Congratulations to Stephen Crotts, commenter #2 and Robin Asire, commenter #10! You are the lucky winners of the ad space giveaway, as chosen by our good friend random.org. Check your email for instructions on how to claim your prize! Thanks to all who entered, we loved hearing about the special gifts you've given and received. Even if you didn't win, we'd love to have you as sponsors of the Indie Craft Parade blog. Click here to learn more!
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Christmas Shows You Don't Want to Miss!
Craft NewsI love Christmas shopping. I love picking up that perfect gift and knowing it's recipient will absolutely love it. Unfortunately, when I had the ideal opportunity to pick out those one-of-a-kind presents at Indie Craft Parade back in September...I wasn't thinking about Christmas at all. I'm sure many of you have the same dilemma as I do, kicking yourself for not gathering those treasures when you had the chance. Well, no fears. Many of our Indie Craft Vendors are involved in special Christmas events, and they've shared with us where you can find their goods in time for Christmas. Some of them are even running online sales. You'll find a lot of your favorites below. So don't procrastinate again! Get out there and find those gifts that are sure to be remembered.
I've listed the information below according to the individual vendors. You'll note that a number of them will be at the same events (increasing your chances of finding holiday goodness).
Katie Coston/Illyria Pottery
An Illyria Pottery Christmas Show We've already had our Christmas show, but we couldn't be a scrooge. Email Katie at kcoston1@gmail.com and set up a time to come by. Not only will you find unique ceramic gifts by Illyria Pottery, but you'll also find a wide variety of paintings by Annie Koelle.
Date and Time: You decide. Send an email with what works for you. Illyria Pottery Studio; 416 Perry Avenue; Greenville, SC 29601
Krista Allison/Canoo
Betsy Carr/The Foundling
Stacey Budge-Kamison/Urban GypZ
I am participating in a Holiday Artist Sale with 6 other Asheville artists in West Asheville Dec. 10-11, 11-6
Cindy Jantz/The Herb Garden Soaps
Friday, December 9 from 3:00-8:00 Saturday, December 10 from 9:00-5:00 Saturday, December 17 from 9:00-5:00
Rachael Madeline/Loose Tooth Studio
Once Again Sam
Savannah Wallace/Maie Dae
Brandy Lindsey/Dangle and Thread
Holiday Handmade Hoopla Saturday, December 3 10— Noon (VIP preview, $15) Noon — 6 (open to all, free) Bijou Building, 147 East Main St., Downtown Spartanburg www.hub-bub.com
Bailey Ellis/Bailey O'Neal Jewelry
Rajshel Juhan/Jane Hancock Papers
Save 40% on all items 11/26 - 11/27 use code turkey
Hallie Gillett/Hal the Gal
Afraid all my LIVE shows are done for the year, but the etsy shop is full with lots of new additions!
Mike Merrit/Mike Merritt Art
Jessica and Britt/Owlette Collective
Audrey Laine Cunningham/Audrey Laine Collections
Jennifer Bedenbaugh/Crave Studio
Laura Ray/Pogo Shop
Erin Godbey/17 Dove Street
Lauren and Jason/Marisol Spoon
Porter Flea - Nashville - Dec. 3rd The artisan market will be held on Saturday, December 3rd, from 12-8 PM indoors at the East Park Community Center, 600 Woodland Street, located in East Nashville. Porter Flea: Holiday will feature handmade gifts from over 60 local and regional artisans and designers, half a dozen popular food trucks, and live DJs. This one-of-a-kind market event will also benefit the East Park Community Center and Metro Parks.
Chatty Crafty DIY Holiday, 2011 Saturday + Sunday, December 10 + 11 Warehouse Row, North Bldg, Suite 118 1110 Market Street Chattanooga, Tenn. Chatty Crafty is a juried DIY/Indie Craft Show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This event plays host to DIY and Indie crafters & their wares from around the country.
The Rock & Shop Market Motorco, Full Steam Brewery & The Trotter Building - Durham, NC December 17th 2011 12-6pm An indoor shopping, music & fashion event spotlighting emerging local bands and designers selling their wares. Grab a beer at the bar, shop local from talented designers and hear great music.
We Are Giving Away Advertising Space!
General InfoOur goal for the Indie Craft Parade blog is to bring you useful information all year long, whether you're a buyer, a seller, or just an admirer of all things handmade. Besides our posts, we also have ad spaces for sale. Yes, advertising helps us raise a little bit of money, but hopefully it also keeps you up to date on events and lets you know about great shops and handmade goods outside of our own annual festival. We know that a lot of artists and entrepreneurs are running Christmas sales and that they're figuring out how to get the word out about their shops this time of year. So we have a little holiday special of our own.We're giving away two half-size blog ads for the month of December. All you have to do is leave a comment below for a chance to win.
These two winners will be chosen randomly and announced on November 28th. If you're a winner, keep in mind you will need to give us artwork for your ad by the 30th. We know it's a tight turnaround, but we want to make sure you get the full month of December on the blog!
Please note. This isn't limited to artists. It could be for an event, a business-- anything that you think our readers would like to know about.
To enter to win free ad space, answer this question in the comments below: What is the most meaningful gift you've ever given or received?
It's official! Dates for Indie Craft Parade 2012.
General InfoWe're quite excited because we recently got confirmation on our dates for the 2012 Indie Craft Parade. The festival will be held Friday, September 7 through Sunday, September 9. For a while we were afraid we might have to change our venue or drastically alter the dates due to renovations on the Huguenot Mill (our location for the last two years). However, our dates are in the clear. We'll be back at the beautiful restored mill, and we're so ready to begin planning our work for next year! Stay tuned. All of the new information for next year will be available on our home page within the near future.
Greenville Open Studios
Craft News, FestivalsMany of you probably work or live right around the corner from a Greenville artist, and you don't even know it. Local artists don't always work out of galleries or official studios, which is why you should take advantage of Greenville's annual Open Studios. This event not only gives the community a chance to meet more of Greenville's artists but also to tour their work spaces, to get to know their processes, and to connect on a more personal level. Open Studios this year falls on Saturday, November 5, 10am - 6pm & Sunday, November 6, Noon - 6pm. A few artists are even open on Friday evening.
About Greenville Open Studios from the Metropolitan Arts Council:
Now beginning its tenth year, Greenville Open Studios began as an idea cast about during a casual conversation between a small group of artists several years ago; they discussed doing something to raise awareness in the greater community of the tremendous creative energy in the area. The idea has evolved into a full-fledged annual event. The goals of Greenville Open Studios are to provide free and convenient community access to visual arts, to educate and create a dialogue between artists and the general public by opening artists’ place of work and inviting the community-at-large to participate in the creative process, and to create new marketing opportunities for artists. It is the organizers’ desire that the project will open up the world of visual artists to everyone – from the seasoned collector to the first-time art buyer to the curious general public.
Also check out the Open Studios page for more information about their mobile site which is complete with studio maps--very handy in finding which artists are closest to you.
Every year this event proves the great talent we have in and around our town, and you really don't want to miss out on the chance to enjoy it. Mark your calendars!
Muse Fest
Craft News, FestivalsLast night we attended the opening gala for Muse Fest 2011 in Old Town Rock Hill, SC. It's a weekend long music, film, and art festival that is centered on an indie craft show. Muse Fest is very much a sister event to Indie Craft Parade, and we were so happy for their invitation to join in the festivities. If you're near or traveling to Rock Hill this weekend, please check out Muse Fest. It's free and open to the public and runs all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tell your friends!
The event is held in Rock Hill's super cute Old Town at the historic Post Office and Court House. Although the Post Office/Court House has been converted into the UP Gallery, it still holds tons of original charm.Muse Fest decked the building out in their iconic hot pink--complete with a crocheted lamp post out front!
Works by Jay Owens (from Indie Craft Parade's jury) are on display in the permanent gallery.
Check out all of the interior's gorgeous details! We're in love with the vintage PO boxes.
Some of our favorite vendors from the evening:
The Cordial Churchman - handmade bow ties and neck ties, and a former Indie Craft Parade Participant
Bounden Studio - handmade books
Other friends from Greenville and from Indie Craft Parade: Sew Sew Lovely, Emily Clarke Studio and Phoenix Fire Studios
To see the full list of participating vendors, check out the Muse Fest Craft Vendors page.
Artists at the Saturday Market
Craft NewsThe art scene never slows down in Greenville, and we have another exciting event to tell you about. The Art & Light Gallery at the Flatiron studios is hosting four crafters this Saturday, some of which were exhibitors at Indie Craft Parade. There will even be a tutorial for felting. Don't miss it! Here's the information from Art & Light's website:
Saturday, October 22 is Market Saturday at Flatiron Studios. Fine craft and Indie Craft Parade exhibitors will spend the day with us selling their wares - to include Bess Whittington, Deb Potter, Joanna Bursch, and Angie Craft. Deb Potter will also offer a pumpkin felting class - $10 which includes materials (continual 20 min. sessions 1:30 - 4:oopm).
Angie Craft Ornamental Gourds
Joanna Bursch Fiber
Deb Potter Yarn and Scarves and Felting
Bess Whittington Fiber
Live from Brooklyn, Live in Greenville: Printmaking Show this weekend
Artist Showcase, Craft NewsThis 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
Indie Craft Parade Scholarship
General InfoWe're so excited to announce the Indie Craft Parade Scholarship Program! Since we started Indie Craft Parade, we've wanted to do more than just put on a great show in Greenville. We want to make a lasting impact on our community. One of our hopes for Indie Craft Parade is that we can inspire another generation of artists by getting involved with the art programs of Greenville County schools. Our hope that this scholarship program will not only help fund a school's art program that is lacking in resources, but also expose students to a greater spectrum of art than is typically available in a classroom setting. For 2011, one scholarship of $500 will be awarded to a school in Greenville County. We want our scholarship to extend beyond just funding. We hope to establish a true partnership with the school that is selected and work together to create opportunities for students and local artists to connect. This may include demonstrations, assemblies or field trips.
Any school located in Greenville County can apply for these art program funds. Applications can be found online, and must be submitted by October 31. Let your school know about this opportunity! Applications will be selected based on three main criteria, including:
- Educational impact of the scholarship
- Need of the applying school
- Proposed use of the funds
Read all the details about this program at our Scholarship Webpage.
The Indie Craft Parade scholarship is open to all schools, both public and private, in Greenville County. All schools are eligible for funding without discrimination due to race, religion, or socioeconomic status.
Featured Sponsor - Metropolitan Arts Council
General InfoIf you've been to many art events in Greenville, then you've probably seen the Metropolitan Arts Council logo. MAC is a local organization whose mission is to support every aspect of the art movement in Greenville. Over the past few years, they have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to advance the visual arts in our area. Indie Craft Parade is especially appreciative of MAC--not only for their generous support of all our city's art endeavors but also for their partnership with Indie Craft Parade this year.
MAC's vision from their website:
MAC’s vision is a vision for the community, and MAC will be Greenville County’s trusted and visionary champion of the arts. Our role is to gather support from the community and provide it to member arts organizations - with the outcome being a nationally recognized arts environment enjoyed and patronized by an ever-growing regional audience.
Their vision for Greenville County is quite inspiring, and we can't thank them enough for everything they've done for our community.
Featured Sponsor: Etsy
Craft NewsEtsy supports many local events across the nation, and we are so excited to have their support. Each year they not only contribute funds to help us put on the event, but they also help us spread the word about Indie Craft Parade. In addition, many of our artists have Etsy shops, and we use some of the Etsy tools (like treasuries) to promote our show and get people excited about what kind of goods they'll see at Indie Craft Parade.
From the About Etsy page:
Etsy is the world's handmade marketplace.
Our mission is to empower people to change the way the global economy works. We see a world in which very-very small businesses have much-much more sway in shaping the economy, local living economies are thriving everywhere, and people value authorship and provenance as much as price and convenience. We are bringing heart to commerce and making the world more fair, more sustainable, and more fun.
The Etsy Booth at Indie Craft Parade
This year we had the privilege of having official Etsy representation at our event. If you stopped at the Etsy booth, you talked to a member of the South Carolina Etsy Street Team. Volunteers from this team handed out information about their team members and explained how the site works to those who weren't familiar with Etsy. This is a great support group if you're an Etsy seller or would like to be. You can join this team if you're an artisan "living in South Carolina who maintains an etsy shop containing a minimum of 5 items" Visit their page for more details.
Etsy is a great tool, especially for artists who are just getting started and want to quickly and easily set up an online shop. They also have many great resources for finding handmade goods.
We've often explained Indie Craft Parade as Etsy in person. So if you missed the show, or want to know where else to buy handmade goods, Etsy is a great place to start. Use their Shop Local tool to help you find artists near you!
Photobooth Galleries
General InfoThe free photobooth at Indie Craft Parade is always a hit, and this year was no exception. With fun props like mustaches, elephants, flags, and chalkboards, everyone seemed to have a blast in front of the camera. We're so thankful for our generous sponsor, Oh Snap Photobooth, for donating this awesome service! The photobooth galleries are now online, and you can browse them here:
Friday, September 9Saturday, September 10Sunday, September 11
Here's a few of our favorite photo strips!
Ad Space for Grabs
Craft NewsHey Indie Craft Parade Vendors! We just wanted to tell you about a cool way to get a little more attention for all the goodies you sold our festival. There's a new website being launched called Indie Show List, a source for all things crafty. Although the website isn't fully operational just yet, they do have a social media presence. Besides being a great resource for craft news, Indie Show List wants to give you some press. They're currently hosting a competition on their Facebook page for the best booth display. Simply upload a picture of your booth to their wall with your information. If they decide your's is the best, they'll give you 2 months ad space on the new www.indieshowlist.com. With all of the amazing booth designs we saw at Indie Craft Parade, I'm sure you'll make their decision very hard. Check them out. All the details to the competition are here.
The Indie Craft Parade Booth
General InfoHere's a few shots of the Indie Craft Parade Booth! We had our fabulous merchandise, free temporary tattoos, sign-up sheets for volunteering, participating, or sponsoring next year, and free felt flags for the kiddos.
Photo by Peter Crane
If you missed out on picking up some sweet ICP merchandise, you can get it over at our online store for a few more days. We'll be closing up shop Sunday, September 18, so don't delay! All orders will receive a free set of our temporary tattoos.
These awesome people made the cool stuff you see above:- Plush Elephants (Hugo, our mascot) made by Three Bad Seeds- T-shirts & tote bags were designed by Cory Godbey- T-shirts & tote bags were printed by Dapper Ink- Notecards were designed by Elizabeth Ramos- Tattoos were designed by Cory Godbey and Elizabeth Ramos
Indie Craft Merchandise
Behind The Scenes, General InfoPhoto by Heidi Heilbrunn, The Greenville News
We had so much interest in the goods at our Indie Craft Parade booth that we've set up a (very) temporary online store for a few of the most popular products. Since we sold out of the red Indie Craft Parade shirts on day two, we'll be printing more for those who missed them. The two Indie Craft Parade tees pictured above and our Buy Handmade totebag will be available to order online, but just until next Sunday, September 18th!
Note: If you pre-ordered your shirt at Indie Craft Parade, you don't need to submit another order. You should have already received an email from us detailing the completion of your order.
Thank You from Indie Craft Parade!
General InfoThank you so much to everyone who participated in the 2nd Annual Indie Craft Parade this past weekend. We had so much fun, and the event was absolutely amazing! We're working on getting all our pictures in order, so we'll be sharing those soon and recapping the event. In the meantime, if you have any photos from Indie Craft Parade and are willing to share them, please add them to our Flickr pool. We want to see all your pictures too!
Because we know you're all wondering, here are a few stats from this weekend: We had 5,000 wonderful attendees, 74 fabulous exhibitors, 32 amazing volunteers, 10 talented musical groups, 7 scrumptious food vendors, and 2 exhausted but happy organizers.
Thank you all again for an incredibly successful festival! We're so grateful for your support. We can't wait for next year!
Exhibitors setting up their booths before the event.
The 2nd Annual Indie Craft Parade is Here!
General InfoJust wanting to remind everyone that Indie Craft Parade starts tonight with our VIP Gala. We still have a few tickets left, so don't let this opportunity slip by. The food, music, and giveaways are going to be amazing! Buy your tickets here.
If you can't make it tonight, don't forget the festival is going on all weekend. Admission on Saturday from 9 AM to 7 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM is FREE and completely open to the public.
We can't wait for you to meet all of our vendors. We've given you a sneak peek of just a few artists' work, and believe us--that's just the beginning. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
2011 Indie Craft Parade Musicians
General Info, UncategorizedWe feel that live music is an essential part of the Indie Craft Parade experience. Last year, many of the musicians that played at Indie Craft Parade were new to us, but we came away from the weekend with a whole set of new favorite bands! This year, we have a few returning musicians, but with an extra event day to fill, we've also got some great new music to introduce you to as well. Thanks to all the great recommendations we received, we're pretty sure you'll find a few new favorites of your own this year.
The schedule of music for this year's Indie Craft Parade is below.
The Bent Strings
Friday's VIP Night 6pm-9pm: The Bent Strings
Esther Grace Ellis
Saturday 9am-11am: Lindsay Morelli 11am-1pm: The Ragged Orchids 1pm-3pm: Esther Grace Ellis 3pm-5pm: Jentry Rose 5pm-7pm: Corey Pelton
War Jacket
Sunday 11am-1pm: B Natural Jazz 1pm-3pm: War Jacket & Joel Madison Blount 3pm-5pm: Jay Albright
Many of these musicians will also be bringing CDs to sell at our Indie Craft Parade booth, so if you like they way they sound, you can take it home with you!
What to expect at Indie Craft Parade
General InfoYou might be wondering what you as an attendee can expect at Indie Craft Parade, so hopefully this post will answer your questions!
Who is this festival intended for? The whole community! Indie Craft Parade is for anyone interested in purchasing handcrafted goods. Indie Craft Parade will feature the best handmade art in the Southeast, featuring 74 independent artisans. We invite the public to attend this festival and enjoy high quality crafts, local food, live music, and getting to know the artists in their community.
When is the 2011 Indie Craft Parade? This coming weekend, September 9-11. The VIP Gala is Friday night from 6 - 9 pm and is for ticket holders only (see details here). The rest of the festival is free admission, and is open Saturday from 9 am-7pm, and Sunday from 11 am-5 pm.
Where is the festival being held? Indie Craft Parade is held indoors at the historic Huguenot Mill in downtown Greenville, SC. The mill is located at 101 W. Broad Street, next to the Peace Center. The venue is handicapped accessible. There is street parking available, and several parking garages with easy walking distance.
Is this event family-friendly? Absolutely! Saturday and Sunday are both free admission, so bring the whole gang. If you've got small children, we suggest you leave your stroller at home if possible. The aisles are a bit narrow, and can make maneuvering a stroller a little difficult. The only time alcohol will be served is at the VIP Gala, and attendees must be 21 years or older to partake.
What type of goods can I expect to see? At Indie Craft Parade, you'll find the best handcrafted goods in a variety of categories, everything from paintings to children's toys, paper goods to jewelry, ceramic mugs to artisanal chocolate. You can get a sneak preview of some of the work by checking out our Etsy treasury lists, like the one pictured above. We love seeing what the vendors have made, and had a little fun by making some color-coordinated lists. Check them out here: Blue,Green,Yellow,Pink,Red,Purple,Black & White.
Will credit cards be accepted? Probably not. This is primarily a cash event. Some vendors may have the ability to accept credit cards or checks, however you should be prepared to pay cash for most of the items you purchase. There is an ATM on site in case you forget your cash.
Will I have to wait in line? Maybe. We've expanded our hours and added an extra day to better accommodate the crowds, but depending on the turnout, you may have to wait in line before you enter. Obviously, our goal is to get everyone in as soon as possible, but we do have to respect the venue's fire code. If there is a line, we'll do our best to keep it moving quickly, and aim to have everyone in within about 15 minutes. If you'd like to avoid the line, you should attend our VIP Gala!
Is there food and drink on site? Yes! We're delighted to have the offerings of several local establishments available to our attendees. You can purchase items from FiggyWhigs Cupcakes, O CHA Tea Bar,The Bavarian Pretzel Factory, and Fresh Tamales on Saturday and Sunday. Our VIP Gala guests will receive complimentary food and drink from The Community Tap,Coffee & Crema, and Ribault St. Catering.
If you have any questions, please check out our FAQs. Or, leave a comment below and we'll reply!
Giveaway Winner!
General InfoCongratulations to commenter #31, Kathy M! You are the lucky winner of the 2 VIP Gala tickets, as chosen by random.org. We've just emailed you the tickets, so please let us know if for some reason they haven't come through. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. If you didn't win, why don't you go ahead and get yourself a ticket or 2? You can purchase them right here. There's not too many tickets left, so don't wait too long or they may be sold out. (In the event that we're not sold out by the time the Gala opens, we'll sell any remaining tickets at the door.) Attending the VIP Gala not only gets you an amazing evening filled with fabulous handmade goods, free food and drink, live music, artist demonstrations, and giveaways, but you're also able to to support the arts community and the mission of Indie Craft Parade.
If you're not able to attend the Gala, please definitely join us on Saturday or Sunday. Both days are free admission, so bring the the whole family! We will be open on Saturday, September 10 from 9 am - 7 pm, and on Sunday, September 11 from 11 am - 5 pm. Stay tuned later today for a post detailing what attendees can expect at this year's Indie Craft Parade!