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.

I’d like to share my latest Indie Fixx project with you…it’s called the Indie Fixx Galleria and will debut next Monday, May 5th. The Indie Fixx Galleria is a juried gallery of independenet crafters, designers, artists and the indie boutiques that carry their work. A galleria is an enclosed courtland of shops, otherwise know as a mall, and I like to think of the Indie Fixx Galleria as an ‘Indie Mall’. It will be another way for you to browse and shop indie.

If you are a designer or indie boutique and want to learn more about how to be involved with the Galleria, just send me an email.

Otherwise stay tuned for the Galleria next Monday! I’ve got some great stuff lined up for you.

The Poppytalk Handmade Market for March, ‘Green Pop’, is up and once again there’s some really amazing shops participating. Poppytalk Handmade is a monthly online street market that is put together by Jan of Poppytalk to promote independent designers. The Indie Fixx Shop is one of the featured shops, which I am so proud of and happy about.

Some of my fave new discoveries from this month’s Market are: Orange Willow, Yellow Owl Workshop and Susan Schwake.

Don’t forget to visit the Wolfie and the Sneak hosted One-day market to benefit the Sierra Club.

Why the Sierra Club? In 5 days, the US will vote whether to make available land for lease for oil drilling in the Chuckchi Sea. The Sierra Club, always a champion of the environment, has been working extra hard to get the word out and we know you want to ensure that they can continue to be the watchdog and protector of the environment.

Buy a Valentine’s Day gift for your “bleeding heart” and know that 100% of the proceeds are going to the Sierra Club. You’ll find wearable goodies, fine art, and other fun stuff.

**edited to add - this fundraiser has ended.

Are you an art lover or want to get a gift for an art lover? Well, let me tell you about the new Art Print of the Month Club offered at the Indie Fixx Shop! Choose from 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions. Each month, you or your giftee will receive a top secret art print from one of our super talented select artists.

The selections will be kept a secret, so you or your gift recipient will be pleasantly surprised with each delivery. What a wonderful thing to look forward to each month, another wonderful print to add to your walls. Each print will be shipped in tissue paper and tied up with ribbon and can include a gift message.

There are a limited number of subscriptions available each month and you can read more about it here.

Check out the Indie Fixx Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for gift ideas for your secret and not so secret valentines. You’ll find gifts for girls, guys and kids. Also, make sure to visit the sponsors of the Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for more indie Valentine’s Day shopping!

Here’s some stationery for all those punkass bastard dork nerds in your life.

Curs-ive Note cards and Sh*t List notepads by Just Jenn Designs and now available in the Indie Fixx Shop.

Some holiday animal themed goodies for you this morning.

In Winter print by Pencil Shavings, Antler Girl t-shirt by I’m Smitten, Very Merry print by Marmee Craft, My Friend the Moose necklace by Crave Jewelry Design, Sleeping Polar Bears print by Orange Willow, Mule Deer Necklace by PLAY at Moose, Antler necklace by reform jewelry, Forest Fawn Ring by Figs and Ginger, Deer Necklace by Imogene, Photo Opp 4 print by Creative Thursday, Identity Crisis Deer card by 12fifteen, Christmas Reindeer card by Songbird and Wing, Happy Holidays card by Catfish Greetings.

My friend Laura and I went out for dinner, drinks and to exchange Christmas gifts last night. I got her some cute Nut and Bee stationary and a matching print, a felt flower and some other cool little gifts. She got me the cutest elephant stationary set that’s made from poo…yes, I said poo. Elephant poo to be exact. Mr. Ellie Poo’s products are made from elephant poo from Sri Lanka. Elephants produce about 500 lbs of poo per day and since an elephant’s diet is all vegetarian, the resulting poo is basically raw cellulose. Thoroughly cleaned and processed, the cellulose is made into beautiful acid-free linen-like textured paper.

Mr. Ellie Pooh is partnered with Maximus and their goal, through what is called the Project Peace Paper, is to help reduce the Human/Elephant conflict that currently rages in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. One way they are trying to do that is to develop ways in which elephants can become a sustainable economic resource…and elephant poo may be the key. You can read more about ellie poo and saving the elephants of Sri Lanka at Mr. Ellie Pooh.

****UPDATE**** We can no longer guarantee delivery by December 25th. You are still totally welcome to place an order, but just know that we can’t guarantee you will have it for the “big day”. Stay tuned, we will be adding some new goodies tomorrow!

There’s still time to shop at the Indie Fixx Shop for gifts for the holidays! Tomorrow is the last day to order with guaranteed delivery before December 25th. Orders will be upgraded to free Priority Mail. Sorry, these offers are only valid for domestic continental US orders.

The Creative Cupcake is a cute boutique offering ribbon & fabric belts, headbands, key fobs and hair clips for both adults and kids. Perfect for yourself or for gifting, you’ll find a wonderful selection of ribbons & fabrics including French Damask, preppy ribbons, vintage trims, paisley and more.

**Sponsored post**

There are so many people that I could send this postcard to….it’s not even funny. Somehow, I’m sure you can relate.

Check out these spot-on and sometimes witty and sometimes biting postcards from Max Mead Cartoons. There is a card for pretty much every sentiment you have ever wished a card existed for…both the good and the bad. For only $20, you can pick up a Stocking Stuffer Variety Pack of 33 different postcards. What a great gift for your friends and family with a sense of humor!

I’ve got a great little giveaway for you today. Chronicle Books, one of my favorite book publishers, has donated a couple of great new titles for me to use in giveaways. Yay! The titles are from Chronicle Book’s Crafts line, which includes such great titles as Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco, Subversive Cross Stitch: 33 Designs for Your Surly Side by Julie Jackson and Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To by Jenny Hart & Alexandra Grablewski.

The titles I will be giving away are brand new ones and the first one is called Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi! It’s wonderful book full of both eye candy & detailed and easy to understand directions and patterns….makes me want to pull out the ole crochet hook.

There are two ways to win a copy. 1) You can share a picture of a completed craft project that you have recently finished. Projects can include any type of arts and craft and aren’t limited to just crochet. You do need to submit an image though, which you can post a link to in the comments or send me via email

2) If you’re not so crafty or just haven’t had time lately to devote to craft, you can submit a top ten list of your favorite indie pixx via email instead of submitting a craft project. Your top ten indie list can include links to indie shops, etsy shops, blogs, online magazines, flickr pages or really anything as long as it’s indie and/or promotes independent art, craft, design, music, shopping etc. If I like your list, I may decide to use it for Reader Fixx Thursday, even if you don’t win a copy of the book.

I will pick one entrant, whether it’s a crafty submission or a top ten indie list submission to win a copy of Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi! This contest will end December 24th, so get cracking and enter your submission.

I’m a big kid at heart. In fact, I’m still waiting to feel like a grown-up…no, not really, I secretly like feeling like a kid. I gotta tell ya, life is a whole lotta enjoyable when you can still have fun like a kid, but you have a bank account and can drive. So, forget the kids, here’s some toys from Mahar Dry Goods for all you big kids out there!

I suppose you could share a little and get a few things for your nieces and nephews…you can still play with them when the kids open them.

Paper Dolls from the Black Apple, Castle Building Blocks, Donut Box Set, Colors and Critters Coloring Book and a Yeti Shadow Puppet.

I’m still feeling like a truck ran over me today and I just can’t seem to shake this cough that rattles my brain around in my head, so posting will be short and sweet today. I’m going back to bed for a little bit.

While I’m resting, be sure to visit Papa Stour for unique Scottish made gifts for guys. You will find stuff for the Anglophile who is into Scotland and who already has everything else you’ve thought about gifting him.

Btw, the concert was awesome last night!

I know plenty of you are starting to do the countdown to the holidays…only 14 more shopping days to Christmas. Well, if you still need a few gift ideas, it is not too late to shop indie and to shop online. Visit the Indie Fixx Holiday Gift Guide for plenty of ideas and plenty of coupon codes too! You’ll find ideas for gifts for girls, guys, pets and kids too.

Yesterday was the Squidfire show in Baltimore and even though I was feeling just a wee bit under the weather, I still had a good time. I had a lot of visitors come by and hi, which is always cool. Hi there, Quinn!

I bought a bag from Bake Sale Designs and a tote bag from Cotton Monster, sadly I have no pictures of either one. I was neighbors with Heather from brightlights littlecity and she was selling the cutest cocktail umbrella flashing globe ornaments. I was thinking about getting one, but she sold out before I could! You can still order them online though.

That’s it for me for indie craft shows until next year—I’ll keep you posted about which ones I’ll be doing for sure.

Lovely new lovelies in the Indie Fixx Shop I just had to share. Artist LilyMoon creates the dreamiest prints, each with with their own story. She leaves it up to you, to fill in the details though. I just love her work and think you will too.

Also, new in the shop are these amazing wood jewelry designs from Garnish Home. Made from walnut, maple and zebra wood that has been re-purposed from offcuts from the furniture industry. Some are etched and some include colored resin inclusions, but all of them are stunning. Very light to wear, these just pop against the skin.

Here are the remaining ‘12 Days of Indie Holiday Shopping‘ winners!

Congratulations to Caro who won the Indie Fixx Shop prize, Lisa who won the 3-pack of Sweet As You Please candles,  Karen for winning the Kailo Chic bag, Kate who won the dejarnette New Orleans necklace and to Kate for winning the Casto Creations earrings.

Thank you all who entered and thank you to all the wonderful sponsors who donated prizes. Make sure to visit them and take advantage of those coupon codes that are still active.

Today’s Indie Artist Fixx interview with a mover and shaker in the indie world is with Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch. I’ve long been a fan of Subversives Cross Stitch and even have my own sampler. I’m so glad I had a chance to sit down, albeit virtually, with Julie and see what makes her tick.

She’s one neato keen chick with a totally wicked sense of humor and you can find out more about her below in her interview.

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

Subversive Cross Stitch. Irreverent cross stitch kits and supplies.

2. How did you get started with your craft?

It occurred to me when I was stuck at a dead-end job with a hellish boss - it started as art therapy.

3. How did you get started with your business?

I put a few things online to share with friends, then the web found me and it took off all on its own.

4. What else do you do besides Subversive Cross Stitch? Hobbies, other arts & crafts you do, other businesses etc.

I’ve been a freelance writer for years and I have recently written articles and interviews for magazines including Craft, JPG and LAB. I blog in a few different places, I’m mad for Flickr, and I’m generally all about the web 24/7. My latest project is that we’re having our house completely remodeled, so that has wiped out any free time.

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