Made South

Disclaimer: I’m probably the.worst. at remembering to take photos/not being scared to death to photograph someone else’s creations. Many photos throughout this post have been borrowed from the maker’s website, shop or social media account. All photos that are not my own are linked to their original source. Please click around to see what the artisan has in store!

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Late last month, my sister and I volunteered at Made South in Taylors, SC.

It was so fun! The event was held at Taylors Mill with 100 (!) artisans!

Of course I wanted to share the highlights including some new makers I discovered that I think you’ll love too.

1. True Cotton | website | shop | Facebook

As event volunteers we got a kind of “sneak peek” at the vendor booths before the event started Saturday morning. We passed True Cotton on the way to our station and fell in love with pretty much the entire booth. She had some really lovely tea towels, watercolor prints, stationary and notepads. I picked up a gorgeous set of notecards that are perfect for any occasion:

• On my Wish List: These beautiful thank you cards or this set {have I mentioned I love snail mail?!}

Arin has closed her shop for the summer to spend time with her little ones but you can still “favorite” her shop on Etsy and follow her on Instagram for creative eye candy.

2. Maycomb Mercantile | shop | Facebook

My sister and I were “stationed” right next to this booth and could not stop lusting over the leather goods. I couldn’t resist these beautiful stamped luggage tags:

3. Doux South | shop | Facebook

I walked up to this booth while eating a pimento cheese sandwich I’d packed for lunch. He insisted that I let him put a piece of the Mean Green Tomatoes on my sandwich – as he said “it’ll cut the heaviness of the cheese for the perfect balance.” SOLD. He was so right.

In fact, I’ve already eaten the whole jar.

I also bought 2 jars of the Angry Cukes because they were so tasty! They sound spicy, but don’t be fooled: they’re pickled perfection. We cracked them open for Father’s Day and they were a huge hit!

The pickled goodness is hand packed in Decatur, Georgia which isn’t far so I’m hoping I’ll see them at more local events! If not, no worries: they ship or you can search the list of retailers on their site (The Gourmet Shop is on the list along with a few other places in Columbia).

4. Posey Beans | shop | Facebook

My sister picked up the sign shown here to hang in her house. The wood is over 80 years old – scraps from an old barn.

• On my Wish List: One of these tree swings!

5. The Kindred Company | shop | Facebook

I picked up a jar of the Lavender Face Wash as a treat for myself and the Beauty & Beard Face Wash for the Hubs (the difference is the scent: peppermint & wild orange for Beauty & Beard). I also snagged some of the deodorant to try (it smelled so good! And: no aluminum!).

One of the coolest items was the eye shadow his wife makes with kale flakes! The colors were shimmery perfection (not your average handmade make-up!). If I would a) remember to put on eye shadow, b) remember not to rub my eyes, and c) care enough to wear anything other than powder and blush, I would’ve totally snagged a jar.

6. Red Clay’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Hot Sauce | shop | Facebook

I can’t give you a personal testament to how tasty the sauce is because I refused to try it (#wimp), but I trusted Geoff’s recommendation of the Original as an “everyday hot sauce” (vs. the Carolina Hot which was most popular for the day but packed a little more heat).

7. French Broad Chocolates | shop | Facebook

Jeremy’s friend Ben introduced us to French Broad during a visit to Asheville one summer. Their truffles are out of this world. I snagged some chocolate drops that I promptly made some vegan gluten free cookies with {recipe from the last issue of Vegetarian Times – but here‘s an easy favorite!}

8. Quite Swanky | shop | Instagram

We could see Hannah’s booth from our “station” and we watched her paint several new signs throughout the day. She is mega-talented and we loved her handpainted goods!

The lazy susans she makes are pretty amazing.

9. Roar Haus | shop | Facebook

I know you’ve heard me talk about Amber and her many talents before! She’s become a dear friend of mine and she’s a bag-making-genius. The prints she picks are so fun, she uses super high quality hardware and she takes the time to be thoughtful in the design (pockets here, hooks there, adjustable strap – she’s thought of it all!).

• On my Wish List: This octopus cross-body bag and this flamingo matchbook pouch (FYI: it fits two 5 ml essential oil bottles perfectly!).

10. January Jewelry | shop | Facebook

Melissa is super talented – I love following her creative process on Instagram. She’s local to Columbia so I see her around quite often which I don’t hate one bit. 😉

• On my Wish List: These silver tear drop earrings – love the simplicity!

11. Jocie Pots | shop | Facebook

We discovered Jocie Pots at a craft fair we stumbled upon on the way home from Greenville once. I purchased two beautiful ornaments from her for Christmas gifts.

12. King of Pops

King of Pops are harder to find around Columbia {though I did spot them at Soda City last weekend & did a happy dance!}. Our local Whole Foods sells a few flavors, but you can’t beat the flavors you can find from the carts at local markets (like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough which they had at Made South! If the drive were shorter I would’ve tried to smuggle a few home in my lunch box).

13. R&B Printery | shop | Facebook

We stumble upon this couple at almost every craft show we go to. They have the most beautiful letterpress cards! Last year I bought a pack of their Christmas Carol cards to send to friends and family.

14. Whispering Willow | shop | Facebook

The soap, the lip balm – all of it! – it’s the best quality.

• On my Wish List: The mason jar pump soap and the natural shampoo.

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My sister and I had a great time at Made South! There’s not much we love more than craft fairs and discovering new handmade shops.