Thursday, December 4, 2008

Handmade for the holidays


One of the reasons for this post is because so many people that I talk to have never heard of Etsy. If Etsy is new to you, it is a place to buy hand crafted items, ranging from art, jewelery, clothing, pottery, soaps, toys and much more. I'm continually amazed at the quality of work every time I browse, and find so many beautiful things.

Artfire is another site for buying and selling handmade goods. It's still in beta testing, but it looks very promising so I set up a storefront there as well.

Since becoming a fan and supporter of "slow food" and supporting local and family farmers, I'm finding it natural to transition into supporting handmade goods. Etsy even has a feature where you can search for artisans in your area. So if you're looking for something unique, want to support the handmade movement, or even just don't want to stand in long lines this holiday season, check out Etsy and ArtFire for a gift made with love by hand. :-)

Here's some favorites I found this morning while browsing treasurys on Etsy:

Spiraling thru the Earth and Sky treasury

Vanilla Sky treasury

Myth and Magic of Christmas

6 comments:

C-ingspots said...

Very cool - thanks! I will definitely check it out when I get a chance. Merry Christmas to you!

Jennifer MacNeill said...

Great post! I think it is so important to buy local and handmade. I'm always trying to remind people of this too.
Nice treasuries you posted. I wish I had a million etsy bucks to just go nuts with!

marnie vollenhals said...

Wow Kathleen...2 shops. You'll have to let me know what you think of Artfire. I love the ACEO I got from you.

miss violonjello said...

Good post. Every day now, my partner's Mum is bringing home huge bags from the department stores - buying all her Christmas presents there.

Buying handmade or locally is something very special and unique; this year I think my Christmas giving is split three ways, between retail, Etsy and handmade by me.

Fly said...

hai..nice blog..beautifull pic.

Danielle Barlow said...

Keep us posted on how Artfire goes for you!