Giving Never Felt So Great

I am so into Etsy right now. Its seems like a great outlet to get my artwork seen. I've already had people purchase notecards and jewelry from my shop. Not alot of sales, but pretty good for only a few weeks of being on the site. It gets me excited about crafting and arting. I want to paint more, collage more and sew more. I want to plan for the "busy season" at the end of the year. I am inspired by the feedback I receive, and the beautiful items I see from other sellers.

I think it also makes buyers feel good that they are buying a quality product that helps someone make a living. That's why the Handmade Pledge is so popular right now. However, I think buying handmade should extend beyond buying handmade from the US. We should all make an effort to buy products that will help our global neighbors support their families, which is why I am also a HUGE proponent of A Greater Gift, the gift catalog that features fairtrade & handcrafted products. I feel good knowing that the gift basket I purchase features all fair trade items. I know that the person wove the basket is making a fair wage, the people who grew my coffee are getting a fair share of the profits and the person made my chocolate treat can feed their family. Plus the catalog has some beautiful items besides gift baskets, including beautiful nativities, musical instruments, toys, gourmet foods and wonderful home decor items. Shop at AGreaterGift.org. Giving these gifts does feel great.