Thank You for another great show!

This past weekend was a blur, and it's still hard to believe another Indie Craft Parade has come and gone! With 6,500+ attendees throughout the weekend, we think it was our best show yet! In case you missed it, one of our sponsors, Sam Windell, put together a really fun event video for us!

Things that were new this year: · More space! For the first time, we had two floors of artists.

· A fitting room. (not pictured) · Our giant logo sign. Which inadvertently became a fun photo backdrop.

· New food and drink vendors. · Sponsors on-site. We were so excited to have both Etsy and Spoonflower join us at the show this year. They sponsored a special Meet & Greet party just for our artists! And we had a special guest show up from MailChimp.

And as always, our show wouldn't be possible without our talented artists, our volunteers, our sponsors, and the fans of handmade who patiently wait for their turn to see what we've all been working on for the past few months. Thank you all so much for another great year!

What was your favorite part? Handcrafted popsicles? The free photobooth? Tattly tattoos? Handmade goods as far as the eye could see? And don't forget to check out #indiecraftparade on Instagram to see what people loved most.

Gift Guides

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

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

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

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.

Artist Showcase: Paper Goods

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! Over here at Indie Craft Parade headquarters, we're all obsessed with pretty paper goods. Letterpressed note cards cause us to swoon, screenprinted posters get us giddy, and perfectly bound notebooks make us weak in the knees. We love all the work produced by the talented makers in our paper goods category, here's a peek at just a few!

Em Dash Paper Co. - We love the happy-go-lucky calligraphy style of Emily. Her cherry notecards and hand-painted notebooks are the perfect gift to treat yourself to.

Ink Meets Paper "creates delightful letterpress greeting cards to foster the art of handwritten correspondence in today's modern world." These wonderfully modern cards are just right for every occasion. (We featured a little peek into their studio on our Instagram a few weeks ago, check it out!)

GREENville Books are made in, you guessed it, Greenville! Jason Waggoner hand-sews environmentally conscious papers with the perfect feel, color, and weight and binds them together into a one-of-a-kind book. We're loving the series with milk-painted covers!

Stay tuned! There's another artist showcase coming right up. Need to see more? You can check out the full list of our 75+ artists here, and we’ll be back with another showcase next week.

Introducing The Indie Craft Parade Year of Workshops/Partnering with Amy Flurry.

Anyone who has followed Indie Craft Parade for even a short amount of time knows that we have two main objectives: 1) bring handmade awareness to our community and 2) assist artists and creatives in growing their businesses. Well, we're super excited to announce that over the next year we have even bigger and better plans to make that happen. Of course, we'll be again hosting The Makers Summit and the Holiday Fair. But additionally we will be having once-a-month workshops or meet-ups to further encourage either hand-making or small creative business success. We've planned an assortment of events where attendees could learn a new skill they've always wanted to try, further connect with other makers in our community, and develop valuable tools for growing their trades.

The full details of these events will be available at the festival in a few weeks. However, we wanted to introduce our first workshop right away. It's an extremely valuable tool, and we want as many people to know about it as possible. On October 5, we will be partnering with Amy Flurry, the genius behind Recipe for Press, to hold a Saturday mini-conference.

At this event, Amy will address questions about successfully getting your work into the hands of publishers and receiving long term exposure. She will breakdown this daunting subject by answering questions like these:

How do you find the right editor to approach? What are they really looking for?  How far in advance should you pitch a magazine? How long should you wait before following up?  What one word is an editor looking to find in every pitch? How long should a pitch be? Do you need a press kit? Can you pitch an idea to multiple editors at the same time? Should images be sent with a pitch? How often can you pitch a blogger? Should you give away tons of products? What is the best way to thank an editor? What do editors need to find on your website?  How many editors should you approach at one publication? What kind of approach gets results?

Amy speaking at the 2013 Makers Summit.

There really is no one better to be addressing this topic than Amy. Besides her own book, Recipe for Press, Amy has contributed to magazines and online publications including Lucky, InStyle, O @ Home, Country Living, Condé Nast Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Budget Living, Design Sponge, and Refinery 29. And she's willing to share what's she's learned through the process with you.

If you have a small creative business, or even if you're in the processes of building your business, this workshop would be an invaluable tool.  Tickets are available for sale from Amy's website. And here are the official details on the workshop:

Event: DIY PR Workshop with Amy Flurry When: Saturday, October 5 from 10 AM to 12 PM Where: OOBE, Textile Hall; 201 Riverplace, Suite 301, Greenville, SC 29601 Cost: $40 To Sign Up: Visit the Store on Amy's website 

Please contact us at info@indiecraftparade.com if you have questions about this event. We can't stress enough how important this workshop could be for your business.

Artist Showcase: 3D Fine Art

In our artist showcase series, we feature a few makers from each category, who you’ll get to meet at the festival in less than 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 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!

"HollerDesign creates and constructs furniture inspired by the traditions of the American South, but informed by modern sleekness and simplicity. And uniquely, each piece is sourced, designed and crafted from and on the Lascassas, Tenn., dairy farm that’s housed HollerD owner Matt Alexander’s family for more than a century." We are drooling over those cutting boards, can't wait to get our hands on them! Head over to their website and check out the gorgeous video on the homepage, it documents one of their furniture pieces from start to finish.

Rachel Wilder's terrarium collection has us swooning. These beauties are hand crafted from reclaimed window glass and lead free solder. She also makes a line of miniature terrarium necklaces. What a delightful way to bring green life into your everyday!

Jeanette Zeis and her colorful ceramics are a crowd favorite. "Her pottery line contains beautiful and original housewares. Wonderfully crafted, with an eye for detail. Gorgeous pieces for everyday use and for lovely displays." We're thrilled to see that Jeanette has recently launched a new collection of dishes tailor-made for vegans. No matter what you're serving, these cheerful pieces are sure to brighten your day!

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.

Volunteers needed!

Indie Craft Parade is only a month away, and we need your help to spread the word far and wide! This Saturday, we'll be hanging Indie Craft Parade posters throughout Greenville, and we've got several ways you can get involved:

1. Bring a friend and meet us this Saturday at 10am in front of The Peace Center, at the corner of Main and Broad Streets. Together we'll cover downtown.

2. Take posters to another area, near or far. We could use your help reaching other parts of Greenville, or nearby cities. If you can help, posters will be available for pickup at Dapper Ink.

3. Download and print your own poster to hang at your desk, in your dorm room or your place of work! Or email it to friends and family members.

4. Spread the word with or without posters! Tell everyone you know about Indie Craft Parade and the upcoming festival.

PoWhen you see this year's posters, you'll notice another one of our wonderful sponsors, Graphics Now. Graphics Now has donated poster printing for us several years now, and they never fail to impress us with their quality and turnaround time.

Whether it's local businesses like Graphics Now or our volunteers, we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our organization and our mission. We couldn't do it without you!

Artist Showcase: 2D Fine Art

It's time to start one of our favorite blog series. We'll be featuring a few artists from each category, who you'll get to meet 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!

Paper-Sparrow features delightful art with a music and animal theme. They offer pieces made with traditional printmaking techniques, as well as screen-printed and digitally printed works.

Rebekka Seale's illustrations are just too charming for words. She is a talented fine artist hailing from Tennessee, and stays quite busy creating pieces for cool clients like Anthropologie and Land of Nod.

Emily Jefford's mixed media collages are incredibly original. From the inky landscapes to the wood bases gathered by her grandfather, and from the little bits of paper ephemera to the delicate lines made by string and nails, these one-of-a-kind works of art are filled with personality and meaning.

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.

Exhibitors Announced!

In case you didn't already hear, the official list of exhibitors for the 2013 has been published! Head over to our website and scroll down to the Participants section to see the full list of 75+ artisans.

We'll be featuring a little sampling of all the amazing handmade goodness on the blog starting next week. Until then, here's a sneak peek to tide you over!

From top: Finkelstein's Center / Rebekka Seale Art & Illustration / Ink Meets Paper / Jeanette Zeis Ceramics / The Herb Garden / Quill and Arrow Press / Pine Street Makery / Emily Jeffords Studo / Lily Pottery

Start making your shopping list!

A stop-motion treat & winner announced

Congrats, Jessica, commenter #6! You are the lucky winner of the signed copy of Furniture Makeovers and accompanying tote. We'll be emailing you shortly to arrange shipping your prize. (The winner was randomly chosen via Random.org.) To everyone else, don't despair! You can get your own copy of Barb Blair's Furniture Makeovers at Chronicle Books, or anywhere books are sold.

We've got one more treat from Barb to share! This delightful little video lets you flip through the book, peek into the studio and shop, and showcases some of the refinishing techniques, complete with a stop-motion transformation of a piece of furniture.

Such fun! To see what Barb is working on, follow along at her blog. What piece of furniture do you want to makeover for your home?

Sweet Paper Crafts: DIY Project and Party!

We've got two wonderful treats to share, a project tutorial from Mollie Greene's  new book Sweet Paper Crafts and a special party invite just for you!

Sweet Paper Crafts, published by Chronicle Books, is a collection of 25 wonderful paper project tutorials. Mollie Greene has a fabulous knack for bringing life to bits of paper, whether through a dancing mobile or a celebratory garland flung over a doorway. These aren't your Aunt Edna's scrapbook projects, every one of Mollie's unique designs embodies her special flair for bringing life to bits of paper. Anyone can create paper art with these wonderful projects, from the eager beginner to experienced crafter. The simple, clear instructions and step-by-step photos in addition to the one-of-a-kind designs make this book a real treasure!

Mollie Greene is our personal hometown hero, we at Indie Craft Parade are total groupies. She is an artist and writer living in in Greenville, SC with her 4 adorable children and talented photographer husband, J. Aaron Greene. Her handcrafted paper lovelies have been available at past Indie Craft Parade festivals, and can be purchased through her online shop, Royal Buffet. Mollie's papercrafts have been featured in numerous online and print publications, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Design*Sponge, and Southern Living. She self-published a wonderful papercraft book in 2011, Make & Do, and has just released a new collection of paper projects, Sweet Paper Crafts, published by Chronicle Books.

We are so proud of Mollie and her continued success! She constantly inspires us with her fabulous style & aesthetic, her devotion to her family, her commitment to her work, and the incredible paper art she never fails to churn out. Mollie chronicles her everyday adventure on her blog, read along to join in the fun.

PROJECT TUTORIAL

Huge thanks to Chronicle Books and Mollie Greene for allowing us to share a project from Sweet Paper Crafts! This delightful garland is a quick and simple craft, perfect for a multitude of occasions. We love the whimsical look of stars punched from vintage magazines, but feel free to make it your own! Try parchment paper for a minimal, ethereal look, or swap out the star punch for a mini heart and craft a garland fit to make your lover swoon.

TINY STAR GARLANDfrom Sweet Paper Crafts by Mollie Greene

If you have small scraps of paper just large enough to punch with tiny shapes, save them in a box for projects such as this garland. A star is just one of the cutouts you can use to make garlands to string from room to room and beyond. The sky is the limit when you consider all the punches available.

Supplies: Scissors Ruler Thread Small star-shaped punch Papers Bowl or cup Liquid glue Glue stick (optional)

Instructions: 1. With the scissors, cut thread to the length of the garland you want to make. If you are using fine thread, the garland should be no longer than 6 to 10 ft/5.5 to 9 m to prevent knots and tangles. You can make additional garlands, if needed, and hang them end to end. Tie a loop in one end of your thread.

2. Using the star-shaped punch, punch out a number of stars from your chosen papers, letting them fall into the bowl.

3. Lay out about ten stars in a row away from you, placing them right-side down. Apply a small dot of liquid glue to the center of each star. (If using a star punch 1 in/2.5 cm or larger, you may want to cover the stars with glue stick and then with dots of liquid glue. This will keep the edges together when you apply another layer of stars in the next step.)

4. Beginning at the end of the thread with the loop, place the thread on the dot of glue on the star closest to you. Choose a star from the bowl and set it right-side up on the thread, aligning the points of the two stars. Repeat with the remaining stars in the row, spacing them as far apart or as close together as you’d like. Continue making rows of stars, dotting them with glue, and attaching the thread and the stars from the bowl until you reach the end of your garland.

5. Tie a loop at the other end of the thread and string your garland wherever you want to add a bit of whimsy.

YOU'RE INVITED!

If you're in Greenville, you don't want to miss the official launch party for Sweet Paper Crafts. Everyone is invited to join the celebration! Mollie will be welcoming guests, signing books, displaying some of her latest paper crafts, eating cupcakes, and showing off her adorable baby. See above for all the details. There's a lot happening in The Village that night (First Fridays, food trucks, artist studios and galleries open), so drop by Mollie's party and then keep the fun going!

Photos by  J. Aaron Greene, used with permission from Chronicle Books.

Furniture Makeovers Blog Tour and Giveaway!

We're so excited to be the next stop on the Furniture Makovers blog tour. And we're particularly proud of the woman who made it possible---our hometown girl, Barb Blair of Knack Studios. Not only is Barb an indispensable part of the Greenville, SC arts community, but also she is a long time friend of Indie Craft Parade. Since our beginning Barb has served as both a board and jury member, lending her wisdom and advice. This past February Barb contributed to our very first Makers Summit by serving on a panel session giving advice to young businesses and creative startups. We can't say enough about how she's helped make our organization a success.

But we're here to talk about Barb's personal work:

What started as a kitchen cabinet makeover, slowly and organically grew into the full blown furniture design business that Knack is today. Barb has created a name for herself through her furniture makeovers with designs that are original, fresh, playful, and full of character.

It's been five years since Barb started her endeavor as an entrepreneur, and now, she's launched a book---a great book! With gorgeous photos, thoughtful tutorials, before and afters, helpful resources, and tons of inspiration, this is one you need to add to your collection. The best part is that Barb has something in here for everyone. Whether you're a newbie, wanting to try your hand at repurposing furniture for the first time, or an old pro, looking to expand your style, Furniture Makeovers will help you create something beautiful.

Next time you visit Greenville make a point to visit Barb's studio and retail space. Not only will you see her work for sale, but also you'll find paper, home, and kitchen goodies that you probably can't live without. Can't make it to her space? Check out Barb's online store.

 THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

GIVEAWAY!

Now for the super exciting part...we're giving away a special book & tote set, thanks to Chronicle Books. You could be the lucky recipient of a signed copy of Furniture Makeovers and accompanying tote bag...yes you! All you have to do is check out Barb's online furniture store and tell us which piece is your favorite. Leave your thoughts in the comments below. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted on Wednesday, July 24. This giveaway will ship anywhere in the USA.

Good Luck!

Photos by Barb Blair and J. Aaron Greene, used with permission from Chronicle Books.

Etsy Global Craft Party

It's time for another Etsy Global Craft Party, this time hosted by our local South Carolina Etsy Team!

If you aren't familiar with the Global Craft Party idea, the goal is to get people around the world making things 'together'. This year's party is happening next week, on June 20, from 6-8pm.

Etsy explains the idea for us: In a nutshell, Craft Party is a celebration of meeting and making, of creativity and community. It’s a time to meet your neighbors and share a creative skill. It’s a time to have fun and party down with your favorite craft supply in hand.

Our local Etsy Team will be hosting next week's party, and if you have an Etsy shop or are thinking about setting one up, you'll want to meet the ladies behind the team! Not only can they answer your Etsy questions, they regularly post helpful resources and links in the Etsy Discussion Forums, so be sure to check them out.

They describe the Greenville Etsy Craft Party as: a casual get-together where you can bring your own craft(s) to work on with other local crafty peeps! We'll also have a craft supply swap (bring some supplies to trade/leave in order to take some new ones home) and shop critiques at the Greenville event!

Here are the details:

Date: June 20, 2013 Time: 6-8 pm Place: Oriskany Glass Studio, 1112 Rutherford Rd Bring: your own craft to work on, craft supplies for trading RSVP here.

The good news is that even if you're not in the area, chances are there's still an Etsy Craft Party near you. Visit the Craft Party site to find your local party!

Meet the 2013 Jury

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!

Product Photography Class!

Although a cliche expression, when it comes to product photography, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Whether you're trying to stand out on Etsy, pitch your product to a wholesaler, or simply apply for a craft show (hint hint), most often your work is only as good as your photographs. If people can only see your work...they can't touch, try on, or experience how great your stuff is...they WILL make judgments only on what they see. Perfect example, for the jurying of Indie Craft Parade participants, everything is anonymous. The jury can only see the photographs of artists work. No names, no extra information.

So obviously, we think this issue of product photography is a big deal. Therefore in the month of May we will be addressing it as we help people prepare for Indie Craft Parade applications and beyond. Expect guest bloggers, example works, and other tips to make your application the best possible.

To start off with we've had a great offer from local photographers Michelle and TJ Getz. Michelle knows the value of good product photography, and she came up with the idea of hosting/teaching a product photography class while attending The Makers Summit. On Saturday May 18 Getzcreative Photography will be hosting a limited attendance class to help people get the most out of their product photography. They have a keen eye for details, and for all of the skills you could develop from the class, the price really is a steal.

See the details from Michelle below:

Product Photography Class

Attention Crafters! Let us teach you how to take good product photos on your own! Learn how to use background, props, and available light. Avoid the common photography mistakes. Bring your own product, bring your camera (yes, even iPhones will work), and we will help you use what you have to showcase your particular product.

When: Saturday May 18; 10 am to 12 noon Where: Getzcreative Photography Who: Open to anyone, but there only 10 spaces available How Much: $45

Email shootme@getzcreative.com or call 864-354-2548 to reserve your spot today!

Furniture Makeovers Launch Party

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!

School Scholarship: Artists Day

It's been a while since we've given updates about our school scholarship program, but today, I'm really excited to share some photos from this past Monday when three Indie Craft Parade participants shared their skills with the students of Gateway Elementary in Traveler's Rest. This post is also a really good opportunity for us to say THANK YOU to everyone who financially supports Indie Craft Parade. These are the kinds of projects that we can do because people and companies sponsor us. We're working really hard to make sure your investments are worth it, and we think that immersing kids in the arts is one of the best things we can do.

I spent the better part of the day with the artists and students, and I really had a great time. There's nothing like seeing kids discover something new. I loved hearing the questions they had for the artists. And I especially enjoyed watching the kids learn that art is a much broader field than they may have thought.

We coordinated 3 local artists to demonstrate their craft/trade throughout the day: Cory Godbey showed 4th graders and kindergarteners his work as a professional illustrator. Deb Potter brought her spinning wheel and felting supplies to 1st and 2nd grade. And Matt Moreau let 3rd and 5th graders try their hand at letterpress printing.

Cory shows the 4th grade class how he paints digitally. They were completely mesmerized by his work...particularly with this video that he designed and animated. They couldn't get enough of it.

Cory's presentation to the kindergarteners, however, quickly turned into a game of pictionary. "Draw a snake!" "Draw a dog!"

Deb taught the kids how she spins the wool that her husband shears into yarn. One girl told us it was "the best art class she ever had."

They particularly loved touching some of the dyed wool.

Muscling the Kelsey letterpress. The kids did a great job!

Numbering and signing their prints.

Thank you again to the art teacher, Joanne, for helping us coordinate the day. She's doing a great job with her students!

The Spring Flea at Swamp Rabbit Cafe

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday? Walk, ride, or drive over to our friends at Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for The Spring Flea!