November 2012
1 post
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May 2012
1 post
April 2012
3 posts
Art Beacon Des Moines: Jolynn Reigeluth... →
artbeacondsm:
Jolynn Reigeluth’s Alter Egos
Ephemera
Exhibition Review by Rachel
Last Friday, I was introduced to a donkey who is always celebrating his birthday. Above you see him in his party hat, standing patiently, awaiting final judgment in Purgatory. He is one of many…
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Submit Your Work to ArtVend
Remember that cool project from Ames C.art we posted about a while back? ArtVend (aka, the vending machine where you can sell handmade items).
Right. Well, you can submit stuff! (As long as it can fit in a vending machine and handle the drop.) Just visit the ArtVend submission page and fill out a few questions. Ames C.art will let you know how to package and deliver your items.
From the...
You Can Still Apply for Market Day!
There’s still time to get in on this year’s action! We’re starting Early Bird Registration today, but that doesn’t mean applications are closed. Just fill out this application form and we’ll notify you of your status as soon as possible.
If you’ve already applied and received notification that you’ve been accepted, you can now start registering for...
February 2012
5 posts
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How to Make the Portfolio Website You Know You...
You need to have a website so people (read: new customers) can find you in a Google search. So get one! It’s easy — all you need to post is your contact information and a few photos. Here are some tools to make your own portfolio website.
1: Carbonmade. Make a gorgeous photographic portfolio. It’s easy. It’s pretty. It’s free. Nuff said.
2: Flickr. So simple: Just...
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How to Make the Portfolio Website You Know You...
You need to have a website so people (read: new customers) can find you in a Google search. So get one! It’s easy — all you need to post is your contact information and a few photos. Here are some tools to make your own portfolio website.
1: Carbonmade. Make a gorgeous photographic portfolio. It’s easy. It’s pretty. It’s free. Nuff said.
2: Flickr. So simple: Just...
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But where does the $50 booth fee GO??
We’ve had some questions about booth fees, and we’d like to address them. It’s true, Market Day booths in 2012 will be $50.00 per month. We’ve always strived to be transparent as possible about our policies, so we’d like to outline what you’re paying for when you hand over your dollars to vend at Market Day. 1. We’re stepping up our game. We’ve ...
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Applications are open!
Get over there and start applying!
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Official Market Day Iowa Website →
Hey guys! We’re moving on from Tumblr for the official festival website. We’ll still keep this guy around and post fun stuff to Tumblr about Market Day, but all of the official application business and that kind of thing will be on the full website at www.marketdayiowa.com.
And a reminder: applications open on Wednesday. THIS Wednesday. So yeah.
January 2012
4 posts
6 tags
2012 Regular Season Application Schedule
We’ve been meeting regularly over the past few weeks to plan out and establish goals for the 2012 season. One priority for us this year is to increase the clarity of communication between Market Day and our applicants and vendors. To that end, we’ve created a thorough overview and schedule describing the process of applying and registering for Market Day Iowa.
We’ll begin accepting applications...
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Announcing the 2012 Market Day Iowa Schedule
We’re back, baby!
2012 Market Day Iowa Regular Season Schedule
Regular season 2012 Market Day Iowa indie shopping events will be held on the first Saturday of the month, May through October.
May 5
June 2
July 7
August 4
September 1
October 6
These regular season dates will be held in the Kirkwood Building at 400 Walnut Street in downtown Des Moines, IA. This is the same location as last...
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10 Tips to Rock It At Your Next Craft Show -- from...
Holy cow! We found some great tips about grabbing customers’ attention and encouraging them to buy things. Jacqueline, the tip-master, hosts a craft show (the Made By Hand Show, to be exact) and has been selling handmade for five years — so she knows a thing or two. Take a look and start raking in the dough at your shows. Original post from Handmadeology.
Guest post by: Jacqueline from...
These are the best, simplest ideas for crafters I’ve read. Or written. Or seen ever.”
December 2011
9 posts
5 tags
You Should Shop at Ephemera for Holiday Gifts
Yep, we’ve reached crunch time—there are officially four more shopping days until Christmas. If you’re starting to panic about what to get your little sister, why not turn to a good ol’ neighborhood shop? No delivery, friendly customer service, and cute, unique gifts.
Try Ephemera, the paper/art/craft beauty—they have “an assortment of handmade lovelies,” which we...
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You Should Shop at Francy Pants for Holiday Gifts
These guys sell modern and vintage clothing for women—and seriously, they’ve got some goooood stuff here, no matter which style tycoon you’re shopping for. The best part is you can get gifts AND save the earth. They reuse their plastic bags and don’t print receipts to keep bad shit out of landfills.
WHO Emily Zach
WHERE 2417 University Avenue
WEB francypantsdsm.com
WHEN
...
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You Should Shop at Domestica for Holiday Gifts
Domestica is the sweetheart of Des Moines — the one all the boys pass “check yes or no” notes to in class. Here you’ll find all manner of handmade, quirky gifts for that indie princess in your life, including darlings like bus necklaces, retro screenprinted owls, and armadillo earrings. Stop by and support this local staple.
WHO Chrissy Jensen
WHERE 321 East Walnut Street
...
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You Should Shop at Raygun for Holiday Gifts
Inside jokes make great gifts—especially when the giftee isn’t in on the joke. Raygun’s shirts are funny enough that Great Aunt Ruth From Connecticut will laugh her arse off at that “There’s Nothing Sexier Than a Cornfield” shirt, but you’ll be laughing yours off too. Because you’re a Midwesterner. And she’s dumb.
See Raygun’s holiday deets...
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You Should Shop at Finders Creepers for Holiday...
This horror-themed gift shop is great for the a-little-bit-odd-but-still-awesome people in your life. Here you can find gifts for “Halloween lovers, monster movie maniacs, morbid art aficionados and everyone else who has an appreciation for the strange and unusual,” according to their site. The shop sells such goods as monster tees, spooky antiques, punk jewelry, and real skulls—yep,...
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How to support Market Day vendors after Market Day...
Finally — part three of three. Here are the remaining Market Day vendors, so look for gift ideas here. And stay tuned to the Market Day blog for more ideas on how you can support the local creative community this holiday season.
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Darby Shannon, DarbyCakes Kyle Newman Jennifer Thompson, Two Rivers Soap Company, http://www.tworiverssoaps.etsy.com Amy McCarty, ameileen Calee HImes,...
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How to support Market Day vendors after Market Day...
More vendors to buy from! Continue your holiday shopping the indie way — get cool gifts from makers, not super chains. Part two: get on this.
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Kim Hutchison, Jbirdstitch Christine Hilbert, Bean & the Sprout, www.beanandthesprout.etsy.com Heather and Cale Roe, BeATomtic Beauty, Etsy.com/beatomicbeauty Stephanie Bracelin, S-Renee Designs, sreneedesigns.etsy.com Jessica Miller, Hill...
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How to support Market Day vendors after Market Day...
Even though we’re taking a hiatus for the winter, you can still support Market Day vendors this holiday season. Over the next few days, we’ll be rolling out a list of vendors with URLs to their online shops. Take a look, browse the inventory and find tons of gift options. Here’s the first batch. Happy shopping!
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Amanda Barr, No Tengo Miedo, notengomiedo.etsy.com Jody...
Oh, How Pinteresting!: Interview with Chrissy... →
pinterest:
Photo by Erich Ernst
Shop owner, music lover, poster collector, and 60s mod aficionado. Chrissy Jensen took some time out of a business holiday season at her shop Domestica to share how her business got started and what and why she pins.
Chrissy’s shop Domestica in Des…
November 2011
12 posts
1 tag
Today is the day
And we are SO EXCITED! We’ve spent the week making and decorating and tomorrow is Black Friday. Come out and shop with us — there’s parking in the garage on the corner of 5th and Walnut. See you in 9 hours. Sleep tight!
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Object of Desire
Regardless of your religious leanings, this indie Advent Calendar is a great way to count down to Christmas.
It’s apparently inspired by a Pottery Barn product, but have fun and tailor it to your style. Just add some seriously funky ornaments and ring in the holiday season.
And while we’re on the subject… have you thought about starting your holiday shopping with Market Day?...
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The Beauty of Market Day
Hey, my name is Dani Ausen, though you may know me as Dani Awesome. I’m the co-director of Market Day, along with Cat Rocketship. I want to tell you how Market Day built me into a business.
I’ve been around Market Day since the beginning, helping out and doing the graphic design. I’ve always been a crafty person, and I loved the idea of selling things I’d made, but I simply had no idea...
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Black Friday Market Day DECORATING PARTY
Hey Vendors!
Want to help decorate for Friday’s big event? Yes, is the answer, because it’ll be a party. We’re meeting Wednesday at noon at the Kirkwood to “holidify” the place. Er… make ready for the holidays.
Bring tinsel, popcorn strings, sprigs of spruce, mistletoe—whatever you use to celebrate Christmas (we promise you’ll get it back at the end)....
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I would love to invite you to the Market Day Black...
Hi, I’m Cat. I’ve been with Market Day from the beginning, and now I run it with my husband, Scott Rocketship, and my BFF, Dani Awesome. Our biggest event of the year is this Friday: Black Friday. From 9a-2p at the Kirkwood Building in downtown Des Moines.
We work really hard on this event. This is the end of the third season of Market Day, and Black Friday is the big prize of the...
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Object of Desire
This fall color palette from Miss Indie. The yellow and blue scream, “Look at us together! We’re rad.” And traveling down, there’s not a color that seems out of place. Fresh, unexpected, and cute as a pile of autumn leaves, this is one hell of a color palette. Bravo.
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It's Holiday Bazaar Time -- from the Des Moines...
Check out this roundup of holiday bazaars around central Iowa. And *pssst*—mark your calendar for that awesome black friday event, fifth from the bottom!
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WatchDani Ausen tells the truth—the Black Friday Market Day is a great alternative to the crazy, Walmart-esque tradition. Support local vendors, buy something unique, and do your holiday shopping at Market Day Iowa, yo.
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Doing Outdoor Art Shows Well -- from Amanda Barr
Amanda Barr, faithful Market Day vendor and maker of No Tengo Miedo Clay, shares her wisdom for showing outdoors. See the original post here, and see Amanda’s Etsy shop here. Take it away, Amanda!
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I’ve been asked by a few people now for advice on doing some of the larger outdoor art shows, so I thought I’d post about my booth setup and tips for making the most of your setup. I plan...
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October 2011
1 post
5 tags
Whats the difference between a reproduction and an... →
September 2011
14 posts
5 tags
6 things I learned while trying to buy your stuff... →
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How to price your handmade goods from CRAFT... →
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4 ways to drive traffic to your booth from Indie... →
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The Number One Reason Why We Buy Handmade by... →
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Oh Hello Friend has another round up of booth... →
display ideas, merchandising, crafting, indie craft, craft shows
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Oh, Hello Friend posted a fab roundup of... →
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“Every great metropolis in history had a strong tradition of creative arts. A...”
– Cat’s article for Juice Magazine, September 21, 2011.
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The benefits of buying locally:
Small business accounts for 75% of all new jobs.
When you spend $100 at an independent business, $68 returns to the local community. Spend that same amount at a national chain and it drops to $43.
For every square foot a local firm occupies, the local economy gains $179 vs. $105 for a chain store.
Locally-owned businesses reinvest in the local economy at a 60% higher rate than chains and...
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Why handmade is so 'expensive' →
Lex of whathecraft.com leads us through the steps to make her goods, and why handmade takes more care, more time, and a higher price tag than factory-made.
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This weekend: Market Day's SUITCASE SHOWDOWN
This weekend we’re thrilled to tell you we’ve got a special thang going on at Market Day: the September SUITCASE SHOWDOWN. It has to be capitalized, because we’re that excited.
This Saturday, September 24, we’re hosting a mega-fun mini-trunk show. More than 30 vendors are bringing boxes, bags, and suitcases to the Kirkwood Hotel in downtown Des Moines. This is a great...
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The Dark Art of Pricing by Jessica Hische
Pricing is a prickly topic for even the most seasoned crafter. Set a price too low, and risk giving buyers the impression that your work isn’t high quality. Raise the prices, and you risk driving buyers away! Jessica Hische has the most comprehensive guide we’ve come across for arts and craft pricing. You can see the original at jessicahische.is.
I’M SURE MANY OF YOU WENT TO ART...
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Creative business, creative economy
Hey Iowa makers! You know Market Day is working for the maker community in a big way — every month we raise awareness for shopping local, buying handmade and building a community of vendors and consumers. All. Good. Things.
Cat Rocketship got on her (very creative) soapbox to say a few words about the topic over at Bravo Greater Des Moines. Check out what she said:
Why is creative...
