Are you getting married this summer and you’re still looking for wedding favors or will you be attending a wedding this summer and need the perfect indie gift? Never fear, the Indie Fixx Summer Wedding Guide is here. I scoured the Internet hunting for the coolest and most unique indie wedding products around. There are ideas for brides, grooms, those in the wedding party and wedding guests. These are my picks of the best I’ve seen out there, but please feel free to give a shout out if you have some recommendations.

This post is for Kelly who is looking for indie quilts for adults. Sorry it has taken me so long to get this post togther, but it really was hard to find indie quilters. The quilts pictured above are by Crystal J, Tilonia, Hambone and Jennicakes and Silana Stichworks. Also, check out Bookish Handmade Goods, A Quilted Treasure, Orange Peel Baby and Amy L. Wasserman. If anyone knows of any other indie quilters, please commment here.

Don’t forget to enter the Indie Fixx Spring Contest for your chance to win over $700 in prizes donated by 18 different indie shops.

How does it work? Sign up for the Indie Fixx mailing list before May 15th and be entered into the random drawing for this amazing prize. If you’ve already joined the mailing list, you do not need to sign up again. Your name will automatically be entered into the drawing. If you would prefer not to receive monthly Indie fixx newsletters, you may choose to opt out after the contest ends.

Prize includes items donated by the following indie shops:
Hostess apron from Sommer Designs
Badges and pouch from Annalaura
Earrings from The Green Fuse
Handbag from Soleil Rouge
Earrings from Stunning Details
Bangle bag from Marketa New York
Necklace from Starving Artist Bazaar
Lotion and body scrub from 360 Skin Care
Earrings from KimmChi
Necktie and ring from Ex-Boyfriend
Earrings from Erin Lilies
Necklace and earrings from Jewelry by Jennifer Casady
Home perfume diffuser, lotion, and room spray from Orion Botanica
Gift certificate from Tadpoles and Caterpillars
T-shirt from Rotem Gear
Necklace from Roxi Designs
Pendant, necklace, hairpins, keychain and earrings from julie*ann
Earrings from Summer Ellis

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More contest opportunities

Sign up for the Charming Sam and MiSpa April Giveaway and win the I Am Beautiful Earrings and the Monoi Paradise Gift set.

One of my favorites shops is closing at the end of May and even though that’s really bad news, there is really a silver lining in every storm cloud because you can save up to 40% off some of the best indie stuff around. Check out PurplePinkandOrange.com and pick up some amazing indie finds at some really amazing prices. This would be the perfect time to shop ahead for all the birthdays, weddings and other special occasions you need to get gifts for.

I’ve been having a bad week…I’m not going into detail, but let’s just say that it’s really sucked and I know you know what I mean ‘cos you have weeks like that too.  I’ve only been up for an hour this morning and already I really want to just crawl back in bed, but alas it is not to be. So, I’m just going to suck it up and go pour myself a really big cup of coffee. The only problem is that all my mugs suck and I really wish I had one of these mugs by Pink Kiss. They really would make it all better. If you want one too, just contact Shawna and she will be happy to discuss payment and shipping with ya. I’ve seen Shawna’s mugs in person and they really are wonderful.

Yesterday I had a great time at Richmond Craft Mafia’s Spring Bada-Bing. I met some new people–Shawna and Michael of Spaghetti Kiss, Amy of Modern Atelier and too many to mention everyone individually. I ended up eating dinner with NeedleNoodles and CRV Images, but I can’t remember their names because I am a spaz. I also met some people that I’ve known in cyberspace for years but only just met them in person for the first time yesterday–Valerie of Holland Cox, Ileana of india*romeo, Kiona of Lucky Accessories, Dawn of Lark Studio and Indie Craft Shows, Leila from Cherry Momma and many, many others.

I saw some really great stuff and had to restrain myself from buying everything that I liked. I did buy some perfume from Modern Atelier–it’s called China Town and I love the fresh floral woodsy scent. I really liked the rings from Mood Swing, the Little Reminders Necklaces from Lucky Accessories, the scented fabric “Berries” from A. Bel Studio, the Block Print Deer Aprons from Art Goodies, the Bird Wall Hangings from Deadbird and much more that I will be featuring in the upcoming weeks.

I love My Paper Crane. I am always amazed at what Heidi, the mastermind behind the plush, comes up with. She must go throughout her day looking at stuff and thinking, “Hmm, I bet I can make a plush out of that.” Sitting at her morning cereal she probably decides to make a bowl of cereal plush or while grocery shopping she decides to make a bag full of groceries plush.

I’m familiar with the My Paper Crane sweet goody plushes, but while browsing the site the other night I came across the Bathroom Plushes. For your friend who just can’t quite grow out of the bathroom humor phase or for your friend who is suffering from cramps or  allergies, these guys would make great gifts.

Mahar Dry Goods is a magical place and one that helps me remember that I don’t ever have to grow up. I love the design of the site, especially the Jen Corace illustration, and the goods are such a wonderful mix of whimsy, fun, and creativity that I really just got lost looking around. I felt like Alice who fell down the hole or Dorothy who found herself in OZ, but unlike them, I didn’t want to return home but was content to stay in the wonderful and magical fairyland of Mahar Dry Goods.

See you all at Richmond Craft Mafia’s Spring Bada-Bing tomorrow! It’s at the Marquee from 10am - 4pm. Come out and say hi! Directions are here.

Don’t forget to check out Wonderland Retreat, the shop of donated goodies to benefit Alison Gordon of Wonderland Q, Baz Biz, and the Sampler. Alison is facing some pretty steep medical bills and she, like so many self-employed crafters and designers, is uninsured. 100% of the proceeds will go to help Alison pay her medical costs.

Like cupcakes but don’t like all the calories, try the Cupcake Earrings from Bonnin Designs. There are three flavors for to choose from: white frosting, lemon frosting, and pink frosting. They are part of the Fun Collection, which is just packed full of fun little goodies.

These are just damn pretty and I must own them. Ginko Earrings by potter Tasha McKelvey.

With Earth Day coming up, I plan on renewing my commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling. Now you can too with these cute recyled fabric bags by Made by Tess.

Purchases will go to help pay the vet bills for Tess’s dog Lily, who Tess just recently adopted when Lily’s previous owner just skipped out on her. Poor Lily has heart worms and the treatments are very costly. If you want to read more about Lily and see a picture of her (she really is a cutie), check out Tess’s blog.

I’ve been a fan of Adrian Grenier since his Sebastian Cole days. In fact The Adventures of Sebastian Cole is one of all-time favorite movies. If you haven’t seen it yet, I guarantee you will like it and not just because of Andrian Grenier. I didn’t even think Andrian was hot until I saw Entourage—he needed to mature a little, but baby he is all grown up now!

If you want to get the Aquaman tee or some other snarky tee, head on over to Crooked Monkey.

Just a few of the really great items available at Wonderland Retreat, the shop started by the friends of Alison Gordon, a crafter who is facing bills for an uninsured hospital stay. Read more about here, but check out all the adorable donated items that are for sale in the shop.

Here’s a update on Alison Gordon. For those who don’t know, Alison the crafter behind WonderlandQ (which has been featured before on Indie Fixx), co-organizer of Bazaar Bizarre, and regular Sampler Contributor Relations expert recently had a medical emergency requiring hospitalization. Like many other independent artists and crafters, Alison is without health insurance.

The Etsy shop Wonderland Retreat (named in honor of Alison’s website) was created by her friends to help ease the financial burden of her ordeal. If you would like to help a fellow crafter, please consider purchasing an item from the shop or donating an item of your own. To donate an item, please contact Renee Garner at wonderlandretreat@gmail.com for more information. To make a monetary donation of any size, please send paypal to info@auroraseven.com. Make sure to visit the shop often as new items will be added periodically.

If you are interested in donating an item, please include the following info in your email to Renee.

Name:
1 biographical sentence:
Website for more detailed info on the artist/good (if you have one):
Address/contact email:
Photograph of the product:
Short description of the product:
Suggested price:
Mailing info: will mail straight from your location or will you mail to Renee to ship upon item’s sale. Also, will you cover shipping or should that be added to the transaction?

It’s one thing to drool over your favorite indie shops online, but it’s quite another to see their wares in person.   It used to be just 2-3 years ago there were only a few indie craft shows and those were only in places like NY or San Fran, but now the indie craft show scene has exploded and there are tons of shows all over the country.  There may even be one in your next of the woods.  Here are some resources for finding shows.

Indie Craft Shows

My My Indie Craft Show Guide 

Here’s the list of shows I will personally attending either as a vendor or a visitor.

Spring Bada-Bing in Richmond on April 22nd from 10am-4pm

Squidfire’s Spring Art Mart in Baltimore on May 12th from 11am-7pm

Brooklyn Indie Market to be held every weekend from May through December

Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly on June 2nd from 11am-7pm and June 3rd from 11am-5pm.

Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn  on June 16th & 17th from 11am-6pm

Pile of Craft  in Baltimore on June 23rd from 10am-5pm

I don’t know if Jennifer of Starving Artist Bazaar has had Amoeba Earrings in her shop all along or if this is just the first that I noticed, but either way, I love them. I was hard-pressed to come up with a favorite, but I think I like Sea-foam and Red the best. These are definitely going on my birthday wish list!

So cute and all the way from the UK! I love this adorable Coco II Bangle Bag from Emma Gordon and available at Imogene. Imogene is the cutest little shop and they are going to be at the Pile of Craft show in Baltimore on June 23rd. Sponsored by the Charm City (Baltimore) Craft Mafia the event is going to be at St. John’s Church, located at 2640 St. Paul St, from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Check Imogene out online or at the show if you are lucky enough to live near Baltimore.

Are you a dirty girl or boy? Need to wash your mouth out with soap? Looking to clean up your act, try the handcrafted soaps of the Boh Bon Soap Company. Chrissy from Boh Bon Soap Company sent me some samples to try out and I have to say that I fell in love with every single one. I certainly do need to wash my mouth out with soap, since I tend to cuss like a sailor, but I really don’t think I would mind washing my mouth out with Boh Bon Soap.

There are several things in life that I love dearly, cannot live without, and can never have enough of and that’s bags and bath and body products, but I am picky about what I like and I do like Boh Bon Soap Company soap products. I especially liked the Lavender Patch Goat Milk, which is made from goat’s milk, lavendar and patchouli, and left my senstive skin feeling clean, soft and smooth. Boh Bon Soap Company uses only natural ingredients and avoids unnecessary synthetic and artificial fillers. When they say natural, they mean natural too! Their soaps are handcrafted in small batches using premium plant oils, skin nourishing mango, shea or cocoa butters, pure essential oils, clays, herbs, botanicals and spices for color and texture. They also make tub teas, soap samplers, and relax packs.