Renegade Austin 2013

I meant to post this yesterday, but THIS WEEKEND is the Renegade Craft Fair in Austin! You can hang out with vendors ranging from local to international at the Palmer Events Center. WAY too much love and respect for these artisans who throw their souls into their work. So sad I didn't get to go this year, but if you're in the area be sure to czech it out! They'll be there tomorrow! 

I'm completely biased, but here are a few booths I HIGHLY recommend: 

>> iwasmade

>> Ladybird Likes 

>> Little Minnow

>> Poppy & Fern

>> Son of a Sailor

>> The Mossy Fox (LOVE this lady!)

You can see some of my past Renegade ventures here: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 

Happy weekending loves! 

xo

Renegade Roundup: Holiday Edition / 3

Last batch of Renegade Best Of! This was near the end of the fair so I was scrambling for photos because I couldn't stand to leave without sharing these amazing artists with you. My mind was blown and my heart was totally stolen (as usual). See parts I and II here. 

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I loved the whimsy, color, and variety offered by Adrienne Vita, creator of Arcane Arts. The pictures don't do justice to her work but I was absolutely stunned. The prints and pillows were definitely my favorite. The textures of each stood out beautifully and you couldn't help but sit and stare, following every intricate detail. To shop any of these amazing items and much more, head on over to her shop, and check out her blog for upcoming events! 

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What can I even say? The prints, shirts, and general design of Squid Art Kollective are so.much.fun. Lots of color, lots of eccentricity. Lots of LOVE in my heart when I found the booth. Check out more of their fantastic work here as well as their shop. 

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Saving the best for last! I could NOT get enough of Francesca Berrini's idiosyncratic designs. I wandered around her booth for quite a bit; there were so many unique prints and cards to take in! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get many pictures, but you'll just have to check out her shop and see for yourself! I bought a few greeting cards and postcards because they were so much fun and so out there. Amazing. I'll probably be framing them. See more of her work here!

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That's it for Renegade Holiday 2012 guys! I've said it before but I'll say it again; I absolutely had a blast and can't wait til the next one! Funny story (this goes to show how slightly behind I am on blogging BUT) I actually ventured out to Austin again this weekend to support a local Houston band and yet again, total blast. I miss living there. Stories and photos and crafty things coming soon! Hope everyone had a relaxing weekend!

xo

Renegade Roundup: Holiday Edition / 2

Here are a few more of my favorite booths from Renegade Craft Austin last weekend! You can see Part I here. 

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This was just about one of the cutest baby booths I've ever seen. Aren't those shoes ADORABLE?! There was so much variety of product, color, pattern, style...everything! Bibs, burp cloths, sewn ornaments, decorative magnetic clothespin sets; I loved every second of it. I wish I had a little niece or nephew to buy these for! Too stinkin cute. Check out Mindy's blog and maybe do some shoppin for your little birds right here!

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I have a soft spot for all things rugged and repurposed. These bags made from old seed sack bags...ultimate definition of upcycling, guys. Completely captured my heart. The tiger bag (above) was definitely my favorite. The variety of sizes and styles (satchels, totes, courier bags, on and on) was really inspiring as well. Who knew seed sacks could be so stylish?! You can find out more about Selina Vaughan Studios and upcoming shows here, as well as shop her line to your heart's content here!

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I'm not big on scented soaps but let me tell you something, these babies looked so delicious I could EAT them. They had chocolate bar soaps and I swear they were real. And how amazing are those camera soaps?! Red tea clover, I need you in my life! The vendors were SO sweet and gave me a mini green button soap when I left. Pamper yourself with some serious soaplove by visiting their Austin shop or online here. Go. Shop. Be clean. Smell AMAZING. 

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I have to say that Kate, the beautiful soul behind Little Things Studio, is probably one of the sweetest, most animated people I've ever met. Which makes me even more upset that in the flurry of trying to take photos before the fair shut down, most of my detail shots of her amazing work came out terribly blurry. Regardless, her booth was so inviting and cozy, much like the artisan herself. Prints, journals, bookmarks, cards, calendars, stationary, adorable wooden ornaments; this lady knows what she's doing. Her eye for cohesive, uplifting design just radiates through her work and I'm so glad to have met her! I'll definitely be snagging some Christmas gifts from her shop. You can too, on her website or through her Etsy shop. 

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OH MY GOODNESS RENEGADE. Just writing these posts and going back through the pictures warms my heart. I have a few more shops to share tomorrow; get excited! Have a great weekend lovelies! Edited to add: due to unexpected travel plans, I will be posting part III of Renegade on Sunday! 

xo

Renegade Roundup: Holiday Edition / 1

So, after A Series Of Unfortunate Events I finally made it to Austin with about and hour and a half to spare. It's an understatement to say that that's an inadequate timeframe to take in such an exciting, creative event; especially for someone like me. I love taking my time at each booth, talking with the vendors, browsing thoroughly, making sure I get good shots of my favorites. That's not to say I didn't have an absolute BLAST in the time I did have, but...well. I just wish I could've stayed longer! At any rate, here are, in my humble opinion, the Best Of Renegade Craft Austin Holidayfest 2012. 

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I absolutely LOVED these mini planters by The Plaid Pigeon. The booth was so much fun, not to mention the amazing variety of planters! Everyone's going succulent crazy these days, and for a good reason. These low maintenance creatures would be a perfect way to brighten up my desk. How cool would it be to get to the office every morning and be greeted by a neon T-Rex?! It's love guys. For more toy planter fun, head on over to their shop.

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I was THRILLED OUT OF MY MIND to see Helen, the lovely artisan behind Cloth & Ink,  at the fair this year! I met her at the previous Renegade in May, and her designs impressed me beyond belief then. The work she's done since that time completely astounded me. So much diversification of product, so many new designs...I stood in her booth chatting and taking photos and then staring around awkwardly deciding what to buy; it was so much to take in! I'm so excited to see how far she's come and I can't wait to see where she's headed next. Also, it was great to be reminded that she lives in my neck of the woods! Absolutely love it. Need some classy holiday gift ideas? Shop all of her amazing work here. 

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These are probably some of the coolest home decor accents I've ever seen. Each one is so beautifully crafted...as I was wandering around the booth one of the vendors was actually working on a new one! My absolute favorite is the Audrey vessel (pictured first). And the tea lights are magnetic; one can't be without the other! They make such cute couples, amirite? Find out more about scoring some of these earthy beauts from LEBORED here. 

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Where can I even BEGIN?! I'd heard of Poppy & Fern through the Etsy circuit and general blogsphere, but to stand in a booth with so many of the carefully crafted necklaces and embroidered hoops was almost too much. My heart was bursting. The mood of the booth itself just exuded such elegance and comfort; I was right at home. I've admired Rachel's work for so long and it was absolutely lovely to meet her in person. Want to know where high class and vintage craft hang out? Head to her shop and scoop up some of these gorgeous designs while you can! 

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That's it for part one of my holiday Renegade blitz; more bits of incredible coming your way tomorrow! 

xo

Roadtrippin' to Renegade!

I'm SO EXCITED for today! Roadtripping to Austin to see some dearhearts and shop handmade and have some fun. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and didn't completely lose your sanity on Black Friday. Or wreck your car. This absolutely broke my heart when I saw it Thursday. I actually drove through the fog even earlier that morning (like, 4am) and it was AWFUL. I was going 30mph on the highway because I couldn't see three feet in front of me. So if you're traveling home this weekend after visiting family, be safe please. Just in general.  

ALSO. If you're in Houston, go check out Featherface at Rudyard's tonight; it's going to be a killer show and I'm so sad to miss it! This happens every time I go out of town, dangit. Haha. GO OUT AND SUPPORT THEM FOR ME!  See ya soon lovers! 

xo

Renegade Roundup / 3

Christine and I had some fun at the Magnolia Photo Booth...haha. But now for the final installment of this Renegade roundup party! 

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I was so excited to see the Ello Lovey booth, automatically recognizable by the crocheted Sweet Dreams calendar collaboration between Rhianna and Meredith of One Sheepish Girl (such a small world, guys). Rhianna’s booth was packed with beautiful prints; I could gush for hours about her artistic style!

Her setup was very cohesive and cute (I felt like I was walking up to an actual brick and mortar shop display) yet functional to display the most variety of products possible, something I absolutely LOVED (a packed table with great products is a sign of hard work and dedication to your craft: respect). It was lovely meeting Rhianna (I knew of her, but only through mentions on One Sheepish Girl) and she was just as sweet as could be. Buy one of her English heritage-inspired prints here (they’re seriously the cutest), or keep up with her in the blog world here!

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Look, I'm just really in love with Felicia’s plush hipster bears, ok?! I’m over the mustache craze but seriously?! Too. Cute. Lets Be Friends boasts one of the most unique plush collections I’ve ever seen, and Felicia was really humble about the whole thing. She’s responsible for the entire production process, from pile of supplies to the end result of adorableplushlove! I was really impressed by that, as the booth was lined with shelf upon shelf of these detailed hipster bears and other large furry creatures (like I said, the pictures don’t do it justice).

Christine with a mustachioed mister

LBF also offered a mystery creature box; basically you buy a box not knowing which furry friend will be inside (such a fun idea)! Prints and cards were available as well. You can find more information about LBF here, or shop for furry friends of your own!

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I didn’t get a chance to really linger at this booth (it was PACKED) so I snapped a few pictures and grabbed a business card because the jewelry was just so beautiful. Ok mainly I was hung up on the red acrylic Africa necklace with the heart cutout, but anyway. Stevie is the wonderwoman behind the classy designs of tru.che, and fair-goers could not seem to get enough of her work..

The majority of the necklaces on display had various states and country pendants with tiny heart cutout detailing, though there were other designs available as well. Sidneote: In browsing around her website I came across her boyfriend’s work. In addition to his own business, the couple has an online vintage shop called Whiskey Ginger (as well as an actual storefront in Chicago that is currently open to the public by appointment only). Bottom line, this is a serious indie power-couple, and even though I didn’t get to speak with either of them personally, I’m really excited to see them successfully pursuing what they love. You can find out more about tru.che here.

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1. Son of a Sailor very well may be one of the coolest business names, ever

2. Made exponentially more epic because of their logo

3. The geometric and colorblocked jewelry of William Knopp and Jessica Tata is so simple, yet completely elegant and natural. I took everything in me not to break my budget for this necklace. Or this one. Or this one.

4. Their display on woodblocks = total win in my book. I was also REALLY EXCITED because they debuted 10 pieces from their brand new, limited-edition Karve collection at this fair (so aesthetically beautiful…I’d be proud to wear one around my neck!)...I’m really glad SOS was at this fair; I’ll be saving my pennies for one of those aforementioned necklaces, maybe even a print or two! Shop SOS here, follow their blog for shop updates and such here.

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I dabble in embroidery from time to time, but I’ve never done crewel work…I hadn’t even really heard of it until I came upon the Wool & Hoop booth! Katherine of W&H was very knowledgeable and quick to answer all of my questions (guys, she’s written two craft books on this. They’re both beautiful and I might just crewel til I die at this point).

Her booth offered a variety of colorful wool skeins, as well as crewel kits including all the supplies needed to create a finished piece. Her books were also for sale (my fingers were just itching to scoop them up) and so was a variety of her lovely crewel embroidered handiwork! I would never think of wool + embroidery in the same context, but obviously it’s a beautiful thing, and obviously I need to try it out! Her online shop is easy to navigate and offers a huge selection of products; anything and everything you could possibly need for this art form. That said, I’m really excited to experiment with crewel in the near future! PS her designs remind me of Ernst Haeckel sketches (instant love).  Have any of you guys ever done crewel embroidery? It's seriously fascinating.

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Ok my dears, that wraps up my fair favorites from Renegade; this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the talent and craft that was displayed in Austin this weekend, but I hope it inspires you to check out your local fairs and send some love to those working so hard to make a living off of their skills and passions (: