Great recessionista idea

Cathy Jakicic — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Word of mouth is a fabulous thing for finding life's hidden treasures. My sister just told me about a jewelry line (that a friend told her about) that has hit on a great idea in financially challenging times for artists. The line is called "Circle of Friends." The necklaces feature a simple circle-centric pendant that is customized with a few gemstones. Each piece is only $10, and the many different styles offered make them really nice, personalized gifts for a range of different personalities and styles. It goes to show that with a really simple, adaptable idea, it's possible to keep material costs down enough to be able to offer a reasonably priced, but not cheap-looking creation.

Have you taken the Handmade Pledge?

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:30:00 GMT

If you’ve ever shopped etsy.com, you may have seen the logo at left proudly displayed on your favorite vendor’s page. You may have also seen it on the business cards of local artisans. And it's possible one of your friends has mentioned taking the Pledge, hinting that this should inform whatever gift you choose for her this year. So what exactly is the “Handmade Pledge”?

The Handmade Pledge is the mantra of buyhandmade.org, and simply says, “I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season, and request that others do the same for me.” Why would one pledge this? Buyhandmade.org gives three really good reasons:

1) “Buying handmade makes for better gift-giving” – When you give a handmade gift, you give something truly unique. The recipient of the gift won’t see anyone else wearing the same sweater, carrying the same purse, or bragging about the same artwork. Handmade gifts are also very often customizable, which means you give a gift that is personal and meaningful, not mass produced.
2) “Buying handmade is better for people” – In today’s market, we are encouraged to be consumers, not creators. We buy what someone else has determined we will like, never discovering our own personal tastes or exploring our creativity. Buying handmade supports people who have chosen to create, and it also stokes your own creativity as you being to wonder, “What handmade gift could I make?”
3) “Buying handmade is better for the environment” – Mass production contributes to all kinds of pollution, but artisans are very aware of how their goods affect their environment (especially since they often work in the environment of their home, where they may live with spouses, children, and pets). Also, many artisans incorporate found objects (i.e., junk they’ve made into gems) and recycled materials into their work, another eco-incentive.

So are you ready to take the Handmade Pledge? Just go to www.buyhandmade.org and fill out the pledge form to the right. As of this writing, 31, 787 people have taken the pledge. To get started on your handmade holiday, check out the Web sites of some of the other folks who have taken the pledge before you. Many are artisans just waiting to help you give gifts that are straight from the heart.

If you've taken the Pledge before, I'd love to hear what you did to make your holiday handmade. Also, any tips for new pledgers would be greatly appreciated! Please leave comments below!

BeadStyle : Buyhandmade.com

Great recessionista idea

Have you taken the Handmade Pledge?