One of the Owners and Face of Fancy Tiger Crafts

Q. Tell us a little about yourself & your background in the arts & crafts world?

A. I had a crafty upbringing as my mom had a craft supply store when I was little called "the Craft Peddler" in Parker Colorado. Not only did I spend a lot of time there as a child, she also took me to craft fairs with her where she sold her work. In 2006, I opened Fancy Tiger with my partner Matthew Brown that combined our two passions of fashion and crafting. In 2008, Fancy Tiger became two stores, Fancy Tiger Crafts and Fancy Tiger Clothing and this was when I partnered with Amber Corcoran. In addition to running Fancy Tiger Crafts for almost 9 years, we also put on the wildly successful Holiday Handmade craft fair here in Denver that ran from 2007 - 2012. My craft ties run deep.

Q. What/who is your biggest inspiration?

A. The crafting community is my biggest inspiration - I love being constantly inspired by our friends, customers, and staff and all the things they make. 

Q. How did you get into your position in the arts & crafts world?

A. Being the face of Fancy Tiger Crafts for so long has helped me gain a lot of friends in the community and respect from local and non-local crafters alike. 

Q. Tell us about a few favorites of your: Weekend activity? Food? Color? Animal?

A. I love hiking and backpacking which makes Colorado the perfect place for me. I try and get out into nature once a week and enjoy all the seasons - from snowshoeing in the winter to high-country camping in the summer, I like to take advantage of our amazing locale. My favorite daily activity is to enjoy soy milk lattes at one of our many amazing coffeehouses in town. I love all vegetables and my favorite way to eat them is just sticking with what's in season.

Q. What do you love most about the handmade movement?

A. I love seeing all of the amazing things that are out there. I love the support that everyone gives each other. I love buying beautiful handmade things and knowing the story behind them. 

Q. What is the most important feature in an artist's application for you?

A. Photos. Good, clear photos that let me see the workmanship and get a feel for the crafter is so important. Styling and lighting are important pieces that go into the photos and can allow me to get a sense of what someones booth is going to look like and what their style is. I also like knowing the story behind the products - how did they get started or are they using a particularly interesting material? 

Q. What are you most looking forward to in being a part of the Jackalope Arts jury?

A. Seeing all the amazing things people are making!

Q. Where can we find our more about you?

A. at fancytigercrafts.com, on our blog fancytigercrafts.com/blog and on instagram at "fancytigercrafts" and "fancyjaime"

We are so excited to bring Jackalope to Denver and are loving the support that has already come our way. 

Our Denver Fair will be July 25th and 26th at EXDO Event Center in the heart of Denver's River North Arts District (RiNo) from 11am-6pm.  Housed in former industrial warehouses we can't deny the urban feel this venue provides. Jackalope Arts will be taking over their entire complex, even the alley in between to create an indoor outdoor event!

Same as in Pasadena, our fair is juried to maintain a high quality standard. We will be seeking out artists who display the highest quality craftsmanship in original fashion and jewelry design, ceramics and paper goods, innovative home decor and housewares, art and photography, and much more!  

To help us drum up support we have some amazing SPONSORS that we would like you to meet! 

Westword: One of the top resources in Denver to find out what is going on across the city in terms of news, sports, entertainment, and more! We are also hosting a giveaway to provide people an inside look into our Summer Vendors! 

Spices of Life Gift Shop: They are new to the Denver Metro Area and are located just along Tennyson street. They are your one stop shop in finding the "Spices of Life" including goods in music, travel, cooking and wine, Colorado Living, Home Decor, and more, most of which are handmade here in Denver!

Fancy Tiger Crafts: Fancy Tiger Crafts is located along South Broadway and specializes in craft supplies and classes for the modern crafter! They host an open craft night every Tuesday and also have sister store, Fancy Tiger Clothing, where you can find a lot of unique clothing and accessories!

Denver Fashion Truck: is also joining forces and spreading the love! Mobility for Denver's art and fashion. They offer a variety of quality goods that include local fashion, art, vintage and modern gifts.  

I Heart Denver Store: located in the heart of Downtown Denver at the Denver Pavilions, has long been a staple for everything local in Colorado and has teamed up with us to help promote the handmade movement! They also have an online shop, making it possible to support the Colorado makers from across the country. 

Team Etsy Colorado: A community of Colorado-based artists and curators! 

River North Art District: Where Art is Made.  Located just North of Downtown, RiNo is dedicated to promoting and supporting the people and businesses that reside in the area. It is also the home of EXDO and Jackalope Denver! 

Whorl: Named Denver's Best New Boutique in Westword, Whorl resides in Denver's LoHi neighborhood. Whorl is not only a storefront, but offers an array of services such as a mobile store front, styling, and private events.  

Yelp: Yelp is a sponsor for each of our Jackalope Cities and we love having them as a referral! 

CRAVE Magazine: CRAVE Magazine is here to promote, celebrate and support our local Colorado artists and our thriving art scene.

Art Quench Magazine: ArtQuenchMagazine.com is an amazing source of information on the creativity in the world today and are supporters of each Jackalope City! 

We hope this gets you as excited as it has made us! There is definitely no denying the talent that exists in the Denver Handmade Community :) 

We want take a moment and go more in depth to what exactly we are looking for at Jackalope Arts and how you can increase your chances on jury acceptance.  

Your application is your resume for us to view, so it's best to really put some thought into it. Please note our jury often changes so go into this with the expectation that they have not seen your work before. 

While the specific types of art and craft work that we are accepting is quite broad, there are definite quality features that our jury will keep in mind during review.  

Some of the key factors to keep in mind:

•  We're looking for trendsetting, indie goods - not just your run of the mill craft fair feature.  We want to see new and innovative ideas brought to the table that will captivate our patrons and provide a dynamic experience at the fair.  Use the space provided in your application and really describe what makes your work unique.

• Photos that show off your booth display (if you have participated in fairs before).   If our jurors can see an idea of your booth set up - it really helps give a concept of the professionalism that you put into your display.

• If you haven't participated in a fair before, it can be a good idea to create a mock set up.  This can not only help us, but help give you an idea of how you might be able to display your work in an attractive way to fair-goers.

• Photos detailing your strongest work.  Professional photos of your work and photos that are obviously well-crafted, show the jury that you put thought and time into your branding -- and will in turn be a great vendor for our fair.  We want to see close-up images of your best signatures item(s).  Our applications allow for 6 total images included - it's best to include as many as possible to really show the jury what you're all about.

• Web presence.  In addition to your application and images submitted, we will likely be poking around on your provided weblinks.  Make sure that the links you provide work, and that your website is current.  We love to see if you have work for sale online - and how you have that set up.  If you have a blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter - make sure they are updated so we can see current information and work when reviewing your application.  We love to see artisans who are active on their social media channels. 
   

• Really emphasize your brand.  Some artisans create items that aren't necessarily unique by trade - but everyone has a certain something that makes their work unique.  Highlight that for the jury.  We want to know what little sparkle you've added to really make your jewelry line -- your bath and body products -- stand out from the rest.  Some categories are very competitive - so it's really important that you show the jury why to choose YOU.  Think about your packaging, logo, product ingredients, presentation etc. these all reflect your brand. 

• We can't stress this enough: double check your application before you send it in.  

  • Make sure your email address is correct! 

  • Double check your website links.  

  • A link to generic sites like Etsy.com won't help us find YOU.  We need your unique URLs

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What we are NOT looking for:  

• Vintage resale items… or any resale items for that matter.  We are a handmade only fair and want the maker behind the one of a kind goods there.
   

• This event is all about the community getting a chance to meet local creators, so it's important that you're not selling someone else's work in your booth. 
   

• Artisans with no images of their work to be found.  Our jury can't make a decision on your work if they can't see it.  Please take the time to curate images that you want our jury to pay special attention to.  While they will likely spend time viewing your website, they can't go hunting for your best work - you need to make it obvious.  
   

• Commercial resellers and product consultants.  

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We are really looking forward to reviewing your application and giving our local community of artisans an opportunity to sell their wares at Jackalope Indie Artisan Fair.

We look forward to seeing your application soon!

Haven't gotten to it yet?  

Have specific questions about your application?  Email us: vendors@jackalopeartfair.com 

Not quite ready to apply yet but want to stay in the loop?!  Sign up for our Newsletter!

As we gain momentum I am sure the question has come up of what exactly is Jackalope Arts?  The Jackalope is a mysterious and mythical creature, but lets take a second and shed some light on our Jackalope.

Let us be the first to tell you that the mission of Jackalope Arts is to create a 2 day shopping destination bringing the community together and featuring 200+ local artisans, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts, with an emphasis on quality artistry.  

Our tagline? A Community meets Artisan Event

The Jackalope Arts Experience: We want you to meet the maker behind the one of a kind indie goods that you will find at the Jackalope Art & Craft Fair. Our first round of Jackalopes will feature at our inaugural event on April 25th and 26th at Central Park within Old Town Pasadena

Who are the Jackalope Artists? They are the artisans and crafters who think out of the box and provide trendsetting handmade quality goods that you can’t find anywhere else. Things you will find at the Jackalope Art & Craft Fair may include:

• Clothing- for adults, kids and maybe even your dog!

• Accessories-Jewelry, handbags and backpacks, leather goods, wallets, shoes, aprons, hair accessories, eyewear, scarf’s and other cozy accents, neckties, cuff links and more

• Art-Ceramics and Pottery, Woodworking, Illustration, Mixed Media, Photography, Fiber Art, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and other Paper Goods including bookmarks, calendars, cards, gift wrap, journals, stationary and beyond

• Home Goods- Home décor and house wares such as unique furniture, lighting, terrariums, candles, blankets, vases, clocks, coasters, frames, & rugs

• Bath and Beauty-Bath and Shower products, Lip Balm, Lotion, Skin Care etc.

Please bear in mind that this is not a comprehensive list and we are open to other handmade creations!

Does this intrigue you? There are several different options for booth rentals at our fairs, please visit the Vendor Info Page for details. We encourage everyone to submit and we look forward to hearing from you!

XOXO The Jackalope Team :)