Upcycling Vintage Crates and Boxes from Maiedae

We've had such an incredible response to Emily's DIY Chalkboard Lettering a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't wait to put up a new guest blog post from another talented lady. Today I'm introducing Savannah Wallace from Maiedae--an artistic, fashion, and lifestyle blogger. Two years ago Savannah and her business partner Jenny participated in Indie Craft Parade as jewelry artists, and I've been mesmerized with their work ever since. Besides her work in jewelry, Savannah is also a graphic designer and photographer. I've been pestering Savannah to do a guest blog post, and fortunately, her busy schedule has allowed her to share this adorable tutorial with us. Thank you, Savannah!

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DIY: UPCYCLING VINTAGE CRATES & BOXES

Hello friends! Savannah from 

Maiedae

 here to share with you a simple DIY and tips on up-cycling your vintage crates and boxes. Last year I spent some treasure hunting time at local antique stores in search for wooden finds. I found old coca-cola crates, small wooden boxes and a few larger crates. I built up my little collection and have found over the past year that they've served for many uses! I used them as display pieces for my handmades at a craft show, stacked them together to make night stands for my husband's and my pallet bed, put plants on them outside and used them for pretty storage. Today's DIY shows how I used simple elements to up-cycle one of my favorite wooden boxes as a "free for all" things box.

SUPPLIES

* Multi-surface paint - I used Martha Stewart's metallic gold paint.

* Stencil or silk screen - I found a great selection of stencil pieces and some beautiful Martha Stewart silk screen letters at Michael's. You can find things like this at your local craft shop.

* Dresser knobs.

STEP BY STEP

1. Using a drill, make holes into your wooden piece for knobs or hooks. Use these to hang your keys, add a little visual interest or hang other treasured items from.

2. Paint the inside of your crate with a color of your choice to give your box/crate dimension and a little pop or color or metallic flair.

3. Stencil a word or pattern on your box to match its use.

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Just by getting a little creative you can easily up-cycle any of your favorite wooden antiqued pieces and give it a little extra charm! Try using your favorite colors, fun stencil patterns and trying it out in different places in your home. I love that my "things" box can be used for mail, main floor nick-nacks, make-up and bathroom supplies. So many uses and way more attractive than a plastic bin.

Thanks for having me! Stay warm.

-Savannah

2012 Scholarship Winner!

Thank you to all of the teachers who applied for the 2012 Indie Craft Parade Scholarship Program. We received some really great applications from schools around the Greenville area. And as always, we wish we could help every single one of them. But we're happy to announce that this year's winner of the scholarship is Gateway Elementary School in Traveler's Rest. Joanne, the school's art teacher, shared with us that her classes are the only creative outlet for many of her students, who don't typically have access to art supplies at home. Also because of severe budgeting, her own program is lacking in many resources. We're so happy that we were able to more than double her yearly budget with our scholarship.

We can't wait to see what great things her students will produce. And we're looking forward to sharing that with you in the near future!

Indie Craft Parade Holiday Fair: The official details

What: Indie Craft Parade Holiday Fair When: Saturday December 1, 10 am – 5 pm Where: A smaller, more intimate venue in the Pendleton Street Arts District Artisan Traders, 1274 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29611

We're less than a month away from our first annual Christmas event, and we're getting ready to celebrate a handmade holiday! Please share the word with friends, family, and anyone else you know who would love Indie Craft Parade.

New Venue! For our smaller, one day event, please note the change in venue from the Huguenot Mill. Here's a map to the new location.

We're so excited about all of the artists who are on board for the show. Here they are!

2D

Emily Jeffords Cory Godbey Shed Labs Chris Koelle

3D

Rachel Feece Pottery

Fiber Arts

Heather Keew Merciful Hearts Farm Once Again Sam Teri Goddard Handweaving Heartfelt

To Wear

17 Dove Street found*ling Hand Printed by Matt Butler Fox to the Opera Parachute The Cordial Churchman Audrey Laine Jewelry 

Paper Goods

Quill and Arrow Press The Gilded Fete Royal Buffet

Everything Else

canoo juxtaposition The Herb Garden The Chubby Cupcake Annie Koelle

**We're not joking about helping us spread the word. We've got stacks of postcards ready to share. Please email jen@indiecraftparade.com if you'd like some to put out at your work, school, local coffee shop or anywhere else.

The Makers Summit

Registration for The Makers Summit is now open!

Check out TheMakersSummit.com to purchase tickets, see the schedule , and meet our amazing speakers.

All the details are there, but here's a brief run-down:

What: A one-day conference for the art, craft, and design world.

When & Where: February 2, 2013 in Greenville, SC

Who should attend: Any creative individual who wants to start or grow their businesses.

What is the cost: Conference tickets are $100 and include breakfast and lunch. Our evening event, The Best Craft Party Ever, will feature an amazing supper followed by a time of crafting, and is $50 to attend.

Head over to see all the wonderful details!

DIY Chalkboard Lettering with Emily Jeffords

We've said this before, but one of the best things about Indie Craft Parade is getting to know the awesome people in the maker community. These connections can provide new friendships, networking connections, business opportunities, and they always supply creative inspiration. For this guest post, we called in one of the amazing connections we've made---the ever lovely Emily Jeffords. 

We asked Emily to supply a project for us...and she did something awesome: DIY CHALKBOARD LETTERING. This is an amazing idea. Who doesn't love beautifully hand lettered designs? And now you can do it yourself!

So without further ado, take it away, Emily!

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Hello!  I’m so happy to be guest blogging for one of my favorite groups, Indie Craft Parade!  I’m sure you have noticed the growing chalkboard lettering craze sweeping America and Europe right now.  It’s pretty awesome.  Well, it’s awesome if you have freakishly amazing handwriting (which I don’t!)  I can barely write an address on an envelope with grace. Sadly, I’m going to have to leave the hand-lettering to the likes of Dana Tanamachi and Molly Jaques.

The good news: those of us who aren’t Dana Tanamachi can still have amazing chalkboards with freakishly amazing typography and precision (we just need a teensy bit of help from the computer….  Shhh.)

Oh, and lefties, you’re in luck.  Because you don’t have to do one bit of writing, you can work from right to left!  You should have seen me working on this baby upside down, sideways, and backwards!

This chalkboard DIY is so stylish, so trendy, and so, so easy.

Things I leaned during this DIY:

1. Chalkboard spray paint is a total joke.  Just use flat black paint and mix in a tiny bit of clear gesso or unsanded tile grout.  I didn’t try the paint can variety.  Maybe it’s amazing? 2. Really, really, really cover the paper with chalk.  It will save you so much time in the long run. 3. You might want to do a few words with larger text…  not going to lie, this took quite a while because my text was so small (and I’m a bit of a perfectionist.) 4. A small paintbrush + water is like a magic eraser.

I hope this inspires you to have fun creating something amazing and original.

Greenville Open Studios 2012 this weekend

Many 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 is THIS WEEKEND! Saturday, November 3, 10am – 6pm & Sunday, November 4, Noon – 6pm. A few artists are even open on Friday evening.

About Greenville Open Studios from the Metropolitan Arts Council: Now in its eleventh 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 2012 self-guided tour will feature 140 artists and their studios this year.  Studio locations vary throughout a 15-mile radius of downtown Greenville with Easley, Greer, Travelers Rest and Dacusville included. Catalogues are available at MAC as well as at each artist’s studio. 

Open Studios even has a smart phone app that you can use to guide you to the artists and tell you about their work. Check it out at greenvilleopenstudios.com.

Indie Craft Parade Holiday Fair

It's time to announce yet another fun project we've had up our sleeve. This December, we'll be hosting the very first Indie Craft Parade Holiday Fair! This will be a much smaller scale version of our main event, featuring 25 previous Indie Craft Parade participants.

The Fair will be held at Artisan Traders in Greenville's art district (see map below) and will be open from 10am - 5pm Saturday, December 1. Come support local artists and give one-of-a-kind gifts this year.

Admission is free, so mark your calendars and plan to bring your friends and family! More details will be coming soon.

What: Indie Craft Parade Holiday Fair When: Saturday December 1, 10 am – 5 pm Where: A smaller, more intimate venue in the Pendleton Street Arts District Artisan Traders, 1274 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29611

The Lamp Post Guild on Kickstarter

We love sharing with our community the newest resources and trends in the world of making, which is why I nearly flipped when I saw this new Kickstarter project called The Lamp Post Guild. Three professional illustrators from Greenville (2 of which have been Indie Craft Parade vendors) have created an online course to teach people how to turn their passion of art/illustration into a career.

Statement of purpose from The Lamp Post Guild:

Every kid drew pictures until someone told them they couldn’t.Millions of people wanted to become artists when they grew up,but they were told that being an artist is not a "real job."Only a few of them will actually make it as professional artists.It doesn't have to end this way.

We want to make this story end differently for these aspiring illustrators and artists by teaching online courses that will help them improve their craft and earn a living doing what they love.

This presentation is done beautifully, and if you have people in your life who would benefit from taking these classes, you should seriously consider supporting!

Knack Studio Grand Opening This Weekend!

We love this time of year in the arts and craft world. It seems like between now and the new year, every week there is a show, a market, a gallery crawl, or (as in this announcement) a studio grand opening! We've got so many events to tell you about in the coming weeks, so make sure you're checking back with us. Today I want to share an upcoming event for the creative genius that is Knack Studio--Barb Blair. She's been a long time friend of Indie Craft Parade, serving as an exhibitor as well as a jury and board member. Not to mention, she's a foundational piece of the arts scene here in Greenville. Barb specializes in remaking antique furniture, often finding beauty in pieces long overlooked. Not to mention she has an impeccable decorative sense which means she has a wonderfully curated line of "found goodness" for sale. Over the past few months she's been renovating a new studio that has its Grand Opening this Friday night! We've had a sneak peek into the new venue, and let us tell you--it's worth going to see.

The new studio opening will be in conjunction with another Indie Craft Parade friend, Lily Pottery. To check out the details, head on over to Barb's blog. We can't wait to go!

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 we're no longer in peak season, our prices for blog advertising has dropped. But that doesn't mean that your ad won't be seen by hundreds or even thousands of people. Our website traffic will continue to be high through the holiday season as people are looking for handmade gifts from our artists and learning more about the upcoming Maker's Summit. We’re offering competitive pricing and great exposure for your business–so click on the image below to get more information and see how advantageous this opportunity can be!

DIY Round Up: Handmade Notebooks

Well we haven't done a crafty round up since before the festival, so I'm really excited to share what I'm finding inspiring right now. I've recently been hunting for the perfect notebook. Pads of paper that fall apart just aren't cutting it anymore. I love, love the designs coming out of Rifle Paper Company, but I think I might be good and make one myself...we'll see. I think these notebooks might be right up my alley, maybe yours too. The tutorial for this little journal/notebook from Elle's Studio looks simple enough but still super cute. They used patterned paper and chipboard to create a book that would also make a great album or daily scrapbook.

Magenta and Gold? Yes, please! Whitney of Eat, Sleep, Cuddle used scrapbook paper and gold leaf to make this awesome design.

Making a stamp from a lino block is a great way to create some one of a kind art as well as a functional piece. Check out the tutorial from A Pair of Pears.

Or, if you want to go super basic and still say, "I made this," then this kit from Curious Doodles could be perfect from you. The embroidery is just awesome, and the book is the perfect size.

Reminder: Etsy Craft Party!

Don't forget, the Etsy Global Craft Party is tomorrow night!

Friday, August 24th from 7 - 9 pm at the studio of J. Aaron Greene (1252 Pendleton Street Greenville, SC 29611)

Please join us for this night of BYO Crafts. It's a perfect time to start, further, or finish a project you haven't been able to get to. Just bring your supplies, and get to work.

To participate in this one night of crafting awesomeness, simply sign up at Meetup.com.

Martha Stewart's American Made Awards

Are you the owner of a small creative business looking to expand and bring more attention to your craft? Well, today I'm sharing one fabulous opportunity with you. Martha Stewart has created the American Made Awards, where she will be recognizing a number of artisans. See the details from her website.

Martha and the editors of Martha Stewart Living magazine are searching for the rising stars in a new generation of small-business owners. Ten American Makers will be selected. Their work will share the quality, beauty, inspiration, possibility, and creativity embodied by Martha.

One American Maker will be selected by our audience and will be given the Audience Choice Award. If you have your own small business, shop, or Etsy shop and are doing innovative, high-quality work, nominate yourself (or someone you know) for the Audience Choice award.

The winner will be honored at the American Made event in New York City, will appear in Martha Stewart Living magazine, and will receive $10,000 to further his or her business.

So if you want to showcase yourself as the next American maker, check out the simple application form. Or, if you know of a really great business who should be recognized, you can refer a friend. If nothing else, this is a great way to get your business listed on Martha Stewart's website.

And this is great news...Indie Craft Parade veteran Sarah Mandell of Once Again Sam has already been nominated. We'd really love to see more friends and participants of Indie Craft Parade on the list.

Applications close on August 25th, so hurry on over there to apply or just to see who's in the running. There are some really gorgeous businesses to browse.

DIY Round Up: Pet Accesories

We like to put handmade touches on all aspects our lives. Why shouldn't that apply to our pets as well? Give your pets a little handmade love this weekend, and get crafty with something you know they'll enjoy. Cats and kittens just want a hole to cuddle up and hide in. So why not make it a cute cubby like this one from Eilen Tein. (English knitting pattern at the bottom of the post.)

Always forget to bring the plastic baggies on the walk? Make your pet carry his own. This cute collar pouch tutorial from The B-Line.

Love this adorable dog bed DIY from My So Called Crafty Life.

Love cute treat bins, but don't want to pay the designer price? Tidy Mom managed to make this cute tin for just a couple of bucks. Works for pets of all shapes and sizes.

I really do enjoy having my cat chase me around the house as I drag a string in front of her. I'm looking forward to making something cute for her to catch. Tutorial from Martha Stewart.

My heart really does go out to people (especially kids) who can't have a pet because of allergy or space reasons. So I think this fun make-your-own pet tutorial could be a way to get your kids crafting and to give them a pet of their own. Make your own jellyfish in a bottle from Bhoomplay's Blog.

Join us for the Etsy Global Craft Party

We're so excited to be helping again with the local manifestation of Etsy's Global Craft Party. Last year we had so much fun meeting new crafters, sharing our current projects, and learning more about art and craft in Greenville. Well, it's that time of year again. We're partnering with the local Etsy Street Team to bring you this fun (and FREE) event. Even though the party is still over a month away, we want to give you plenty of time to put this on your calendar.

Not sure what the Etsy Craft Party is? Here's what Etsy has to say about it: Craft Party is a time to get to know your neighbors and exercise your creative spirit. Craft Parties take place around the world when communities come together to participate in art, craft, design and DIY in every form. Anyone can organize a Craft Party and anyone can participate — the power is literally in your hands!

So join us for a night of BYO Crafts. It's a perfect time to start, further, or finish a project you haven't been able to get to. Just bring your supplies, and get to work. Or you can participate in the global theme for the night: "Wish You Were Here." Etsy is encouraging everyone to make crafts inspired by their hometowns.

To participate in this one night of crafting awesomeness, simply sign up at Meetup.com. And the sooner you sign up the better. If we have 25 participants committed by August 12, Michael's will donate a box of craft supplies for us to share the night of the party. So don't drag your feet. Get over to the Meetup page and sign up. You can always find updates for the event on our Facebook Page.

DIY Roundup: Ombre Dyeing

Ombre dyeing continues to be a trend in the fashion, craft, and decor scenes, and why not? Ombre done right can yield the most beautiful, artsy results. So, here's a small collection of DIY ombre projects to get you inspired. With a little time and patience (and guidance from these great tutorials), you too can create the trendy ombre products you've seen. Ombre dyed ballet flats from Swell Mayde.

Paper gift tags from Momtastic.

chrysanthymum-lantern640

A giant chrysanthemum--perfect for parties-- from Aunt Peaches.

Of course, no round up for ombre dyeing would be complete without a tee shirt tutorial, like this one from A Pair and A Spare.

Then to finish things up, these lovely ombre napkins from Camille Styles. These are actually spray dyed.

Have you experimented with ombre dyeing? We'd love to hear about it!! Email photos and stories to jen@indiecraftparade.com.

Handmade Business Cards

Every artist or crafter needs business cards! Why not show off your talent from the start and make a memorable impact with a handmade or hand-embellished card? Here's a few of our favorites.

Stamped glassine envelopes filled with confetti, what fun! By PuglyPixel (with DIY tutorial)

Stamped kraft cardstock with brass tag embellishment. By oh, hello friend (with DIY tutorial)

Offset stamped cardstock. Via MaeMae Paperie

Sewn fabric strips embellish these printed cards. By Craftoholics Anonymous

Tiny kraft envelopes, stamped! By Hey Look

Gilded edges dress up these simple printed cards. By Camille Styles (with DIY tutorial)

These printed cards are embellished with washi tape, twine, and a hole punch. By Mint

Watercolored card with the printed info stitched on. By Ethan Martin Have you designed a unique business card? We'd love to see it!

String Art

We've been loving all the string art that's popping up lately. Here's some of our favorites from around the web!

We Are All Apart Of The Same Thing by Dominique Falla (see his post for gorgeous detail shots)

Drawn Pink by Anne Lindbeg for The Bemis Center

Artist unknown, from the Heide Museum of Modern Art

Embroidered photographs by Maurizio Anzeri

Want to try your hand at creating your own string art? Here's a couple DIY projects with tutorials.

Lettered Wall Art, tutorial by Jen Lula

Geometric String Escort Cards, tutorial by Oh Happy Day

Felting Workshop

We wanted to let you know about a fun opportunity coming up very soon. A felting workshop will be held next month, July 19 from 4-6 pm, at Greeville's Slow Food Upstate Earth Market. Cassie Larsen, of Little Creek Plantation, will teach you how to make felt with wool from her own sheep, the Navajo-Churro breed. Space is limited, so reserve your spot now by emailing janettewwesley@yahoo.com.

The class is held outdoors in the shade, and water is used for felting; so dress comfortably.

Here are all the details: July 19, 2012, 4–6 pm $70.00 Materials and Class Fee (Limited to 10 participants) 10% discount to Slow Food Members

Confirm Reservations by check to: Little Creek Plantation c/o Earth Market Workshop 1845 Turpentine Still Road Brunson, SC 29911

What are you working on? Local Art and Craft.

We've seen a lot of crafty goodness recently--from people's personal projects to local craft nights to official art shows. We love being a part of this brilliant community, and I've got some fun pictures to share from some recent events. First a round of photos from last weekend at Craft Bar Happy Weekend--the show in Columbia. We had a great time reconnecting with some of the vendors who participated in the 2011 Indie Craft Parade.

Rachel Feece pottery

Shed Labs prints

Owlette Collective children's accessories

Fox to the Opera fabric jewelry

17 Dove Street jewelry

Marisol Spoon fine art

Second, I wanted to show some pictures of the fabric jewelry making class held at Even A Sparrow. Such a fun night!!

The group learning to make yo-yos.

The adorable Anya, showing off her fabric rings and pin.

If you're getting your craft on, we want to know about it! Email pictures to jen@indiecraftparade.com. Or better yet, submit an application to be a vendor at the 2012 Indie Craft Parade!