One of the most inspiring, hardest working crafters I know is my business partner. She organizes the Indie Craft Experience with me and is an amazing crafter (duh, otherwise she wouldn’t be my business partner). Shannon Mulkey is a busy gal (understatement.) and we literally had this conversation while on our flight to the Summit of Awesome in Baltimore!

Hi Shannon, thanks for sitting next to me on the way to Baltimore! Tell us a little about your art and craft background.
I’ve been crafting my entire life. I studied psychology and art in college but I’ve always crafted. I started sewing and making clothes in 2004 and helped organize a fashion show in that year in Atlanta called Breaker Breaker. That’s when I knew I’d found what I’d be doing. There was a full page in the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) of photos of my dresses and I felt like if I got that without even trying that I better keep it up.

Then I met you in October of 2004 at Kraftwork at Young Blood in Atlanta and also participated in Stitch in Austin that same month. We started organizing the Indie Craft Experience in January 2005 and participated in our first Renegade in Brooklyn in June of that year. The rest is history. I haven’t stopped or looked back since then.

It’s crazy how things snowball! Before you know it, you are busy with crafts all the time! What are you working on right now?
I’m an art educator at a Montessori elementary school and I teach a modern craft class at Savannah College of Art’s Atlanta campus. I’m also an art educator at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Also at the High, I’m creative director of Culture Shock, which is programming for 20 and 30 year olds. It’s exhibit specific so currently I’m working on our Masquerade Ball for Halloween weekend which ties in to the “Modern Masters, Picasso to Warhol” exhibit. For New Year’s Eve we are transforming the museum into Andy Warhol’s factory. I’m also working on the next Indie Craft Experience holiday show and our wedding show that’s in a few months and our holiday pop-up shop.

I’m the sole designer and seamstress for Patina. Right now is the busiest time of year. I just got back from doing Renegade in Chicago and Crafty Bastards in DC. I’m getting ready to restock stores that carry Patina for the holiday season. I also just joined the beehive in Atlanta and will start selling there in November. Patina is a small line of handmade clothes and accessories. I use mainly vintage and recycled materials, a lot of knits and wool. I make my own patterns inspired by vintage clothing but with a modern twist. I come out with two limited edition lines per year. Sometimes I’m inspired by the vintage fabric that I find and I’ll only make like 3 dresses of that particular design. I also make a lot of one-of-a-kind.

I sell at craft shows around the country and at small boutiques. I like combining textures and colors. When I started sewing I’d take a vintage dress apart to see how it was made. I also used old sheets and sewed them into dresses. It was economical and also made the pieces unique. I love finding a small run of vintage fabric, like 3-10 yards, and making something modern out of it. It’s satisfying because it is more one-of-a-kind and there is some history to it.

So what inspires you?
My friends inspire me. Seeing what they’re making as well as other crafters and members of the DIY community really inspires me.

Well you certainly are busy Shannon! Thanks for talking with me (and not ignoring me while I’m sitting next to you on the plane).

As much as I hate that my day job diverts 8 hours of my day away from crafts, I will admit there are the occasional amazing perks (and I’m not just talking about the $s that arrive in my bank account on the 1st and the 15th). One of these perks came in the form of hiring a graphic designer for a project about six years ago. As we discussed the boring details of the promotional brochure that I hired Tracy Wagner for, little did I know that I was talking to one of the most creative and artistic people I’ve ever known! Since then I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work on many projects with Tracy and it is always exciting to see her latest ideas.

Hi Tracy! Tell us about your creative background.
I went to the Savannah College of Art & Design – BFA in photography (switched my major a few times – painting, illustration and finally photography).

Grew up down the road from my grandfather’s farm in Osgood, Indiana. Besides being farmers, I come from a long line of crafters – both grandmothers made quilts. Grandma Wagner loved ceramics, knitting and had a little upholstery shop. My grandpa Wagner was a wood worker – had a yard full of penguins at Christmas time. My mother is a weaver and my father dabbles in wood working too.

I have loved art my whole life – remember going berry picking with my grandpa Jackson (didn’t care too much for berry picking) so I would sneak off in the cornfield and use my few berries I did pick and draw in the dirt.

Grew up in a small farm town in southeast Indiana. Always loved art but the small farm town life wasn’t for me. Moved to Atlanta 1st and studied graphic design at the Portfolio Center – only lasted 1 semester. Moved to White Bear Lake, MN for a year where I was the #1 fruitcake seller that holiday season. I worked at a day old bread store.

Realized I had bigger dreams than the day old bread store so I moved to Savannah and finished up college at SCAD. After college I moved to Hollywood where I had an internship that didn’t work out so I moved back to Cincinnati where my graphic design career started at Kanet Productions. After a couple of years I moved to Baltimore, MD and worked as a Senior Designer at Tullier Marketing in Annapolis. After a couple of years I headed south to Atlanta where I have been for 12 years. Started Tweet Design over five years ago and love every minute of it.

You do it all — you’re an artist, crafter and designer. What do you like about each? How is working on each different or similar?
I love all three – I think they all tie in and mesh together.
If I am working on a painting I can see little elements flow into my graphic design then I will simplify it and make letterpress cards or tshirts.

Being an artist, I love the freedom – working with my hands, getting dirty and seeing my ideas and thoughts come alive – same thing with crafting. I love working with found objects, junk and anything I can get my hands on. I am self-taught in a lot of things – I don’t think I will ever stop learning something new – makes it exciting. Graphic design is a good outlet for my creative side. I can still be creative but with guidelines (clients), taking someone else’s ideas or project and making it come alive.

What inspires you?
Anything old that has a history to it – love roaming through flea markets and junk
stores. Lately it has been little things that Henry, my 2 year old son, has been pointing out – he discovered his shadow the other day. Really interested in textile designs especially patterns.

I’ve noticed you are really active on Pinterest. What do you like about Pinterest?
So many ideas!! I used to save everything I found from the web in a little folder on my desktop and Pinterest is great! Everything is organized and easy to get to. Plus you can see what DIY project people in South Africa are into. Never ending – just need to get started on doing some of those DIY projects and other finds I have saved.

I know you’ve been working on an upcoming exhibit at Young Blood Gallery. Tell us about the Day of the Dead art show you are curating.

I started the Day of the Dead Show four years ago – wanted to host a group show where everybody starts out with the same material. Picked Day of the Dead because it was a great Holiday and four years ago I didn’t really hear that much about it. The idea of making little coffins was a plus too – my husband sometimes isn’t too trilled about the idea of making 100+ coffins a year but he is getting really good at coffin building.

It’s so exciting to get the little wood coffin back – no two coffins are alike – so many ideas. Just amazing. This year the opening is November 5th at Young Blood Gallery, an awesome gallery and shop here in Atlanta.

What else do you have going on these days? Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
I am in the process of getting a plan together of translating my paintings into clothing, especially children’s clothing. I painted a dress for the opening party for the Dali exhibit last year at the High Museum in Atlanta and that started the whole idea.

I started a little blog, and that has been helpful for getting my ideas and ‘work in progress’ out there. Would love to have another group art show and always thinking of my next art project – never ending.

That all sounds so exciting Tracy! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Thanks for talking with us!

Earlier this week, I got to chat with Jessica Swift, a designer and crafter who lives in Atlanta. Jessica is a full-time artist and does a really awesome job at incorporating her surface designs into hand-crafted items, which she sells at craft markets (like Crafty Bastards, Renegade and the Indie Craft Experience) and in shops, such as the beehive here in Atlanta.

I should mention that I talked to Jessica earlier this week and since we spoke, the exciting project she mentions at the end of the interview has been successfully funded on Kickstarter! I think this is good news for all of us. Congrats Jess!

Hi Jess, tell us about your background and how you got started with art and craft.
I was an art major in college, and I’ve always been crafty, ever since I was a little kid. It’s in my bones! My mom taught me how to sew when I was young, and we always did art projects together, so it’s always been a big part of my life. After college I didn’t make much art for about a year. I was working in a restaurant with no real idea what I wanted to do for a living! I entered a juried show on a whim and got in! That’s when everything really began. The show was a giant success, and I realized I could make a real go at being an artist for a living. That early success definitely gave me confidence to jump right in with both feet, and it’s helped me move through the ups and downs that have come throughout my career as a working artist so far. I was primarily a painter back then, and when I moved to Atlanta about 4 years ago, I started working more digitally– I’d gotten obsessed with the idea of being a surface designer– and my work changed a lot. I opened my Etsy shop, started focusing on making patterns and prints to sell, and that was the beginning of this current incarnation of my business!

So what are you making these days?
These days I make a variety of things. I create digital patterns that I then use for my own products, like coasters, pocket mirrors, notebooks, and necklaces. I also still paint, so I create original paintings that I sell in galleries and also turn into prints to sell online and in boutiques throughout the country. I’ve started making pillows recently, too, and I have a line of inspirational mini screen prints that have been quite popular the past few years. I also sell and license my patterns to other companies for use on their products, so there are some things, like notecards and fabric, floating around in stores with my artwork on them, too! I do graphic design work for clients, so I create digital logos and things, too.

What do you love most about working full-time as an artist?
I love being in charge of my own time every day. I never, ever want to have to work for someone else again! I love not having to ask for time off, and I love that my days vary so much depending on what projects I have going on. I love that I get to be creative every day, and that I get to affect people in a positive way through my artwork. It’s a very gratifying job to have!

I went full-time when I was 23, right after that first juried show, but I held part-time jobs here and there over the next 4 years after that, just to supplement my income during slow times. When I moved to Georgia, I worked part-time as a nanny for the first 9 months that I lived here, and I jumped back into being a full-time artist right after that. That was in May 2008. I’ve been full-time ever since!

That’s awesome! What is the biggest challenge of working full-time as an artist?
I work at home, and the biggest challenge is turning OFF my business. It’s right there in the room next to me at all times, and there are always about a trillion things that I could be doing, so it’s really hard for me to stop working most days. For some reason I expect myself to work from morning until bedtime every day, so I get burned out sometimes. Relaxing and leaving work for the next day is definitely the hardest part of being a full-time artist for me!

Oh yeah, you have to let yourself relax! What big projects do you have going on lately?
I have tons of things going on these days! I just exhibited at Surtex for the second time in May, so I’m still deep in follow-up mode from that show. Surtex is a trade show in New York City where I exhibit my patterns (not any actual products for sale), and companies come looking for new artwork to buy or license for their products. I have a *very* exciting deal in the works with a company I met there, but I can’t talk about it yet! Mysterious, I know! Getting ready for this show is different than getting ready for a craft show, because I don’t make any actual products– instead, I design as many patterns as I can, which I then put into portfolios to take to the show. I also put big, bold patterns on my booth walls. I don’t try to get shops or people to buy my products at Surtex– I’m there to hopefully make deals with companies whose products I’d like to have my artwork on. It’s a very different experience than a craft show! It’s also MUCH more expensive to exhibit at trade shows.

I’m also starting to get ready for the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago in September, and I’m getting ready for a solo show of my paintings at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I’m going to be painting like a mad woman until August 1st!

I have several client projects going on right now, too: designing a calendar for a popular stationery company, working on some logos for a couple of people, a custom pattern….

AND, the most exciting thing: I’m starting a line of patterned rain boots! With secret messages on the inside! Inspirational, empowering messages. And I have a Kickstarter project running right now that’s almost fully funded after just a week and a half! Kickstarter is a unique way to fund creative projects, where people can pledge money towards your project and get rewards in exchange. One of my rewards is a pair of the first line of boots! It’s very exciting. Once the project is successful, I’ll get the boots into production and hopefully be able to start selling them by the end of the year. There’s still time for people to participate, too– the project isn’t over until July 21st! The more money that I can raise, the more patterns I’ll hopefully be able to start with for the boots!

Jess, that’s all super exciting! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Becky is a fixture in the Atlanta indie craft community and can be seen at markets and festivals all over the city. She also gets out of town for events outside the A-T-L, and fans of Hello Craft have probably encountered her at Crafty Bastards the last couple of years or at the Summit of Awesome where she has been a speaker on the “Crafting a Green Craft” panel discussion the past two years. In Portland last year, she even taught a demo on how to make a reusable coffee cozy (from up-cycled fabric, of course!). I caught up with Becky earlier this week.

How did you get started with crafting? And how did Glue and Glitter come about?
My mom is a preschool teacher, so crafting has sort of been a part of my life since I was little. We were always making something, either for fun or a project for her class. It’s those preschool crafts that really formed my crafty aesthetic, I think, and my business name is sort of a nod to that. Do you remember those glitter paintings you’d do as a kid? Where you’d draw with glue, shake on loads of glitter, then shake off the excess? I always loved how the drawing sort of appeared like magic. I try to keep that magic at the core of Glue and Glitter.

When I first started Glue and Glitter, I was actually making jewelry, but it never really felt like a good fit. I don’t even wear jewelry most of the time! Then one day back in 2005, a friend taught me how to sew, and it was like something clicked. I’ve been sewing ever since.

What do you make these days?
These days, I’m focusing on handmade products for a crafty kitchen. The idea is to create products that help people reduce waste in their day to day without sacrificing style. Whether an apron encourages someone to get in the kitchen instead of ordering wasteful takeout or a Lunch Kit gets you bringing your lunch to work or school without all of the disposables, I want to make sustainability fun and cute for kids and for grown-ups.

Yay, that’s awesome! Tell us more about your commitment to sustainability.
Environmentalism has always been really important to me, and I try to run the most sustainable business that I can. All of my fabrics are reclaimed, recycled, vintage, or organic. I save my scraps to use in other projects, and I aim to make products that help pass that value on to my customers.

What else do you have going on?
I sort of split my time between crafting and freelance writing. In 2008 when I was first thinking about quitting my job, I thought of blogging as a way to bring in some extra cash while I got my crafty business off the ground, but it’s grown into a big part of what I do during the week. A friend of mine had just gotten a paid blogging gig and was showing me a blogger job board, which is where I saw a listing looking for a writer in Atlanta who could cover environmental topics. They may as well have written, “Becky! Apply here!”

I started at Green Options Media, which is now Important Media, and now I am site director at two of their sites: Eat Drink Better and Feelgood Style. Since then, I’ve picked up work at other environmental sites: Crafting a Green World (also an Important Media site), Green Upgrader and Care2. I also freelance at How Stuff Works and TLC.com, though those aren’t strictly environmental.

It feels like I’ve struck this nice balance between writing and crafting, where they sort of feed each other. I also really like being able to shift gears between the two. It keeps things interesting!

It’s nice to have that variety! So would you say you have a goal or mission with your business?
My goal is to help my customers make sustainable choices without feeling like they’re making a sacrifice. I want to show, through my products, my blog, and my writing, that living sustainably can be fun and even cute.

That’s great, I love it! Thanks for telling us about your business.
Thanks so much, Christy. This was fun!

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!

A fantastic holiday show is now accepting applications — Indie Craft Experience (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia.

ICE will take place November 20 and 21 at Ambient Plus Studio from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The  juried show will have approximately 100 vendors from the Southeast and beyond. This will be ICE’s 11th show, and the organizers say that this year promises to be a weekend full of exciting shopping and craft activities.

Applications are due September 16 and they are available online now. The fee to participate is $225 (this includes the $10 application fee) which is due at the time you submit your application. If you are not selected, you will be refunded $215.

To get an idea of the type of vendors ICE is looking for, take a stroll through their Flickr pool of past shows.

Ok, settle in and get ready to set some reminders as you peruse this list of reputable spring craft shows, organized by vendor application deadline.

Art Star Craft Bazaar is accepting applications online until April 1st. Here’s some info about the show from the Art Star site:

The Art Star Craft Bazaar is an annual juried arts & crafts retail show.  We are looking for artists & crafters who create handmade, original work.  All mediums are welcome. The event is held outdoors & each participant will get a 10ft. x 10ft. space, 2 chairs, one 6ft. long table, and 1 weekend parking pass. Tents will be available to rent, as well as additional chairs and tables. Participants are required to bring everything else that is needed for set up & display.  Up to two artists may share one 10ft. x 10ft. space, but must apply together & both be accepted.  Art organizations & collectives are welcome to apply, but must apply as a group.

Location: The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, which is along Columbus Blvd, between Walnut & Chestnut Streets.

Dates: Saturday, May 30th 11- 6 PM & Sunday, May 31st, 11-6 PM Rain or Shine

Fee: $250

Bazaar Bizarre is accepting applications for their market at the Bay Area Maker Faire.  Deadline to apply is April 1. Here’s some more info from their site:

Bazaar Bizarre Maker Faire is a juried event with rotating guest judges from the greater craft community. Bazaar Bizarre supports artists and craftspeople that appeal to the aesthetic of the “indie art and craft scene” and have innovative approaches to traditional craft forms.

Where and When Is This Event?
Saturday, May 30th 2009 10AM – 8PM
Sunday, May 31st 2009 10AM – 6PM

This Bazaar Bizarre event is happening as a part of Make Magazine’s Maker Faire 2009. The entire event takes place at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. Last year’s Maker Faire drew over 60,000 attendees. This year the Bazaar Bizarre will be located in an indoor location.

What is the cost?
The fee for a vendor booth space is $130.00 for the entire weekend. There is a NON REFUNDABLE $10 jury fee for applying. You’ll be notified by email on April 6th 2009 whether or not you’ve been accepted into the fair. If you are not accepted, $130 of your $140 fee will be refunded by April 10th 2009.

BUST is accepting vendor applications for their Spring Fling Craftacular.  Apply online by April 11th.  If accepted, a vendor table costs $250.  From the BUST Craftacular site:

BUST Magazine’s Spring Fling Craftacular is a lovely Garden Party themed shopping affair running from 12pm until 7pm at The Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, featuring over 50 crafters, DJs, drinks, and dancing. Shoppers can sip on springy cocktails and nosh on pierogies, learn about guerilla gardening, how to grow their own food and supporting local farms. BUST Magazine will be hand-picking over 50 of the most unique and talented crafters from across the country to participate.

The Indie Craft Experience in Atlanta is accepting applications through April 17th.  From the I.C.E. site:

All items sold at the Indie Craft Experience must be handmade. This is a juried event with a limited number of slots. We receive many applications and cannot accept everyone. The application deadline is April 17, 2009. We will send out notifications by April 22, 2009. We will not consider your application if it is not complete or if we receive it after the deadline.

Fee:
The fee to participate is $225 (this amount does not include parking – parking fees are the responsibility of each vendor). This amount is due with your application. Once accepted, you will be given the option to rent a tent ($100),
tables ($10 each) and chairs ($5 each) from us to use during the event. This is optional, you can bring your own.

If you are not accepted $215 will be promptly returned to you after April 22, 2009. There is a $10 processing fee.

Renegade Craft Fair is accepting applications for their show in multiple cities.

First up is Renegade Brooklyn, with applications due March 27. From the Renegade site:

• Brooklyn’s event will take place June 6 + 7 from 11am – 7pm in McCarren Park.
• You must submit your application, photos + payment by March 27 in order to be considered for a spot in the fair.
• You’ll be notified by email on April 6 whether or not you’ve been accepted into the fair. If you are not accepted, $300 of your $310 fee will be refunded by April 10.
• Booth spaces are 10ft. x 10ft., and vendors are responsible for supplying their own display items. Canopies, tables + chairs will be available to rent thru us once accepted.
• Your fee covers booth space for both days, a temporary vendor permit, and your logo + link on our website throughout the year!

Next is Renegade Los Angeles, with applications due May 1. From the Renegade site:

• The Los Angeles event will take place July 11 + 12 from 11am – 7pm at the California Market Center.
• You must submit your application, photos + payment by May 1 in order to be considered for a spot in the fair.
• You’ll be notified by email on May 11 whether or not you’ve been accepted into the fair. If you are not accepted, $300 of your $310 fee will be refunded by May 15.
• Booth spaces are 10ft. x 10ft., and will be supplied with 2 tables + 2 chairs. The fair is indoors, so no need for a canopy!
• Your fee covers booth space for both days, and your logo + link on our website throughout the year!

Renegade San Francisco applications are also due May 1. From the Renegade site:

• San Francisco’s event will take place July 18 + 19 from 11am – 7pm in Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion.
• You must submit your application, photos + payment by May 1 in order to be considered for a spot in the fair.
• You’ll be notified by email on May 11 whether or not you’ve been accepted into the fair. If you are not accepted, $300 of your $310 fee will be refunded by May 15.
• Booth spaces are 10ft. x 10ft., and vendors are responsible for supplying their own display items. Tables + chairs will be available to rent thru us once accepted. The fair is indoors, so no need for a canopy!
• Your fee covers booth space for both days and your logo + link on our website throughout the year!

Did we miss one?  Leave a comment and let us know.

In this Talk Shop, Maggie White tells all about her Young Blood Gallery & Boutique, which she co-owns with Kelly Teasley in Atlanta, Georgia.  Young Blood is a testament that good things happening to folks who are dissatisfied with the status quo… and decide do something about it.

The framework for Young Blood started way back in 1997, in the home of White and Teasley, who were dismayed by the typical refusal of Atlanta’s art galleries to exhibit unknown local artists, who had a tremendous amount of energy and talent. In 1999, their home exhibitions turned into a gallery space in Grant Park, and then in 2003, Young Blood expanded into the converted studio space beside the gallery, creating a shop that features handmade goods and items designed by artists.

With monthly art openings and their crafts market for burgeoning artists, Young Blood has something for every art lover and indie crafter.

Where indie craft history is concerned, Young Blood was one of the first ones there to plant their flag and support the scene, long before the movement got legs and started taking over the planet.

Tell us what Young Blood is all about:
We got started 10 years ago when we organized art shows in our home. It was a reaction to the lack of opportunities for emerging and non-traditional artists.  We were inspired by the DIY punk scene and the house shows we went to. It was tons of fun then turned into a labor of love and now we’re trying to see the fruits of our labors!  Running a business is not easy but we still can’t imagine doing anything else.   We opened the shop in 2003 and are working to support indie designers and crafters and ourselves at the same time.

Do you have any sort of background in crafting or the arts?
I (Maggie) made jewelry and clothing in my free time days as well as photography, video, and occasional mixed media work. Kelly is a visual artist who went to school for painting and design.  She also gets crafty with sewing, bookmaking…she’s pretty much a walking encyclopedia of art how-to.

How does your business support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
Supporting independent artists was the motivator that Young Blood was built on and at this point I’m proud to say we’ve hosted over a hundred shows and thousands of artists. In the boutique, which we opened in 2003, the theme is that everything is hand made or designed by an artist and we’re currently working with over 200 designers and crafters.

How can local designers and crafters get involved with Young Blood?
By submitting their art or creations to Maggie and Kelly online,  or by participating in Kraftwork which is our first-Thursday indie kraft market. Plus we’re always open to ideas!

What’s the most unusual item(s) for sale in your shop?
Ha! Kelly’s brother-in-law made us some fly fishing lures, we have crocheted corn dogs and Twinkies by Sweet Honey Complex and Erica Weiner’s penis bone necklace comes to mind.

Any advice for those interested in opening up their own boutique?
Do your homework and know what you’re getting into if you want to be profitable.  Learn the business side ahead of time. We had to learn from our mistakes and there were a lot of them!

Any exciting upcoming events or holiday sales going on at Young Blood?
Our holiday Kraftwork is always tons of fun.  It’s on December 4th from 7-10 pm.  We’re hosting Magpie Vintage Party in December which our vintage clothing fashionista friends organize.  They travel the country to find choice vintage clothing and it’s very affordable!  Other than that, stayed tuned to our blog:  http://youngbloodgalleryandboutique.blogspot.com/

If you own a boutique, gallery or other place of business that supports the indie craft community, and want it featured in Talk Shop, email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with Talk Shop in the subject line.