Handmade for the Holidays

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly consuming us, I wanted to dedicate a few posts to buying handmade and showcase a few artists and crafters I've purchased from in the past.  

Now that buying handmade is so much more accessible, thanks to online sites like Etsy and Artfire and independent brick and mortar stores, I've found myself shopping for handmade whenever I can.  Grace Dobush, in the first chapter of her book Crafty Superstar: Make Crafts on the Side, Earn Extra Cash and Basically Have It All, discusses the reasons for the handmade revolution.  She explains that it stems from an appreciation that people have with the makers.  She quotes Lauren Bacon, co-author of The Boss of You- "Artistry is so incredibly valuable now because it keeps us in touch with human relationships."  This idea of human connection is exactly why I try to shop handmade. It is such a great feeling when you know the story behind the object that you are purchasing.  It is an even greater feeling when you can pass that story onto the recipient of said object.  But perhaps the best feeling of all, for me anyhow, is knowing that I am supporting an independent artist/crafter/maker/designer in something that they are passionate about so they can continue doing what they love to do.  It is, as Dobush reminds us, an alternative to sweatshops and the mass produced goods of the big box stores.

That being said, I would like to use my little, virtual, soap box to introduce you to a handful of artists and crafters that have made some very amazing pieces that I've gifted over the past few years to my friends and family.  Each one took the time to create the most perfect item I could have asked for.  It is, in my little way, a thank you to those individuals.  I hope that by reading my little Handmade for the Holidays list you too might be inclined to pay these little shops a visit and enjoy their fantastic work.

Over the next week or so I will be posting about some of my favorite shops for handmade items.  I'll post a link to each post at the bottom of this page so they'll all be neatly bundled together.  I hope you'll all stay tuned!

 The List

"These are a few of my favorite things...:" 

Handmade for the Holidays: Make Your Dog Smile by Hattie Rex

Handmade for the Holidays: Pompeii Street Soap Co.