Indie art and crafts fair DIYpsi, pronounced "dip-see," returns to Depot Town in Ypsilanti for its second time this Saturday at Woodruff’s.

35 artists and vendors mostly from the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area, as well as Metro Detroit and other nearby places, will sell a variety of handmade art and other wares to shoppers who come ready to buy local.

Last winter, when the popular local art and music event Shadow Art Fair decided to throw the Krampus Costume Ball instead of hosting vendors, DIYpsi co-organizers Sherri Green Carroll, Marcy Davy and Cre Fuller decided to fill the shopping hole. “A lot of the inspiration for the first show came from a sudden lack of income that artists depend on that time of year,” Carroll says.

“One of the best things we can do for Ypsi is to help create and nurture a creative class here. This is our little way of doing it. Our thought was, we really want people making art around here to be as financially supported as they can be. We saw room for an event that’s like a shopping spree, but instead of buying a bunch of mass-produced items, they are affordable handmade products that you buy straight from the artists themselves,” Davy says.

According to Fuller, picking the 35 vendors was easy. Vendors submitted proposals to be included in the fair. “Looking at all of the proposals was like shopping. If we think it could sell, we wanted to show it. It’s really about us trying to create some wealth for artists and artisans,” he says.

The co-organizers are pleased with the variety of art and other wares featured in this summer's show—jewelry, sculptures, apparel, drawing and illustration, handmade paper products, works in glass, puppets, and other types of art and wares.

“There is a couple that lives in Ypsi who sell on Etsy as Boots N Gus. They make up-cycled lights from things like Tupperware and Mason jars that are just gorgeous,” Davy says, as an example of what local artists are bringing to the fair.

“My friend Emi Slade does these amazing aquatic theme sculptures, like squid and octopus stuff. I must have 20 pieces of hers floating around my place,” Fuller says.

Aside from products for sale inside Woodruff’s, there will also be a clothing bazaar out front. “In our experience, we found out that during summer shows people want to buy apparel. Three people selling vintage clothing and three people selling handmade apparel will be in front of Woodruff’s,” Davy reports.

The three co-organizers will also sell their own art at the fair. Carroll has a recycled paper goods company called Sparklepants Industries. Fuller makes robot art, which you can check out on his Tin Angry Men website. As a screen printer, Davy sells work under the name All Things Grow.

As artists who have sold their own works at other fairs in the past, DIYpsi’s co-organizers “had an opportunity to do everything we wanted every other show to be. We could pull the positives from each show we’ve done and scrap the negatives,” Carroll says.

“Our biggest priority is to make sure the vendors have a good experience. When you do that the customers do too. If they are having a great day, it really translates well into a shopping experience. We want the artists to feel like we’re doing right by them,” Davy adds.

Fuller sees room for an event like DIYpsi in Ypsilanti’s already strong arts and culture scene. “There is no shortage of events going on in the Ypsilanti area. There are a lot of festivals happening from the car show to Elvis Fest of the Heritage festival, to things like Totally Awesome Fest, and of course Shadow Art Fair, which is an event that has really gotten the ball rolling for indie art events like ours. We are happy to be a part of that mix as an economic engine for local indie artists,” he says.

After DIYpsi, Woodruff’s will throw “Terrypalooza,” a benefit for Ann Arbor/Detroit underground rock veterans The Cult Heroes’ bassist Terry Ivan. Live music, which starts at 9 p.m., includes The Cult Heroes, Co. Dam., Devil Elvis, Who This We, Mare Crisium, A.S.S., Rob Robinson and comedian Jeremy Ross.

DIYpsi takes place Saturday, Aug. 13, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Woodruff's, 36 E. Cross St. in Ypsilanti.