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By Merritt Gade, August 20, 2010 11:32 am

As a first time participant in Austin Fashion Week and a first time lone-vendor, I had no idea what to expect from an event like Shear Decadence. Are people there to look, but not shop? Are people there to be seen and pick up a few pieces of jewelry while they’re at it? Will my offerings be what anyone at this particular show likes? Are they there just for the free treats? Is anyone even going to know about this show and feel up for leaving the house on a Sunday night? “To try and to learn” was my motto; “No expectations” was my mantra.

I had THE BEST TEAM to work with and I feel like I really lucked out. There were at least four people from Salon Intuitions who worked really hard on this collaboration, and the main contact, Stewart, made sure everything was taken care of. The team planned and executed a mini-fashion show that included my hair accessories done up with their excellent styling on a top-notch group of models. They gathered treats from a variety of great sponsors, including the incredibly popular photo booth, and made sure the items were nicely presented. They even made up some sweet goody bags and organized a raffle of special gift baskets.  And, they made me feel very welcome and appreciated.

These days, no night is complete without delicious cupcakes.

To be prepared and organized on my end was the best way I knew to help make sure the night ran smoothly. I made as much inventory (new designs as well as classic sellers) as I usually do for holiday and two-day shows, but, since I was set-up in a hair salon, I got to focus some of that making-time toward my bridal and special occasion hair accessories. That was really fun and a great excuse to finish some ideas that had been in my head for a while. We had several meetings at the location which allowed me to plan and visualize the use of space and flow of traffic, so my display tweaking skills were in full force ahead of time (no duct tape necessary, for example). Joe was with me during the entire event, too, and he’s pretty skilled at setting up my work, helping with any problem-solving, and packing things up neatly. And keeping me mellow. I also kept in mind the event would be over rather quickly, so if traffic was slow or I felt awkward, it would all be behind me soon enough.  And if it was busy, that was a good thing.

It looks a mess because people couldn't keep from touching!

It was busy and it did go by rather quickly. A couple of good friends arrived right away and more came throughout the night. That helped so much in keeping me from floating away mentally. The salon peeps were organized and in good spirits, making it a really fun environment in which to be working. The models were lovely and wore my sparklies very nicely down the runway and around the salon. New shoppers who appreciated my work were definitely in attendance, and I could not be more grateful.  I love when people squeal when they see something on my table.  It makes me feel like The Fonz just walked in, only it’s a bright pair of earrings they haven’t seen anywhere else that I made. I even met a local shop owner interested in putting my items in her location. That’s like The Fonz hitting the jukebox to make the music start—magical and unexpected.

New design right in the middle...more on that later.

Long post short, I will participate in AFW next year.  Definitely.

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By Merritt Gade, August 6, 2010 9:40 pm

My earrings have found yet another great place to be on display!  Reclaim is a new shop in Southwest Austin and it is full of excellent products.  This spot is an eco-conscious store that promotes the “reduce, reuse, recycle” motto by providing resale clothing as well as new, sustainable eco-friendly fashions for women and men.  New merchandise is either organic, sustainable, recycled, fair trade, or made locally or in the USA.  They also carry the work of jewelry artists Holli Brown Mosaics and Snake & Roxy, both of which I’m proud to be on the shelves with.

Reclaim is located in Southwest Austin at 6001 West William Cannon near Escarpment, on the West side of William Cannon in the Legend Oaks Shopping Center, Building 1.  They are open Tuesday – Saturday from 10am – 7pm, Sunday from noon – 4pm, and are closed Mondays and some holidays.  They can be reached at (512) 382-0382, but you really should just stop in.

Or attend their upcoming event…

Shop, Swing, & Swig: Free Concert Event at Reclaim

Saturday, August 14th from 6 – 9pm

Featuring Live Music from Town Hall Devils and Acid Beach!

Discount shopping, artisan booths, drinks, giveaways, and more!

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By Merritt Gade, May 11, 2010 11:56 am

I’m getting ready (and feeling pretty on top of things) for the Renegade Craft Fair happening this coming Saturday and Sunday.  I have most of my inventory made, just need to finish a few items and get some labeling issues ironed out.  I have my display ideas finalized, just need to actually make one piece and tweak another.  And, most importantly, my boothmates and I had a practice run for our space set-up and I couldn’t feel more confident in our awesome teamwork, professionalism, and handmade magic.

In addition to sharing space with April Wright, I have two other crafty ladies to boast on.

Stephanie Friedman of The Flashbulb makes gorgeous sewn art pieces.  She then photographs each piece and creates prints and cards from the images.  One can purchase the cards, prints (framed or unframed), and even the original sewn creation.  Each one is unique, full of color, and totally wonderful!

Maggie Murphy of Assorted Musings by Maggie makes lovely crocheted and knitted wearables.  Crafting with many types of yarn and buttons, materials are often chosen for their sensible washability as well as gorgeous color combinations. Some yarns are even made from recycled plastic bottles!  Each of her bright and cheery items is one-of-a-kind and completely special.

Stop by Booth #37 this weekend to see everything these fine crafters have to offer!

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By Merritt Gade, May 5, 2010 12:03 pm

I haven’t done First Thursday since late last summer.  The EtsyAustin Team’s regular space ran into some issues and had to cancel all future participation.  I’ve been wishing to try it again since I had a few sales and a lot of really positive comments from browsers.  Plus, hanging out in Austin on a nice spring evening with other crafters is always fun.

Recently, the team found a new spot and organizer, so the regular showing of the handmade magic is back on.  We will be located near Hey Cupcake! on the east side of the 1600 block of South Congress.  Everyone will be set up by 4pm and stay until dark.

In addition to my usual wares, I’ll be sharing a tent with April Wright (who is also a tent buddy for Renegade next week).  Her jewelry and wine charms are fantastic.  She designs and draws each piece on shrinkable plastic, which makes every item one-of-a-kind.  Her images are bright, original, and totally cool.

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By Merritt Gade, March 11, 2010 3:06 pm

There is a lot of hard labor that goes into working with one’s hands for a living.  My days are often spent hunched over my work table making pretties, then hunched over the sink cleaning them, and even hunched over the computer trying to get them into the hands and onto the bodies of the right people.  My back and shoulders are often sore and stiff, and my hands themselves are tattered, torn, and stiff as well.  I love it, though, so I’m not complaining.

One job duty I never really understood before I launched full-time was networking.  All I knew was that it didn’t sound like something a shy artist-type would like.  Basically, everything I thought it was came from movies and TV, which consisted of gross, phony behavior and boring events with bad coffee.  In the last few months, my thoughts have changed drastically.  For one, I’m not really as shy as I thought I was and have only met genuine, fascinating people.  And another, networking events can be awesome.  AWESOME!!!

Tomorrow, I will participate in the New Media Fashion Boutique Crawl.  Basically, I get to walk around downtown Austin with a bunch of cool ladies and tour a bunch of cool shops.  With champagne.  And great weather.

Everyone is welcome to come!

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By Merritt Gade, March 9, 2010 12:30 pm

My Fine Handmades have made it into another really great store, Goods East.  This shop is really like an art gallery where almost every item is specially created by a unique artisan.  Recycled, upcycled, antique, vintage, and original art works fill the space, as does a cool, laid back vibe of exploration and creativity.  Welcoming all sorts but focusing on natural materials, Goods East is a much-needed spot on the East Side.

The shop, located at 1601 East Cesar Chavez, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm, with an open house every Sunday afternoon.  During South By Southwest, they will host a variety of performers and artists, and will offer special walk-in recording services to capture festival experiences.  This shop has a totally unique take on the Austin artist experience and are definitely worth checking out.

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By Merritt Gade, October 6, 2009 11:05 am

A calendar was installed on this blog recently and while I’m not sure about some of its components, the need is greater than the struggles.  I like being able to look at the next couple of months of events to see exactly how much time will be spent away from the workbench meeting new people and promoting my wares.  But I really like telling folks where to find me next.  Look at December!  Wow, I’m busy.  It’s mostly one big event, Blue Genie Art Bazaar, but still, I need inventory for all those days and display items that can stay at the location the whole time.  I’m doing a two-day show, Cherrywood Art Fair, and hoping to be part of the holiday event with the EtsyAustin Team.  November has a lot going on, too, and will be filled in as more confirmations are received.  This makes October a month of hand-crafting.  Fun!  That gives me permission to stay focused on building up my stock of best sellers and working on new designs for the season.  It’s like Christmas has come early.  Except it hasn’t, because if you look at the calendar, there’s a lot going on between now and then.

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By Merritt Gade, August 5, 2009 5:35 pm

If you live in the Austin area and have not yet been to Parts & Labour, you should go.  Now.  It is a wonderful store that sells only high quality goods that are handmade in Texas.  They have clothing, greeting cards, coasters, pet collars, purses, onesies, and, of course, jewelry.  Tons of jewelry, in fact, but I have yet to feel lost in the crowd.  They do a great job of featuring each type of work in a unique way so that it looks great and is accessible to shoppers.  Located on South Congress in a bright blue building, they are also a part of the monthly 1st Thursday event that happens on SoCo.

Shop Across Texas named them One of the 45 Best Stores in Texas!  This is a very big state, so that’s a very big thing to say.

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By Merritt Gade, July 23, 2009 1:17 pm

The Austin Handmade Market is given some love online!  Amy Hadley of heynowwhoanow.com stopped by one blistering hot Saturday in July and spent some time getting to know the various vendors.  She did a great job of finding out why shopping handmade is important and why glow-in-the-dark soap is a must-have.  View the video and write-up here.  Thanks, Amy!