2011 Photos

Our 2011 Indie Craft Parade Flickr pool is filling up fast with great photos! Have you added yours yet? Here's some of our favorite photos so far...

VIP Gala attendees shopping, photos by Metromix's Angela Cox.  See their full slideshow here!

VIP Gala attendees entering the giveaways, photo by Metromix's Angela Cox.  See their full slideshow here!

ICP exhibitors MaieDae, photo by Metromix's Angela Cox.  See their full slideshow here!

Local bluegrass band, The Bent Strings, photo by Peter Crane.

Parachute Clothing, photo by Peter Crane.

Leslie DeRose, photo by Peter Crane.

Lily Pottery, photo by Peter Crane.

ICP attendees shopping, photo by The Greenville News' Heidi Heilbrunn.  See their full slideshow here!

Free photobooth in use, photo by The Greenville News' Heidi Heilbrunn.  See their full slideshow here!

Owlette Collective, photo by The Greenville News' Heidi Heilbrunn.  See their full slideshow here!

Fox to the Opera, photo by The Greenville News' Heidi Heilbrunn.  See their full slideshow here!

Caleb Chancy, photo by The Greenville News' Heidi Heilbrunn.  See their full slideshow here!

ICP sign, photo by Jennie Raff Photography

canoo, photo by beautifulspoonjenni

Check out the rest of the 2011 Flickr pool and add your photos!

Indie Craft Merchandise

Photo by Heidi Heilbrunn, The Greenville News

We had so much interest in the goods at our Indie Craft Parade booth that we've set up a (very) temporary online store for a few of the most popular products. Since we sold out of the red Indie Craft Parade shirts on day two, we'll be printing more for those who missed them. The two Indie Craft Parade tees pictured above and our Buy Handmade totebag will be available to order online, but just until next Sunday, September 18th!

Note: If you pre-ordered your shirt at Indie Craft Parade, you don't need to submit another order. You should have already received an email from us detailing the completion of your order.

Thank You from Indie Craft Parade!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the 2nd Annual Indie Craft Parade this past weekend. We had so much fun, and the event was absolutely amazing! We're working on getting all our pictures in order, so we'll be sharing those soon and recapping the event. In the meantime, if you have any photos from Indie Craft Parade and are willing to share them, please add them to our Flickr pool. We want to see all your pictures too!

Because we know you're all wondering, here are a few stats from this weekend: We had 5,000 wonderful attendees, 74 fabulous exhibitors, 32 amazing volunteers, 10 talented musical groups, 7 scrumptious food vendors, and 2 exhausted but happy organizers.

Thank you all again for an incredibly successful festival! We're so grateful for your support. We can't wait for next year!

Exhibitors setting up their booths before the event.

The 2nd Annual Indie Craft Parade is Here!

Just wanting to remind everyone that Indie Craft Parade starts tonight with our VIP Gala. We still have a few tickets left, so don't let this opportunity slip by. The food, music, and giveaways are going to be amazing! Buy your tickets here.

If you can't make it tonight, don't forget the festival is going on all weekend. Admission on Saturday from 9 AM to 7 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM is FREE and completely open to the public.

We can't wait for you to meet all of our vendors. We've given you a sneak peek of just a few artists' work, and believe us--that's just the beginning. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

2011 Food Vendors

In order to provide easy access to refreshments for our artists and attendees, we save room at our event for a limited number of local food vendors.

We invite and select individuals whose food is in keeping with our theme of local, high-quality, and independent. Which means restaurants and caterers that prepare their goods with fresh, high-quality ingredients and present their offerings attractively are given top priority.

This year, we have a few returning food vendors, and we're proud to introduce you to a local tamale maker! These vendors will be on hand to feed us Saturday and Sunday. Here's a glimpse of what they'll be serving!

Bavarian Pretzel Factory: apple strudel, poppy seed streusel cake, pretzels with dipping sauces, sandwiches

Fresh Tamales: pork tamales with red sauce and refried beans O-CHA tea bar: coffee, water, iced Jasmine Green Tea, Iced Lavendear Rooibos Tea, and a selection of loose teas for hot tea FiggyWhigs Cupcakes: cupcakes, brownies, cookies

These great food vendors are just one more reason to come out and see the show!

2011 Indie Craft Parade Musicians

We feel that live music is an essential part of the Indie Craft Parade experience. Last year, many of the musicians that played at Indie Craft Parade were new to us, but we came away from the weekend with a whole set of new favorite bands! This year, we have a few returning musicians, but with an extra event day to fill, we've also got some great new music to introduce you to as well. Thanks to all the great recommendations we received, we're pretty sure you'll find a few new favorites of your own this year.

The schedule of music for this year's Indie Craft Parade is below.

The Bent Strings

Friday's VIP Night 6pm-9pm: The Bent Strings

Esther Grace Ellis

Saturday 9am-11am: Lindsay Morelli 11am-1pm: The Ragged Orchids 1pm-3pm: Esther Grace Ellis 3pm-5pm: Jentry Rose 5pm-7pm: Corey Pelton

War Jacket

Sunday 11am-1pm: B Natural Jazz 1pm-3pm: War Jacket & Joel Madison Blount 3pm-5pm: Jay Albright

Many of these musicians will also be bringing CDs to sell at our Indie Craft Parade booth, so if you like they way they sound, you can take it home with you!

Sneak Peek: Giveaways!

We've mentioned the fabulous giveaways that will take place on Friday night at the VIP Gala, but here's a sneak peek at some of the items that you could win!

Isn't the work just wonderful? And that's just a sampling of the prizes, there will be lots more that our VIP guests will be eligible to win.

The exhibitors have donated these items, and we'll be bundling them into groups. Each VIP ticketholder can choose which group they would like to win, and we'll announce the winners that night! Since attendance is so limited that night, the chances are great! You could be walking away with some fabulous prizes worth much more than your ticket price. If you want to get in on this action, make sure you get a ticket to the Gala!

If you can't make it Friday night, don't worry... Saturday and Sunday will be a blast too!

What to expect at Indie Craft Parade

You might be wondering what you as an attendee can expect at Indie Craft Parade, so hopefully this post will answer your questions!

Who is this festival intended for? The whole community! Indie Craft Parade is for anyone interested in purchasing handcrafted goods. Indie Craft Parade will feature the best handmade art in the Southeast, featuring 74 independent artisans. We invite the public to attend this festival and enjoy high quality crafts, local food, live music, and getting to know the artists in their community.

When is the 2011 Indie Craft Parade? This coming weekend, September 9-11. The VIP Gala is Friday night from 6 - 9 pm and is for ticket holders only (see details here).  The rest of the festival is free admission, and is open Saturday from 9 am-7pm, and Sunday from 11 am-5 pm.

Where is the festival being held? Indie Craft Parade is held indoors at the historic Huguenot Mill in downtown Greenville, SC. The mill is located at 101 W. Broad Street, next to the Peace Center. The venue is handicapped accessible. There is street parking available, and several parking garages with easy walking distance.

Is this event family-friendly? Absolutely! Saturday and Sunday are both free admission, so bring the whole gang. If you've got small children, we suggest you leave your stroller at home if possible. The aisles are a bit narrow, and can make maneuvering a stroller a little difficult. The only time alcohol will be served is at the VIP Gala, and attendees must be 21 years or older to partake.

What type of goods can I expect to see? At Indie Craft Parade, you'll find the best handcrafted goods in a variety of categories, everything from paintings to children's toys, paper goods to jewelry, ceramic mugs to artisanal chocolate. You can get a sneak preview of some of the work by checking out our Etsy treasury lists, like the one pictured above. We love seeing what the vendors have made, and had a little fun by making some color-coordinated lists. Check them out here: Blue,Green,Yellow,Pink,Red,Purple,Black & White.

Will credit cards be accepted? Probably not. This is primarily a cash event. Some vendors may have the ability to accept credit cards or checks, however you should be prepared to pay cash for most of the items you purchase. There is an ATM on site in case you forget your cash.

Will I have to wait in line? Maybe. We've expanded our hours and added an extra day to better accommodate the crowds, but depending on the turnout, you may have to wait in line before you enter. Obviously, our goal is to get everyone in as soon as possible, but we do have to respect the venue's fire code. If there is a line, we'll do our best to keep it moving quickly, and aim to have everyone in within about 15 minutes. If you'd like to avoid the line, you should attend our VIP Gala!

Is there food and drink on site? Yes! We're delighted to have the offerings of several local establishments available to our attendees. You can purchase items from FiggyWhigs Cupcakes, O CHA Tea Bar,The Bavarian Pretzel Factory, and Fresh Tamales on Saturday and Sunday. Our VIP Gala guests will receive complimentary food and drink from The Community Tap,Coffee & Crema, and Ribault St. Catering.

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

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to commenter #31, Kathy M! You are the lucky winner of the 2 VIP Gala tickets, as chosen by random.org. We've just emailed you the tickets, so please let us know if for some reason they haven't come through. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. If you didn't win, why don't you go ahead and get yourself a ticket or 2? You can purchase them right here. There's not too many tickets left, so don't wait too long or they may be sold out. (In the event that we're not sold out by the time the Gala opens, we'll sell any remaining tickets at the door.) Attending the VIP Gala not only gets you an amazing evening filled with fabulous handmade goods, free food and drink, live music, artist demonstrations, and giveaways, but you're also able to to support the arts community and the mission of Indie Craft Parade.

If you're not able to attend the Gala, please definitely join us on Saturday or Sunday. Both days are free admission, so bring the the whole family! We will be open on Saturday, September 10 from 9 am - 7 pm, and on Sunday, September 11 from 11 am - 5 pm. Stay tuned later today for a post detailing what attendees can expect at this year's Indie Craft Parade!

Getting Ready for Indie Craft Parade: What Exhibitors Should Expect

It's hard to believe that Indie Craft Parade is only 1 week away! We're so excited about our vendors coming together: seeing old friends, making new ones, and finding out all the fabulous goods that everyone has been working on.

In today's post, we've put together a few details that our exhibitors should be aware of. Many of you are exhibiting for the first time at Indie Craft Parade and a number of you for the first time ever. Craft fairs are an awesome way to build your business, but coming prepared is really the best way to enjoy your experience.

Paige of Lightnest at the 2010 Indie Craft Parade.

The Crowds The biggest unexpected factor we encountered last year was the crowds. This means bring more items to sell than you think you need. Many of our vendors last year sold out or came close, and with an extra day this year, this seems even more likely. The Friday night gala will have a quiet, relaxed atmosphere where you can get to know the attendees and talk to them about your craft. However, we're prepared to be slammed Saturday and Sunday. Come with a backup plan for taking custom orders. Also, bring plenty of business cards that direct people to your online shop in case you run out of anything.

Volunteers will be making their way around each room to relieve you for 30 minutes at a time. Feel free to use this break to do some shopping, meet other artists, eat a meal, or just sit down!

The Music There will be live music playing throughout the event. Depending on where your booth is in relation to the musicians, it may or may not be loud. We'll do our best to keep it at a comfortable level, but please let us know if it's causing problems for communicating with customers at your booth.

The Perks Each artist will receive a goody bag when you check in. We're filling these with great items (i.e., no junky fliers) for your weekend in Greenville. This includes basic like bottled water and aspirin, as well as some coupons and discounts for local businesses, such as a $25 gift certificate to be used at a few of our favorite restaurants!

While we can't provide every meal for you, we do have food vendors on site that you can conveniently purchase food from. Each of them will be giving you a free voucher (found in your goody bag) for something at their booth. It might also be a good idea to pack snacks in case you're unable to break away from your booth.

We will also have a special meet and greet time for artists only before the doors open Friday night. We know the weekend will fly by, but you'll definitely want to make time to meet other artists while you're here!

If you're a craft show veteran and have any tips to add, please comment below!

Featured Sponsor: Ribault St. Catering

We are so excited to have the support of Ribault St. Catering! This local independent catering service provides the ultimate culinary experience for corporate and social events. Their restaurant, Two Samuels, is located in Spartanburg, SC and serves upscale offerings of American cuisine.

Ribault St. will be providing the food for our VIP Gala, which means this is a night your taste buds won't want to miss! You can purchase your gala tickets right here, or enter to win them in our giveaway.

All photos courtesy of Ribault St.

Be sure to check out Ribault St. online or in person at our VIP Gala!

Making the Sale: Interview with Katie Coston

For many artists, creating great work is the easy part. It's selling their work that gets difficult. So we asked Katie Coston, a professional, full-time potter, to share some tips for increasing your sales at Indie Craft Parade or other venues. Katie's one-of-a-kind pieces sell extremely well at her shows. But it's not pure artistic talent that's brought Katie and Illyria Pottery success. Her winning personality and experience keep her customers coming back. Indie Craft Parade: How do you first engage people when they come to your booth or to a show?

Katie: Engage customers just like you would engage with anyone anywhere. Be friendly and genuine. If they are coming to your booth, remember that something has drawn them. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's your work. If they seem like a "leave me a alone, and let me shop" kind of person, I usually tell them to let me know if they have any questions, and I get busy doing something else.

Katie's Booth at 2010 Indie Craft Parade

Indie Craft Parade: Generally people don't like being pressured into buying things, but as the artist, you have to make the sale. How do you convince people they need your goods without being too pushy?

Katie: I strongly dislike pressure from sales people. Actually, if a sales person is hovering, I tend not to buy. Since that's how I feel, I assume others are similar. I like to welcome people, and then let them shop. If they seem interested in something, I'll often come back and mention an alluring feature or interesting fact about the piece they're holding. Micah (my husband) and I work as a team, and he can get away with "chatting people up" (as our British friends would have it) more than I can. He knows about the process and has been involved enough to have a connection with each piece. His personality is naturally social, and it works for me to have him talk about my work, since I don't want to sound like I'm singing my own praises. If you're on your own, I guess you'll need to find a middle ground, and/or bring a friend along who loves your work. It's better to not make the sale the first time around than to give your customers a reason to not come back.

Indie Craft Parade: You have a lot of repeat customers that come to your shows, visit your online site, etc. How did you develop that faithful following?

Katie: We try to always keep things fresh--our displays, pieces, and even venues. Certain things are standard, but we don't like to stagnate. If I have something that's been around, I get rid of it anyway I can. Who wants to come to your next show and see the same things you had last time? Be personal and real. Show genuine interest in the individual and not their wallet. Get to know your customers and find out what excites them.

Indie Craft Parade: Any other tips you like to share?

Katie: Selling can be difficult. A good solution is to be just as creative in your marketing and selling as you are in your creating! Have a wide variety of pieces in a broad range of prices. I aim to always have something available for that college kid who can only spend $10 or that mom who can't go over $20. I do have customers that will by $100+ pieces, but I try to be realistic and have options for various needs, tastes and budgets. With each item ask yourself, "Would I buy this piece for this price?." Be honest! Chances are a lot of other people think like you do.

Thanks, Katie! Be sure to check out her work and online shop at Illyria Pottery.

Giveaway: VIP Gala Tickets!!

You've heard so many great things about the Indie Craft Parade VIP Gala, and now you have a chance to win two tickets! This is an opportunity you don't want to miss.

The VIP Gala is your best chance to get to know the artists and get first dibs on their work. With Indie Craft Parade being such a heavily attended event, the Gala allows you to avoid the crowds of Saturday and Sunday. Not to mention the other great perks for attending Friday night: free food and drinks from some of our favorite local establishments and a host of fabulous giveaways. Food will be provided by Ribault Street Catering, drinks from Community Tap, and a coffee bar by Coffee and Crema. This is also the night to win giveaways — baskets of handmade goods straight from our vendors' booths. We'll also have live music from The Bent Strings that night, so come and enjoy it.

The VIP Gala will be held on Friday, September 9 from 6 to 9 pm at the Huguenot Mill in downtown Greenville, SC. This ticketed event kicks off the festival weekend, and helps support our artists and the mission of Indie Craft Parade. Check out the full details on our website!

So, how do you get these 2 free tickets? Simply leave a comment on this post, and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced a week from today, on Monday, September 5.

Don't want to take your chances? You can purchase VIP Gala tickets here and be guaranteed a place at the party!

This giveaway is now closed.

Featured Vendor: Concrete Lace

I don't think you can help loving letterpress goods. They're beautiful, timeless, and so much more accessible than a few years ago. We're going to have a couple of letterpress artists at Indie Craft Parade this year--all of whom are fabulous. But I just can't get over the colors and designs of Concrete Lace. They have a variety of letterpress greeting cards for all occasions, and you're definitely going to want to stock up. Unfortunately, there's a good chance none of your friends will receive the cards you buy. They're just too gorgeous to give up.

Concrete Lace has a well stocked etsy shop. They also do custom orders.

Our Mascot by Three Bad Seeds

You've probably seen our adorable mascot around, a happy little elephant named Hugo. We recently asked one of our fabulous vendors from last year, Three Bad Seeds, to bring him to life... er, plush. Amanda Weiss, felt hoarder and doodler extraordinaire, came up with four amazing versions of Hugo... and I can't keep from smiling when I see them!

Don't you just love Hugo! The red and white versions will be on display at the Indie Craft Parade booth, and we'll lend the black and white ones to the photobooth as props.

Be sure to check out Three Bad Seeds and Amanda's post about our little elephant friend!

Featured Sponsor: Coffee & Crema

We are so excited to have the support of a local independent coffee shop, Coffee & Crema. They, along with coffee experts Ben Szbody and a representative from Counter Culture Coffee in Atlanta, GA are sponsoring our VIP Gala. All VIP Gala ticket-holders will receive complimentary coffee prepared by their masterful hands.

While espresso bars are now very well known, much of the real attentive craft coffee movement is now gravitating toward simple brew methods that produce sparkling, delicious "black" coffee. Coffee & Crema will be showcasing three of these brew methods at the VIP Gala, along with 3 very special coffees.

One of the brew methods to be featured is the syphon method (pictured above). This set-up is certainly eye-catching, I'd never seen coffee brewed in such a beautiful way! Not only is it lovely to watch, the syphon produces a cup of coffee that is clean, crisp, rich, and smooth. Check out Coffee & Crema's awesome video below to see the syphon in action.

The Syphon Project from Jacob Forrest on Vimeo.

If you'd like to be one of the lucky few to partake in the coffee wonderland at the VIP Gala, get your ticket here!

Thanks so much to Coffee & Crema for their support of Indie Craft Parade!

Perfecting your Art: Interview with Cory Godbey

The world of arts and craft is competitive, and it takes a great deal of time and effort to make your work stand out. That progression can be long and difficult, sometimes fraught with criticism and even rejection. But for the people willing to stick it out, the end is rewarding. We've brought you an interview with Cory Godbey, a Greenville artist who's spent a number of years making a name for himself in the illustration community. Having experienced both the ups and downs of perfecting his art, Cory understands the dedication and perseverance required of a professional artist. Still on the journey (but having come a long way) he has shared some advice and encouragement for artists who are continually striving to improve their work.

Indie Craft Parade: As a professional artist, you've worked for a number of years on perfecting your techniques and personal style. What do you think was the most important thing to focus on during those growing years?

Cory: For me it's always been a matter of working hard. Working hard and wanting it. It's also competing with yourself, I believe. Of course you can get discouraged looking at all the awesome things everyone else on the internet is doing. But remember to keep your head down, be professional, and work at it like nothing else matters. I'm still growing, I'm able to do things now that I know I couldn't a year ago. Same for last year and the year before. I don't think any true professional "arrives." They're constantly pushing themselves; they don't sit back and coast.

Indie Craft Parade: Your work seems very popular and well-received. Have you always enjoyed that success? Can you describe some of your experiences before your work was accepted at the level you wanted?

Cory: Well I don't know about that! That's very kind of you to say. With my personal work I can never gauge what will be popular. For example with my prints or with a show, I can never tell which will be the best received or most popular. I just do the work I like. I'm my only guideline, if that makes sense.

One of my biggest hurdles was being declined to a certain annual of illustration. I had already made it into more "prestigious" books, but that didn't matter to me as much as being accepted into this particular book. I applied for the last 4 or 5 years, rejected each time until this past year. You know what? Each time the rejection only made me better. I did my best to keep myself professional, focused, and I just worked even harder for next year. I give this example because I want people to know if they're rejected from something, they should use that frustration to improve. Just take it and work harder. Let it motivate, not frustrate.

Indie Craft Parade: What advice would you give to artists and crafters who are struggling with moving their work to the next level?

Cory: The advice I give to anyone who asks me that is basically the same advice I've been given by friends and mentors; just keep doing it. It takes time, effort, and heart to be a professional--to work at a level that you're proud of. I'm still working towards that level. Just decide what it is you want and fire towards that with abandon.

Children's Art Auction for the Pendleton Place Children's Shelter

Hey everyone. We want to tell you about an awesome opportunity that the people of Greenville have to give back to their community through the arts. Next week at Spill the Beans downtown, children's paintings will be auctioned off to benefit the Pendleton Place Children's Shelter. Pendleton Place provides for kids who have been either abused or abandoned. As part of their program, they teach the kids to paint and expose them to the arts. In turn these kids have created paintings to help bring in funding for the organization that has helped them so much.

The event is Thursday, August 25 from 6-10 PM. We've included some pictures of the kids' work. They're really great, and this would be an awesome organization to contribute to. Please consider attending.

Here are some more details from the Pendleton Place website:

A group of volunteers from Origins Church are working with local Greenville artists to help teach our children the joy of expression through painting! They will be helping children create canvas paintings to be auctioned at a community event to benefit the shelter. We are so grateful to be a part of this project and to be able to expose the children at Pendleton Place to the therapeutic advantages of art. The Art Auction will take place on Thursday, August 25 from 6-10PM (bidding ends at 9PM) at Spill the Beans on Main Street. Please consider supporting our volunteers by 'friend-ing'Pendleton Place Art Auction on Facebook to learn more information about this event! If you cant' attend the event, but would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support our young artists, please click here.

Featured Artist: Wingo Designs

We're going to have some really great metalwork jewelry this year at Indie Craft Parade, but I'm particularly excited about the pieces coming from Wingo Designs. This husband and wife team primarily work in landscape design where they transform outdoor spaces into memorable niches. A lot of their designs include metal furniture which they design and create.

Making metal jewelry became a natural outflow of their furniture craft. Their jewelry has such a great organic quality about it that looks like sculptures you'd find in a garden. I am quite anxious to see what gems they'll bring to the event.

To see more of their portfolio or to learn about their outdoor designs, check out their website.

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.