DIME STORE PREVIEW

​Photos by Dave Koen

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We Denton Do It had the chance to catch up with our friends over at DIME (Denton Independent Maker Exchange) before their big store opening next week. Owner Rachel Aughtry answered lots of our questions about creativity, local business ownership and Denton in general. Read on for more!

 

Tell us a little more about DIME (Denton Independent Maker Exchange).

DIME is all about building the community of local handmade artists through connections—both with folks that want to buy their work and with other artists. The social aspect between maker and buyer, as well as maker and maker, is totally inspiring and encouraging. We want the store to give more consistency and presence to that community.​

How has Denton helped influence you creatively?

Denton really gave me the courage to pursue my own art as a full time career. I moved to Denton with every intention to go to school, get my degree, and move away to work for a corporate company, hopefully doing something design related. When I was a little UNT freshman, I put a few of my handmade bags for sale at Art Six – Tommy called me three days later and asked me to bring more because they were selling so well. The positive feedback I got from Denton folks at that little coffee shop gave me the confidence to start an Etsy shop, do the Denton Community Market, apply to big, prestigious craft fairs in Dallas and Austin, start Etsy Denton, and make my creative work my full-time job post graduation. (Hey thanks, Dentonites!)

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You were a big part of starting the Etsy Denton Craft Fairs – tell us about how that got started, and how it lead you to creating DIME.

For sure! I never get tired of this question, as it is a true testament to the awesome creative community and spirit in Denton. When the Denton Community Market started in 2010, it was just once a month, so the same vendors were there each month and became a little family. Myself and Shelley Christner were among those vendors. We had done a few creative projects together prior selling our creative wares at the Market, but our friendship really grew that first market season.

As the season ended, all the vendors were a little sad to lose this great community we had developed, so Shelley and I formed Etsy Denton to continue and expand that community. We originally intended Etsy Denton to just be about  local Etsy sellers being friends and hanging out, but at our first event we ended up sitting around and talking about how we should all do a craft show together. A few months later we did a barn sale in Shelley’s barn. Much to our surprise, people actually came to it. And they bought things. It was weird. After that, we started renting out the Center for Visual Arts for our now-massive Summer Bazaar and Handmade Harvest.

Last fall, Shelley and I decided that, due to the success of the shows, it was time to open up some sort of space for Etsy Denton. We changed the name to DIME (the Denton Independent Maker Exchange) to create our own identity (and to not infringe upon the Etsy trademark), and set about finding a space to house the DIME Store.

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Have you felt like you’ve found a pretty creative support system in Denton? Is having a creative community something you place importance on?

Our creative community is everything. And what Etsy Denton/DIME has done in a mere three years could not have happened in a less awesome community. Every time we do any sort of event, so many of our artists email us asking what they can do to help us. And when we announced the opening of the DIME Store, pretty much all of our artists asked what they could do to help or let us know that if we ever needed an extra person working the counter, they would be there 100%.  And it’s not just our amazing, talented artists, either.

What we do wouldn’t be possible without the 2500+ Denton folks that come shop at our shows and buy from Denton artists. When we were planning the Handmade Harvest last year, we actually had to turn volunteers away because we had so many people offer to help make the day a success. The community of both artists and their supports is just absolutely amazing.

Did you have any trouble getting DIME open? ​

Anyone who owns a business in Denton will be the first to tell you that there are some silly rules on the books, whether at the federal, state, or city level. Making sure all the legal ducks are in their rows so that you can put all the fun ducks in their rows is crazy time consuming, but it’s going to make the store awesome and successful, so it’s all worth it.​​

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Was proximity to downtown something you took into account?

Absolutely. The growth of downtown Denton in the past few years is just totally amazing, and we wanted to add to the arts community that is an integral part of that growth. We’ve already talked to some other downtown-but-off-the-square businesses about expanding the idea of “downtown” to more than just the square. The next few year are going to be way exciting for this little town.

What sorts of things are inspiring to you right now? 

I love looking at textiles—clothing, rugs, vintage needlepoint pillows, medieval weavings, everything. Fabric is totally fascinating. Maybe that’s why I majored in Fiber Art. I’ll let the cat out of the bag here, just for you guys—I’m hoping to start designing a line of fabric based on vintage fabric techniques and then use it on my bags. But I’m also opening a store in two weeks, so… it might take me a bit to make that happen.​

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What kinds of events will you guys be hosting at your store?

Part of the store is our “Workshop” that is store square footage but can also transform into a classroom for art classes, creative business classes, open workshop days where our artists can come hang out and work, and hopefully so much more. We’ll still be doing the big shows at the Center for Visual Arts, but we’re also hoping we can do some smaller fairs and trunk shows at the store.

The DIME store will be celebrating their Grand Opening Party on Friday, April 5th and 6th (wine + cheese Friday night, BBQ Saturday, and live letterpress printing all weekend). The store is located at 510 S. Locust. It’s about three blocks south of the square in a converted 1950s house. After that weekend, normal store hours will be Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am-6:00pm, closed Sundays and Mondays.

DIME on ​Facebook / Etsy

REVIEW: TREEHOUSE BAR AND GRILL

Naomi Wood

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The Treehouse Bar on Hickory might look like the frat house that you avoided in college, and if the owners intended to give this new joint that beer pong vibe, they succeeded. However, we didn't let the idea dissuade us from going there one dreary Friday night. While bar games and bag tosses didn’t necessarily appeal to our late-twenties crowd, we went ahead and swallowed whatever shame we felt while sitting on the generously-lit porch.   

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We tried to ignore the over-priced (for Denton) “happy hour” drinks. this particular night featured a Kool Aid-blue long island iced tea. We worked our way down the menu to try and get a feel for the food that this supposed burger-rival had to offer. The burger, itself, was fine. Nothing to write home about, but good enough to satiate your appetite. The jalapeno ketchup, however, was what stood out about the burger. Stood out meaning that it was extremely hot and left our mouths burning for the rest of our meal.  

The Cuban sandwich was the highlight of our hodge-podge order, but I wouldn't necessarily go as far as saying it is better than any other Cuban in town. This is one of the few times we’ll tip our hat to The Pourhouse. The rest of the food was affable, if not noteworthy. Bar food on a level lower than others doing similar things in town (Cool Beans is close by). The service was fine. It was mostly provided by the same group of post-teens that probably frequents the place on the weekends.

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Having a band promptly slapped around our wrist at 9pm when Pink’s “Only One Last Kiss” began to blare in the background, quickly brought our otherwise-pleasant evening to a screeching halt, as we realized what we had gotten ourselves into.  

The slightly silver lining to this seemingly gloomy cloud, is that the Treehouse has a fantastic location, space, and décor.  Since they are still in infancy (they’ve been open for a few months at this point), we are hopeful that they don’t fall into the pit of becoming a mediocre bar and are able to find their footing. Donning a more interesting menu and improving the quality of the food (hey, even cheap college kids deserve good grub, right?) are a start. But if they don’t, we wish them plenty of luck on their way down.

​The Treehouse Restaurant is located at 1512 W. Hickory Street, Denton Texas.

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DIME FEATURED SELLER: MANDY CAVE

Interview provided by DIME. Photos by Sara Barnes

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As Denton Independent Maker Exchange (DIME) gears up for the opening of it’s brick and mortar store in April, we caught up with DIME leader and accomplished water-colorist  Mandy Cave. Mandy’s abundant enthusiasm will get you excited about her work, the store, and maybe even about creating some art, yourself. 

How did you get into watercolor painting?

All I knew when I moved to Denton was that I wanted to be an art major. It wasn’t until I took my first watercolor class that I learned to love it. One day in class my teacher showed us the work of famous watercolor painters, and I recognized a couple of them from my childhood. As a kid my parents had a painting of a dog laying on a bed framed above their headboard. I would lay in their bed for hours staring at the painting. When I got a little older, I found my new favorite painting of a young lady sitting in a yellow field, reaching out toward a house in the distance. It turns out that a watercolor artist, Andrew Wyeth had painted both of them. After that I starting realizing how much I’ve always been drawn to Watercolor. Whenever I go to the bookstore, I find myself wandering over to the kids section to flip though the illustrations. Most of my favorites are always watercolor artists. Maybe I was hardwired to like it and just never saw it until later.

What is your favorite thing about watercolor?

There are these little moments behind the scenes I enjoy so much. I feel like all watercolor artists must like them. Like when I’m about to clean off a brush in a fresh jar of water. When I tap the brush loaded with color on the side of the jar, color floats and dances around in the water. It’s magical. Right now I am learning how versatile watercolor is. I can use it to make these huge, realistic, fine art paintings, or I can make small, simplified illustrations. Both are so fun! The illustration thing is really new to me. I’m just now exploring it. 

Your custom family illustrations are the cutest thing ever. Can you explain how you go about making those?

It is an opportunity to make friends. I get to know details that are important to people. One family I’m about to paint owns chickens. The wife asked me if I thought it would be silly to include them, but I told her I think those details are what make a family unique. I can’t imagine leaving things like that out. Some people are really open to share about themselves, like the origin of their pet’s name and the way their son likes to gel his hair. I love it! Then they send me photo references and I compose a drawing that feels fitting for their family. After I make the drawing in a sketchbook (and do a lot of erasing and re-drawing), I transfer it to watercolor paper with a projector. Watercolor paper is delicate. If you use an eraser on it, the tooth of the paper gets damaged. The projector prevents me from damaging the final painting. Then, the best part, PAINTING! I use this ridiculously small 4 haired brush to outline the edges of a sweater, the tip of a dogs nose and everyone’s tiny eyes.

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You recently had your work featured on the prestigious Design*Sponge Blog. What was that like?

It was such a fun opportunity to be found by people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Folks from California to Maryland. One gal who found me through Design*Sponge told me about her dream of documenting her family every year, just like her grandmother did for 65 years of marriage. It’s funny because I’ve been interested in capturing the changes in one family over a long span of time. Thanks to Design*Sponge, our little dreams met. 

How did you become involved in DIME?

The postcards for the Bazaar’s are adorable! That’s how I first found out about DIME. I couldn’t make it to the Summer Bazaar but when I saw the cute postcard with the fall leaves, last october, I made it a top priority to be there. Graduation from College was coming up and I was nervous about the end of campus days, surrounded by artsy students. So, I did everything I could to make new friends at the Bazaar. I signed up to be on the e-mail list and made sure to go to the Christmas party. That night, we got to laugh at how everyone wrapped their gift in brown kraft paper and we ate chocolate cookies. After that, I jumped at every opportunity to hang out with Shelley and Rachel. I was eager to be a part of the creative community.

There are so many great artists around town. When I was getting started, Anna Tovar, also a DIME watercolor artist, met up with me to talk artsy-business over some killer breakfast nachos at Loco. The whole DIME group is inspiring and it’s contagious.

In addition to being a DIME artist, you are the newest leader on the DIME leadership team. Can you give us a little incite into your role?

Rachel, Shelley and Nikki are so fun, it feels more like play than work. Right now, I’m transitioning into my role. The most exciting thing I get to do is post on the DIME Facebook page about all the Artist’s who get into the DIME Summer Bazaar.

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Where can we purchase your work?

You can find my custom illustrations at MandyCaveWatercolor.Etsy.com. I’m going to debut illustrated prints and cards at the Summer Bazaar on June 8th. After that, they will be available on my Etsy Shop and at the DIME store. The home for my fine-art portfolio is mandycave.com 

Do you have any advice for aspiring Etsy sellers?

Yes! My 1st piece of advice is “Get Smart!”. There are a bazillion helpful articles about setting up shop as a small art biz. Etsy has a ton of blog posts, Dave Ramsey has solid financial advice, Jon Acuff has great advice about pursuing your dream, DIME teaches Etsy classes and the list goes on. Read up on all your business/art heroes. Wisdom is at your fingertips if you search for it. 

My 2nd piece of advice is “Start!”. It is scary to begin a business, but don’t let that keep you from diving in. There is a lot to learn about taking photos of your product, writing descriptions of your work, how to be your own boss, keeping a schedule, doing your own taxes, blah di blah... But let’s be real, you can’t be awesome immediately. You just have to start and learn as you go. And you don’t have to quit your job at Starbucks to do it. My last semester of school I was working at Panera Bread and I started my Etsy shop. Somedays I didn’t feel like sweeping bread crumbs, but then I read something Jon Acuff said. “Your day job is practice for your dream job.” After that, I swept the floors with a little skip in my step. I needed to be a a good barista before I could be an entrepreneur. I started toasting bagels with gusto and paying attention to guest’s preferences. Because of it, I learned customer service skills that I use for my Art & Illustration Business. 

My 3rd piece of advice is “Don’t Listen To Your Negative Thoughts!” They simply aren’t true. Sometimes I think things like “There are enough artists out there already.” But that is absurd. If we don’t share our negative thoughts, we become convinced of silly lies. You have to use your talent because no one else can use it for you. 

My Last piece of advice is “Make Friends!” Finding Creative Community is so valuable. Otherwise, creative energy wanes and you will quit. Care about other people around you. Pay attention to what they say and learn from them. They are your greatest resource.

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WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 25

There's something about a late chill that makes me want to bundle up and get out there to check out what our tiny hamlet in North Texas has to offer. This week we've got a handful of picks to satisfy  that urge.

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Monday March 25
The Art History Society Gallery Talks w/ Tiffany Floyd & Cheryl Palyu | Art Room 100 | 1PM

Tuesday March 26
Sacco & Vanzetti /The Saturday Giant (Columbus, OH / Dome Dwellers / Blessin' | J&J's Pizza | 9PM | FREE
Art-indie-jazz-rock darlings Sacco & Vanzetti will once again prove that their band practices more than yours this Tuesday. Might as well get that extra order of bread-sticks with ranch.

Caravan Of Thieves | Dan's Silverleaf | 8pm | $7

Paul Slavens & Friends | Dan's Silverleaf | 10pm | FREE
It's good to see Denton's elder statesman of improv-songwriting back at Dan's. If you haven't seen it, are you really a dentonite? When it's working it can whip the room into a frenzy and when not, it can make you consider why you even get out of bed in the mornings. Always surrounding himself with the towns top musicians, Slavens offering, for better or worse is always a spectacle.

Wednesday March 27
Dentonradio.com Night | Dan's Silverleaf | 8pm | FREE
Featuring Mockingbyrd Station, Levi Cobb and the Big Smoke and Eilee Morris.

The Denton Spoken Word Collective | Rubbergloves | 9pm | FREE
Oh my dear spoken word. How curiously redundant and ambiguous art thou. She was a thief, you gotta belief. She stole my heart and my cat. Might be worth checking out if not only for the probably entertaining side commentary from newly enthroned, full-time talent buyer / bartender, Scott Porter.

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CITRUS SALAD

​Words and images by Alyssa Stevenson

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35 D has come and gone, SXSW and all of those other spring break shenanigans have left me not only sleep-deprived, but nutrient-deprived and ​on the outs with tequila for awhile. As much as I love the incredible music, the late nights, and being constantly surrounded by fun friends, all of it has left my poor body tired. 

As a result, all kinds of deliciously fattening foods sound absolutely unappetizing (sorry pizza, burgers and cookies) and I've only been craving fresh vegetables and hot tea. (Who am I? Not even wanting coffee -- the sweet nectar of the caffeine gods -- definitely not normal.) ​This is probably a good thing, right? Spring time is closing in, so its kind of a spring cleaning for my body. (That can be a thing - right?) Out with the bad, in with the good! 

So I'm making salads. Lot and lots of giant salads packed with nutrient-rich foods, so that I can stop feeling sluggish after all of the craziness and start feeling fresh and bright. ​

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Therefore I'm sharing with you my favorite salad right now, a really flavorful citrus salad. This guy is nutrient and flavor packed. Its exactly what I need to be able to get back to late nights, lots of shows... and maybe a few tequila shots. 

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Citrus Salad 

  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 1 navel orange, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 1 cup fresh edamame
  • ½ hass avocado sliced
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

On a plate pile the avocado, grapefruit, navel oranges and edamame. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Drizzle the dressing over the citrus salad. Enjoy. Your body will thank you later. 

WEEKEND PREVIEW: MARCH 21ST

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Thursday March 21
A Taste Of Herb: A Tribute To Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass Band | Dan's Silverleaf | 5pm | FREE

Discipline | Rubbergloves | 10pm | FREE

Q&A with City Manager George Campbell I UNT Environmental Science Building I ​7pm I FREE   

Friday March 22

Shiny Ribs | Dan's Silverleaf | 9PM | $10
A side project of some members of The Gourds take the stage this Friday. If you're into them I'll be you'll find this show a real treat.

Terrible Tuesday Promotions Presents: Tony Ferraro + The Satans of Soft Rock, It Hurts To Be Dead, Bad Design and Paper Robot | Rubbergloves | 8PM | $7

Saturday March 23
Sarah Jaffe / These Machines Are Winning | Dan's Silverleaf | 9PM | $15 / $20
There's something to be said about a local artist that can sellout two nights in a row. Maybe that something is that maybe she's not local anymore and supporting tours of Lou Barlow, Nora Jones and Blitzen Trapper. At any rate, you've got two chances this weekend to see the always lovely and compelling Sarah Jaffe grace the stage at Dan's Silverleaf and we recommend taking advantage of seeing a sure to be national star in such an intimate setting as it could be your last.

Spiderweb Salon Presents: The Electronic Experiment | J&J's | 8PM | $3

Soviet / Featherface / Things of Earth | 219 Normal St. | 8PM | FREE
Be still my beating heart, the Denton House Show. Where and what would we feel about our city without you?

Sunday March 24
Sarah Jaffe / John Singer Sargeant | Dan's Silverleaf | 9PM | $15 / $20
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APPLIFICATION

​Brainwash Inc.'s Keep Denton Beard app putting a beard on the courthouse. 

​Brainwash Inc.'s Keep Denton Beard app putting a beard on the courthouse. 

The term “Creative Class” gets thrown around a lot. We constantly hear about how Denton is chock-full of not-only artists, but technical creative types who are chomping at the bit to create for cheap. C’mon industry! Move here! Cheap labor! But where are they and what are they actually doing?

We decided to take a quick look and see what, if anything, was going on in a specific area of technical creativity that is currently booming: the mobile app industry.

A quick Google search tells us that there are quite a few app developers based out of Denton. Some spend their time developing apps for larger-scale companies such as Living Social, while others run full-fledge app development companies in town. Heck, one of ‘em even wrote a book on it.

If you’re even slightly observant, you’ve probably even seen some of them hard at work. Ever peered into the windows of the bank building on Locust St.? That’s Jovian Minds down there with their cool lava lamp and untucked shirts. They’re most likely hard at work developing an app for a company like American Airlines or developing one of their own flash games like Trouble in Tin Town. They moved their business here ‘cause they enjoy our funky flavor, just like Richard Florida said they would.

There are a few other non-one-off companies with big ties to Denton (we’re looking at you, Brainwash, Inc.), but not as many as you’d hope. A quick LinkedIn search finds plenty of web and app developers residing in Denton looking for work, but when looking for actual jobs that fit their skills, you’d be hard-pressed to find even a solitary gig. There’s plenty in Fort Worth, Dallas and even the lamer towns like Grapevine and Flower Mound, but creative technology jobs in Denton? Nope. Not yet, at least.

That doesn’t appear to be stopping Dentonites, though. App developers still move here all the time and end up working from home or telecommuting. Will this inevitably bring companies to town? Will some of these people team up and create successful companies themselves? Projects such as the recent Denton Startup Weekend and the creatives mixers are definitely a step in the right direction if tech-centric cities such as San Francisco are any indication.

Adding a tip in the Denton Police Department's app is super easy. ​

Adding a tip in the Denton Police Department's app is super easy. ​

In the meantime, enjoy having enough parking spots and search the word “Denton” in your app store of choice.

Some of the Denton-related Apps in the iOS app store and Google Play are what you’d expect and some we found kind of surprising. Of course, UNT has an application that allows you to see just how badly you’re failing your Business Calculus class while you’re out drinking. The library also has a great app that not only helps you check out your library queue, but even helps you rent free audiobooks through Overdrive. You can even narc out your family and friends through the Denton Police Department’s app. Denton Square Donuts will allow you to order one of their “pastries” online. And on the stranger side of things, Brainwash Inc. has an app that allows you to “Keep Denton Beard” and throw a beard on the subject of your choice and then share it with various social networks. We’re still waiting for the app that allows us to talk through Jim Matheson’s mouth. Get on it, y’all. We peeked over your shoulder and saw Youtube, not Rails.

ARTSY: ANNA CONNER

Words and images by Courtney Marie

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​Anna Conner is an artist working out of Denton, TX. She's lived here since early childhood. Anna followed her parents’ footsteps to the classrooms of UNT, where she currently studies interior design. She’s currently on the prowl for new ways to share her passions, ideas, and art with others.

One visit to Anna’s meticulously-organized studio says a lot about her. She claims to dabble in everything and master nothing, but her collages are the products of great care and experience. She pours me a glass of wine and we flip through the old school books she snips pictures from. I gaze at the eclectic array of artwork covering the walls as she describes to me her dream art-project, an idea that came to her in a dream: a collection of tiny terrariums, each depicting a powerful and unexpected moment in someone’s life: a man in a diving bell lost in the jungle and adolescents embracing in a forest.

​Anna Conner 

​Anna Conner 

Anna is fascinated by America’s obsession with hamburgers. Fast food comes up a lot in her work. On the walls of her bedroom hang her own oil paintings of brightly-colored hamburgers: one seems to have grown human legs, the other is the body of a sea turtle. She’s in the process of planning her next artistic undertaking: 3-D fabric collages. On the docket to be created is a hand-sewn sculpture of a giant hamburger (“as tall as a small man”), bursting at the buns with odd items, and a life-sized nude elderly couple, amorously involved.

Following a disastrous internship with MTV, Anna switched her major from Radio, TV and Film to Interior Design, and looks forward to it as a career alongside her art. Of course, selling enough pieces to live off of would be ideal, but Anna feels strongly in providing art that is realistically affordable and accessible to all. She lives up to her philosophy. Having friends who are also artists encourages her to share her art and ideas with others. She loves when she is able to purchase her peers’ work and allow them to do the same. “We’re all artists and we’re all trying to work for the same thing, and it’s really nice to...support each other and buy things and have a collection, and maybe when you’re eighty one day, that person is famous and it’s worth a [lot] of money, you know, or not and you just have an amazing memory of when you were younger.”

“On the docket to be created is a hand-sewn sculpture of a giant hamburger. ”
​Some of Anna Conner's artwork

​Some of Anna Conner's artwork

Each of her pieces are one-of-a-kind originals; nothing is reproduced, and she is willing to work on commissioned pieces. Her desk is currently covered in tiny pictures of dogs, soon to be constructed into an advertisement for a pet groomer. To make her collages, Anna scours thrift shops and antique stores for hours, on the hunt for old illustrated books. She goes through piles of razor blades, carefully cutting out the pieces of her composite work. She keeps her projects scrupulously organized in folders, drawers, and trays around her studio.

One of Anna’s greatest struggles as an artist is what she calls involuntary dry spells. “With school and with work and everything, sometimes I don’t have the time...It’s the worst, because I just have all these ideas and I feel like I’m losing them and forgetting them and they’re disintegrating into my mind, you know, leaving my body.”

Anna offered some advice to fellow creatives who struggle with dry spells, “Sometimes, I turn it into the most amazing experience.” She describes how, inspired by a song writing project launched by her boyfriend, she pushes herself to create at maximum capacity for a very short amount of time. She does this especially when she feels uninspired. “I try to knock out ten pieces in twelve hours.” One of the pieces she created during this exercise, “Red Cross Wishes for Vacation,” ended up being a favorite. She’s even been contacted to use it as a T-shirt design.

If you can’t find her in Denton, Anna’s probably at one of the skate parks in Lewisville or Allen, grinding poles with her BMX bike, christened Princess Diana. You can tell she means business by the banged-up bike tattooed on her left shin. She also works closely with UNT’s Italian Club, hosting occasional Italian-language movie nights in her home. 

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