I’d like to propose a change to the buy handmade movement so popular this time of year. I’d like to take a page from the event we did on Sunday and call it “Buy Indie”.

As I sat at one of the shows we did this weekend, there was a Silpada rep behind me who loudly and proudly told every person that walked by her table that her jewelry was handmade. Yeah, okay. Silpada jewelry is handmade the same way Olive Garden’s food is authentic Italian cuisine, which is to say it’s not…really. Olive Garden dishes (which I thoroughly enjoy, BTW) are volume-based derivatives of recipes with their roots in Italian-style cooking. You could say it’s authentic, especially if you’re in the Marketing Department.

While Silpada’s marketing says that it’s handmade by artisans all over the world, my best guess (since there’s nothing to be found to back up that statement) is that it’s made by the hands of underpaid workers following a pattern in a book. So yes, it’s handmade. And since artisan can be defined as “A skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft” (thanks, Wiktionary), it can be considered handmade by artisans, who I’m sure are in exotic impoverished countries all over the world.

Believe it or not, I don’t actually have a bone to pick with Silpada. I don’t view them as a competitor, and while it’s not my cup of tea, I know some people who love their designs. Yay for them. That’s not my point. Caveat emptor is my point.

If you take the handmade pledge and commit to buying handmade, for the holidays or year-round, do your research and be confident that what you’re buying is handmade by an independent artisan or crafter. Talk to them about their works, what inspires them, how they got started. You’re not just buying a toy or a gift — you’re buying a small piece of that person’s life. One of the great benefits of buying indie is getting to know the person behind the product — take advantage of that and ensure that your handmade purchase is created in the spirit that the movement intends. Buy directly from the artist or their website; seek out your local craftspeople or browse the world marketplace on sites like Etsy and Dawanda.*

I know it’s a bit late for a holiday gift guide (only 16 days to go!), but in case you’re not sure where to start on your indie-buying spree, I’ve gathered a list of some excellent indie craftspeople I’ve come across in my travels or have direct experience with — please check them out!

• Hello my Name is Monster – the cutest damn sock monsters I’ve ever seen, and I love the name tag-style branding.
• Dog Bone Art – marvelously faboo screen printed tees and bags n’stuff, including my personal favorites (which I will buy someday, damnit), “Cheese Please” and “Vanilla Chocolate Pirate”. Laura had some really cute peppermint stuffies too (all wrapped in cello and everything), but they appear to have sold out.
• Game Girl Designs – game pieces (Scrabble tiles, dominoes, etc.) made into necklaces, hair clips, etc. Amanda even does custom pieces from your photos.
• Woodnyou – I have an ebony business card holder made by this gentleman and it’s both gorgeous and well-made. I can only imagine that all of his woodwork follows suit.
• Simply Wired – If you truly must buy jewelry from someone other than Sweet Tarragon (*grin*), buy it from Chelsea at Simply Wired. I bought a pair of carnelian and copper earrings from her last year and still get compliments on them every time I wear them.
• Glass Beach – I bought a wristlet from Maia in February to use for a special event, and have used it every day since. I honestly don’t know what I ever did without it. Fun purses and cardholders in a variety of prints.
• Archipelago Arts – glass pendants with a kick, like the “I love you more than zombies love brains” piece I bought for Mer.
• A Beaded Affair – gorgeous wire-wrapped jewelry and beading supplies. I can personally vouch for Lois as a lovely person to do business with (of course, she’s my mother-out-law, so I may be biased.)
• Om Shanti Handcrafts – you know I love Kate (and her magical tangerine lip balm), but it’s worth mentioning – her stuff is awesome. All of it – the yummy, all-natural bath and body supplies, the jewelry…buy it.
• This and That gets an honourable mention, too. She’s not currently taking new orders, so it won’t help much for the holidays, but Leslie is my source for the custom sales slips that add a little extra pizazz to every order. She’s a dream to work with, and the end product is superb – I urge you all to check back with her in the new year.

Are you an indie crafter or artist? Please leave your shop link and a bit about yourself in the comments.
*Seriously…you never know what you’ll find. Thirty seconds on Dawanda tonight and I found a bacon cellphone case. I think I’m in love.

Updates and New Items
It’s been a busy September in the Sweet Tarragon world. We had a few shows and sent our package off to Artistry, where it arrived safe and (mostly) undamaged.We’ve added a number of new things to our Etsy store, including a new line of crystal suncatchers/ornaments. Check out my own personal favorite new necklace, Aqua and True, and get a glimpse at our crappy hardwood floors! We’ve also been all over the web: Kate at Om Shanti nominated us for the Brilliante Blog Award, and I was interviewed by Sheila Satin on her blog I Dig Crystals. Thank you Sheila and Kate! Mer and I succumbed to a new addiction this month and you can now find both of us on Twitter: @daniellenelson and @braindouche. Follow us if you’re a fellow Tweeter!

Home Shows
Now is the time to shop for those pesky wintertime celebration-related gifts! If you’d like to handle our inventory, get exclusive first looks at our newest pieces, and earn free jewelry, contact us about booking a home show. Invite your friends and family over for a night of fun and jewelry, and get an early jump on your holiday shopping.  You’ll earn a percentage in jewelry of all sales made and custom orders taken during your party! Contact us for details and to schedule your show.

Item of the Month
Our item of the month for September is the Night Sky Encounter series. Purchase the necklace and bracelet together for $40 – that’s a savings of more than 30% on the set! Just mention the newsletter at checkout to receive the discounted rate.

And the winner is…
Trish R.! You’ve been randomly selected to receive a $10 gift certificate good toward any item in our inventory. Congratulations, Trish – check your email for details. Want to be in the running for next month’s drawing? Each month’s winner is drawn from the current subscriber list – drop us a line and subscribe today!

Event Schedule and Shop Vacation
We’ll be at Fairmount Park in Philly this Saturday, October 4, for the Pennypack Environmental Center Art & Craft Show, and the Flavors of Fall festival in our very own town of Pottstown at the Sunnybrook Ballroom on October 18. Hope to see you there!

Just in time for the holidays – shop The Marketplace!
The Marketplace at Sweet Tarragon is an online store hosted and run directly by us (well, by our alter egos at hot glue media). We’re designing it with our customers in mind to create a user-friendly shopping experience that is easy to navigate and use, with links to our favorite artists and great resources. Stay tuned for the grand opening, currently slated for mid-autumn 2008! Until then, please continue to visit our Etsy Shop for new items and great buys.

That’s all until next month!
~Mer and Dani~

ARTISTRY is the Center’s annual holiday sale of fine art and crafts and includes over 350 artists from throughout the nation. Running from November through year-end, Artistry presents the perfect opportunity for purchasing distinctive and unusual holiday gifts.

Each year, over 300 artists from across the country present their handmade, one-of a kind crafts at Artistry, the Guilford Art Center’s annual holiday sale. This year will be the 30th annual Artistry show featuring a wide-ranging assembly of crafts in many price ranges, including ceramics, candles, glass, fine art, metal, jewelry, fiber, wood, ornaments, cards, condiments, soap, leather, toys, and more. All proceeds benefit the Guilford Art Center, its school and gallery programs.

The sale runs from October 20th through December 31.

News the second: I will soon have more time to dedicate to Sweet Tarragon and the wonderful world of indie crafting! I’m reducing my hours at my day job, mostly to gain some much-needed time in my life. The spare time I have now is filled with designing, crafting, networking, and shipping, (and other non-tarragon projects) and I’m looking forward to gaining some of that time back. I miss reading and quilting and cooking, and plan to do fun things like canning, seeing more of my friends and family, and ramping up my workouts.

Of course, I know how I am — I’ll be blogging while the laundry is spinning, designing in my head while I’m peeling apples, and settling a bit into the groove of being a more involved crafter.

News the third: Kate at Om Shanti listed us as one of her favorite places to shop in her Reader of the Week post at Wickedly Chic – check it out!

News the half: not really news (hence the half), but notice: we are about to embark on a well-needed vacation. We are venturing to another state to stay with an old friend of mine, and we’re really looking forward to the trip. (Boo will be overseeing the domicile while we’re away, and has agreed to let our neighbor bow down to her in our absence.)

Why is this news? Well, I won’t be hauling all of our jewelry with us on the trip, so any orders placed aftger noon on Thursday, August 21 will not be shipped until Wednesday, August 27. I’m not sure what our internet access will be like, but I’m sure we’ll check email once or twice while we’re away. If you’re looking to feature us in a national publication and cover us in diamonds, my cell number’s in our press kit.

A few weeks ago, I treated myself to some of Om Shanti Handcrafts‘ divine Tangerine Vanilla Lip Balm.  Well, truth be told, I treated myself to a three-pack of lip balms, but other than a quick taste of the Chai and Cilantro Lime flavors, I haven’t touched them.  Why?

Kate’s Vanilla Tangerine lip balm is crack cocaine.

Really, I mean it.  I wear it all the time, and I get really, really upset if I leave it at home, or can’t find it because I left it in the scattered mess that is our dining room slash office slash beading room slash shipping facility.  I push it on everyone – in the midst of my grandmother’s 80th birthday party, with dozens upon dozens of relatives swarming her house, I chased my mother around with it, saying “but it smells like an Orange Julius!”  I have stuck it under the noses of people I work with, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if I started pushing it on people I don’t even know.  I am addicted to the blissful citrusy goo.

The really cool thing about it?  It tastes good, and therefore I lick my lips (because I want to eat it like candy.)  When I do that with sub-par tasty balms, my lips get icky and I need to constantly reapply.  Not this stuff – Om Shanti balm has some serious staying power, and gently fades away after many, many hours.  (That’s how I lose it so frequently, you see, because I don’t need to reapply it every 10 minutes.)

This is starting to border on stalking (can you stalk a lip balm?), so I’ll sum up.

Tangerine Vanilla Lip Balm by Om Shanti Handcrafts.  It’s yummy and delightful.  Buy it for yourself and everyone you know.  (And check out some of her other stuff, too!)

*Full disclosure: Kate, the genius behind Om Shanti, is a dear friend…who has no idea that I’m writing this.  Hi hun!