Accepting Applications for Holiday Show

Hello Everybody!

You've probably been wondering what we've been up to, and we've gotten a lot of inquiries about our next show, so first things first--yes, we are having a Holiday event, and it will be held on Saturday December 8th at Ben's Bikes.  Applications are up on our website now!

http://www.indiesouthfair.com/apply/

We here at Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa are ready to unveil some big changes, starting with our name.  While we have enjoyed the last 5 years as Craftstravaganzaa, we've noticed that some folks have a hard time saying it...and spelling it...and when we began overhauling the look and feel of our website, we decided maybe it was time for a name change as well. From here on out, we are Indie South Fair, a Handmade Happening. 

And while the name change is big, the changes we're most excited about is the expanding our scope: though we have long been more than just a handmade marketplace, we want even more diversity of activities and participants--more musical performances and local eats, and lots more demonstrations and workshops. We want to reach out 

to the creative community and invite you to share not only your work but your techniques and skills with our attendees. We are also creating opportunities for art clubs and school programs to be a part of show, to encourage and showcase emerging talent.  We hope you'll spread the word about these new aspects of our show and maybe join in yourself!

So please take a moment to visit our new site and learn more about the our re-vamped Indie South Fair, a Handmade Happening. And don't forget to like our new facebook page, follow us on twitter, and join the mailing list!

We hope to hear from you soon!

Aerial Melodies - Holiday 2011 Artist

Inspired by travel experiences and a passion for art, Aerial Melodies was created to bring a pop of color into your everyday life. A fun fabric here, a delicate paper there, and a radiant bead all lovingly pieced together to spice up your wardrobe and your home.


Check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/aerialmelodies to see more from Aerial Melodies. 

New Vendors listings are being added today.

I am back from my trip to Tennessee for the Thanksgiving holiday.  While it was nice to take a quick trip home, and see family, and even get to come back on the back roads through the Smoky Mountains, I am very pleased to be back getting ready for next week's Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa.  It is always so exciting, the rush at the last minute trying to get everything in place. 


Anyway, when I checked my email, I found lots and lots of new vendor info, so I will work diligently today to get everyone listed on the website.  I will also ask that any Craftstravaganzaa vendor who has not yet sent in their pic/link/blurb, please try to send it to me by Sunday afternoon. I'd like to wrap that part up this weekend. 


Visit our website and plan your holiday handmade shopping. 
http://www.athensindiecraftstravaganzaa.com

Are you coming from out of town?

I've prepared this map of hotels near Craftstravaganzaa for our out of town guests.  The map will also show you restaurants and clubs that are close by. Let  me know if you have any questions, I'll try to help. 

Craftstravaganzaa Map

Promote! Promote! Promote!

Here are a few ideas to help promote the show.  We've found that each artist promoting his/her own appearance at the show works fantastically to reach the widest audience.  Let your family, friends and fans know that you will be at Craftstravaganzaa and invite them to visit for their holiday shopping. Ask them to invite their friends and family. 


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We have available banners and graphics for you to post on your marketing media (mailing lists, website, blogs, etsy, facebook, myspace, twitter etc) to let your fans and customers know you will be participating in Craftstravaganzaa. The banners are available on the PROMO page of our website. 
http://athensindiecraftstravaganzaa.com
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We also have fliers that can be downloaded from our website (PROMO page), please print and paste a few around your work/gym/store etc. 
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Our Twitter hashtag is #AthensCraft
Please tweet often and share our new location - 670 West Broad Street, Athens, GA. 
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Visit our event page on Facebook  
http://www.facebook.com/events/322784694403299/
and invite all your friends.   Ask them to do the same.  This is one of the quickest and easiest way to get our event in front of a lot of people.
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I'll be sharing marketing tips on the blog over the next few weeks, subscribe so you do not miss a post.  There's some neat suprises up  my sleeve. 
http://athenscraft.blogspot.com/

Photos finally online.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, a chill to the air despite the bright blue skies. By the time everyone had unloaded and set up and our guests starting arriving, the nip was all but gone. The sun shone brightly and gloriously warm all day. We could not have asked for more perfect fall weather!

 On the wonderful, shady patio sugarbeat pastry served up homemade treats, including brownie cakes with pecan encrusted icing, thick slices of fresh pumpkin bread, veggie chili, and grilled beef and veggie dogs served up on soft, fresh buns with a few tangy, crunchy pickles on the side. There was comfortable seating on the patio and deck for lunch and conversation and maybe even grabbing a cocktail from the Caledonia.

DJ Mahogany was on the upper deck, serving up his brand of dance music to keep the vibe upbeat.

We had quite a turnout this weekend, a lot of visitors and a lot of people buying. The earlier date for Craftstravaganzaa seemed to be a big hit, giving our guests a little earlier start on the holiday shopping period and helping them avoid all the rush of all the shows competing on the weekends in December.

Thanks for coming out and supporting this community event as well as your local craftspeople and artisans! Merry Christmas to all our Craftstravaganzaa friends and we look forward to seeing you in the spring.

Check back to the website in late winter to watch for the Spring Market Call for Artists; or you can follow AIC on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates. 

Promote! Promote! Promote!

It's that time people!  With about three weeks until the show, we've got plenty to do to spread the word about Craftstravaganzaa!

We've found that each artist promoting his/her own appearance at the show works fantastically to reach the widest audience.  Let your family, friends and fans know that you will be at Craftstravaganzaa and invite them to visit for their holiday shopping. Ask them to invite their friends and family.

We will make available banners and graphics for you to post on your marketing media (mailing lists, website, blogs, etsy, facebook, myspace, twitter etc) to let your fans and customers know you will be participating in Craftstravaganzaa. The banners will be available on the AIC website by the weekend, check the FORMS page.

http://athensindiecraftstravaganzaa.com/forms.htm

We also have fliers that can be downloaded from our website (FORMS page), please print and paste a few around your work/gym/store etc.  (these too will be available by the end of this weekend)


Our Twitter hashtag is #Craftstravaganzaa

Visit  our Facebook Event page  and click the SELECT GUESTS TO INVITE link upper left and invite all your friends.   Ask them to do  the same. 

If you have any more ideas how we can share our event with as  many guests as possible,  please leave your ideas in a comment. 

Applications are Closed for the Holiday Market

Just as the cutoff time drew near, there was a flurry of last minute applications submitted for the Holiday Craftstravaganzaa. We ended up with well over 100 applications for just 50-something spaces. We are very excited about the diverse group of artists  applying to the show this season. 

So many wonderful artists applying for Craftstravaganzaa makes it a very difficult task to choose. We have applications from as far away as SC, TN, IL and MO.

So far we have pre-chosen a good mix of Craftstravaganzaa veterans and artists new to our show.  Unfortunately, it looks like many of our past vendors will not be joining us this time in order to make way for new talent and to keep our show fresh and diverse. 

This is the broadest range of talent and techniques we have ever had, and we are exceptionally proud to bring these artists to Athens.  This is going to be the best Craftstravaganzaa yet. 

Final choices will be made and notifications will be out by this Wednesday. Be sure to check your email!

Finally, the weekend.

Finally - Saturday.  Even though it dawned grey and stormy, I've been in a fit of creativity all day.  I've made a cake and decorated it  with pretty sprinkles, drawn two drawings for myself,  and updated the Craftstravaganzaa website a little more.  Serra is on the road right now on the west coast, and internet service is spotty for her. But she did manage to find a hot spot yesterday and answer a couple of my questions.  So now I can share with our friends that Craftstravaganzaa will be from 11 am until 6 pm this year, Saturday November 13th.   The applications are up now, and will be accepted until October 10th, with notification going out Oct. 16th.  We are happy to hear from people that the earlier date this year will be much more convenient for them.

 I've been adding banners and buttons to the Craftstravaganzaa website to  help promote our event. Simply download the jpgs, then post to your blog, profile, website — wherever you want to share Craftstravaganzaa with your friends.