Featured Sponsor: Oh Snap! Photobooth

It's become an Indie Craft Parade tradition. One that lives long after our festival on refrigerators, cubicles, and in profile pictures across the Southeast. And it might be one of our favorite parts of the show.

Since the very first Indie Craft Parade, Jon Monts at Oh Snap! has been a regular, helping our thousands of attendees take a few of their memories home. If you check out the new video on our website, you can even spot the booth in action. They’re another one of our fabulous event sponsors, and we’re so happy to have them back again this year. It's always fun to see how people use our props in the booth to capture the spirit of Indie Craft Parade.

Oh Snap! has been so supportive of our event over the years, and we've been happy to recommend them to party planners, brides and anyone else who will listen. We think they're an important part of what makes Indie Craft Parade so great. Plus, their booth looks fantastic, just one of the reasons they stand out from the rest.

If you have an event like a wedding or other party coming up, Oh Snap! Photobooth might be just the thing you need.

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!

The Haberdash Fox

Have you heard of The Haberdash Fox? Well, you're in for a treat.

The Haberdash Fox is "a collection of the best menswares on Etsy." In short, they scour Etsy for the most amazing handmade and vintage men's goods and then share their best finds. All the hard work of digging through endless pages is done, and the curated collection is a dream to browse.

The creators of The Haberdash Fox (our super cool friends, Marco Suarez and Mason Stewart), have made something incredibly wonderful and completely new. It's not a shop that sellers must pay a fee to list their goods, nor do they take a cut of any sales. It's a labor of love, a desire to share quality vintage and unique handmade goods for men and to connect people with the makers and finders of those items. If you are interested in purchasing an item you see on The Haberdash Fox, you are directed back to the original Etsy listing, and can complete the transaction as usual.

The collection changes quite often, so check back for new items weekly. It's not too late to shop for Father's Day! If you want to get Dad a gift he'll really love, choose something from The Haberdash Fox. This is one to bookmark, a perfect resource anytime you need to shop for the guy in your life (or if you're a guy, to shop for yourself!).

The Haberdash Fox showcases a trend we've been loving: the growing presence of men in the indie craft scene, and the ever-increasing market for unique, high quality men's goods. Guys are joining the modern craft movement, which used to be primarily a girl's club. We've seen more males exhibiting and shopping at our festival every year, and we are delighted to play a small part in spreading the belief that handmade art is for everyone.

Are you a dude who makes awesome things, or do you know someone who is? Apply for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade festival!All the details are here; applications are open through June 23. Of course, ladies are welcome to apply as well!

2013 Featured Sponsor: Dapper Ink

IT'S OFFICIALLY FESTIVAL SEASON!! We're so excited!

With the 2013 Indie Craft Parade just a couple of months away, we get to start introducing all of the people who make it possible--vendors, sponsors, even food providers and musicians. Once the applications close at the end of this month, we'll start giving sneak peeks to who will be joining us. But for now, we want to show a little sponsor love.

Today, we're sharing Dapper Ink--our go to business for local printing. For the past three years, Dapper Ink has been our source for tee shirt printing and more recently letterpress and banner printing. For the upcoming festival we're excited to announce that Dapper is partnering with us to run a print-your-own screen print and letterpress station (more details to come). And when you arrive at the festival you'll now know where the volunteer tees, directional banners, and other printed goods came from.

A little more about them...

Welcome to Dapper Ink. We're your one-stop-shop for all things print and design. Working since 2007 in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina, we serve our local and regional community by providing top notch artwork and printed goods. With small minimums and complimentary design services, we're the perfect source for providing apparel and accessories for schools, youth groups, small businesses, summer camps, and local events. We pride ourselves on creative designs, timely service, and great customer experiences. Almost all of our work is handled start to finish in-house, which guarantees our careful attention to detail throughout production.

We have a great team at Dapper Ink. Staffed by artists, graphic designers, and print specialists, we're a creative place to work and do business. When not at the shop, you'll find us biking the Swamp Rabbit Trail, playing with our pets (we have a Dapper Dog!), obsessing over new Apple products, getting lost in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or geeking out over foodie trends and the perfect cup of coffee.

Each tee shirt is printed by hand.

Dapper ink has a great shop location not far from Downtown Greenville. If you visit, you can also check out their collection of letterpress goods in the front studio. They have a 100 year old press that they use to produce greeting cards and post cards as well as custom work such as wedding invitations, birth announcements, and business cards.

Thanks Dapper Ink for all your work for Indie Craft Parade!!

Applications are Now Open!

We are officially accepting applications for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade!

Applications must be submitted before midnight EST on June 23, 2013 so tell all your creative friends and family members. If you have any questions about who can apply or what kind of handmade goods we're looking for, check out our Participant FAQs and then apply here!

Applications for the 2013 Indie Craft Parade: Stand out from the crowd!

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. Two years ago, 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 from June 1 to June 23.

Are you an experienced exhibitor? Share your tips with us in the comment section!

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!

Craft night workshops hosted by the SC Etsy street team

Listen up, South Carolina Etsy Shops! There is a special event, just for you, organized by the SC Etsy Street Team. On April 27 in Greenville, SC and on May 11 in Charleston, SC, the Etsy Street team will be hosting workshops to benefit fellow Etsy shops. Each Craft Night Workshop is an opportunity to network, learn some ways to improve your shop, see a product photography demonstration, and make an awesome craft! On top of that, food and beverages will be provided, and the whole thing is free! Simply register in order to attend. (Don't forget this part.)

Also, to get more information about the event, pop over to the Etsy Team Page and check out the Discussion Thread. And don't foget, if you decide to attend, make best use of this opportunity. Be ready to discuss your shop. Find out the successes and difficulties of fellow shop keepers. And of course, come armed with business cards to trade with other attendees. You don't want to forget all of those cool people you're going to meet (and vice versa).

South Carolina etsy street team

Did you know that there's a local network of etsy sellers that you can get involved with? Whether you want to learn to better present and sell your own crafts or just make connections with other local makers, the South Carolina Etsy Street Team has something to offer everyone. Led by our friends Jessica Sharp and Brooke Jones, the SC Street Team's goal is to help improve members' Etsy shops and business practices through discussions, meetups, mentoring, shop critiques, team promotions, and information sharing.

A treasury of handmade goods by Street Team members.

They just finished their 2013 Team Survey, the results of which can be found here. The survey results will help Jessica and Brooke guide the team for the year. They've informed us that they'll be making some exciting changes soon, like adding regional leaders to help team members outside of the Upstate feel more connected and engaged. They're also hosting a series of craft night workshops with opportunities for networking and mentoring.  The workshops will help participants improve upon skills like photography, product styling, pricing for profit, and other important issues for crafters. (Stay updated on these workshops via Twitter.)

The Street Team might hold some exciting potential for your Etsy shop. To learn more about the Team or to get involved yourself, check out their page on Etsy's website.

Craft Box Terrarium Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to commenter #4, Christina! You've won your very own terrarium kit! We'll be in touch shortly about how to pick up your box.

Thank you again to everyone for participating.

Relive the Makers Summit

We're so excited to be releasing this beautiful video that shows all of the fun from this past weekend. Shot and produced by the talented Carlton Riffel, this condensed version of our day shows that gathering of awesome people who made the day possible. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/59165227

The Makers Summit was awesome!

Yes, it was so awesome. A huge THANK YOU to all our Makers Summit attendees, speakers, and sponsors! We'll be sharing some photos and video soon, but in the meantime here's a little sneak peak courtesy of Maidae (see more photos over at their lovely blog).

There's tons more amazing photos on Instagram, under the tag #makerssummit. Here's a few favorites from @eringodbey and @beautifulhelloblog.

We'll be back soon with more!

Sneak Peek of The Makers Summit!

Just days away from the very first Indie Craft Parade Makers Summit--we can hardly contain ourselves. Attendees, get ready! This is going to be an awesome day of learning and making. So today is just a teaser of a few things that will be present at either The Makers Summit or The Best Craft Party Ever!

Oodles of monkey hats provided by MailChimp.

A custom printed photo backdrop and table runners from Spoonflower!

We LOVE our sponsors!

A single edition tee shirt, designed by the artist at Parachute Clothing!

Can't wait to see the rest? We can't wait to show you. See everyone on Saturday!

Sponsor Feature: Pink Olive

With The Makers Summit just over a week away, we're busy putting the final touches on what's going to be an amazing event. We can't wait to bring our attendees, speakers, experts, and sponsors together. One sponsor/speaker we're particularly eager to meet is Grace Kang of Pink Olive. She is one talented lady who will be sharing her wealth of insight into the world of retail.

From the Pink Olive website: Grace’s success is the culmination of over 10 years as a retail buyer and consultant in the fashion industry. After graduating from Cornell University, Grace quickly moved up the corporate ladder and became a successful buyer at Bloomingdale’s where she was awarded "Buyer of the Year." Her accomplishments continued on to Saks.com and Barney's New York which allowed her to excel and think outside the box in both the business and creative sense of the word. 

With success in hand, it was time for her to launch PinkOlive.com, an online emporium with a peculiar name inspired by her niece’s favorite things—the color pink and olives....Grace opened her first brick and mortar store in East Village, Manhattan in May 2007 followed by her second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn in March 2008. Aside from running her two boutiques and website, Grace Kang consults with fashion designers, small business owners and startups entering the retail world.

In addition to the Pink Olive stores, Grace also curates Olive Box, a monthly subscription service for paper lovers. Olive Box members will receive a specially picked and packaged collection of paper goods from around the craftisphere. Additionally, she regularly coaches budding small businesses through her service Retail Recipes. She answers important questions like: Do you have a great product, but you’re not sure how to get it into retail stores? or: Do you ever wonder what the store buyers are looking for and how you can make your products more appealing to them?

At The Makers Summit Grace will be an invaluable asset to our attendees looking to push their products way beyond their own front doors.

Announcing the winner to the best craft party ever

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our Best Craft Party Ever Giveaway. We're so glad you're all supportive of the event. It's going to be a great night---an ultra-cool setting, dinner catered by Larkins, and meeting new friends while making awesomeness! Unfortunately, however, we only have two tickets to giveaway this time.

So without much ado, we're happy to announce that the winner of our giveaway is commenter #24, Candice! We'll be in touch shortly on how to redeem your tickets.

Thanks again to everyone else! We'd still love to see you at The Best Craft Party Ever, so please reserve your ticket today!

Sponsor Feature: Spoonflower Fabric

We're so thankful to have incredible sponsors that make our work possible. So today I want to tell you all about Spoonflower fabric. Founded in 2008 Spoonflower fabric is the world's first internet based print-your-own fabric company. If you can imagine a fabric, then you can print it! Oh the possibilities! We in the craft world have been going nuts with it ever since.

Not only do we love Spoonflower for the amazing service they provide and the community of crafters they've built up, but also for their support of The Maker's Summit this year! Spoonflower's very own co-founder, Stephen Fraser, will be opening our conference as a keynote speaker. In many ways, he is the entrepreneur's dream come true. Using his background in the tech industry (consulting for Internet start-ups and serving as marketing director for Lulu.com), Stephen created this custom fabric company and has been inspiring small businesses ever since.

At The Makers Summit you'll see plenty of evidence of Spoonflower goodness including giveaways and tons of custom details that will make our conference even more unique. So don't miss out on everything there is to gain from Spoonflower! Check out their website for amazing fabric and projects, or come to The Makers Summit and get inspired to create your own success story!

Giveaway to The Best Craft Party Ever!

We're so excited about the upcoming Makers Summit and even more so for The Best Craft Party Ever that we're giving away 2 tickets to the evening event!

The party begins at 7:00 PM on February 2, and you don't have to attend the conference to participate. The Craft Party is a separate event designed simply to celebrate the fun of making and meeting other makers. You also don't have to be naturally crafty or artistically inclined to join us. We've designed the party so everyone---professional and newbie alike---can try their hand at something new.

So here's what to expect:

Enjoy a full dinner and open bar provided by a local chef; Choose one of four crafty kits to work on while you create and mingle with experts and peers alike.

You'll have the opportunity to learn to make one of the following: Glass terrarium Beeswax candles Hand stitched leather journal Paper wreath

And believe it or not we're giving away two ticketsto one lucky winner! This amazing evening can be all yours! Simply leave a comment below telling us who you would bring to The Best Craft Party Ever and why. One winner of two tickets will be chosen at random and announced next Thursday, January 17. Commenting will be open until then.

If you'd rather not take your chances, you can reserve your spot here.

Details for the Best Craft Party Ever!

We've had so much fun over the past few months planning The Makers Summit, and today we're giving you a sneak peek into our after-party. Sponsored by MailChimp, we guarantee it will be The Best Craft Party Ever.

The party begins at 7:00 PM on February 2, and you don't have to attend the conference to participate. The Craft Party is a separate event designed simply to celebrate the fun of making and meeting other makers. You also don't have to be naturally crafty or artistically inclined to join us. We've designed the party so everyone---professional and newbie alike---can try their hand at something new.

So here's what to expect:

Enjoy a full dinner and open bar provided by a local chef; Choose one of four crafty kits to work on while you create and mingle with experts and peers alike.

You'll have the opportunity to learn to make one of the following: Glass terrarium Beeswax candles Hand stitched leather journal Paper wreath

As mentioned before, you don't have to craft professionally to join the party. The kits include everything you need to take home a completed project. So this is a perfect time to either learn something new or simply try your hand at a craft you've always wanted to make.

Even though you can simply come to meet other creatives, we think this will make an ideal night out for couples or just a group of friends.

On top of all the crafting and eating, we'll have screen print and letterpress stations set up where you can learn to print your own tee shirt and letterpress posters.

So please put The Best Craft Party Ever on your calendar. Tickets are $50 per person (separate from the conference)  and include a complete dinner, a craft kit, access to letterpress and screen printing,  plus the chance to make new friends who also love handmade.

Reserve your spot today!