DIY Round Up: Fun Paper Crafts

I don't know what your plans are for this weekend, but mine will be spent crafting up a storm for a friend's wedding. I'm making a paper and vellum garland, which I'll show you at a later date. But all my work with paper inspired me to share a few paper more paper crafts that I'd love to tackle. Hopefully you'll find some time to craft this weekend...particularly if the crazy hot South Carolina weather continues to keep us all in doors.

Recycling paper bags and other odds and ends into cute, cute wrapping paper; Courtesy of A Creative Mint.

Decorative Paper Lanterns; Courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Dip Dye Paper Cups; Courtesy of Design*Sponge.

Featured Sponsor: Comfort Inn of Downtown Greenville

For those of you coming to Indie Craft Parade from out of town and needing a place to stay, we want to tell you about our preferred hotel. Comfort Inn of Downtown Greenville has donated generously to our event this year and are welcoming vendors and attendees alike to stay with them. Besides their close proximity to our event--just a few minutes by car--their accommodations are comfortable, their staff is friendly, and their rates are affordable. Take the stress out of finding lodging and give them a call! For more information or to book a room with Comfort Inn Downtown, call (864) 283-0370.

Announcing the VIP Gala

On Monday August 1 you'll have a chance to snatch up a ticket for our highly anticipated VIP Gala. On Friday night, September 9, we're kicking off Indie Craft Parade with an exclusive evening of relaxed shopping, live music, and complimentary food and drink. At this event, ticket holders will get a preview of all the crafty goodness available this year--no crowded aisles, no waiting in line, and first dibs on artist work. If these perks weren't enough, Friday night is when we're hosting the Indie Craft Parade giveaway. Last year, our artists were very generous in contributing to our giveaway baskets--each worth over $75. Attendees will also have the opportunity to talk with the artists personally and watch live demonstrations by some of our crafters.

Tickets for this event are only $25, and they go on sale August 1! Check out the VIP page of our website for the rest of the details. We expect these tickets to go extremely fast, so be sure to stop by our website on Monday.

Hope to see you there!

Call for Musicians

Last year Indie Craft Parade had the pleasure of hosting a number of local bands to entertain guests as they shopped at our festival. This was a such a successful part of the event, and we know we absolutely must have it again! As we did last time, we're opening up this opportunity to musicians who would like to join the fun of the indie art scene. Good music helps complete the atmosphere of Indie Craft Parade, and we're on the hunt to find some new performers.

If you think your musical group would be a good fit for Indie Craft Parade (or if you know of a good band or solo artist), please contact us at info@indiecraftparade, or leave a comment on this post.  Tell us a little about yourself and attach a link to a clip of your music. We're interested to see what you have to offer! Spaces are limited, and will be allocated at the discretion of our directors.

Check out last year's awesome musicians in this post from 17 Dove Street.

It's Official! 2011 Participants Announced

Now that all of our accepted exhibitors are confirmed, we're so excited that we can finally share who's going to be participating in Indie Craft Parade this September! Our 2011 participants are a fantastic group with such varied goods, everything from letter-pressed paper goods to hand-spun yarn. Click here to see the exhibitor list and start exploring their individual websites. Stay tuned! Throughout the summer we'll be featuring a handful of these artists on the blog. You'll see a sampling of their work and hear a little more about them...just enough to get you excited about buying out their booths.

Thanks again to our jury for choosing such a fabulous lot!

Featured Sponsor: Oh Snap!

Another reason to come to Indie Craft Parade this year--to join in on the fun provided by Oh Snap! Photobooth. They're another of our fabulous sponsors for the event, and we're so happy to have them back. Last year people loved using props and gathering friends to create the silliest and most creative pictures that captured the spirit of Indie Craft Parade.  We can't wait for all the fun pictures that will come out this year. The people from Oh Snap! were so great to work with. If you have an event such as a wedding or other party coming up, you should totally check them out here. You'll be so glad you did.

A couple shots from the 2010 Indie Craft Parade.

Do It Yourself: Creative Wall Covering

New DIY Project for you. I learned  about this one while at the craft night we hosted a couple of weeks ago. Melinda, one of our participants, recently moved, and she was looking for a creative way to fix an unsightly wall in her bedroom. The previous renter had torn up the some of the wall, and there were bits of peeling paint all over the surface. So Melinda came up with the bright idea of using this tutorial to make tissue paper flowers from vintage sewing patters. Compiling the flowers with other odds and ends from the thrift store, she put together quite a lovely display and managed to cover any ugly splotches in the process. Thanks for sharing the paper flowers and the finished product!

Making the paper flowers at the Etsy Craft Party.

The Materials:

Various sizes of tissue paper flowers

Thrifted frames (contents and glass removed), spray painted a pearly off-white--some of the frames she filled with coordinating craft paper which turned out super cute!

Small nails for hanging the frames--1" nails for lightweight, empty frames work fine

Wall safe sticky tack--a tiny bit for holding the edges of the frames level

A level

Thumb tacks

The wall, tastefully covered.

The Process:

First Melinda laid out all of the frames on the floor to see which arrangement she liked best. It's always a good idea to play with composition before you start nailing things to the wall. After she tacked the frames in place and made sure they were level, she thumbtacked the paper flowers over the nasty wall splotches to hide remaining evidences of peeling paint. The entire project was quite easy, about 4 hours from start to finish. And it looks absolutely great!

Indie Craft Parade Participants Chosen!!

The wait is over! The participants for Indie Craft Parade have been chosen! This past Saturday our jury reviewed nearly 350 applications for Indie Craft Parade. After many hours of careful discussion, they finalized the list of vendors accepted to represent their work this September. Our jury is a group of 5 professional artists with expertise in many genres, and we're very happy to hand over this difficult task to them. They juried each category separately and judged individual applications on how well they matched the vision of Indie Craft Parade, as well as their  originality, quality, uniqueness, and innovation. All applications were reviewed anonymously to avoid any bias. Each jury member viewed an applicant's description of their work, along with the 4 photos they submitted. They briefly discussed the merits of the application, and then voted 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.

So what happens next? Today we're sending out email notifications to all of our applicants. If you haven't received yours yet, please be patient. We're writing individual emails, not a mass mailing, so it takes several hours. When applicable, we're including comments from the jury as to why a work was not accepted or how to refine work that was. The official list of accepted exhibitors will be posted on our website once they've all confirmed their reservations.

To be honest, this day is the hardest for us at Indie Craft Parade. We hate writing rejection letters! But we only have room for 70-80 vendors, and with nearly 350 applicants, there simply is not room for everyone. Many of our applicants showed great skill in their work, but they were not the best fit for our festival or we just had too many similar entries in some categories. Indie Craft Parade represents all the genres of art and craft--so we can't limit ourselves to showing just fine art or just jewelry, etc. So please, if you were not accepted for this year's event, don't let that discourage you from entering again. Keep working to make your goods better and more original, and we'd love to see your entry next year!

One other change to expect this year: Most of our applicants requested full-sized booths. Unfortunately, we can't accommodate that many full booths without significantly reducing the number of exhibitors represented. So, several applicants were asked to downsize their booths in an effort to fit all of the accepted artists--something we didn't have to do last year.

Thank you again to everyone who applied! Your work is vital to the Greenville and greater Southeast art community, and we're so grateful that you chose to share it with us.

Do It Yourself: Herb Gardening

The DIY ethic is the heart of America's craft movement. This ever growing spirit of "I can do that" inspires people to better living where they waste less and frequently spend less. Indie Craft Parade whole heartedly embraces ventures that help people become more independent, so we're going to include a series of posts where we help you make your own accessories and home decor, or enhance your life using tools you already have, or as in today's post, help you grow your own food. Now I'm not talking about becoming independent of the food industry or even digging up your backyard to plant a full vegetable garden. We're starting at the simplest level of food provision--planting an herb garden.

Photos courtesy of this post from the very inspiring photography blog From Me to You.

I love herbs! I have a small container garden just off our back porch, and few things make me happier in the summer than clipping off those fragrant greens to stir into dinner at the last minute. The best thing is, many herbs are ridiculously easy to take care of (even for us with the blackest of thumbs), and making a little container garden is so stinking cheap! For the price of buying fresh herbs at the grocery store, you can make an herb planter that will last you the entire season. Herbs also provide some basic health benefits. They're a great way to add flavor while cutting back on fats and salt.

You probably already have most (if not all) of the materials you need for starting your own herb garden. But here is a basic list:

1) Small containers--at least 6" in diameter so your plants have room to grow (recycled cans with holes poked in the bottom work great if you don't already have cast off flower pots)

2) Fine potting soil

3) Seeds or starter plants--this late in the season, I would definitely recommend starter plants

4) A sunny spot such as a porch, patio, or even a window sill that receives a few hours of good sunlight every day

5) Watering device--herbs don't need a ton of water, but they do like to have it consistently (if you want to get all fancy, you can buy an inexpensive watering systems at your local hardware store)

Now, I'm by no means a knowledgable gardener, but I have had great luck with my herbs. Here is a list of herbs that I have found to grow well in the hot summers of South Carolina: Basil, Rosemary, Oregano (mine comes back year after year now), Thyme, Parsley, Tarragon, and Mint. I have NOT had any luck with Cilantro or Chamomile. I think the heat just does them in too early in the season.

Hopefully you're inspired to go out and try a little gardening of your own. Here are a few parting tips that will make your experience even better.

If you don't mind doing a little research, the Clemson Extension website has this awesome guide on growing and harvesting a variety of herbs.

Indie Craft Parade Deadline

Please don't forget!!

The application deadline for Indie Craft Parade is tomorrow night at midnight! You're running out of time to show us your fabulous art or crafts. We've made the application process super easy, so please don't delay any longer.

Late applications will not be accepted. Also, unfinished applications will not be accepted, so if you have yet to finish your application or upload your photos, please do so immediately!

2010 Overview

In case you're looking for a quick overview of last year's event, this will help! Using Daytum, a beautiful data collection tool, we created a few (only somewhat nerdy) graphs to help us visualize several statistics from last year.

At a glance, you can see how people heard about our 2010 event, and the number of applications we received in each category. My personal favorite graph shows how much experience our vendors had before participating in Indie Craft Parade. You can visit our Daytum page here to see that one and more!

Weekend Fun: Crafting Party

Thank you every one who came out to our craft party on Friday night. We had such a good time meeting new Greenville crafters and reconnecting with ones we already knew. And the crafts...we had super cute paper wreaths and flowers, fused glass, father's day cards, as well as handmade baby and bridal shower decor to show off at the end of the night. Stay tuned, we'd love to host another party in the future. You'll want to be there when we do.

To see the rest of the pictures from Friday night's fun, check out our Facebook album.

Don't Forget! Craft Party Tomorrow Night!

Crafty Gathering Found on 100 Layer Cake

Friends of Etsy and Indie Craft Parade are gathering at Dapper Ink tomorrow night for an evening of making crafty goodies. Please join us --even if you don't have a craft to work on. We're bringing some inspirational craft books as well as some card making/collaging supplies to share. RSVP here!

Hope to see you there!

7-10 PM; 207 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609; 864-551-3115

Join us for the Etsy Global Craft Party!!

Indie Craft Parade is co-hosting the Greenville branch of Etsy's second global craft party. This Friday, June 10, people all over the world will gather for a evening of spontaneous creating. If you live in the Greenville area, please join us for the party. We'll be meeting from 7:00 to 10:00 at Dapper Ink, located at 207 Wade Hampton Blvd, Greenville, SC 29609. Bring a your own craft to work on and a snack or drink to share. Please RSVP at the Indie Craft Parade Facebook Page.

Check out the stats from last year. This is from the etsy blog:

It's time to celebrate! Last year's first-ever global Craft Party was so much fun, we've decided to orchestrate it again this year on Friday, June 10, 2011. No matter where you live or what you love to make, you are invited to participate. Musicians, painters, sculptors, photographers, farmers, hackers, gardeners, designers, jewelers, bookbinders, printmakers, teachers, makers and doers of all stripes, as well as art enthusiasts, curators, vintage lovers and supporters of the independently made, we're calling on you! We challenge you to meet your neighbors and come together to make something surprising.

Last year, over 5,000 people participated in over 500 meetups from Dallas to Romania, and this year our goal is for over 15,000 people to share in the spirit of Craft Party.

Advertise with Us!

One of Indie Craft Parade's goals is to serve our greater community. We want to help you tell the world about your business, and we can do that by offering advertising space on our blog. Since its beginning last year, the Indie Craft Parade website has had over 20,000 visitors, and we expect that number to sharply increase during our second year. We're offering competitive pricing and great exposure for your company--so click on the image below to get more information and see how advantageous this opportunity can be!  

icp_blog_advertising

Now Accepting Applications!

We are now accepting applications for this year's Indie Craft Parade! All regional artists and crafters are encouraged to submit their work for consideration. Applications must be submitted before midnight EST on June 19, 2011. Our application process is completely online this year, and is much more streamlined and user-friendly.  A huge thank you to Duo Interactive, a local web design team that donated this wonderful feature. Click here to apply!

Join us for a special film screening!

UPDATE:Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Handmade Nation screening! We thoroughly enjoyed the discussion after the film, and it was wonderful to meet some new friends.

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Hopefully by now you've seen the posters around town or heard the news on our Facebook page, but in case you missed the announcement, we are very excited to be hosting a special screening of the independent documentary, Handmade Nation! The showing is TONIGHT, so please reserve your tickets now! After the film, there will be a short discussion and we'll share what's new this year for Indie Craft Parade.

Handmade Nationdocuments the new wave of art, craft and design that is capturing the attention of the nation. It is the feature film debut of director, author, artist and curator Faythe Levine. Levine traveled to 15 cities and covered more than 19,000 miles to interview artists, crafters, makers, curators and community members.

Director Faythe Levine captured the tightly knit community that exists through websites, blogs, and online stores that connect to the greater public through independent boutiques, galleries and craft fairs. Interviews were conducted on-location in artist studios, homes, boutiques, offices and craft fairs, giving the public an exclusive and rarely seen look into the lives of these creative individuals. This screening is hosted by Indie Craft Parade in collaboration with Greenville Forward and The Warehouse Theater. Join us on Tuesday, May 31 at 6:30 pm; admission is $10 and space is limited! Reserve your tickets online here, or by calling 864-233-8443.

Our vision for Greenville

Last year people kept telling us how happy they were an event like this had come to Greenville, SC. And we were a little puzzled when many of them asked us when Indie Craft Parade would be back in Greenville--as if it had originated somewhere else. Now, their questions were certainly valid. Frequently craft fairs will move from location to location on a rotating basis, and if you're lucky enough to be close by, you can attend. But we want to make it very clear that Indie Craft Parade is different. We created and maintain this event as something unique to our city. We love Greenville and want to encourage growth in the local and regional art scene from right here in our hometown. Although we love the fact that we're contributing to the national movement of emerging artists, independent crafters, and small business owners, we've decided to put our best efforts here at home. And we hope to make a lasting impression in our special city.

What we've been up to

Even before we packed up our goods from the first Indie Craft Parade last September, we began planning the second event. A party this big takes a lot of prep and coordination, and we've been working on a few tricks to make this year's event even better than the first.Let me share a little of what we've been scheming:

1) We've applied to become an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization. This not only opens us to a broader range of sponsorships, but also (and more importantly) it will help us give back to our own arts community. As Indie Craft Parade grows, we want to use our proceeds to benefit the art programs of local schools. We want kids to continue the rich tradition of arts and crafts that has flourished over the past few years, and Indie Craft Parade can really help encourage that end. If you want to assist us giving back, please review our sponsorship opportunities.

2) We've expanded our organizational team into an official board of directors and assembled a new jury for this year's event. We called on the help of long standing friends, art professionals, and members of Greenville's art community to assist with the planning and selection process for the Second Annual Indie Craft Parade. These individuals have all influenced Greenville's art scene and have graciously partnered with us to find the Southeast's best artists for our event. Don't worry...we'll introduce them and their fabulous work in later posts.

3) We keep crafting. In the months since Indie Craft Parade, we have yet to put our tools down. We don't just organize this event, we actually participate in and attend similar festivals around the Southeast. We've had so much fun connecting with vendors at regional fairs such as The Big Crafty,Indie Craft Experience, and Crafty Feast, and we hope to see lots of the friends we've made take part in our event as well.

Thanks for joining us!

Welcome to the official blog of Indie Craft Parade! It's hard to believe that in a few short months our second annual event will be in full swing. We're in the midst of all the planning, and have created a blog for sharing all the wonderful details along the way.

We'll introduce you to the amazing people such as our jury, organizers, and sponsors who make this event possible. You'll also have a chance to preview a lot of the work that will be on display at Indie Craft Parade through our artist spotlights. (You'll have a shopping list ready by September for sure!) Plus, we're developing a whole section of tips and tidbits for emerging crafters. We'lll share secrets of the trade from veteran crafters and small business owners and discuss topics like creating a successful booth display and how to better sell your work. Also, expect some fun posts about crafting trends, upcoming events, and a few DIY projects for when you need a little inspiration.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!