Scoutmob says:

It’s the holidays. You’re in gift-buying, festive party-planning, dining out with friends mode. So what better time of year to jump aboard the Scoutmob “shop indie”" bandwagon? Make a decision to support independent shops and restaurants, using the Scoutmob app as a compass to discover the best small businesses at a great price near you.

Plus, when you sign up, you’re entered to win one of three Etsy shopping sprees. Enter to win here.

What handmade sellers or independent businesses are you buying from this year? Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

What American Pickers Can Teach You About Buying Handmade
Papernstitch
The importance of buying handmade is all about establishing a connection between the maker and the buyer, as well as  the story behind each piece.  On her blog Papernstitch, Brittni shares how this relationship between us and what we buy and make, is often exemplified on the TV show, American Pickers. Although the show focuses on antiques and not necessarily handmade goods, there is a lot to learn from people who understand not only the monetary value of items, but their intrinsic value as well.

DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers
Digital Photography School
As any one who sells goods online will tell you, good photos can make all the difference in what sells and what doesn’t – and  proper lighting plays in a huge role in any good photo shoot.  In this fantastic photography post, Darren Rowse shares 11 DIY projects to help you get the perfect lighting for any type of shot with an manual or SLR camera. You need not go out and spend a fortune on flash tools, as most of the projects Rowse lists are super easy and can be made with items you already have around the home.

Philly’s Art Star Craft Bazaar
Art Star Craft Bazaar
In the world of East Coast craft shows, few have the celebrated distinction of Art Star. Started by the gals behind Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique, this fair has become a favorite of many crafters and shoppers who appreciate the unique and quirky spirit as much as the fun shopping experience. Art Star Craft Bazaar runs from May 14th – May 15th, at the Penn’s Landing Great Plaza.

Good Outdoor Goods
Andrew’s Reclaimed
As spring weather encourages everyone to spend more time in their outdoor spaces, finding items to furnish and create your perfect garden of eden, no matter how big or small, can be a challenge. If you’re looking for items that are affordable, upcycled and functional, we suggest you check out Andrew’s Reclaimed Etsy shop. This Seattle, Washington duo creates everything from bee boxes to planters and seed trays – all out of reclaimed wood.

Social Media Has Little Impact on Online Retail Purchases
Mashable
If you’re spending a good chuck of your day tweeting just to help your business sales, you may want to take a step back. Mashable has shared the results from a 2010 collaborative study between Forrester Research and GSI Commerce. The research shows that social media rarely leads to direct purchases online; specifically, less than 2% of orders placed during the study were the result of shoppers coming from a social network; email and search advertising fared much better. If you sell online, this article is definitely worth checking out.

(vintage Kmart tag photo by Roadsidepictures)

“$22 for $35 worth of letterpress cards!” I get so mad when I encounter crafters selling their wares at ridiculous discounts. And recently a spate of handmade discounting schemes has popped up, making me fear the Walmartization of crafts has begun.

First up, Heartsy.me is like Groupon for handmade goods. Vendors apply to offer a deal—which must be at least 50 percent off—and the site’s members vote on which should be accepted. Selected sellers create gift certificates, which Heartsy buys off you and promotes on their site.

Quite Unique is more of a traditional wholesale situation. The site offers a daily deal poised to sell out fast—“one unique handpicked item per day at a great value.” It’s the “great value” part that smacks of big-box discounters to me. (Is craftsmanship not valuable at full price?)

And, of course, Etsy introduced coupon functionality on the site in November 2010. You pick the discount you want to offer and go hog wild.

Shoppers are primed to react to discounts. (If you’re into social history, I highly recommend Ellen Ruppel Shell’s book Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture.) But discounts are largely a phenomenon of the era of mass production—it pains me to see handmade items’ prices slashed like off-brand iPods. Will discounts boost your Etsy sales? Maybe. But I think they’ll do crafters much more harm than good in the long run, for these three reasons.

1. Discounts make you undervalue your time.
Crafters are already notorious at underselling themselves. Too often, we simply price our goods at what we consider the going rate, rather than taking into consideration the cost of materials plus the cost of your time and any overhead you have. I fully believe in making a living wage, and I believe every crafter should do the same. (If you think I sound ranty now, just read pages 27 through 30 of my book.) More than likely, you’re already selling your work for too little. If you discount it any further, you could even be losing money.

When there are dozens of people selling similar things on Etsy, you may think you have to lower your prices to compete. But I think a customer is more likely to save up to buy a pair of steampunk owl earrings that they really love for $55 than spend $5 on a pair that’s marked down from $10.

2. Discounts don’t draw the kind of customers you want to have an LTR with.
You might think a buck’s a buck, but fair-weather shoppers who only buy when it’s cheap aren’t the kind of customers you can count on. Discounts don’t create repeat customers—they only create customers who expect more sales.

If you consistently offer discounts on your handmade items, what incentive does a shopper have to ever pay full price? We need to focus on educating buyers of handmade items why our products are priced what they’re priced, and why they’re worth it. Creating personal connections with customers is what handmade is all about.

If you’re struggling to make sales, maybe you don’t have a solid idea of who your audience is yet. Are your products appealing more to college students or empty-nest moms? Spendthrift yuppies or up-and-coming country folks? When you know who your customers are, you can figure out how to best reach them, and what prices they’ll pay. Discounts won’t do that for you.

3. Discounts cheapen your brand.
Let’s face it: Most handmade goods are luxuries. They’re lovely nonessentials that people buy because they want to—whether driven by wanting to support a small business, to consume more ethically or simply to have beautiful things. When you’re a craftsperson, being the cheapest isn’t going to help your business. Making quality products—and pricing accordingly—will.

Think about it this way—do you want to be a discount store shampoo brand, selling economy-size bottles of shampoo for $3 with a 25-cent-off coupon? Strive to be Aveda: Making and selling high-quality, beautiful products that attract a clientele that doesn’t need a discount incentive to be convinced to buy from you.

——TEMPORIUM DATES POSTPONED!——

New dates will be set soon so stay tuned.

Hello Craft, the official Vendor Coordinator of the Mt. Pleasant Temporium Pop-Up Shop, is excited to announce the Washington, DC-based crafters and artists that will sell handmade in the shop. Please go to this page to see all the vendors.

The vendors will be selling their handmade goods from January 26 to February 26. Hello Craft invites all to stop by the Temporium to do some handmade shopping and check out our hands-on workshops as well as live music, storytelling and trunk shows from the local community.

Hello Craft’s Make Something Awesome Area will be set up at the store on January 29, February 10 and February 26. The vendor page has all the details on all the free craft-making sessions. Learn how to make pin sets, make envelopes and cards for Valentine’s Day or take part in our Handmade Gift Exchange.

For more information on the Mt. Pleasant Temporium Pop-Up Shop including the complete schedule of events, shop hours and directions please go to http://mtptemporium.com/.

Below are some of my favorite calendars. The Writing Women Calendar from groovygirl includes quotes from famous female writers like Sylvia Plath, Anais Nin and Gertrude Stein. Also, as I’ve been a bit obsessed with llamas lately, I’m particularly attracted to the Macchu Picchu image included in bruboo’s calendar, which features images of toy models the artist captured during her travels. Some of them, like the ones from AfricanGray and PaperSubmarine, allow you to customize the calendar by coloring or embellishing with your own design. No matter what your style, there are plenty of calendars to chose from. If I left one out, please share in the comments.

‘2011 Printable Calendars’

Printable 2011 postcard… flrwnx $3.00	2011 PRINTABLE CALENDAR… bubbo $9.00	DIY Tidepool Calendar 2… AfricanGrey $9.50
2011 Printable Writing … groovygrrl $5.00	2011 Fun Cubes Printabl… Reworkshop $4.50	cut-out – 2011 printabl… bialakura $6.00
2011 Printable Calendar… bluetricycle $5.00	2011 calendar – print a… ALittleHut $5.00	Eat More Veg 2011 Calen… LaurieCoyleDes… $20.00
DIY Blank Printable 201… PaperSubmarine $3.00	2011 Printable Write In… TheArtOfJoy $7.00	NEW Large 2011 Town Cal… TheSketchedBoo… $27.00
Creative Inspiration – … empapers $10.00	2011 Calendar Printable… printableproje… $5.00	2011 dodecahedral calen… Paper2Download $5.00

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Tick Tock! Crimson Clock from 1byliz

The last minute flurry of holiday activity is upon us. Don’t panic. Yes, time is short, but don’t get desperate and shower your loved ones with useless plastic and mass-produced junk. Take a deep breath and keep reading for last minute gift ideas you can still buy or even make, including a quick and easy zipper pouch project with video instruction from my favorite lady in the whole world (thanks Mom!).

You Can Still Buy Handmade

It’s true! You can buy handmade even this late in the game. Here are some suggestions:
Check your local handmade retail shops, including any holiday pop-up shops (like these in Portland, Atlanta and Providence). After a quick whip around the web along with some phone calls, here’s a list of shops that will be open either late tonight or during the day tomorrow (check their sites or call for exact hours).

Magpie in Somerville, MA
Art Star in Philadelphia, PA
Double Dutch Boutique and Red Tree and in Baltimore, MD
Young Blood Gallery in Atlanta, GA
Renegade Handmade in Chicago, IL
Fancy Tiger in Denver, CO
Schmancy in Seattle, WA
Land Gallery, Frock Boutique and Collage in Portland, OR
Rare Device in San Francisco, CA
Reform School in Los Angeles, CA

You can also try places like Whole Foods, which tend to carry lines from different crafty businesses like bodycare products from Biggs & Featherbelle or jewelry from Figs & Ginger. Check the sites of your favorite artists for a listing of retails shops that carry their products. You may be surprised and delighted by the increasing accessibility of handmade items.

Give Your Crafty Friends Patterns

I know lots of crafty people that are always looking for a new pattern to try. Patterns from .pdf downloads are a great way to handle last minute giving for this group of folks.

Crochet Handwarmer Pattern from adventuresofjr.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Cross-stitch Pattern from My Paper Crane.

Sublime Stitching has various PDF patterns available, including this one featuring designs by Carson Ellis.

Lots to choose from on Magpie Patterns, including knitting, sewing, crochet & embroidery.

You Can Still Make Stuff

These knit envelopes look like a great project for a plane or car ride. Magpie Patterns has a bunch of patterns you could purchase as a gift or make yourself. I particularly like the Breckenridge Cowl from French Press Knits and think the “instant gratification” nature of the project sounds promising for last minute making. Lots of kids at your holiday gatherings? Marimekko has a fun star wand project that looks easy and would make cute gift toppers or festive place cards for your holiday table.

Zipper Pouch Tutorial

If you have basic sewing skills, some fabric & access to a sewing machine, here’s a quick & easy zipper pouch you can whip up in 30 minutes.

Hello Craft Presents Crafting with Mom: Quick & Easy Zipper Pouch Project.

Basic step-by-step instructions included after the jump.

Quick and Easy Zipper Pouch
Supplies used:
-fabric (we used one pattern for the inside & another for the outside)
-zipper
-fuseable fleece (optional)
-Seam-to-Seam (optional- you can use pins instead)
-scissors
-sewing machine (or needle & thread)
-iron

Instructions
Step 1: Cut fabric & fuseable fleece to desired size.
Step 2: Iron out any wrinkles.
Step 3: Adhere fuseable fleece to back of the 2 pieces of outside fabric.
Step 4: Apply Seam-to-Seam to top edge of print side on one piece of outside fabric.
Step 5: Adhere fabric to one side of zipper. If it doesn’t stick, adhere with iron. Do not iron the fuseable fleece side (it will melt).
Step 6: Apply Seam-to-Seam to top edge on print side of lining fabric.
Step 7: Adhere lining fabric to zipper on same side of the zipper teeth as the outside fabric, but to the back side of the zipper. The fuseable fleece side will be facing the wrong side of the lining.
Step 8: Draw sewing line if desired. Sew both pieces of fabric to the zipper. You’ll need to reposition the zipper pull to complete the seam. See video for specifics.
Step 9: Repeat steps 4-8, applying the 2nd piece of outside fabric & lining on other side of the zipper teeth.
Step 10: Position so outside fabric & lining pieces are matched up & facing each other. Trim excess zipper & pin if desired.
Step 11: Sew seam down one side. Sew seam down 2nd side.
Step 12: Sew bottom seam on outside fabric/fleece side.
Step 13: Sew bottom seam on lining side, leaving a gap in the middle to turn the fabric right-side-out.
Step 14: Turn fabric right side out.
Step 15: Poke out the edges with a pointed utensil (my Mom uses a hemostat or bone folder)
Step 16: Sew seam at bottom of the lining on the right side of the fabric.
Step 17: Tuck lining into bag and admire you’re awesome work.

Now, off to finish my list. Happy last minute making & shopping!

The overlying idea tying The Temporium together is storytelling. Thus stories will be woven into all aspects of the pop-up shop. The vendors will profile their own stories alongside their products to tie into this theme.

The Temporium is scheduled to open for 24 dates between late January and February. The project will also feature special programming that includes autobiographical and theatrical storytelling, trunk shows, educational panels and live music.

More information and final vendor list will be coming shortly. To learn more about the Mt. Pleasant Temporium please check out the project’s Web site.

If you’re one of these holiday loathing types, you’ve probably chosen to completely ignore your gift giving obligations, hoping they’ll magically cure themselves like a case of Meningitis or Avian Bird Flu. Or maybe you’re burdened with the difficult task of shopping for these debbie downers, which you’ve pushed to the end of your holiday to-do list until now. Either way, here’s a last-minute gift guide that you’ve probably yet to see during this time of cheer and glee — one that embraces the sarcastic, disillusioned sorts that manage to ground the holiday euphoria with their dry and self-deprecating “charm”. Happy Holidays! Now where’s my Xanax bowl?

‘The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Holiday Shopping’ by claritam

Xanax drug bowl in blac… lltownleyceram… $20.00	Exploding Gift – Blank … sechetesdents $2.00	meh necklace lindsaylou27 $25.00
Bittersweets Angry Ging… Bittersweeets $34.00	Bitter Chocolate, Orang… sweettreatsbak… $5.25	Snowbound KurtCo $
Santas Little Helper Fl… moxieandoliver $55.00	Lump of Coal Soap KBShimmer $6.00	Skull Ornament – Say Ch… pumpkinlady $4.97
PRINT – Get off my lawn… thebigharumph $20.00	OVERSIZE COCOON COAT (F… CubistLiteratu… $500.00	so tired. joettamaue $135.00
A horrible pencil set goldenstiletto $3.00	Rudolph Stands Alone loloINK $45.00	Eco Friendly Canvas Tot… WhoDoesntWantT… $8.00

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This weeks picks:

Pop-Up Shop
Crafty Wonderland Pop-Up Shop
Portland, Oregon is a hub for awesomeness and the Crafty Wonderland Pop-Shop is no exception. The amazing ladies of CW have put together the cutest, temporary store selling handmade goodness from more than 80 vendors. The store has been in full swing since mid-November with special happenings every weekend including art shows and tastings. We recommend stopping by this  Thursday, from 5-7pm, for the Crafty Holiday Happy Hour! The Crafty Wonderland Pop-Up Shop is located at 802 SW 10th Ave. in Portland, OR.

Get Skills
Discount classes at the 3rd Ward
If you live in NYC and have any sort of creative inkling or you need help getting your hands dirty, the 3rd Ward is where you should be. This member-based art and design center in Brooklyn houses multiple photo studios, a professional wood & metal shop, a fully loaded digital media lab, a jewelry studio and lots of shared & private work space. To help you get to making, the 3rd Ward is offering 10% off a bunch of their classes starting in early January. Whether it’s learning serious stuff like HTML or Final Cut Pro, hands-on classes from sewing to oil painting, or the cool workshops that will get you instant street cred like jailbreaking your iphone, you can learn it all for very reasonable prices.

In the News
Handmade-goods movement goes corporate, by David A. Keeps
Chain stores like Urban Outfitters and Target have been preying on the street trends of young hipsters for years (think cupcakes and Shawn White). So it should be no surprise that more and more corporate companies are trying to tap into the insanely successful independent handmade community, to increase their hip factor along with sales. Writer David A. Keeps puts this all into perspective in his L.A. Times article that pits the independent craft fairs of L.A.  against the box stores like West Elm and CB2.  Keeps’ article is a good read that shows just how far our community has come, but also begs the question- Is outsourcing one inevitable part of indie success?

The Cutest Mail Ever
World’s Smallest Post Service
Although holiday mailings can get tedious with all the back and forth to the post office, waiting in line, buying envelopes, remembering addresses, etc., there is no denying that receiving mail (the good kind), in this digital age, is still exciting and joyful. So once the craze of the holidays is over, don’t give up on the snail mail world! The World’s Smallest Post Service is here to serve your itty bitty letter needs in the tiniest, cutest way possible. Postmaster Lea Redmond sets up her little roaming office in cafes and shops in the San Francisco bay area and beyond, and offers her teeny tiny letter transcription service to passers-by. You can also order services via her website and check out all her other cool tiny projects. Viva la petite snail mail!

Government Money
New small business loans approved in ‘minutes’, by Catherine Clifford
For those trying to pave their way to be their own boss, start-up funds are important, yet sadly not always accessible. But help is on the way, as explained by Catherine Clifford in this CNN Money post. The SBA has recognized the funding issues that many have with the big banks, and is working on 2 initiatives to help serve start-ups. One cuts the paperwork burden, bringing the approval time for small business loans down to minutes or one business day, and the other initiative aims to get SBA-backed loans to under-served communities. Aside from explaining these initiatives which will start on March 15th, this article also comes with a short video that should be inspiring for those looking to start their own business with little funding but lots of big ideas.

Call for Crafts
Indie Fixx Galleria
The Indie Fixx Winter Galleria is now accepting accepting applications. This seasonally curated/juried online gallery showcases handmade and vintage goods from individual makers and boutiques. You can check out the current selection of items in the the Holiday Galleria, which will be up until January 6th. The Winter Galleria is set to run from January 15 – March 15, which is a great time to promote your craft online, since it’s during the down-time from craft shows. The small cost of $40 to have your wares featured for 2 months on this indie craft powerhouse site makes this an awesome and accessible promotional outlet.

Last Minute Poster Gifts
Poster Cabaret
No matter how old you are, you can still bank on Aunt Edna or Grandma Betty to send you a holdiay check for $10 that you’re never sure what to do with.  Well, combine those awkward family checks together and get yourself some truly amazing wall art at the Poster Caberet this year. This online gallery is a great place to check out a variety of intriguing handscreened posters and prints from more than 75  top designers and artists from across the globe. With great prices and a huge selection, you can support super talented poster artists such as past Crafty Bastards vendors, Brainstorm Print + Design and Nate Duval.  And best of all, this website is simple and void of clutter so that the focus of the site remains the posters, prints and artists.

Time is running out, but it’s not too late to buy handmade gifts this year.  In this post I cover three holiday pop-ups shops where you can find a large selection of handmade goods from super talented artists.

Crafty Wonderland Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Portland, Oregon
Runs through December 30th

Craftland Holiday Show
Providence, Rhode Island
Runs until December 31st

Indie Craft Experience Pop-Up Shop
Atlanta, Georgia
Runs until December 30th

Craftland Holiday Show

Over the last nine years, the Craftland gang  (Margaret, Art, Devienna, Jen, Deb, Kristin C, & Kristin A) has expanded their month-long holiday show in Providence, Rhode Island into a full-blown year-round shop that carries handmade goods and offers crafty workshops.

They continue their holiday tradition every November when the shop transforms into the magical Craftland Show with a wide range of handmade treasures from nearly 200 artists.  The vendor list is a who’s who of indie craft and includes endless gift possibilities.

Below is a collection of  great gift ideas for guys the Craftland gang shared with their email subscribers.  They’ve got another collection of items for everyone on your list here.

Attention Last-Minute Shoppers: Craftland will be open until MIDNIGHT this Thursday!

Crafty Wonderland Holiday Pop-up Shop

Many of you already know Portland is a super crafty town bursting with amazing talent.  Can you believe it keeps getting better?  In addition to lots of independent shops & galleries that carry handmade goods like Frock and Land, Portland now boasts a holiday pop-up shop with one of the best cash-wraps I’ve ever seen.

Cathy Pitters & Torie Nguyen, the awesome duo behind Portland’s Crafty Wonderland show, worked with the city of Portland this year to open a temporary holiday shop that features handmade goods from local artists.  In addition to prints by Berkley Illustration & Jill Bliss, you’ll also find household items from Appetite Designs, jackets from Bella Sisters, cardigans and skirts from Bossa Nova Baby (that’s Cathy’s line), hats from Knot Ugly, jewelry from Betsy & Iya and soooo much more.

You can see photos of the shop on Facebook (including the image of Mayor Sam Adams proudly displaying his locally made Portland pennant).

Crafty Wonderland is open until 7pm nightly and will host a Crafty Holiday Happy Hour this Thursday from 5pm-7pm.  The shop winds down with a closing party next Thursday, December 30th.

ICE Pop-up Shop in Atlanta

Christy Petterson & Shannon Mulkey, the masterminds the produce Atlanta’s super popular Indie Craft Experience (ICE), have curated a wonderful mix of handmade goods from some of the best makers throughout the country to feature in their temporary Atlanta shop.

The primary goal of ICE is to encourage everyone to buy handmade during the holiday season.  Christy says, “through our annual holiday shopping spectacular and the pop-up shop we tried to make [handmade gift shopping] as easy and fun as possible for everyone.”  Looking at their vendor list it looks like they are doing just that.  Stop by the shop and see for yourself.

The shop runs until December 3oth and is located at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta.  Hours of operation this week are 7pm today, 5pm Monday-Wednesday, 9pm Thursday and 6pm on Friday.

Here’s a small sample of items you’ll find at the ICE Pop-up Shop:

Are there retail shops that carry handmade goods where you live?  Do you make stuff that people can find in different shops throughout the country?  Drop me a line and tell me about it or share with everyone in the comments below.

Happy shopping!