it's very easy to get bogged down in one particular area--how to organize everything. This happens to everyone, so we wanted to share with you some online (and free!) programs we've used to keep all of the craziness that comes with running a craft fair in check. They're all so easy to set up, online support is easy to access, and they can be accessed from multiple devices.

Dropbox allows you to store and share files online. This is particularly helpful if you have large files that need to be transferred and reviewed by multiple people. File sharing is extremely easy to set up, and you won't have to chase down emails to find the right files. We've used it to send artwork to vendors and other collaborators.

Pinterest. We've mentioned this before, but Pinterest is the best way we've found to keep all of our visual inspiration in one place. As you browse the internet and come across things you like, you simply "pin" them to your personal boards, and they'll link you back to your original source. This is an awesome way to catalogue DIY projects, tutorials, and all of the random things you love. Pinterest was our means for keeping an inspiration board for Indie Craft Parade 2011. And other people used it for making wishlists of things to buy at the event. Check out the Indie Craft Parade Pinterest Board to see what we find inspiring.

Google Docs might be our favorite collaborative tool. Last year we used an online project management software that worked well, but Google Docs has proven to be even more convenient. We've used it for sharing documents with each other internally as well as surveying our vendors after the show. It's a super handy and free way to keep everyone organized and on the same page.

Evernote is like the ultimate to-do list. If you need to access both visual and written information, this might be perfect for you. Not only can you keep your online picture clippings together, you can also record to do lists or plan meetings and trips. Also Evernote has a keyword search function that makes it easy to find everything you've squirreled away.

This is just a short list of websites we like. We'd love to hear your thoughts on these or have you recommend what's been helpful for you!

Live from Brooklyn, Live in Greenville: Printmaking Show this weekend

This Friday evening, there's a great indie printmaking show in Greenville that you won't want to miss. Dapper Ink (as you may remember from our Indie Craft Parade/Etsy Craft Night) is hosting a show by former Greenville artist Dailey Crafton, the creator of the Live from Bklyn studio. This show called "Live from Brooklyn, Live in Greenville" will feature unframed linocut and silkscreen prints as well as printed home goods and letterpress items.

The event begins at 7PM on Friday, October 14. If you can't make it to the opening, the show will be hanging for the following week. Dapper Ink is open weekdays from 9:00 to 4:30. Or you could contact the folks at Dapper Ink for evening and weekend hours.

Check out the Live From Bklyn Etsy Shop for a preview of the home goods.

Handprinted flour sack towels

Handprinted greeting card

Inspiring Booth Displays

From now till Christmas many of our Indie Craft Parade followers will be busy with craft shows. Some of you are old pros at craft fairs and have mastered the art of displaying your goods. Others might be new to the craft circuit and are still figuring out the art of presentation. So I've gathered some tips using some of the booth displays at Indie Craft Parade. While we didn't have a single weak display at the event, and all of them were great examples of quality booths, I've chosen to highlight a few that demonstrate some good pointers for showing off your work.

Displaying two dimensional art can be difficult. Joey Bradley opted for a wall display instead of a table. I love how clean his booth is and how he incorporated some large objects that coordinate with his subject matter to break up the visual space.

Illyria Pottery's booth was a show stopper. While you might not need this much height on your table, it works well to have something visually striking about your booth to draw the visitors in.

If at all possible, show off your wearable goods (clothing, jewelry, purses, aprons, anything!) on dress forms or mannequins. The visitors to the Parachute Clothing booth had an easier time seeing the size and fit of the items as well as imagining themselves wearing Parachute goods.

Maie Dae really created unity with her booth. Since many of her jewelry goods were vintage or upcycled items, her booth reflected that theme using recycled crates and boxes or old door knobs.

For even more inspirational booth ideas, browse the 2011 and 2010 Indie Craft Parade Flickr pools!

Making the Sale: Interview with Katie Coston

For many artists, creating great work is the easy part. It's selling their work that gets difficult. So we asked Katie Coston, a professional, full-time potter, to share some tips for increasing your sales at Indie Craft Parade or other venues. Katie's one-of-a-kind pieces sell extremely well at her shows. But it's not pure artistic talent that's brought Katie and Illyria Pottery success. Her winning personality and experience keep her customers coming back. Indie Craft Parade: How do you first engage people when they come to your booth or to a show?

Katie: Engage customers just like you would engage with anyone anywhere. Be friendly and genuine. If they are coming to your booth, remember that something has drawn them. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's your work. If they seem like a "leave me a alone, and let me shop" kind of person, I usually tell them to let me know if they have any questions, and I get busy doing something else.

Katie's Booth at 2010 Indie Craft Parade

Indie Craft Parade: Generally people don't like being pressured into buying things, but as the artist, you have to make the sale. How do you convince people they need your goods without being too pushy?

Katie: I strongly dislike pressure from sales people. Actually, if a sales person is hovering, I tend not to buy. Since that's how I feel, I assume others are similar. I like to welcome people, and then let them shop. If they seem interested in something, I'll often come back and mention an alluring feature or interesting fact about the piece they're holding. Micah (my husband) and I work as a team, and he can get away with "chatting people up" (as our British friends would have it) more than I can. He knows about the process and has been involved enough to have a connection with each piece. His personality is naturally social, and it works for me to have him talk about my work, since I don't want to sound like I'm singing my own praises. If you're on your own, I guess you'll need to find a middle ground, and/or bring a friend along who loves your work. It's better to not make the sale the first time around than to give your customers a reason to not come back.

Indie Craft Parade: You have a lot of repeat customers that come to your shows, visit your online site, etc. How did you develop that faithful following?

Katie: We try to always keep things fresh--our displays, pieces, and even venues. Certain things are standard, but we don't like to stagnate. If I have something that's been around, I get rid of it anyway I can. Who wants to come to your next show and see the same things you had last time? Be personal and real. Show genuine interest in the individual and not their wallet. Get to know your customers and find out what excites them.

Indie Craft Parade: Any other tips you like to share?

Katie: Selling can be difficult. A good solution is to be just as creative in your marketing and selling as you are in your creating! Have a wide variety of pieces in a broad range of prices. I aim to always have something available for that college kid who can only spend $10 or that mom who can't go over $20. I do have customers that will by $100+ pieces, but I try to be realistic and have options for various needs, tastes and budgets. With each item ask yourself, "Would I buy this piece for this price?." Be honest! Chances are a lot of other people think like you do.

Thanks, Katie! Be sure to check out her work and online shop at Illyria Pottery.

Featured Vendor: Concrete Lace

I don't think you can help loving letterpress goods. They're beautiful, timeless, and so much more accessible than a few years ago. We're going to have a couple of letterpress artists at Indie Craft Parade this year--all of whom are fabulous. But I just can't get over the colors and designs of Concrete Lace. They have a variety of letterpress greeting cards for all occasions, and you're definitely going to want to stock up. Unfortunately, there's a good chance none of your friends will receive the cards you buy. They're just too gorgeous to give up.

Concrete Lace has a well stocked etsy shop. They also do custom orders.

Perfecting your Art: Interview with Cory Godbey

The world of arts and craft is competitive, and it takes a great deal of time and effort to make your work stand out. That progression can be long and difficult, sometimes fraught with criticism and even rejection. But for the people willing to stick it out, the end is rewarding. We've brought you an interview with Cory Godbey, a Greenville artist who's spent a number of years making a name for himself in the illustration community. Having experienced both the ups and downs of perfecting his art, Cory understands the dedication and perseverance required of a professional artist. Still on the journey (but having come a long way) he has shared some advice and encouragement for artists who are continually striving to improve their work.

Indie Craft Parade: As a professional artist, you've worked for a number of years on perfecting your techniques and personal style. What do you think was the most important thing to focus on during those growing years?

Cory: For me it's always been a matter of working hard. Working hard and wanting it. It's also competing with yourself, I believe. Of course you can get discouraged looking at all the awesome things everyone else on the internet is doing. But remember to keep your head down, be professional, and work at it like nothing else matters. I'm still growing, I'm able to do things now that I know I couldn't a year ago. Same for last year and the year before. I don't think any true professional "arrives." They're constantly pushing themselves; they don't sit back and coast.

Indie Craft Parade: Your work seems very popular and well-received. Have you always enjoyed that success? Can you describe some of your experiences before your work was accepted at the level you wanted?

Cory: Well I don't know about that! That's very kind of you to say. With my personal work I can never gauge what will be popular. For example with my prints or with a show, I can never tell which will be the best received or most popular. I just do the work I like. I'm my only guideline, if that makes sense.

One of my biggest hurdles was being declined to a certain annual of illustration. I had already made it into more "prestigious" books, but that didn't matter to me as much as being accepted into this particular book. I applied for the last 4 or 5 years, rejected each time until this past year. You know what? Each time the rejection only made me better. I did my best to keep myself professional, focused, and I just worked even harder for next year. I give this example because I want people to know if they're rejected from something, they should use that frustration to improve. Just take it and work harder. Let it motivate, not frustrate.

Indie Craft Parade: What advice would you give to artists and crafters who are struggling with moving their work to the next level?

Cory: The advice I give to anyone who asks me that is basically the same advice I've been given by friends and mentors; just keep doing it. It takes time, effort, and heart to be a professional--to work at a level that you're proud of. I'm still working towards that level. Just decide what it is you want and fire towards that with abandon.

Featured Artist: Wingo Designs

We're going to have some really great metalwork jewelry this year at Indie Craft Parade, but I'm particularly excited about the pieces coming from Wingo Designs. This husband and wife team primarily work in landscape design where they transform outdoor spaces into memorable niches. A lot of their designs include metal furniture which they design and create.

Making metal jewelry became a natural outflow of their furniture craft. Their jewelry has such a great organic quality about it that looks like sculptures you'd find in a garden. I am quite anxious to see what gems they'll bring to the event.

To see more of their portfolio or to learn about their outdoor designs, check out their website.

Featured Artist: Softspoken

With the hope of fall around the corner (and fall fashion in full swing), I think it is going to take great self control on my part not to get all my autumn accessories from Softspoken. I could buy out the booth. These crochet goodies are some of the cutest I've ever seen. They have it all: hats, scarves, sweaters, even crochet jewelry. With the funky designs and colors, Softspoken truly embodies the idea of indie craft--taking a traditional form and revamping it in a hip, new way. Can't wait to see this booth!

Check out more of the shop here.

Featured Artist: Marco Suarez

Marco is primarily a graphic designer and branding specialist, but he has a phenomenal series of fine art collages and  photography. He is returning to Indie Craft Parade this year with another round of pieces inspired by nature and travel. Both trendy and timeless, Marco's work would be a perfect addition to anyone's collection.Besides the passion which is so evident in his art, I love the many layers and textures. I'm drawn in every time--discovering new elements each time I see one of his pieces.

To get just a glimpse of his many talents, check out more of his work on his website. He also has an etsy shop where you can see his fine art pieces for sale.

Advice for our Vendors: Taking Online Payments

Although the world of craft fairs is largely run on cash, there are a few great ways for vendors to accept electronic payments from customers who just can't live without plastic. I want to share one of those with you today: Square App. I've personally used this method at art shows, and I can undoubtably say it's made made my experiences much easier. The Square App is simple, beautiful, and so easy to use. I really don't even need to say much about it. A portable credit card reader fits into the earphone jack of your smart phone or tablet, you swipe the customer's card for the amount of their goods, and you're paid the next day.

All of Square's vital information is located on their website, but that's about all there is to it. Payments are secure. You can even send email or text message receipts to your customers. And the best part about it, it's absolutely free to get started. Square charges a small fee per transaction made, but honestly, it's worth it to have the ability to take cards at your booth. Check it out!

Featured Artist: Rachel Feece

Rachel Feece's slogan is "creating clay conversation pieces," and you can see why. This is pottery you won't see anywhere else! I absolutely love the brilliant colors and carving technique of Rachel's pottery. Her inspiration comes largely from the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she has worked as potter for a number of years. Besides selling her pieces individually, Rachel also does commission work. If you want to view more of her pieces, check out her website!

Looking forward to seeing this at the event in just over a month!!

Finding Inspiration: Interview with Annie Koelle

We want the Indie Craft Parade Blog to be a helpful resource for everyone in the arts and craft community. So we've decided to include a series of posts that will help both developing and seasoned artists with a variety of topics. We want to discuss things like creating a winning booth, effectively selling goods in person, establishing an online presence and the like. To share this information effectively, we're going to the people who do these things the best. We'll be interviewing (mostly) local artists to get their tips for making your products, branding, or general presence in the art world even better. Today, we're starting with Annie Koelle. She's a painter who presents gorgeous scenes from the natural world. In the 7 years or so I've known Annie, her work has never ceased to amaze me. Everything about her work is inspiring, so I asked her to share some thoughts on the topic of finding inspiration. Sometimes artists burn out or get discouraged when trying to develop new ideas or styles. Annie is continually producing new pieces, and she has graciously shared with us her approach for keeping her work fresh.

To see more pictures of her work, check out this post from 17 Dove Street that features one of Annie's recent shows, hosted in a garden.

Indie Craft Parade:

Frequently artists and crafters are at a loss for new inspiration--either new artists don't know how to branch out or seasoned crafters get burned out. You're always working on show material, how do you keep your work new and fresh?

Annie:

I'm always viewing the world as an artist, always on the look out for inspiring things--which is why my work is a reflection of everyday things I appreciate. I'm constantly searching for ideas to run with. I look in decorating magazines, the living breathing growing world, fashion catalogs and magazines (I have several binders of clippings), blogs, artists past and present, poetry, music, and antique stores. And a million other things I'm sure. I also make little composition sketches to remember a painting layout. Usually I will come back to them and decide they are silly. Most of the time I don't use them, but it ends up leading on to other great ideas. I have no regrets ever in recording fleeting ideas. Take an idea and run with it in all possible directions. Don't worry about playing it safe. Always be harvesting ideas!

PIndie CraftParade: Although you do a wide variety art/craft genres and styles, every piece you do is decidedly "Annie." Can you share any tips for artists trying to show their personality or put consistency in their work?

Annie:

I think that's something that develops over time, so have patience. I had a little bit of a head start, having been given art lessons as a youth, long before college. I can't say that a few years ago I was as consistent, but now I am confident in the mediums I'm working with, so I know how to successfully experiment with them. Also, it may be the subject matter, everything I work into a painting has a very personal connection to my life, past and present. Little things I appreciate such as the birds in my yard, the fig tree I pick from, or perhaps something associated with my childhood.  Here is a good tip: whatever sort of art it is, it must be an absolute overflow of yourself, that you present in a skillful, creative way. It has to be what you truly like, and it has to be good enough that you would hand over money for it --as if someone else had made it. Any sort of handmade thing, it had better be something you'd buy yourself and put in your house, wear out to a party, or hang on your wall. Strive for that! Think about it while you are planning and creating. I think that's the key, I'm finally sure (after years of trying) of what I really like, and I am beginning to figure out how to make art I would actually love to hang on my wall. But not always--can't knock it outta the park all the time. Sometimes its just about getting something out of your brain and into your hands.

Indie Craft Parade:

 Can you suggest any resources for artists looking for new inspiration?

Annie: Like I said, I find resources in a million places, but here are a few of my favorites.

Decorator magazines: I don't really read art magazines. The decor ones actually show you what people hang on their walls.

Pinterest: Follow my art inspiration board.

Poppytalk Blog

Dear Ada: I love the book list she has on the side.

FFFFound Image Bookmarking

Simply Lovely Blog

Where the Lovely Things Are: New Fave!

Featured Artist: Lightnest

Anybody on the hunt for the perfect tote bag? I know I always am--which makes me doubly excited that Paige Maitland of Lightnest is going to be at Indie Craft Parade. Her pieces are streamlined, modern, and express chic simplicity. And I love her fabric choices and use of jute for carry straps. Can't wait to see this booth! Want to see more of her gorgeous handbags? Check out the Lightnest Etsy Shop.