Sep 24
Gather your thoughts, round up your pix, get your typin’ hat on and submit your work! The deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 30. When the clock strikes 12, we will all turn into pumpkins and fire up the old Excel to start digging in!
Click here to fill out the application to be a vendor at the very first Crafty Supermarket
Sep 22
Can I just say I love Google Docs? Here’s the order form to pre-order your own copy of Crafty Superstar! Fill it out now, send in your payment, and you’ll be among the first to get the book when it comes out in November!
And by the by, I am blown away by the response we’ve gotten for Crafty Supermarket so far! Holy crap! And there’s still even 8 more days to apply!
Sep 15
So, aside from having loads of great indie crafters at Crafty Supermarket, you should know this shindig is also going to be a book release party. Oh yes—an indie craft book release party.
About two years ago I started working on what became Crafty Superstar: Turn Your Crafts into Extra Cash, Keep Your Day Job, and Basically Have It All. It’s finally being released in November… just in time for Crafty Supermarket!
To be honest, the whole idea for the market started as a party for the book. Then I thought, Wait, wouldn’t it be utterly rad to have crafters at the party? Then I had to go back to my book files and printed out the pages about organizing an indie craft show. I am testing my advice!
I spent about a year interviewing indie craft movers and shakers for this book, talking about taxes and legal stuff, self-promotion, production and how to find balance when crafting is just one of your many jobs. I’ve got great advice from crafty types including Jenny Hart, Grace Bonney, Susie Ghahremani, Cinnamon Cooper, Jessica Manack, Jenny Harada and many more!
Crafty Superstar is already on Amazon, but I suggest you get a copy in person at the show. If you can’t make it, watch for ordering info on the website—I’ll mail it myself, sign it to you (or whoever) and even throw in some extra goodies.
Sep 9
This discussion can get pretty esoteric really fast, but it’s worth addressing. Crafty Supermarket is an indie craft show—not a craft show, not an art show. What’s the difference?
The lines are fine, but I think of indie crafters as people who work outside the system as much as possible. Making stuff by hand, using unique materials and doing it themselves.
I addressed this very topic in my book, Crafty Superstar, because the “indie” term gets thrown around so much lately:
Some people say screenprinted T-shirts aren’t handmade enough to be DIY. Others include vintage wares under the indie umbrella. Some exclude wares created with mainstream craft kits. Some indie crafts are one-of-a-kind. Some are made entirely from scratch. Some blur the line between fine art and traditional craft. Some blur the line between trash and treasure.
I think of “indie” (stemming from independent) as the visual contradiction of combining granny craft techniques with punk sensibilities. A classic example of indie craft (that’s been completely co-opted by big box stores) is a knit scarf with pink skulls on it.
Indie craft is really similar to indie music in terms of exclusivity. When it’s underground and exclusive, the look has the organic street cred corporate types salivate over. Eventually, the trend catches on with the general public, gets diluted and overdone, and by that point it’s totally over.
When it comes down to figuring out whether you fit in a scene or under the indie umbrella, the most important thing is to stay true to your ideals and aesthetic. Who says you need a label, anyway? (And the indie musicians would totally agree.)
You can learn a lot more about the indie craft movement in Faythe Levine’s documentary “Handmade Nation.” Faythe talked to a lot of the movers and shakers in the craft world, and the film is finally touring the US! (And I interviewed her for my book!)
In summary:
Cincinnati is gonna get rocked this fall by Crafty Supermarket, the first indie craft show in the ‘nati! Mark your calendars: Crafty Supermarket is going down 12-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.
Craftiness will take over the back room of the Northside Tavern, AND we’ll have copies of my book on hand! A book release party for Crafty Superstar: Turn Your Crafts into Extra Cash, Keep Your Day Job, and Basically Have It All will follow the show.
Vendors will include local and national crafters—watch for application info coming soon.
crafty supermarket! 