I Pledge Allegiance...

I pledge allegiance to making and buying handmade gifts this holiday season as well as in the future.

While sorting through email I came a cross a wonderful item in my BeadingDaily newsletter. It's called the "Buy Handmade" campaign that encourages people to shop for handmade gifts and support independent artists. If you don't make it and least buy from other artists however you find them; online, art and/or craft shows, from family and friends... I'd actually seen the email a few days ago and saved it to look at it again in more detail. Now that I am, it fits nicely into an earlier post about gift giving and Christmas.

The thought of making something to give to someone I care about just appeals to me whole heatedly. I've regularly bought handmade items over the years as presents but I want to include more and more work from lesser known artists (the ones that don't get into the shows or galleries). And I have a selfish reason as well. I want to be able to sell my work one day soon and in order to give me that chance, I need to support and encourage others so the world knows the value of handmade.

I'm behind on my gift making, as in haven't even started, but for those items I don't make or IOU, I'll be buying them. From Etsy, craft shows big and small, co-op galleries, studio tours, friends and wherever else good things appear.

Anyone else wanna take the pledge? Click above or on the sidebar icon and check out this worthwhile effort for yourself.