I’d like to introduce myself, the new owner of Indie Gift Box.  My name is Lisa Wallace, and I am absolutely THRILLED to be taking this amazing little business to the next phase of its life.  Erin has created something that we all adore, and we are so thankful for the (figurative) blood, sweat and tears she has poured into her baby.  I am honored by the opportunity to take over such a fun and positive enterprise, and can’t wait to interact with all of you.

We are super excited about the change in ownership and think it will maintain continuity of the Indie Gift Box style and character, while bringing some small positive changes to serve you better.  It’s a wonderful thing!

I want us to get to know each other, so without further ado, here are a few little fun facts about me:

Name: Lisa Morgan Wallace

Hometown: I’m from small town named Boerne in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and I generally call Austin “home.”

Where I live now: Seoul, South Korea, but I am currently in the process of moving to our next home in Honolulu, Hawaii with my husband and toddler son.

My style: It depends on my mood, but I generally am a classic vintage girl with a little bit of boho chic that is sure to emerge with my new island lifestyle.

Why I want to lead Indie Gift Box:

For FUN!  Well, not just for fun, but it’s a definite perk.  I have spent most of my life up until two years ago doing stressful, demanding jobs, and I recently made a conscious decision to thoroughly enjoy the next years of my life promising my energy (outside of my family) only to those things that I find truly pleasurable.  I am a workaholic by nature with a motto of “go big or go home,” so it is actually a big deal for me to step back and commit only to having fun while still doing something productive and beneficial for others.

So, what will make Indie Gift Box fun for me?  Oh my gosh, where to begin…. The design, the originality, the joy of hunting down treasures and launching them into the limelight.  The everyday bliss of spending time surrounded by creativity and beauty.  In my hidden dream world I am a designer and craftsman, but in the real world I am not, so I love to surround myself with the work of others who are.  Spending my days in this job will be a nonstop endorphin rush – like a happy drug.

Why I love independent artists and small businesses:

The big draw for me is that I always have some amazing and specific thing in mind that will never in a million years be sold at a retail shop.  Unfortunately, making it myself is often out of the question because I have neither the adequate time, patience nor skills.  CraftFail.com is the story of my life.  That’s where the handiwork of others comes into play.  By patronizing small businesses and independent artists I can either get what I want customized exactly to my needs and taste or some fabulously creative item that is way better than I could have imagined.

Life’s little joys:

I love marshmallows and whipped cream, and desperately wish that they belonged to a nutritional food group. Music nourishes my soul, and travel sustains me. I am a closet introvert who avoids small talk, but I love listening to the stories of people’s lives and trying to decipher how they became who they are.  Though it terrifies me that my son is a miniature version of me, he is the sunshine in my life.

If I could live in any decade it would be… the 1940s.

If I could have any profession in the world, I would be... either a costume designer, a singer-songwriter or an old school psychoanalyst.  I have none of the skills required for two out of three of those occupations.  :)

Learn more about me or follow my adventures on my “Wallace In Wonderland” blog.

I am optimistic about what the future holds for us, and I want to interact with all of you as much as possible.  I look forward to making this site and the Indie Gift Box web presence a place for dialogue and sharing our love of all things indie.

XOXO,

]]> http://indiegiftbox.com/a-big-hello-from-the-new-owner-curator/feed/ 2 http://indiegiftbox.com/indie-gift-box-giveaway/ http://indiegiftbox.com/indie-gift-box-giveaway/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:14:46 +0000 Erin http://eef-dev.com/indie/?p=2191
In anticipation of the upcoming transfer of Indie Gift Box to a new owner, we are offering you a unique opportunity this month to WIN A FREE GIFT BOX!
All you have to do to enter the drawing to win is complete a short survey about your opinion and expectations of us.

The purpose of this survey is to determine how best to satisfy and serve you through our transition between owners.  We want Indie Gift Box to continue to be unique, while still surprising and satisfying you with quality handmade and small business items that wow and inspire. Completing the survey will help us to meet — heck, to exceed — your expectations and make you a happy Indie Lover!

Here’s the 411 on the drawing:
Completing the survey earns you 5 entries.
You can earn additional entries by being our Facebook friend or following us in the Twitterverse.
The winner will be announced after the drawing and survey close on June 21st at midnight PST.
The free gift box prize will be redeemable any month after September 2013

Enter the giveaway!
(if you’re reading this in your email or a reader, you’ll have to come over to our website to enter!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hi everyone! I’m excited to wrap up May. We had a great month and it was the last month with new items until September. We’re signing the contract to transfer Indie Gift Box’s ownership later this week or early next, and then will be having a few random boxes over the summer to tide you all over until September when the new owner officially takes over! She’s also putting together a survey so that she can find out what you want from Indie Gift Box! Expect to see that on the blog soon! We’re really excited because we think the new owner is just perfect and we can’t wait to see where she takes IGB!

Alright, without further ado, here’s what was in May’s boxes!

• Marie DeMars - Perfume – $12.00
• Candlelit Desserts - Candle – $4.00
• Peripeti, Home - Candle – $4.00
• Nakedwines.com - Gift card – $50.00

PLUS! An item or two that could have come from ANY of our past item artists!

GrrFeisty, Mary Rebecca, The All Natural Face, Mud Horse Art, Glow Kouture, Elle Dee Designs, Anirtak, Janabolic,Buttonmunch, Gwen Erin, Sharaya Mikael, Karibou Crafts, Green Apron Creations, Mirasol Farm After Nine to Five Decor, Paper Sparrow, Soggy Doggie Designs, Knotted Tree Photography, Kharliebug Handmade,This Enchanted Pixie, Wired Essentials, Sand & Starfish, Megandowntherabbithole, Melina Yingling, JKim Jewelry Design Studio, Craftings, Sparkle So Bright, The Shop of Worldly Delights, Lovely Little Whimsy, Under Those Neon Lights, Friendship Bracelets by Design, The Morose Bee, PlainJ Body and Home, Kitty Meow, Life Created, issa.ino:handmade, Pudding Cups, Studio 336, Blue Orchid Botanicals, EEF Etc., Sebastian Design, Make My Notebook, The Common Grade, Ballyhoo Bath, Sweet Tea Apothecary, Bungalow Bath and Body, Emily’s Homestead, Evitchka, Killing the Angel Magazine, Leslie Lowe, Felt Mountain Studios, Chantilly Songs

What did you get in your box?

Nakedwines.com is a customer funded winery.  They invest in independent winemakers from around the world to set them up in business and get delicious wines at wholesale prices for their customers.

Visit NakedWines.com!

Shop

Peripeti, home is the maker of high quality soy candles with a unique twist for home decor that is both fun and ‘green’! By now most of us are probably familiar with the benefits of soy over other waxes: Soy is an eco-friendly sustainable process which supports US farmers as the US is the number one producer of all things soy! In addition soy candles burn cleaner and actually even burn longer than other waxes. As far as being a conscious consumer soy is a pretty clear choice! But Peripeti, home offers even more! Our candles are handmade in small batches to ensure the quality and originality only guaranteed by handmade production.

Two things that set us a part are our fragrances and that we offer novelty/limited edition containers as well as wooden wicks and wax melts! I have to admit, I DO like to brag about our fragrances-they all incorporate essential oils and they are ‘real’ fragrances-they don’t have that perfume-y-ness about them or that fake sweet smell you get with some candles. They are clean and fresh and smell like what they say they smell like! That’s no small accomplishment in the candle world as many of you may know; If you’re anything like me I’m sure you’ve tried many candles, hoping to find that perfect fragrance and then been disappointed in the end. So we are proud to offer such quality fragrances and they are probably the biggest reason returning customers give us for loving our product! We are continually expanding our collections. Our fragrances are offered in both Signature and Seasonal Collections. Our Signature Collection are fragrances we carry all year, and we are happy to be expanding our line this year! Seasonal Fragrances are offered in Novelty Containers and Gift Sets and are made in limited quantities…so once they are gone they’re gone! So register in our shop to be notified when they are introduced…they tend to go quickly!
So we obviously love what we do but why do we do it??? As the founder of Peripeti, home I am slightly obsessed with making a cozy home and believe that is accomplished through the small details. That is actually why I chose the name Peripeti, which is a literary term which refers to a seemingly insignificant event in a story that actually produces great change-or changes the course of the events from that point on in a story. I love that concept and find it to often be the small things in life that have great impact. So I like to focus on those things and bring them to others and I believe candles do just that! Not only the ambiance of the candle itself with it’s dancing flame–or the crackling of one of our wooden wicks–but also the release of a fragrance that can change the entire mood of a gathering of friends or just a night in. I think we’ve all experienced it and benefited from it! I enjoy being able to bring that into people’s homes and I enjoy being able to offer a product I’m proud of and that our customers can be proud to purchase for their homes or as a gift.

Visit Peripeti, Home!

Shop | Facebook | Twitter

Hello everyone. My name is Jennifer and I am the owner, chandler, janitor, accountant, etc. of Candlelit Desserts. I am thrilled to be participating in the Indie Gift Box program.

After experimenting with making candles and giving them as gifts I decided to “open for business” this past November. I make (mostly) dessert themed candles including, parfaits, ice cream, cupcake, pies and anything else sweet and edible. I also make beverage candles and “powder room” candles as well.

Visit Candlelit Desserts!

I’ve been making “things” since I was old enough to start working on hand eye coordination, but I’ve only started in perfumes in the last year. I’m a giant Doctor Who fan, and when I saw the episode “The Doctor’s Wife” I became a little obsessed with Petrichor – “the smell of rain on damp earth.” I found a few perfumers on etsy who’d made petrichor scents, but I’ve always been really picky about perfumes and since I couldn’t smell any of them in person it became pretty obvious to me very quickly that in order to be completely happy I was going to have to make it myself.

That was easier said than done, and petrichor is such a particular thing that I had to play around for awhile before even attempting it; mostly attempting other scents and figuring out how to think about different character and themes in an olfactory kind of way. What does a Time Lord smell like? What qualities make a Weeping Angel what it is? How do you conjure up the memory of the largest library in the Universe?
This is of course a part time thing for me. I have a full time day job doing illustration and design for a yearbook company, I do freelance design and illustration work, I make jewelry, I paint, and I’m a semi-professional bellydancer on top of the rest. My etsy shop mostly functions as the outflowing of all the things I make when I’m not doing everything else or sleeping. I have friends who call me a workaholic but I’m really just happier in my studio than anywhere else.
By and far Petrichor is the thing I’m most proud of – it smells wonderful and I’ve almost stopped wearing any perfume but that one.

Visit Marie DeMars!

I think we changed this box’s name 4 or 5 times. We finally decided that, you know what? It’s gonna be a surprise. Why? Because we decided to not only include three new items from three new artists in this month’s box, but to include a random item or two from past artists as well!

I think this is a super-fun way for us to close this chapter of Indie Gift Box and get ready for the next! This is the last new box until at least September, so check out our new artists AND all of our past artists to try to guess what might be in your box!

New Surprise Box Artists:

•  Marie DeMars
• Candlelit Desserts
• Peripeti, Home
• Nakedwines.com (gift card)

PLUS! An item or two that could come from ANY of our past item artists!

GrrFeisty, Mary Rebecca, The All Natural Face, Mud Horse Art, Glow Kouture, Elle Dee Designs, Anirtak, Janabolic, Buttonmunch, Gwen Erin, Sharaya Mikael, Karibou Crafts, Green Apron Creations, Mirasol Farm After Nine to Five Decor, Paper Sparrow, Soggy Doggie Designs, Knotted Tree Photography, Kharliebug Handmade,This Enchanted Pixie, Wired Essentials, Sand & Starfish, Megandowntherabbithole, Melina Yingling, JKim Jewelry Design Studio, Craftings, Sparkle So Bright, The Shop of Worldly Delights, Lovely Little Whimsy, Under Those Neon Lights, Friendship Bracelets by Design, The Morose Bee, PlainJ Body and Home, Kitty Meow, Life Created, issa.ino:handmade, Pudding Cups, Studio 336, Blue Orchid Botanicals, EEF Etc., Sebastian Design, Make My Notebook, The Common Grade, Ballyhoo Bath, Sweet Tea Apothecary, Bungalow Bath and Body, Emily’s Homestead, Evitchka, Killing the Angel Magazine, Leslie Lowe, Felt Mountain Studios, Chantilly Songs

What if you get a duplicate item?

The items from past artists are “leftover” items from previous months (we always keep extra items around in case of damages/lost packages). If you’ve purchased from us before, you may receive an item that you already received in another box.  You can give it to your mom, sister, friend, or keep it for yourself because it’s still awesome!

Boxes will be listed on May 10th, at 12pm (noon) EST on our shop page.

• Boxes will be $20
• Shipping will be $6/US $22/Canada - WE NO LONGER SHIP WORLDWIDE
• We will have 100 boxes available!

Shipping info: Because we have so many boxes, they will be shipped in rounds. Your order must be received 2 days before the ship date or it will be held to ship the following week. For example, you must purchase your box by May 13th in order for it to ship on May 15th.

 Oh, and the boxes are on sale RIGHT NOW! Go grab yours!

Just a few updates I wanted to share with you!

We’re going to hold off on releasing May’s boxes for just a bit–why? Because we got a last-minute contributor we think you’re going to love! Since we’re not releasing new boxes after May, we wanted to make sure we got them in so that your May boxes will be awesome! We’re tentatively planning for the release to be May 10th. We ARE expecting the boxes to sell out very quickly since the future of IGB is just a big foggy!

Speaking of the future of IGB, we think we have a new owner lined up! We’re still nailing down details, but if everything works out they will be taking over this fall. I hope I’m not jinxing us by posting this! We’re pretty thrilled with the possible new owner, it’s just all that legal stuff we have to nail down. However, even if everything works our perfectly with the new owner, there will be NO new boxes released between June-September. We are hoping to use some of our leftover inventory over the summer to create random boxes, but we don’t have a huge amount, so there won’t be as many boxes each month as a normal release.

So that’s what’s happening! We’ll keep you updated on May’s official release date as soon as we get the last-minute items! For right now, you can go check out our confirmed artists: Candlelit Desserts, Marie DeMars, Peripeti Home.

• Killing the Angel Magazine – Short Stories – $8.00
• Leslie Lowe - Music CD – $10.00
• Felt Mountain Studios – Art Print – $6.00
• Chantilly Songs - Music CD – $7.00*
• Thimblepress – Coupon – 30% off

*Whoops! We accidentally put the wrong value on our box inserts. Chantilly’s CDs retail for $7.

What was your favorite item?