What is "indie"

When Odd Duck first began, it was titled “Odd Duck Handmade Bazaar and Indie Craft Fair”. Although recently shortening it down, we chose that name because it combined all of the things we were trying to express with our show. We wanted people to know that....

1. we were Odd Duck 
2. that we were a handmade show 
3. we were a little bizarre and 'bazaar' is closer to that than 'show' and 
4. we were an “indie” craft fair

Four very successful annual shows later I'm still being asked the question, What does indie mean?

In short, “indie” means independent. Indie crafters are the ones who go their own way. Indie artisans don't always march to the beat of the same drum (although beating a drum is pretty common among independent spirits). Indie describes how we take tried-and-true techniques and sprinkle in characteristics of the modern world. Indie is turning things upside down and expressing from a different perspective. Indie is making something old and discarded into something new and different. Indie is whatever you want it to be. Indie is playing by your own rules.

Odd Duck Bazaar is a way to fit that independent spirit into the “normal” world. We are all used to the daily transactions of commerce, but you can't go into your big box store and find what you'll find at an indie craft fair. The love, care and conscious design that you'll find in products at Odd Duck cannot be produced in a factory.

As show hosts, we have to fit into the parameters of laws and procedures to pull off the organization aspect of the show but we don't always go down the same path as a regular craft show production. We yarn bomb bicycles for advertising, we hand paint our show signage, we use recycled materials to create gifts for our vendors and giveaways for our customers, we build our own flags, write our own press releases, build our own website. We love to express our indie spirit right along with all of the talented artisans that vend at our show.
Our show only happens once a year and it is THIS weekend! Please join us and see for yourself what indie really is.

Saturday, April 11th & 12th noon - 6pm

Fred Lippman Center, 2030 Polk Street, Hollywood, FL 33020

(two blocks north of Hollywood Blvd and just east of Dixie Highway)

$5 admission, Children under 2 free

Free Swag bags to the fist 50 patrons each day 

Door Prizes and Free Demonstrations all weekend

  

Interview with Kat's Pick Jewelry

Kat's Pick Jewelry, a creative endeavor by Kat Hunt, will be making her first appearance at Odd Duck Bazaar this weekend. We recently tracked Kat to a local show, saw her guitar pick jewelry up-close-and-personal, and we are looking forward to sharing these rockin' pieces with you! You can't miss her because she'll be selling her items on both Saturday and Sunday in the auditorium of the Fred Lippman Multi-Purpose Center from noon to 6pm. In the mean time, enjoy this Q & A session, and then prepare to shop till you drop!

How did you get started making guitar pick jewelry and selling it to others? It all started with my own collection of guitar picks from many live shows I had been to over the years. I made a necklace from a favorite gray pearl pick with a guitar charm and people kept asking me where I got it. Thus Kat's Pick Jewelry was born!

Can you tell us about the feedback you get from your buyers? I love hearing people ooh and ahh whenever I am showing at live events. The highest praise I have received is in the form of purchases...made by my friends. I believe that is the highest compliment that can be made for my work.

What was the last creative project you tackled and was it a success? The last major creative project I tackled was my guitar pick evening bag. I had no idea what I was in for when I found the purse frame and I thought, "I'll just make the purse with the picks covering it!" Little did I know that I was in for a great challenge. I decided that I had to do a double purple satin lining because I didn't want seams showing. Then attaching it all together was challenging and fun. I consider this project a great success...I love the piece and I've gotten wonderful feedback on it when I've vended at events

Have you had any outrageous requests as a handmade vendor? Hmm...nothing too crazy...but the most unusual request I had was for body jewelry...specifically nipple rings.

Have you learned anything from other handmade vendors? Absolutely! I have learned about varying heights of tables to give visual appeal. I have learned that you don't need to use a tablecloth all the time because anything that can cover the table and be visually appealing...as long as you cover your stuff under the table! I've also learned that it's fun to trade items with fellow vendors.

Interview with Fiyah Jelly

Lisa & Bryan

Fiyah Jelly, a product of L & B Delights, LLC, made it's first indie craft show debut at Odd Duck Bazaar 2014 in Downtown Hollywood. Not only did the first 100 guests at the show receive a free take home jar of this deliciousness, but hundreds of others sampled this specialty throughout both days of the event. We observed the purchases and heard the praises from countless shoppers about this new and tasty treat! Then we watched this nearly happen all over again at the Hollywood Holiday Market in December. We are thrilled to let you know, they will be joining us again for the full weekend at the next Odd Duck Bazaar on April 11th & 12th, 2015 - so no worries, you WILL be able to get your hands on those fresh jars of Fiyah Jelly! Lisa Foster and Bryan Adeline are the duo behind this fascinating stuff and we were recently lucky enough to get a few Q & A with Bryan.

How is Fiyah Jelly made? We have revised and perfected a generations old family recipe for Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly. We use only fresh, non-GMO ingredients with no additives, preservatives, colorings, flavorings of any sort. 5 real ingredients brewed up in our own process.

Yummy samples!

How did you get started selling Fiyah Jelly? L&B stands for Lisa and Bryan. Soon after we got together, Lisa wanted to do something special for me. I do a lot of cooking and I like spicy so she wanted to show what she could do in the kitchen too. Although she's lived in south Florida since she was about 5, Lisa was born in Jamaica where her family is from going back many generations. Her taste still is very fond of those Jamaican flavors, and since I love spicy, she decided to make this recipe she learned from her mom: a Scotch Bonnet Pepper Jelly. So I thought it was an interesting idea even though I'd never had a pepper jelly I liked. And working with the Scotchies I knew it would be hotter than anything I'd had before. She went for it and served it up to me on a cracker with a little cream cheese, just like we do at Odd Duck. First taste was really delicious, sweet and fruity. I started to ask where was the heat and then, KAPLOW!!! Unbelievable sensation but most importantly, the flavor was still there. It wasn't blown out by the heat. First thing I yelled "YAMON, DIS FIYAH JELLY IS HOT!!!" Then I said "and THAT'S what we'll call it when we bottle it up and sell it to the world!" We're still working on the world part, but we ARE selling it as Fiyah Jelly.

Do you ever come across anyone who doesn't like the stuff? Some folks really want a milder version. But that kind of defeats the point of Fiyah Jelly. It's not for the light-tastebudded.

Hollywood Holiday Market 2014

Do you enjoy being a vendor or is it a challenge for you to be front & center with buyers? Neither of us had ever done any public sales like this before. Odd Duck 2014 was literally the first time we'd ever done it. We didn't really know what to expect but it was a total blast. I'm a pretty gregarious guy once I get going. I'm used to being in front of decent sized crowds, occasionally for the purpose of being silly or performing. In this case, I'm trying to attract people to something I really believe is a great thing that they should check out. Fairly quickly I found myself acting like a carnival barker pulling folks in to try out Fiyah Jelly who would otherwise have just continued walking past. My attitude is that we're there to sell. They are there to see what is out there and hopefully to buy it. We don't have any name recognition to speak of yet, and there's nothing else like it on the market. So it's my job to get their attention so they can try it and then decide if they want some to take home. If I can get a smile out of folks in the process, get them to come over, and give it a try, about 80% of the time, they end up buying a jar. So yes, it was a lot of fun and it resulted in wildly successful sales.

What are your goals with Fiyah Jelly? Short term is to continue to grow Fiyah Jelly as product and hopefully get it into a big market. We're looking at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. We think Fiyah Jelly could sell worldwide. The kind of heat we have is growing in popularity in the US but it's already common in most of the rest of the world. But the flavor of Fiyah Jelly isn't common anywhere except in the homes of folks who have bought some. We hope that changes.

What is one thing we might be surprised to learn about you? Lisa is an accomplished licensed massage therapist for 16+ years and no one would know when I'm out there doing my Fiyah Jelly thing, but I'm a practicing attorney and former College US History instructor.

Now, if you really can't wait until April 11th or 12th for the next Odd Duck Bazaar to get your supply of Fiyah Jelly, you can order online at their website: fiyahjelly.com.

Video of Odd Duck Bazaar

We are excited to launch our first video promotion for Odd Duck Bazaar! Share it with your friends and we hope to see you at the next event on April 11 & 12th at the Fred Lippman Multi-Purpose Center from noon to 6p!