It is now time for my Handmade Pledge confession....
But first, the good news! Just about everyone in my family received at least one handmade gift! My sons received handmade button/badges, a stuffed creature (upcycled fabrics), and mini notebooks (also upcycled). My sister and her husband received some graphic decals for their new home. Grandma received handmade bath silk, and my BFF received a marvelous piece of functional pottery. My husband? Well, that's were the confession comes in. He had his heart set on a GPS. So, he got a GPS. And me? Well, as hard as we tried, we were not able to find a pair of cool wool socks for me. I had a specific pattern in mind and a specific cut too. We searched for days to find these coveted wool socks, but to no avail. So we ordered from SmartWool. On the up side, they do practice sustainability and donate 10% of their online sales to various charities.
How did you do? Did you discover any great handmade items and makers?
Showing posts with label handmade pledge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade pledge. Show all posts
Friday, December 26
Friday, November 14
Take the Handmade Pledge TODAY!
"I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season and request that others do the same for me." This is the Handmade Pledge. I would like to revise the Pledge to include the entire year, not just during the holidays. I understand this may be a difficult request, but I would like everyone to try in earnest.
Why take the Pledge? Well, according to BuyHandmade.org:
Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that canbe seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.
Buying handmade is better for people.
The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.
Buying handmade is better for the environment.
The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.
Why take the Pledge? Well, according to BuyHandmade.org:
Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that canbe seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.
Buying handmade is better for people.
The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.
Buying handmade is better for the environment.
The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.
Wednesday, December 26
Non-handmade Confession
Prompted by this article in the Etsy Storque: "Confess, Cheaters", I too must confess my mass-produced buying sins....
While I'm not overly crafty, (I don't sew, paint, draw, or do well with a glue gun) I can cook. So to fill the Handmade Pledge order, I made POUNDS and POUNDS of Spiced Pecans! They were a big hit. Woohoo, I was off to a great start! But then the realization that some items I just couldn't make and I didn't know how to fill their Holiday Wish without buying something mass-produced. Grandma wanted a certain perfume and my husband wanted a certain band's CD. So, there you have it...I bought perfume and TWO CDs. Oh, and I received an awesome set of non-handmade knives (so I can cook!).
I will try to do better next year and throughout the year during other gift-giving holidays and birthdays too.
While I'm not overly crafty, (I don't sew, paint, draw, or do well with a glue gun) I can cook. So to fill the Handmade Pledge order, I made POUNDS and POUNDS of Spiced Pecans! They were a big hit. Woohoo, I was off to a great start! But then the realization that some items I just couldn't make and I didn't know how to fill their Holiday Wish without buying something mass-produced. Grandma wanted a certain perfume and my husband wanted a certain band's CD. So, there you have it...I bought perfume and TWO CDs. Oh, and I received an awesome set of non-handmade knives (so I can cook!).
I will try to do better next year and throughout the year during other gift-giving holidays and birthdays too.
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