Just kidding! But we are on an episode of Smart Creative Women, a wonderful video interview series that the lovely Monica Lee hosts on her blog. Elizabeth and Erin, the 2 founders of Indie Craft Parade, get chatty about everything from the story behind the festival to what new adventures the future might hold.
Who knew we could talk so much! Huge thanks to Monica for featuring Indie Craft Parade. Make sure you check out all the great stories shared on Smart Creative Women!
Today, we are thrilled to introduce our 2013 Indie Craft Parade jury members! Each year, five artists from our local community are selected to sit on our jury because of their experience and skill as well as their commitment to the expansion of the Greenville art scene. These artists will anonymously review the applications submitted and select participants according to the quality, innovation and uniqueness of their work. Without futher ado, meet the 2013 Jury:
Diane Kilgore-Condon
Diane Kilgore-Condon is an artist based in Greenville, South Carolina, who creates imaginative oil paintings with a surrealist feel. She is member and founder of ArtBomb Studios, a collaborative and visionary studio space established twelve years ago in what is now Greenville's Art District. Diane is best known for her paintings and mixed media pieces as well as her great love for rescuing dogs.
Marco Suarez
Marco Suarez is an artist and designer living in Atlanta, GA. Marco's artwork combines landscape photography with digital techniques that he has developed as a graphic designer. He creates digital collages incorporating photography, ink, watercolor, inkodye, and other textures and mediums. He is also the Art Director at MailChimp.
Barb Blair
As a designer, Barb specializes in redeeming found goods and furniture that inspires one-of-a-kind design stories. She is an avid lover of color and has a fresh eye for unpredictable combinations of style and texture. She also loves being behind the lens, carrying her camera everywhere. The art of capturing everyday beauty and detail strongly influences her design concepts. She is the author of Furniture Makeovers, published this spring by Chronicle Books.
Teresa Roche
Teresa Roche is an artist, a gallery curator, and an interior designer. As an artist, she creates mixed media collages primarily working with thin layers of acrylic paint, vintage paper and fabric. Art & Light is Teresa’s fusion gallery/home accents boutique featuring local artists and mid-century modern furniture and lighting. Her particular knack in interior design is the use of re-worked, previously outdated, odd or unusual pieces (from industrial material to old signage or a clock piece!), children’s art, the work of art students, etc. in order to maintain modest price points on furnishings and accessories.
Dan Marinelli
After completing a three-year residency at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, N.C., Daniel relocated to the Greenville area with his wife and children. Daniel has set up his shop and studio in the Old Southern Bleachery in Taylors, S.C., where he makes custom architectural work, sculpture, paintings, and objects for the home.
June 1st is the date applications open, so tell your crafty friends and get your products and cameras ready to apply for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade!
We'll be introducing our 2013 jury very soon, but in the meantime, we want to share and celebrate a huge accomplishment by one of our previous jury members and a longtime supporter, Barb Blair. We select each Indie Craft Parade jury member because of their involvement in the Greenville art scene as well as their contribution to the creative community at large. We think these folks have a lot to offer, so we're thrilled when they get recognized well beyond the scope of our city. This weekend, Barb will be celebrating the release of her first book, Furniture Makeovers, with a book party at her studio. The celebration starts Friday at 5pm, complete with amazing freebies for the first 100 guests in the door! Check out all the event details here.
If you're not familiar with Barb or her work, she specializes in redeeming found goods and furniture, often giving discarded pieces new life. More about the book from Chronicle:
Furniture Makeovers shows how to transform tired furniture into stunning showpieces. You’ll never look at a hand-me-down dresser the same way again! The book offers 26 easy-to-follow techniques that can be applied to all different types of pieces, from bookshelves to desks: painting, applying gold leaf, wallpapering, distressing, dip dyeing, and more. In addition to the core techniques, author and Knack Studios founder Barb Blair shares 30 beautiful before-and-after makeovers from her studio and outlines how to achieve each look. With helpful step-by-step photographs, a visual glossary explaining all the tools and materials needed, and a lovely contemporary aesthetic, Furniture Makeovers is a treasure trove of ideas and instruction for the home decorator.
Join us at Knack Studios this Friday to see Barb's work in person and celebrate with one of Greenville's many creative entrepreneurs!
Though we love our job, we sometimes feel as though Indie Craft Parade makes migrants out of us. Our collection of events throughout the year is organized from our living rooms, local coffee shops, or a corner in our respective workplaces. However, when we learned that there was space available at The Forge in Downtown Greenville (the newest endeavor of the Iron Yard), we jumped at the opportunity. The Forge is currently under construction/renovation, so they've offered to let us tackle our new office space from the ground up. This afternoon our team went to our future location to take measurements and draw a rough plan. Our little 135 square feet has a long way to go, but we think it's going to be an awesome space to work and dream when it's finished.
View from outside office. mmmmm...purple...
Check out this crazy carpet!
And now for our vision of the space. Here's a glance at the inspiration for the new office. You can find these and lots more on our Pinterest Board!
We love the clean white spaces with touches of color.
Lovely craft organization and monochromatic wallpaper...but with ELEPHANTS!
Chair and chalkboard, oh yes.
No worries, we'll document the process as we go. You'll see us carry out a host of DIY projects we've been dreaming of.
The closer we get to the The Makers Summit, the more we want to tell you about the people who make the meet-up possible. We have worked with and used the services of MailChimp since the beginning of Indie Craft Parade, and they have proved time and again to be an indispensable resource.
MailChimp describes themselves as a way to help you: design email newletters, share them on social networks, integrate with services you already use, and track your results. In short, they call themselves “your own personal publishing platform.” Besides keeping you and your followers organized, MailChimp provides beautiful design templates, loads of free advice and tutorials, and even ways to manage all of your features on the go. Best of all, you can get most of the MailChimp services for FREE! Their no-nonsence approach to mass communication combined with their fun personality and great design make MailChimp a great tool for anybody.
For The Makers Summit, not only has MailChimp shared their monetary support, but also they're sharing their staff. We are so, so excited to have Amy Ellis, the Head of Integrations and Partnerships at MailChimp, as one of our panelists. She is truly a girl after our own hearts. Besides helping people do awesome things with their businesses everyday, Amy is a regular speaker for crafty conferences, a foster parent for her neighborhood dogs, and an ardent fan of yarn bombing (so fun!).
For The Makers Summit, Amy will be sharing her wealth of knowledge about email marketing. She understands how overwhelming it can be to step away from the hands-on projects to promote yourself, so we can't wait to hear loads of tips and practical advice from her at the conference. For a sneak peek of her genius, check out this interview as part of Unbounce's Conversation Heroes.
Thank you again, MailChimp. We love working with you and so greatly appreciate everything you do for the making community.
I've got a treat for you today. Of all the things people note about Indie Craft Parade, our mascot--Hugo--gets a lot of attention. Our adorable little elephant perfectly embodies the whimsical spirit of Indie Craft Parade, and we thought you might like to know a little more about him.
With all of the indie craft fairs across the country, we worked tirelessly to make sure our name and branding stood apart. We labored over the name, and once we settled on Indie Craft Parade, it didn't take long to decide that we needed a mascot that could match our excitement about the event. An elephant was perfect: marching, leading our parade, like a fabulous circus. We named him Hugo, after the location of our event, the Huguenot Mill.
Below are some of the many versions of Hugo that were drafted by the ever talented Cory Godbey. We thought you'd really enjoy seeing this.
And one of our final versions that we still use today:
We've got a real treat for any coffee lovers at this year's event. Will Shurtz founder of the Vagabond Barista is setting up his mobile coffee bar as one of our sponsors and food vendors. He'll be donating his services for the VIP Gala event (in case you need yet another reason to attend), and he'll also be among our food vendors on Saturday and Sunday of the event.
After working as a local barista for the past 3 years, Will realized a gap in Greenville's coffee/breakfast culture, namely that precious few places brewed coffee using methods such as siphon and chemex brews, and you certainly wouldn't be able to find anything this specialized at local events. Besides making one seriously good cup of joe, Will is a coffee guru. He has a deep knowledge about the beans he's serving, and he only sources coffees that are top quality from planting to roasting.
Will currently brews for various events about town. You can contact him via Facebook or Twitter if you're interested in having at your next event. Otherwise, you can visit him at Cowork Greenville where he's brewing on a weekly basis. The processes through which he makes cups of coffee are both beautiful and delicious. We're so excited to introduce yet another handcrafted element of Indie Craft Parade.
Within the past decade, there has been a rebirth of the handmade, DIY ethic. Now in cities across the nation you can find huge communities of part-time and professional artists, as well as a population of non-artists willing to support them. Three years ago we saw this trend developing in places like San Francisco, Brooklyn, Austin, and Portland and decided we needed to bring it to Greenville, South Carolina. photo by Mike Burton
Why Greenville? It certainly doesn't have the population of a large city, and South Carolina as a whole doesn't necessarily have the reputation as a trend setting state. Nonetheless, our little city has caught the attention of many outsiders. Within the past year, Greenville has been listed among Forbes' "best downtowns" and CNN's "fastest growing cities." Greenville has even impressed the New York Times,which has taken note of our developments. On top of that, Greenville for many years has boasted a thriving fine art community.
We've lived and worked in Greenville for a number of years, fell in love with the city and all it has to offer, and decided that it would be the perfect location for an Indie art fair--just like all those big creative cities.
We frequently get asked if Indie Craft Parade is part of a franchise or a larger national craft fair. We're so happy to reply--no! Indie Craft Parade is an independent event, created specifically for the city we love. Most of our sponsors and nearly all of our volunteers come from right here in the Upstate. And while we invite people from our surrounding states to visit our event, even our attendees hail mostly from here.
We're so thankful to be going into our third year as Indie Craft Parade--so thankful to the people in our town for supporting us! And we think it's pretty awesome that Indie Craft Parade is making a contribution to the national crafting movement.
"Love Greenville" tee created by Indie Craft Parade vendor Parachute Clothing
The closer we get to the main event, the more we want to tell you about the people who make the festival possible. Today, I want to share all the goodness of MailChimp with you. If you're a business owner, event coordinator, or leader of any group that takes a lot of communication, MailChimp could be an indispensable tool for you.
MailChimp describes themselves as a way to help you: design email newletters, share them on social networks, integrate with services you already use, and track your results. In short, they call themselves "your own personal publishing platform." Besides keeping you and your followers organized, MailChimp provides beautiful design templates, loads of free advice and tutorials, and even ways to manage all of your features on the go. Best of all, you can get most of the MailChimp services for FREE! Their no-nonsence approach to mass communication combined with their fun personality and great design make MailChimp a great tool for anybody.
We at Indie Craft Parade have used MailChimp to organize our newsletters and campaigns for the past few years, and we're so happy to say they've joined forces with us this year. The generous donations of this creative company truly makes it possible for us to continue putting on the high caliber event we give Greenville each year. We're so thankful that MailChimp supports the creative community!
We've officially entered festival season! Only 9 short weeks and Indie Craft Parade will be here--9 weeks, can you believe it? We've got so much to share with you between now and then: featured vendors, new things to expect this year, details about the VIP Gala...the list goes on and on. But today, we're excited to share with you one of our fabulous sponsors--Lark Crafts--a resource you need to have in your crafty arsenal. From their website: Lark Crafts is a creative publishing group based in the beautiful and artistic mountain town of Asheville, NC. We love showcasing the best the craft world has to offer through how-to projects, comprehensive technique guides, spectacular visual galleries, and everything in between. Lark has been in the business of providing crafters with information and inspiration for 25 years, so we’re steeped in tradition. We’re also enthusiastically engaged in where crafting is going. We’ve been an integral part of how the craft community has grown, changed, and evolved over the last couple of decades—and how it has recently exploded in size and expanded in all kinds of exciting new directions.
For the 2012 Indie Craft Parade, Lark Crafts is generously sharing from their stores of crafty knowledge by donating over 100 books to the event. That means over the course of the festival we're able to give away all of those books to our attendees, pushing crafty inspiration even further into our community. Just take a look at some of the titles that we have access to!
So, if you didn't already have a million reasons to attend Indie Craft Parade this September, come to win one of these amazing books! Just a note: your chances of winning a book are greater when attending the VIP Gala, so stay tuned to know when tickets become available.
Our jury will be meeting this weekend to review all the applications we received. Here's an inside look on the jurying process. The 2012 jury is Marco Suarez, Barb Blair, Teresa Roche, Doug Young, and Mollie Greene. These talented individuals are 5 professional artists with expertise in many genres, and we're very happy to hand over this difficult task to them. They jury each category separately and judge individual applications on how well they match the vision of Indie Craft Parade, as well as their originality, quality, uniqueness, and innovation. All applications are reviewed anonymously to avoid any bias. Each jury member views an applicant's description of their work, along with the 4 photos they submitted. They briefly discuss the merits of the application, and then vote on whether or not it should be accepted. The jurying is a tedious process, but this thoroughness is essential for selecting just the right mix of exhibitors.
Work featured above is from Marco Suarez's 2011 application. Jury members are not allowed to exhibit at Indie Craft Parade if they are currently on the the jury.
We can't wait to see all the wonderful submissions! All applicants will be notified on Monday, July 2 with their status.
Photo: Finkelstein's Center
Each year, more talented artists are competing for the same number of Indie Craft Parade spots. The jury may change each year, but what they're looking for doesn't. As you prepare your applications, we wanted to share a few tips that could help you stand out from the crowd.
We state that work will be selected based on how well it aligns with the vision of Indie Craft Parade, as well as its: · originality · quality · uniqueness · innovation
Here are a few ways you can showcase your strengths in these areas with your application.
Photography: This the primary method jury members use to determine the quality of your work. Last year, we did a short series about ways to improve your product photography. If you feel that your photos don't portray your work accurately, brush up on these basics or ask for tips from someone you know who takes great photos.
Some other ways to ensure your photos show off your work:
Show more than one product. Photo: Merciful Hearts Farm
Use a neutral background. Photo: Rachel Feece Pottery
Give your product context. Photo: Pogoshop
Or let it have the spotlight. Photo: Lily PotteryThe vision of Indie Craft Parade: We are looking for the highest quality handmade goods in the realm of modern craft. The emphasis is on quality and modern. Experience and background aren't a deciding factor; if you create the most amazing handcrafted work, we don't care if you’ve been doing it for 30 years or 3 months, we want to see it! This isn't your grandma's church bazaar, not a place where you'll find "country crafts" or monogrammed tupperware. We feature modern craft; high quality work with a fresh and unique spin.
Also, as a sidenote, if you typically participate in art shows, you already know you'll want to have a varied price range, with plenty of items that can be sold at an affordable price point. One of Indie Craft Parade's goals is to make art more accessible, which means the average price of goods sold at our festival maybe lower than other Fine Art shows. No matter how well made your items are, remember they need to be a good fit for the audience. That doesn't mean that all your products should be $20 or under, but just be aware that for our show, the more affordable items sell better. So bring those beautiful big ceramic vases or original framed paintings, but also have plenty of mugs or prints that are offered at a lower price point.
2011 Booth: Illyria Pottery
Originality, Uniqueness and Innovation: You want your work to stand out from other applications, especially if you're entering a competitive category like To Wear. Our best advice is to show the jury something they haven't seen before. An item made with an unexpected material or color is going to catch the jury's eye a lot quicker than something they've seen a hundred times before. Also, our jury loves seeing a fresh, modern take on a traditional craft... like a dip-dyed woven basket or a carved wooden pedestal with clean lines.
If you're afraid your product may get overlooked, consider other ways you can innovate, maybe with interesting packaging. Branding is something our jury considers, so a well-designed logo and packaging will certainly work in your favor.
Photo: Sweeteeth
Quality: The jury is looking for signs of craftsmanship, so if an application is completed haphazardly — the description unclear or photos out of focus — this reflects poorly on your work. Take an extra minute to re-read what you've written and make sure you submitted the best photos. This extra attention will convey that you care about what you do.
If you have tiny details that can be missed from far away, consider using one of your images for a close up shot that will show off your skills.
Photo: Royal Buffet
We hope these tips help you put your best foot forward, and we can't wait to see all the submissions! You can apply online through June 24.
Are you an experienced exhibitor? Share your tips with us in the comment section!
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.
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.
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!
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.
On this last day of 2011, we're looking back on our festival stats for this year. It's always fun to see these numbers in graphic form. This data comes from applications and from a post-show vendor survey, so keep in mind that any of the vendor information is based only on those who responded to the survey. Click on the countdown graphic below to view all of this year's charts on Daytum — including Exhibitors by State, Entries per Category, and more!
Thank you all for your support of Indie Craft Parade this year and of 'our' artists through this holiday season. We'll see you next year!
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!
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!
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.
