2013 Indie Craft Parade School 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 the 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. In 2011 we established the Indie Craft Parade School Scholarship Program in which we donated funds to the art department of a Greenville County school. We understand that school budgets are always tight, but unfortunately it is often the fine arts programs that are the first to suffer when  funding cuts are made. It also breaks our hearts when we learn that art teachers sometimes have to pay out of pocket to supply the most basic tools like markers and crayons for their classes.

So we want to help.

Our goal is for the scholarship program to 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 2013, one scholarship of $500 will be awarded to a school in Greenville County.

Application photos from the 2011 winner Brook Glenn Elementary.

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.

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

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, 2013.  So let your school know about this opportunity!

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.

Martha Stewart American Made Awards

As fans of handcrafted goods, we love what the Martha Stewart American Made awards are doing for makers across our nation. Showcasing handmade in the areas of food, craft, design, style, technology, and garden, this initiative gives you the chance to cast six votes each day for your favorite American Makers.

Audience Choice voting has been extended until September 22nd and we're so proud of how many Indie Craft Parade alumni have been nominated!

The six nominees with the most votes in their categories will move on to the final round of voting for the Grand Prize, which is $10,000 to further their business, a trip for two to New York City to attend the American Made Workshop, and a feature on marthastewart.com! This is an amazing opportunity for our artists and their businesses, so please be sure to vote every day and let your friends know to do the same!

Check out the Indie Craft alumni nominees below. You can click on their image to be taken to their page to vote!

Remember, vote for your favorite American Made nominee between now and September 22, 2013! Another fun perk: Each vote enters you into a weekly drawing to win a book signed by Martha Stewart, American Express gift cards, or other great prizes.

What to Expect at indie craft parade

Can you believe it?? Tomorrow starts the festival! If this is the first Indie Craft Parade you're attending, you might be wondering what you as an attendee can expect at the event, so hopefully this post will answer all 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 features the best handmade art in the Southeast from 75+ 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 2013 Indie Craft Parade? This coming weekend, September 6-8. 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-6pm, 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 blog posts like this one or this one.

Will credit cards be accepted? Most likely, but bring cash just in case. Many of the 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.

Photo by Britt Hildreth

Will I have to wait in line? It's possible. 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.

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 Chef 360, Upcountry Provisions, King of Pops, Tealoha, and Vagabond Barista.

If you have any questions, please check out our FAQs. Or, leave a comment below and we'll reply!

Featured Sponsor: Etsy

We're so glad to have Etsy as an Indie Craft Parade sponsor this year! The Handmade Marketplace has been helping designers and makers sell their goods online since 2005. Their site has also been extremely instrumental in helping the handmade movement gain traction. Earlier this year, our team got to visit their Brooklyn headquarters and it was just as awesome as we expected. Outside Etsy headquarters.

Etsy shares our love for artists, so this weekend, they will join us alongside Spoonflower as a co-sponsor of our Artist Meet & Greet Breakfast. Etsy staff will be on hand throughout the weekend to conduct shop reviews and host a special educational workshop for our artists!

If you're not familiar with Etsy, be sure to spend some time looking around their site. They offer quite a few resources and tools to help artists and to make it easier for people to find handmade goods. Some of our favorites are Shop Local, the Seller Handbook, and their blogs.

Many of our participants sell their handmade goods on Etsy and we use a few of the Etsy tools (like treasuries) to share their items before the show.

One of this year's Indie Craft Parade treasuries.

If you want to know more about Etsy or get involved locally, be sure to check out the South Carolina Etsy Team. This is a great support group if you’re an Etsy seller or would like to be. Online, the team posts great tips for selling and getting the most out of Etsy. You can join this team if you’re an artisan “living in South Carolina who maintain an Etsy shop containing a minimum of 5 items…and who participate in group discussions and/or activities” Visit their page for more details.

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?

VIP Gala: Giveaways

There's only 7 more days until the Indie Craft Parade kicks off with the VIP Gala! Did you get your tickets yet? There's only a few left, don't miss out.The VIP Gala offers an exclusive first look at the artists' work. Enjoy the opening night of the festival with a relaxed atmosphere and live music by The Bent Strings. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages (handcrafted coffee, tea, and craft beer) are provided. In addition to all this, our gala guests can also win amazing giveaways! Take a look at just a few of the wonderful handmade items our artists have donated for the giveaways:

You could go home with a giveaway basket worth several times the ticket price. Tickets are $25 each and are available here. Ticket proceeds help support Indie Craft Parade, a non-profit organization, by keeping costs affordable for our artists and the festival free for the remainder of the weekend.

Feature Sponsor: Spoonflower Fabrics

We're so happy to be having another festival year partnering with Spoonflower Fabrics. Not only is Spoonflower a crafter's dream come true (...you can design your own fabric, wallpaper, and wrapping paper, what?!), but also the company has made itself an indespensable part of the creative community. They are the go-to resource for designers and crafters all over the country, and have made quite the splash in the process. With nods from Martha Stewart, Apartment Therapy, The Today Show, and even The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, Spoonflower has revolutionized the way many people approach crafting.

About Spoonflower from their website: From their website: Spoonflower was founded in May 2008 by two Internet geeks who had crafty wives but who knew nothing about textiles. The company came about because Stephen’s wife, Kim, persuaded him that being able to print her own fabric for curtains was a really cool idea. She wasn’t alone. The Spoonflower community now numbers over half a million individuals who use their own fabric to make curtains, quilts, clothes, bags, furniture, dolls, pillows, framed artwork, costumes, banners and much, much more. The Spoonflower marketplace offers the largest collection of independent fabric designers in the world. 

Like last year, Spoonflower will be hosting a DIY craft station at Indie Craft Parade. This was a huge hit last year, and I'm so thankful that they've agreed to come back. Additionally, they're co hosting with Etsy some special treats for our artists. Be sure to stop by their booth at the festival, spend a while making a project, and let them know how awesome they are.

In addition to designing or shopping for fabric on Spoonflower's site, you can also be a part of their growing community. They have an excellent blog that features their own DIY projects, contests and giveaways, tips and tricks for designing, and snapshots of Spoonflower fabrics being used across the industry.

Feature Sponsor: Greenville Journal

Our media sponsors play a key role in helping us spread the word about Indie Craft Parade. Today, we’re introducing one of these valuable partners: the Greenville Journal. Besides their reputation as a source for important Greenville and Upstate news, the Journal is the place to go for details on community events, small business introductions, and cultural news including music, art, and festivals.

Currently the cover story for the Greenville Journal is the new development in the Village of West Greenville, the hub of Greenville's art community. If you haven't heard, West Greenville has recently undergone some exciting rebranding and new development. Every time we look we learn of new studios, shops, and even restaurants opening or relocating to West Greenville. And we're so excited to see this group getting more exposure from the surrounding community.

Also, keep an eye out for the Indie Craft Parade ads in upcoming issues. As you spot them, snap a photo and tag us in Instagram.

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!

Featured Sponsors: Robojuice & Andrew Ramos

Earlier this year, we launched a brand new Indie Craft Parade website to replace the original site launched in 2010 — a lifetime ago in Internet years.

From the beginning, we felt that the Indie Craft Parade brand should reflect the quality of work our artists are producing. We worked with local web designer Andrew Ramos and development company RoboJuice to create and launch a new site that would better accomplish this goal.

Andrew helped us plan out how we could restructure and simplify, then worked through several iterations of our new design. He created a look for us that was fresh, functional and unique. Focusing on smaller blocks of content allows the site design to remain flexible and interesting as our needs change.

Here's our old site:

And the new one:

The end result not only raises the bar, but it displays our information in a creative and original way that readers can engage with. We love how it reflects the colorfulness and the spirit of Indie Craft Parade. The new design also allows us to showcase handcrafted elements, like original illustrations by Cory Godbey as well as photos and video of our past events. But the new design is just the first part of the process.

Our next step was to find a developer who could make Andrew's design function beautifully. And that's where our new friends, Kevin and Jeff at Robojuice come in. Robojuice is focused on people and process.

From their mission: The personal attention we give our clients is to help them flow through our process in order to meet their expectations. Web can be intimidating to some so we are very clear with clients about what we are doing, what we need to do it, how long it will take, what it is worth to them and what is the final outcome. We listen for the real challenge and respond with the proper digital solution - we are not about just delivering a dictated web product.

We want clients to love web and love working on web initiatives. Hearing the words "partnership" and "trust" from our clients means we are on the right track. Robojuice gives attention to people and process so that clients enjoy and want to work on web initiatives.

We couldn't agree more. Robojuice implemented our new design with an amazing attention to detail. And they even added some fun touches of their own to the mix (did you notice the TV static on our video? Their idea!). We loved that they were just as excited about our new design as we were!

It's always a treat to work with people who not only love what they do, but are good at it. And this designer/developer team is no exception. We are so grateful for the time they contributed to bring our new site to life.

Sponsor Feature: The Peace Center

This is our fourth year holding the festival at the Certus Loft at the Huguenot Mill, and we're so grateful for the partnership we've developed with The Peace Center---the managers of the Huguenot Mill. The Peace Center is Greenville's premiere performing arts center which every year boasts nationally acclaimed artists and tours.

From their website: In addition to being Greenville's most popular performance venue, The Peace Concert Hall is an excellent space for lectures, annual meetings and graduations. A total of 2,100 seats, the hall features state-of-the-art acoustics and a hydraulic orchestra pit. The Peace Center Lobby is equipped with three portable full-service bar stations and is an inviting meeting area for cocktail parties and medium-sized social gatherings.

Besides the main Concert Hall, the Peace Center complex also includes an outdoor performance stage, a smaller children's theatre, a beautifully preserved pavilion, the theatre lounge, and of course the Huguenot Mill. Our partnership with the Peace Center this year includes their sponsorship of the VIP Gala. The theatre lounge's restaurant, Genevieve's, is providing the food for our kick off party. Expect a menu of delightful heavy hors d'oeuvres to accompany an evening of live music, local drinks, and the best handmade goods the South has to offer.

About Genevieve's: Soaring three-story ceilings. Dramatic lighting. A sliding glass wall that connects you with a view of rooflines, the Reedy River walkway, the grand staircase, and the TD Stage music pavilion. Free-flowing floor space that combines a 4,000 square foot lounge and an 800 square foot balcony. All of this, along with elegant contemporary décor make Genevieve’s one of the most exciting event spaces around. You simply have to see it for yourself!

Photos from the Visit Greenville SC website.

2013 VIP Gala

Hey everybody, it's that time of year again...VIP Gala tickets go on sale in 2 days!! This is one of Indie Craft Parade's best events. It's the kickoff party to an amazing weekend of handmade goods. Every year we pack out the Huguenot Mill with fans who've been waiting all year to for the festival to come back.

Here’s what makes our VIP Gala so great:

1) Ticket holders are personally benefiting Indie Craft Parade. Indie Craft Parade is a non-profit organization, and we are dedicated to keeping costs affordable for our artists. Many of them travel across the Southeast to show you their wares, and we don't want them to worry about losing their profits on the event itself. Your ticket purchases also help keep the festival free for the remainder of the weekend. We really want families, students, and especially kids to see the work of artists and be exposed to the creative community. And keeping the general festival free means that nobody has an excuse not to attend.

2) Relaxed shopping atmosphere. We’re expecting a very large attendance on Saturday and Sunday, which means crowded aisles and limited access to all the artists. When it comes to the variety and extent of the artists’ work, Friday night is definitely the best way to see it. We frequently have artists sell out of goods before the festival even ends, so if you want the best selection, get it on Friday night.

3) Giveaways! Our artists have gone above and beyond this year in donating work to our giveaway baskets. We have 15 baskets assembled—each one is worth over $100. Some are worth almost $200. The lucky winners of these baskets will be going home with a lot of loot.

4) Free Food and Drink. We’ve received the menu from our amazing caterer, Genevieve's, and the food is going to be out of this world. The incredibly talented staff has worked up quite the menu for us—As artful as it is tasty.

And this is new... we're extremely excited to be providing only locally produced beverages at this year's festival. That list includes our favorite coffee guy, The Vagabond Barista—who’ll delight us with some of the latest trends in coffee brewing; a new delicious discovery, Tealoha---who will be bringing batches of house blended teas and lemonade; and a selection of South Carolina made beers and ciders sourced by The Greenville Beer Exchange.

This is a party you don't want to miss. Do good and have a great time altogether at the VIP Gala. Be sure to get your tickets as soon as they're open!

Featured Sponsor: eGreenville

We're incredibly grateful for the support of our media sponsors! They play a big role in helping us get the word out about Indie Craft Parade. One of these wonderful partners is eGreenville, The Greenville News' weekly entertainment magazine.

eGreenville is a weekly publication covering food, arts and entertainment culture in Greenville, and it's chock-full of great stuff! We love their focus on art and local makers. Several Indie Craft Parade exhibitors have been featured in past issues, sharing about everything from studio openings to detailing their creative process.

And guess who made the cover this week...

Thanks for the love,

eGreenville!

Check out this issue to find out what's new with the 2013 Indie Craft Parade festival, along with lots of other great stories

(Greenville is getting a Kilwin's! And a new taco joint! And there's lots of cool stuff happening this weekend!).

Grab a copy around town

(it's free)

, or

read it online.

If you're looking for something to do around town, just check out eGreenville's extensive calendar of events and your schedule will be overflowing with fun in no time. Their restaurant feature showcases local culinary treasures, and a quick browse of the amazing cocktail recipes will make you want to plan a party on the spot. We really appreciate eGreenville's focus on the arts community and love seeing our exhibitors pop up on the pages, as well finding out more about upcoming concerts, theater productions, gallery openings, and more.

eGreenville is published every Friday, so make sure you pick up a copy! It’s inside each Friday edition of The Greenville News, and is also available for free as a standalone piece at more than 850 locations around the Upstate. The e-edition is always available online on Thursdays, so readers can get a sneak peek before the print edition hits stands on Fridays. You can also

follow them

on Twitter for the latest news.

In case you missed it,

here's another great article

about Indie Craft Parade, released yesterday by the The Greenville News.

Featured Sponsor: MailChimp

The closer we get to the main event, the more we want to tell you about the people who make the festival possible. Today, I want to share all the goodness of MailChimp with you. If you’re a business owner, event coordinator, or leader of any sort that handles a lot of group communication, MailChimp could be an indispensable tool for you.

MailChimp describes themselves as a way to help you: design email newletters, share them on social networks, integrate with services you already use, and track your results. In short, they call themselves “your own personal publishing platform.” Besides keeping you and your followers organized, MailChimp provides beautiful design templates, loads of free advice and tutorials, and even ways to manage all of your features on the go. Best of all, you can get most of the MailChimp services for FREE! Their no-nonsence approach to mass communication combined with their fun personality and design make MailChimp a great tool for anybody.

And on a personal note: We at Indie Craft Parade have used MailChimp to organize our newsletters and campaigns for the past few years, and we can't imagine using anyone else's services. Not only does MailChimp provide a great product that makes our lives so much easier, but also we love them because they truly care about the creative community that we're a part of. They've given amazing business advice to our followers through participating in The Makers Summit, they always provide an element of fun to the events they're part of (i.e., Freddie the Chimp hats), and they donate generously so Greenville can can continue to enjoy Indie Craft Parade.

So please, if you're looking for a service that provides solutions such as MailChimp does, give them a try. We stand behind their product, and we know they're good people to do business with.

Featured Sponsor: TOWN Magazine

 Our media sponsors play a key role in helping us spread the word about Indie Craft Parade. Today, we're introducing one of these valuable partners: TOWN Magazine. What we love about TOWN is their focus on finding and showcasing Greenville's talent, whether it be in the realm of food, music or art. Flip through the most recent issue of TOWN and you'll read about Greenville makers, including several of our own Indie Craft Parade alumni. You'll also learn about the revitalization happening in Greenville's art district, new restaurants to try, and so many other things we love.

TOWN helps highlight small businesses and entrepreneurs, and they do it well. Their focus on quality photography, layouts and writing make all the difference.

In February, when we hosted The Makers Summit, we assembled gift baskets for our out of town speakers. We wanted to include a copy of TOWN alongside other Greenville goodies, to introduce our guests to Greenville. Until then, we didn't realize exactly how many other people love TOWN Magazine too! We had to visit three separate locations to find the handful of issues needed for our baskets.

So next time you see a copy of TOWN, pick it up before it's gone! You'll be excited to learn about all the amazing things happening in Greenville, and you might just see someone you met at Indie Craft Parade!

Indie Craft Parade Visits NYC

As many of you know from our Facebook page or Instagram feeds, the staff at Indie Craft Parade took a brief hiatus last weekend to the big city. For a long time now we've been watching the success of long standing craft shows like Renegade Craft, so we decided to attend the fair hosted in Brooklyn. We're always fans of people or organizations who contribute to the modern craft scene, and we try to attend shows whenever possible. Our treks have been fairly local, however---Atlanta, Columbia, Asheville, etc.---so the prospect of attending a huge festival was quite exciting. Showing our excitement in the Renegade Photo Booth.

So, with a date on the calendar we saved up our pennies, begged a couple days off work, kissed our husbands goodbye, and made the most of our time in New York. Although the trip centered on visiting the artists at Renegade, we did have a couple of days on either side of the festival...and did we ever fill them with the most wonderful things. Our game plan was to visit or learn about as many arts and craft locations as possible. We wanted to know how other people organize their festivals, storefronts, or studios with hopes of making our endeavors here in Greenville even better.

We'd like to share with you a little bit about our trip---highlights of who we visited, what we saw, and how we're planning on making the Indie Craft Events better than ever!

Day 1: We hit the ground running as soon as we landed. After checking into a cute apartment in Greenpoint Brooklyn, we headed to Manhattan to check out studios and supply stores. The highlight of the day, by far, was getting a tour of the Lower Eastside Printshop. This is a collaborative space where artists can either learn new mediums or rent studio equipment to further their own body of work.

One of two giant communal studios.

The printmaking equipment, particularly the screen printing setup is some of the best we've ever seen.

Day 2: Renegade Craft Fair! In the very warm summer sun we perused 300 artists along with 20,000 other people for 6 very long hours. We took our time and saw EVERYTHING. We only stopped to cool ourselves with frozen treats and make new friends from the awesome website Kollabora. If you don't know this site, then you really should. It's a community based site that's meant to find or share crafting projects. Here you can post what you're working on, learn new skills that will make your projects easier, and connect with other makers you share your passion. It's a super great resource.

Getting ready to enter the fair.

A single row of tents.

Checking out an embroidery artist.

Day 3: We headed back to Manhattan. Since most offices and studios were closed for the weekend, we spent the day wandering the coolest shops in New York. Two of our favorite stops were Best Made Company and Purl Soho.

Best Made...the home of wonderfully handcrafted or in-house designed goods for men...and where we picked up treats for the husbands.

Purl Soho...yarn, felt, and fabric heaven.

We found a Hugo lookalike project!

Day 4: After finding a pie shop for breakfast (this was an amazing food trip, by the way), we headed to the corporate office of Etsy. We got a tour of the offices and Etsy Labs and were delighted to find that the Etsy office was basically one giant DIY project--everything from vertical pocket gardens to crocheted ventilation pipes to quilted room dividers and even a tech conference room that looks like a space station.

Our last big stop before heading home was at Tattly, an innovative company that produces design-y temporary tattoos. We had a great meeting with the staff, and we've got a fun collaboration coming up...details to follow.

Well, that's a brief look at our trip. Thanks for joining us! We're back in Greenville and more excited than ever for the upcoming festival!

All the applications are in, which means this weekend our jury has the heavy task of deciding who will be in the show. Check back in next week to see the vendors. We can guarantee you're going to be excited about who'll be there.

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.

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!