Homespun was included in the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association‘s Official Visitors Guide to the City of Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI. Thanks a bunch, folks! We sincerely appreciate the nod. Check us out in the Must-Do List on page 23, and if you’re in town for the game, come check us out for real!

Maker: Jessica Near
Based in: Ellettsville, Ind.
Price range: $2 to $50
Website: Oppositeoffar.wordpress.com

“I have been making and selling toys for children for four years now,” says Jessica Near. The poor quality of store-bought dolls inspired her to give it a try herself. “I started out making ‘Smart Owls,’- a smallish owl I created- and continued to build my repertoire with other animals such as bunnies, elephants, rhino’s, penguins, and others.”

Near uses vintage, re-purposed and new fabrics, and designs all the patterns she uses in her handmade toys and accessories..

Opposite of Far Fun Facts: I am a Certified Massage Therapist in California! I want to raise goats and chickens. I cry when I watch Glee. And movie previews.  And live performances. And animal videos. And anything with babies.

Makers: Dani Nelson & Char Lee Dickerson
Based in: Chicago, Ill. & Rochester, NY
Price range: $3 to $16
Website: Pearlmarmalade.com

Dani Nelson & Char Lee Dickerson didn’t choose letterpress, it chose them. “We both worked in the stationery and design field and had been ‘paper people’ our whole lives,” says Char. “We paired up to explore an indie business venture. Our education and experiences focused on art, color and writing which rang a loud bell in both our heads!”

Pearl & Marmalade is Nelson and Dickerson’s full-time pursuit when they aren’t temping, freelancing, or watching trashy TV shows. Their earthy and elegant designs feature woodsy flora and fauna, sea creatures, and characters from the Victorian era. Whether you need a card for special occasion on blank note sets for special messages, Homespun has the perfect Pearl & Marmalade letterpress product for you.

Is this business your full time gig, or do you do something else by day?
Because there are only two of us we both devote hours of elbow grease to keeping P&M running smoothly. When we have taken on other gigs (part time, temp or freelance) we choose jobs and projects that remain in our scope of interest or passion.

Pearl & Marmalade Fun Facts: Even though she is immersed in all things paper and digital design, Dani actually is an expert weaver and even owns her own loom. She also had a horse themed Bat Mitzvah as a kid and made the mistake of telling CharLee about it- an error that has haunted her ever since. CharLee was obsessed with Sherlock Holmes as a kid. After her brother convinced her he was alive and real she spent a few years writing him thoughtful letters. It’s still a touchy subject!

Maker: Dolan Geiman
Based in: Chicago, Ill.
Price range: $32 and higher
Website: Dolangeiman.com

Dolan Geiman understood the benefits of commercial art from an early age.

“When I was in high school I needed money to take my date to a fancy restaurant in rural Virginia, aka Olive Garden, so I had to make some fast cash,” says the mixed media artist. “I made T-shirts to sell but also helped people with their art projects, You know, drawing pictures of frogs intestines for biology class and sculpting epic civil war battles out of salted dough for history class. Most of the teachers knew I was doing everyone’s creative work but no one said anything. The kids at my school paid pretty well which meant my date could enjoy her endless salad and bread sticks. In college I took a screen printing class and made more T-shirts and posters to sell, a business idea I eventually returned to after college when I started my own clothing line called Rescued Clothing.”

Thanks to his success, which includes commissioned work for national retail chains, Geiman now enjoys endless salad and bread sticks himself. Select pieces of Geiman’s fine art prints on wood and paper are available at Homespun.

Dolan Geiman Fun Facts: I love insects and am a total nature nerd. Throw three bugs at me and I will instantly identify them. Well, at least two of them. I was also in the school choir and love to sing, bluegrass music especially. One might say I am a jack of all trades because I also like to write and will occasionally be found doing odd little jigs and folk dances in the studio. That dancing part is totally not true. But everything else is legit. Also, I have a profound love for my homeland, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I have no tattoos and my favorite author is Richard Brautigan. And, last but not least, I can make a handful of bird calls with my voice. My best call is the goldfinch. Call me sometime and I will do it for you.