Remember I told you about the new Indie Fixx Galleria…it’s a monthly indie mall of indie designers and boutiques. Each month, I will be choosing a new crop of designers and shops to feature in the Galleria. Each chosen shop will have a “store front” in the Galleria (a galleria is enclosed courtyard of shops). The Galleria is juried and very exclusive…I am only choosing 12 shops to participate at this time.

Periodically, there will also be contests for donated goodies from the featured shops.

This month’s prize includes the following:

Coaster set and keychain from Tasty Jewelry

Toast and milk plushie from Dog Bone Art

$50 gift certificate from Simone Walsh

Je T’aime tote bag from Every Little Counts

Follow Me print from f2images

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

Remember we got a new kitty last month? Well, Mei from Jake & Micah read about our new kitty and wrote in asking if she could send a sample of her organic catnip fortune cookie toys for the girls. Of course, I said yes because I know that the girls would not turn down an opportunity for a new toy…even though there’s about 12 million of them strewn around our house.

Anyway, Mei sent the samples and the cats just loved them! Isabella especially loves hers and treats it like her baby, alternately between carrying it around with her to all her different sleeping spots, licking it and then attacking it. Sometimes, both of the girls play together chasing one of the cookies around the super-slidey kitchen floor. I’d say they are definitely a hit.

What I like about them is that the fortune cookie catnip toys are made with organic fabric and with 100% organic catnip from certified organic growers. Each cookie also has a real kitty fortune, like “Keep your eyes open for a sunny spot.” Giftsets that come packaged in a take-out box are available or you can choose a set of two in a variety of fabric patterns.

The maki and sushi roll toys are also so cute.

by guest contributor Jessica Gonacha

There are always more ways we can make our studios and work spaces a little more environmentally friendly. Looking around me, I thought I’d share a few of the little things I do that can make a big difference in the long run. Here are some ideas:

1. Use old, cut up t-shirts for rags, rather than using paper towels or buying new rags. You can either donate your own t-shirts that you don’t wear anymore to your art-making cause or go to your local Goodwill and pick up some cheap, used t-shirts. I also make sure I properly dispose of my used rags (check with your city to find out if there is a place to drop off hazardous waste. It is often associated with the city’s recycling facilities.)

2. Use coffee canisters as brush holders and other containers to hold odds and ends. If you’re feeling especially crafty, you can cover over the outsides with paper bits from your studio or from the recycling bin. Why not print on it with a potato stamp? Then cover it with an eco-friendly sealant like Safecoat Polyureseal, a low-VOC, low-odor, water-based clear gloss coating, for a lasting and attractive container!

3. Much of the furniture in my studio has come from garage sales, friends giving things away, things found in alleyways, flea markets…. this way, I’m not buying anything new, I’m saving money, and my furniture has some character to it!

4. Ask your grandparents! So many of the amazing things in my studio have come from my grandmother, who was also an artist and general maker of things– piles and piles of yarn, stacks of fabric, sheets of incredible watercolor paper….
Even if the products are not necessarily eco-friendly, it is most definitely an eco-friendly practice to REDUCE (the buying of new things), REUSE (use something that someone else doesn’t need anymore), and RECYCLE (someone’s old goods can become your new treasures.)

GREEN CHALLENGE:

Find a coffee canister or jar that you would like to decorate and use as a container to hold something. What about flowers? Paint brushes? A container to hold coins? The possibilities are endless. Post your photos of your creations to the Indie is the New Green flickr group!

About the contributor: Jessica Gonacha is an artist from Atlanta, Georgia who is endlessly creating. Her work includes paintings, drawings, illustrations, and paper goods and is vibrant, colorful, and charming. Her work can be found on her site, in her Etsy shop and in the Indie Fixx Shop. You can also read more about Jessica and her work on her blog.

Happy Mom’s Day to all you moms!

Mama Bird print from Creative Thursday

OMG, I am in love with the work of Australian artist Fontaine Anderson! I discovered her work via the Australian blog indie art & design and I just instantly fell in love and decided that I had to feature her work on TGIF: Thank God for Illustration Friday.

Fontaine is inspired by such varied themes as her dreams, Japanese textiles, Egyptian gods, 1980’s clip art, fashion and music. The work I have featured shows Fontaine’s unique dashed-line style and her subtle use of color. I’ve included some detail images, so you can see just what I mean. Aren’t they just breathtakingly beautiful?

Fontaine sells giclee prints via her website and is also available for freelance commissions. I really may be adding 1 or 2 to my print collection.

by guest contributor Victoria Everman

Thanks to a recent mention in Body+Soul Magazine, Maine-based independent clothing line Brook There is riding a new wave of attention. Having just released the Fall 2008 collection, brand founder Brook DeLorme still creates each piece personally. Clean yet femininely thoughtful design is not the only thing that draws fans to the brand—every piece is made from sustainable fabrics, including: organic wool, soy, bamboo, organic cotton and tencel.

Available at select locations in the US, you can also get a piece of Brook’s line via her online shop or pick up a sample-sized item via her Etsy store. Last but not least—the burning question: why “Brook There?” “Brook is my first name and there reminds me of the idea of ‘someplace else’,” says Brook herself.

About the contributor: Victoria Everman is an eco-writer, model, crafter, yogi and attempting locavore. Perpetually looking for fresh ways to share her unquenchable green knowledge, she writes her own blog at Victoria-E.com and is head writer/editor for CraftingAGreenWorld.com. She will be imparting her fashion wisdom with us every other Friday on the Indie Fixx Guest Blog with her column Fashionably Indie.

The Indie Fixx Shop is participating in Squidfire’s Spring Art Mart on Saturday, May 10th. It’s being held in Mount Vernon Park in Baltimore, so make sure to come visit me and do some shopping! Puls, everyone who stops by my booth and mentions Indie Fixx will get a free button!

There’s some really awesome vendors participating, including some of my faves showcased below.

Darin R. Gehrke Ceramics

Built in Pittsburgh

Wondercabinet

April Scott

Jenny Jen 42

Jon Wye

by guest contributor Fina Tejada

Picking out a name for your indie business is important decision to make. It takes a lot more time than you’d think, there is so much to consider. I think Snowberry and Lime nails it though. You are not sure if you want to eat it or play in it, until you visit her Etsy shop. Owner, Veronika von Allmen, stocks her store with dreamy hand spun yarns and other craft goodies, and although she is based in Germany she is ready to ship all over the world.

Read more in my interview with her.

Tell us about your business.

Snowberry and Lime started on the idea of creating handbags made from recycled sail, as I grew up on a boat and this was the most readily available material… it soon moved on to being about colourful bags and snugly wrist warmers. Everything I do is marked by a great obsession with detail. My great love for knitting eventually led me to selling my own hand-spun yarns last winter and they quickly became my most popular items. Combining high quality materials with beautiful colors and textures is my main motive in creating yarns. They often feature interesting themes as I specialize not only in luxury Merino and silk yarns but also in quirky art yarns.

What did you do before you started your business?

I started while I was still lounging around at the university and now moved on to a part-time job with an international charity. My spare time is pretty much devoted to my little venture…

Other than Etsy where else can we find Snowberry and Lime?

My yarns are being sold only on Etsy, this allows me to offer prices which are below retail - I am basically sharing the savings from not going retail with my customers.
Some of my bags are being sold through the German based website Dawanda, this gives me the chance to get in touch with German customers who might have never found me on Etsy. Language barriers can be a huge problem for online shoppers and I try my best to at least offer my items in the languages I speak.

What do you consider is the best way you’ve attracted customers?

Complimentary Chippendale postcards.

Where do you see your business in the next few years?

Where it is right now—on your screen! I would like to start my own website pretty soon though, ideally Snowberry and Lime will keep growing and who knows how far it will go!

How do you stay motivated?

Well, my boyfriend always tells me that when I get bored from spinning I can always come to the gym with him—that always keeps me motivated! Motivation really never has been a problem for me, there are so many different parts to having a little business that whenever I don’t particularly feel like doing one thing, I can just do something else. These little task include far more than creating, it is also about taking good pictures, listing items for sale or looking for more great supplies.

About the contributor: Fina Tejada owns Miss Fruitfly, an indie lifestyle company featuring artwork and home accessories. She is also a blogger who loves to cook, is a closeted reality show junkie and supports independent designers. She will be posting on the Indie Fixx Guest Blog featuring international indie crafters & bloggers to find out what motivates them creatively, how they started their businesses and how they approach the U.S. market. Fina will be posting periodically on Thursdays.

This week’s Reader Fixx Pixx are just fabulous. They were sent in from Catherine of Solsida back in February, so it was cold where she lives. Catherine was dreaming of a warm weather vacation and put together this list of pixx. Thanks, Catherine! It’s a great list and I do hope it’s a little warmer where you are now and that you are planning your real vacation!

See the sights and take pictures: Timothy Adam Design

Eat lots of yummy fudge: Charssi

go to art galleries: What Designers (Pom print from Melissa Moss)

Buy something for a souvenir just because it’s pretty: Nappa Studio.com

Lounge around on the beach and read a good book: Book Lust

Wear sunscreen and smell like coconut (mmmmm): Winks & Company

Drink mojitos (whooo!):Kaiser Penguin

in a very large glass!!!!! The Succulent Wife.com

One of my favorite indie possessions is my stitchpixie vinyl coin purse…I get compliments it on almost every time I pull it out at the checkout. I received it from Cyan, the designer behind stitchpixie, the year before last in a Secret Santa I participated in, and I really do love it. Cyan creates fun vinyl cut-out accessories and some clothing. She also makes cute and kitschy jewelry. I’m so happy that she agreed to be interviewed for this week’s Indie Artist Fixx and I hope you enjoy my it!

1. What’s the name of your business and what do create and sell?

Stitchpixie. Kitschy jewelry and vegan friendly accessories that touch on both the whimsical and the unexpected (i.e. I can make both cutesy birdie pouches AND things with uteruses on them). Check it out - www.stitchpixie.com.

2. Tell us how you got started with your indie business.

In my hardest year of pharmacy school, I skipped my biochem, anatomy, and physiology courses so I could sleep in and sew my heart out till I finally jumped on the bus and hit campus at 1pm. Pretty soon I had too many handbags scattered around my room, and I was inspired by lekkner.com to start up my own website to get rid of them.

3. What are your inspirations in your art and in life?

Pop art. Andy Warhol. Color.

4. Are there any pearls of wisdom you’d like to share with newbie indie business owners?

Hmm. Give something you make to your mom and best friend, or both, and see how long it survives everyday wear and tear. I say this because I rarely wear my own jewelry or carry my own handbags! I’m usually pretty accessory-less on a day to day basis.

5. What three things can’t you live without?

Cereal for breakfast, Jesus, and a camera.

6. What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst?

Best: sewing new designs.

Worst: the time it takes to package and ship everything…. that’s not even including the line at the post office!

7. What blogs and mags do you read and what shops do you shop at?

Lately, I follow weddingbee (where I’m also one of the bloggers), and while it sounds really unrelated, a lot of the brides-to-bee have a bit of a crafty spirit to them.

When I get time, I enjoy design*sponge, decor8, notmartha, dooce, and print and pattern. There are tons of fantastic blogs out there, but I’ve tried not to get sucked into sitting on the computer for more hours than I already do.

I subscribe to Martha Stewart, Lucky, and CRAFT:.

I love shopping for clothes at great consignment stores in Vancouver, BC, I like Etsy, and I get all my CDs off amazon. Each town I’ve visited has at least one great gift boutique - you know the ones - they carry your favorite online indie goods - but when you see the items in real life, you’re like “wow! That necklace is way bigger than I thought!” my faves in Seattle are schmancy and fancy + pants.

8. Were you an artsy craftsy kid? If so, what kinds of things did you do?

Yes! Does anyone remember the Canadian TV show Take Part? They made puppets out of margarine containers and old clothes! I was one of those kids that did all those after-school activities: jazz, ballet, drawing, painting, clay, but my favorite thing I found when I was 10 years old: a photography darkroom.

9. Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Both? I’ve owned both, but since then have become allergic. Mooch and Earl from the comic mutts will have to do.

10. What does indie mean to you? You can give a literal definition, choose to be a little esoteric or a combination of both.

To me indie is movies, music, and visual art with that… “indie feel” to them. I’m sure you’re all familiar with Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, but movies by Wes Anderson (i.e. the Darjeeling Limited, Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore), and Eagle vs. Shark are a few more that come to mind when I think “indie.” Maybe it’s just an awkwardness combined with attention to detail that they all share that you’d never see in a Will Smith blockbuster. See also the music I listen to below.

11. What are you reading, watching and listening to?

Listening to pandora.com - currently it’s on a Nick Drake station. Favorites in my 5 CD-capacity stereo are Inara George, Elliott Smith, Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, Joshua Raidin, Jose Gonzalez.
Reading - Canadian author’s Douglas Coupland’s microserfs.

Re-watching - the first season of Flight of the Conchords.

12. What’s one thing you’ve learned as an adult that you wish you knew when you were a kid?

How to make crepes!

13. What’s new? Any new plans or products that you want to share?

I’m getting married this summer and I feel overwhelmed with just thinking about diy-ing anything for it, although I feel almost obligated to myself to do so. As for stitchpixie, I’m thinking of making a line of cute found paper journals.

My ‘mood board’ for my new office space that is in the works. ***

I’ve got a fabulous new contest debuting today on Indie Fixx…it’s called the Spruce up your Place: Indie Home Decor Challenge. Spring is the season for that annual rite of renewal, otherwise known as ’spring cleaning’, and it’s also a time when I personally get re-inspired to spruce up my place. Of course when planning and dreaming, I’m thinking about all the cool indie home decor goodies I want to buy and the handmade home decor projects I want to do. I know you are all are the same and I want to hear about your plans and dreams, hence the Spruce up your Place: Indie Home Decor Challenge.

The deets:

To enter: Send me images from your home of your completed indie & diy home decor projects or images of your mood/inspiration board of projects you are planning or dreaming of (not all of us currently are in a place to redecorate, but still dream about it, right?) You can email me your images or upload them to the Spruce up your Place Flickr group. Please include the names and links to any indie goods that you are featuring in your images. By entering you agree to allow your photos to be used on Indie Fixx.

Don’t know what a mood board is? See examples at flickr HERE and HERE. Also, see my example above. Read what shops are represented in my mood board at the end of this post. ***

The Spruce up your Place: Indie Home Decor Challenge will run from May 6th - June 18th. That’s 6 weeks and should be plenty of time for you to get your act together to enter!

The Prize: The prize is totally fabulous and includes the following donated indie goods:

1. DecoyLab - Animal Alphabet poster (blue/pink) and Cuckoo clock (blue)

2. INK&WIT - Winner’s choice of print, either Pommebirds or Elephants

3. Circa Ceramics - $100 girt certificate for anything in the shop, including custom orders

4. Buyolympia.com - $50 gift certificate

5. Skinny laMinx - Apron & 3 tea towels, winner’s choice design

6. Berkley Illustration - Winner’s choice of (2) 8 x 10’s

One winner will be chosen at the Challenge end to win the prize.

***My Office Mood Board at the top of this post includes indie goods from the following.

Split pod vase from Whitney Smith Pottery
Cross-stitch pieces from Chez Sucre Chez
Felt Birds from Lauren Alane
Fabric House from Stephanie DosReis
Print from Dan-Ah Kim
Print from INK&WIT
Print from Yellena
Prints from The Black Apple
Fabric from Repro Depot
Fabric from Purl SOHO
Fabric from Cia’s Palette

I don’t know about you, but I am an allergy sufferer….year round and it’s a lot worse in the spring, so I always carry little packs of tissues with me wherever I go. I’d like to have a stylish fabric tissue cozy though, so I don’t feel so much like my Grandmom pulling out my little pack of tissues, and it’s just my luck that I discovered a great tissue cozy tutorial.

From Nicole Vaughn of Craftapalooza, who is also a contributor over at Whip Up.

Directions:

1. First up, I’m all about templates for patterns, especially small crafty projects that I’ll make more than once. I love adhering patterns to strawboard, makes it so much easier to place your pattern onto the fabric, trace with your chalk and then cut out.So, for my version of the tissue holder, I’ve cut a template that’s 6 inches x 7 inches. Why inches you Aussies ask? My cutting matt and quilt ruler work inches so it’s just easier to go with inches.

2. Pick your outer fabric, trace and cut out slightly larger than the template. I also like to use a midweight fabric, just a personal preference. I also like to make more than one at a time, it’s quicker.

Next up, I usually line my holders with a 100% linen in a cream colour. Don’t cut your lining just yet, grab yourself some double-sided fusible interfacing, place your outer fabric pieces onto this and iron them in place. Let the fabric cool and then place these outer pieces onto your inner lining fabric. Iron away. Make sure you iron the edges well.

3. Read more!

A gallery of tissue holders Nicole has created, you can see more at flickr.

A galleria is a roofed or enclosed courtyard of shops and my latest project, the Indie Fixx Galleria, is an online galleria of independent artists/crafters/designers and independent boutiques. It’s a juried monthly showcase for your browsing and indie shopping pleasure. Featuring a mix of goods including jewelry, accessories, homewares, plush, clothing and more, the goods and shops featured on the Indie Fixx Galleria will change monthly. The Galleria is a showcase only and does not offer products for sale, so if you see something that you’d like to buy or get more info about, just click on the buy it or shop links.

Enjoy and please feel free to let me know what you think of this new feature!

Also, if you are an indie designer/crafter/artist or boutique that sells indie goods and would like more info about how to be a part of the monthly Indie Fixx Galleria, just send me an email. I am currently accepting applications for June.

by guest contributor Jessica Gonacha

The idea crossed my mind the other day that I would like to learn how to make stained glass jewelry. Now, being an eco-minded gal like I am, my next thought was, I wonder what kind of glass you can use to make this jewelry?

Which leads me to today’s post: a round-up of reclaimed and salvaged glass jewelry! I’ve chosen some of my favorites, and now I’m even more inspired to learn this more!

Below are the links to each artist. This is gorgeousness you can feel good about!

1. Bottled Up Designs

2. Rebecca Ward Jewelry

3. Bottled Up Designs

4. Rebecca Ward Jewelry

5. Sea Glass Designs

6. Smart Glass Jewelry

7. Amy Pfaffman Jewelry

8. Kathleen Plate at Uncommon Goods

9. Happy Owl Glassworks

10. SeaFindDesigns

GREEN CHALLENGE: make something out of a recycled glass bottle. A candlestick holder? A planter for a teeny plant? A necklace? What else can you think of? Post the fruits of your creative and eco-friendly endeavors in the Indie is the New Green flickr group!

I know I’ve missed TGIF: Thank God for Illustration Friday 2 weeks in a row, but it’s back this week! Fridays for some reason have been run-around-like-a-crazy-woman days lately and I’m not really liking that trend. Besides leaving me feeling frazzled, it means you have missed your TGIF posts unless I was able to write one the day before.

So, today I’d like to share an artist with you who’s work really helps combat frazzley days. Terese Bast’s sweetly magical & whimsical illustrations just make you stop a moment and contemplate simpler times. Her work really brings a smile to my face and I hope it brings one to your face as well.

I’m very happy to share selected prints from Terese in the Indie Fixx Shop.

This weekend there’s a ton of indie craft shows going on. Here’s just a few of the biggies…hopefully in your neck of the woods.

The Handmade Market - Saturday, May 3rd - Raleigh, NC

San Mateo Maker Faire - Saturday, May 3rd & Sunday May 4th - San Mateo, Ca

Brooklyn Indie Market - Saturday, May 3rd - Brooklyn, NY

Sunday Crafty Sunday! - Sunday, May 4th - San Diego

by guest contributor Fina Tejada

Letitia Henville is an English teacher by day and jewelry designer extraordinaire by night. Living in Nice, France (Ooh la la) Letitia is surrounded by beauty and history, a perfect muse for her designs. She is also a member of the Eco Etsy Street Team and maintains her blog, Fabiquer, where you’ll find delightful pictures of her travels, friends, and inspiration. If a French holiday is not in your vacation plans this year, have her jewelry do the traveling for you.

1. Tell us about your business.

I’m a jewelry designer, and I make bright and bold necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I love combining vintage beads with silver, wood and stone. I came up with the idea to start my business largely out of necessity: I found that I owned so many beads I couldn’t justify making jewelry only for myself and for my friends. I’ve been in business since March 2007 and have sold over 500 pieces on jewelry, largely online

2. What did you do before you started your business?

I currently work part-time as an English teacher here in the south of France. Nice is a very expensive city to live in! Jewelry selling makes up about 1/3 of my monthly income, though, so I’m proud of my little business

3. Where do you sell your products

I started selling on Etsy, but have since expanded into dawanda (a fantastic site based out of Germany), Mintd (a smaller Australian upstart) and Modishoppe (a small adorable ‘e-boutique’). Etsy is a great site with lots of talented artists and artisans, but its size can sometimes make it overwhelming, for buyers and sellers alike — which is why shops like Modishoppe are so nice. Dawanda is also great for me, being based in Europe, because within the EU selling is very easy — bank transfers are free, shipping is quick, and customs is a non-issue

4. What can you tell us about your international customers?

I love them! It’s so cool to think that my designs are being worn by people in northern Canada, rural Australia, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Ireland, and, of course, here in France. And the Americans! Love y’all, too! You’re international to me!

I’d encourage US-based buyers not to be shy about buying from abroad! Often, we overseas sellers have access to materials and supplies not available in the states, which makes your handmade purchase all the more unique. I’ve also had buyers write to me telling me about the time they’ve spent in the south of France. I like that my little piece of jewelry will remind them of their Mediterranean holidays. On etsy, you can add the word “europe” to your search times to find EU-based sellers like me. Of course, shipping from overseas is always going to be a bit longer than US domestic shipping, but my average shipping time from Europe to the US is something like 10-14 days. Not a big deal, really.

5. What do you consider is the best way you’ve attracted customers?

It’s really hard to say where customers might come from. I think my friends are some of my best advertisers — I’m really lucky to have a supportive group of buds who are happy to tell other people about my little shop (and sometimes even buy a piece themselves — always a huge compliment.

I also have a blog that I use mostly to share photos and little anecdotes of day-to-day life here in the Cote d’Azur. I don’t know, though, if the blog creates interest in my shop, as I don’t tend to blog about my jewelry; I have attracted a dozen or so regular readers, which makes me happy.

6. How do you stay motivated?

I mentioned above that my friends are some of my best spokespeople, and they also serve as my muses. When I’m seeking inspiration, I sometimes try to imagine what kind of jewelry would suit the characteristics of one friend or another and create pieces based on their personalities. I think about who likes chic and shiny (my friend Jen ), who wants lots of contrast (Delphine), who likes to be subtle & original (Julia ). If I only made pieces for myself, my shops would be filled with chocolate brown wood and champagne-colored pieces. Creating jewelry with my friends in mind keeps my shop diverse, and, hopefully, as fun and beautiful as they are.

About the interviewer: Fina Tejada owns Miss Fruitfly, an indie lifestyle company featuring artwork and home accessories. She is also a blogger who loves to cook, is a closeted reality show junkie and supports independent designers. She will be posting periodically on the Indie Fixx Guest Blog featuring international indie crafters & bloggers to find out what motivates them creatively, how they started their businesses and how they approach the U.S. market. Fina will be posting periodically on Thursdays.

This week’s Reader Fixx Pixx are from Cathe of Feterie. You can read more from Cathe on her blog. Great pixx, thanks!

Green Tea and Honey Soap from miSPA - I horde as much of these as I can!

Silver Coral Earrings from Imogene and Annie - Just recently discovered these little beauties!

Freddy and Ma handbags - Just about anything from Freddy and Ma, I want it all!

Freckled Owl by Dreams and Jewelry - Enamels, when done right are oh, so yummy! This is one of my new faves!