Big Cartel A new Place to Sell Stuff for FREE!!!

So, I found this cool new place to sell your goods from. See, some people don't understand how FREE advertising can be. You do not have to buy commercial air time on a Cable Television Channel. Those ads don't even reach people like me, who do not subscribe to cable at ALL. The Internet is a haven of Free Space with which you can snatch up an advertise in.
So, check out yet another cool, FREE provider of store space. It is called Big Cartel. You can find them HERE. They allow up to 5 free listings, and one image per item, but you could use this to advertise/promote your etsy shop or any other shop you may possess. comment below if you have any opinion or you start a Cartel of your own :) how funny that sounds!

Apple Fest in Murphysboro, IL a bit of a Let Down :(

I went to visit my friends, Mary from InBlue and The Smelly Hippie at Apple Fest this year, and was kind of shocked to see they were some of the only 2 vendors with hand made items! Now, last year, it was similar, but not this bad! Last year, I was across from a booth of Nike Sneakers and FAKE Coach Purses! Who can compete with $30 Coach-ish purses??? When I am trying to sell my hand sewn ones for less than that?
So, I was a bit appalled to see that they were BACK in action this year, along with some the the other Import Junk that took over 95% of the booths! I guess in Apple Fest's defense, they never said ONLY HAND MADE!! I feel like I need to help them out a bit. But How?....
If anyone has any suggestions they would like to throw my way, please let me know. Maybe I can suggest something to them?
I know I will not be back next year. That is for SURE!!!

I feel so bad to rant on a local festival, but they need to support the arts made here in the USA, not that junk that is taking over!!!!

Crafty Bastards!! In DC Metro Area!!

This month!! Sunday, September 28th in Adams Morgan DC.
The last one was June 28th in Silver Spring, MD.
See their Flickr Group HERE!!

Please Make Sure to Visit Cedarhurst Fine Craft/Art Fair this WEEKEND!!!

If you are in the area, please be sure to visit CEDARHURST CRAFT FAIR IN MT.VERNON, IL.
Look for 130 craftsmen featured at this year’s Cedarhurst Craft Fair. Crafts will include glass, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, wood, basketry and leather, two-dimensional art and much more. Due to expansion construction, all crafters will be located on the front west area of the Cedarhurst grounds. The Children’s Area will be located in front of the Mitchell House and include lots of games and crafts for children to enjoy as well as their very own place to shop, the Children’s Store.

The Creative Art Center will be, although temporarily, located in its new home, the former Administration Building. Over a dozen talented artists from the area will demonstrate painting, fiber arts, spinning, clay, woodworking and more. Have a seat in the Grand Tent and enjoy entertainment by national and regional bands, tasty treats provided and the Cedarhurst Beer Garden!

Saturday and Sunday,
September 6 and 7, 2008
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $3/adults, free/children 10 and under
Shuttle service: $2/adults, free/children 10 and under

Totally fun Article on Etsy!!!

So, today on Etsy, there is an article about Craft Fairs & Indie Art Fairs!! I will include the words from the Etsy Page/ Storque Article I found HERE. Quite a fun one, I recommend you visit it!!

"****Providence, RI: September 6 - 21, 2008****
The 10th Annual Pawtucket Arts Festival kicks off this week with a wide variety of visual, performance and participatory arts events by regional, national and internationally-known artists. Be sure to stop by and visit the RI Etsy Team on September 13 and 14, where over ten local Etsy artists will be representing Arts In RI with a huge booth set-up.
This week's line up of events includes Dragonboat Races, an antique and classic car show, antique appraisals, children's theatre, music, poetry, dancing, juried art exhibits and design competitions, film screenings and walking tours. Be sure to check out the schedule of events for all the dates and details.

****Northampton, MA: September 5 - 6, 2008****
Get away for the weekend and check out the adorable little town of Northampton, MA. Home to thousands of students, artists and musicians, the town is filled with great shops, restaurants, bars and coffee houses as well as several performance venues.
This weekend the Twist Fair will be showcasing original handmade goods and art from over 50 of the region's most talented crafters and artists. Two days of shopping start Friday evening on September 5 with DJ beats and adult beverages. It's less than two hours from Boston and only three hours from NYC, so it's a great excuse to escape the city and plan a weekend getaway. Check out the related items below for a sneak peek of the fabulous crafters and artists who will be there representing their work.

****Asheville, NC : September 7****
Arts 2 People is excited to bring you the seventh annual FREE, Lexington Ave Arts and Fun Festival. Three blocks of Asheville's scenic N. Lexington Ave will be lined with local art, food, beer and street performers on Sunday, September 7 from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm. (Located between College Street and the I-240 overpass.) The street will be brimming with a celebration of Asheville's diverse and unique culture.
The entertainment schedule includes three stages and two courtyards of music and performance, featuring rock and roll, indie pop, funk, folk, ragtime, reggae, world beat, singer songwriters, bluegrass, old time, drummers, clowns, magicians, contortionists, belly dancers, modern dancers, vaudeville actors, fire dancers, break dancers and hula hoopers.
The Asheville Etsy Street Team will be making an appearance at LAAFF, bringing hands-on demonstrations on upcycled no-sew grocery bags, a community art project resulting in a creature from the briny deep and an on-site display of their team members' handmade arts and crafts.

****Reston, VA : September 10-13****
Phase 1 Lounge presents Phasefest, an annual Queer music and arts festival dedicated to the development, exposure and interaction of queer and queer-allied musicians and artists, both national and international. The entertainment schedule includes a line up of talented musicians, crafters, artists, performance artists, activists and comedians.
If you are an artist or crafter who would like to participate in Phasefest, they are still accepting applications for unique local artists, artisans and crafters who also happen to be queer or allies in the gay/lesbian community."

Thanks to iheartmoustache on etsy for this article!!

Rock N Roll Crafts Show!!!

See them this Thanksgiving Weekend in St. Louis, MO!!! See them HERE. The website is very cool!!!! Please let me know if you plan to participate, I can advertise for you!!

Lincoln Memorial Gardens Fall Festival!! Free Booth Setup

This image was found here.
Lincoln Memorial Gardens in Springfield, IL will be hosting its Annual Indian Summer Festival on October 11-12. I recommend getting an application soon, so you get a good spot. To contact them, call (217) 529-1111.
***The best part is this: They let art/craft vendors set up for FREE if you want to demonstrate your craft. You can really get creative for this too! I recommend for EVERYONE that enters to waive this fee and bring some crafts to work on and gain interest in your booth.

VISIT LINCOLN MEMORIAL GARDENS WEBSITE HERE!

"The family-oriented activities are scheduled for the weekend of October 11-12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Single admission is $3, and admission for an entire family is $8.

One of the Garden's most popular events, the festival attracts several thousand visitors over two days, so the move will mean fewer feet trampling Garden plantings and more room and access for visitors and participants.

But the most exciting change in this year's festival is the effort to go green, a shift that will have an added benefit of providing lots of compost for next year for the Garden and perhaps for other local gardeners.

What won't change is the fun.

Emerald Underground will take the stage on Saturday. Andy Wiesenhofer, the "Cowboy Poet," will also perform. On Sunday, the River Ramblers and Bourbon Street Bluegrass will provide the entertainment. For the children therre will be magic shows and balloon sculpture provided by long time festival favorites "Twinkles” and “Lil” Spark.

And, as always, there will be lots of artisans on hand, showing and selling their products. Festival organizers are emphasizing traditional and nature-related crafts. A cooper has been added this year. He will make wooden buckets, churns, and similar items and may have a small inventory for sale. Also new this year is a woodburner, who will demonstrate his craft. Many other vendors will return, including those demonstrating spinning and weaving, needlework, woodwork, and beekeeping.

There will be plenty of activities for the young (and young at heart), too. In addition to the always popular pumpkin decorating, there will be turtle races, bean bag tosses, and face painting. Children will be able to make pine cone birdfeeders, leaf prints, wire sculptures, and kazoos. In keeping with the goal of greening the festival, all materials used in the children's crafts will be natural or recyclable.

Children and adults may want to plan time to take one of the nature hikes, which will be offered several times on both days, through the prairie or the forest, where the maples, dogwoods, and sumac will be on fall display.

After working up an appetite, festivalgoers might sample butterfly porkchop sandwiches, chili, golden caramel apples from Pease's Candy Shop, and baked goods from the Springfield Civic Garden Club's Country Cupboard, along with hot or cold cider.

Capitol Radio Group will run on-air promotions, including ticket give-away contests, on all of its five stations during the two weeks before the festival and will broadcast live from the Garden during the event.

While the stage is set for this year's Indian Summer Festival, there's still time to join the supporting cast. Become a sponsor, display a craft, or volunteer. And come for the fun.
Oh, and carpool if possible."

Please visit this event if at all possible! It was a lot of fun last year, and this new location is a big change. They are just trying to preserve their garden walk, though. Hope to see you there!