cute as a button!

hooray! welcome to our newest crafter, katie bowling [one delightful button]. she makes the most adorable fabric covered button earrings and bookmarks. check it out:

i mean, really...how cute are those?? stop by the shop to check out our new items!

why i care about local, handmade goods...and why you should, too.

www.storyofstuff.org

You need to watch this video. We all need to watch this video. It made me want to cry, yell at somebody, kick myself for continually falling prey to this horrible kind of consumerism, and then go protest somewhere....peacefully, of course.

But most of all, it reminded me that this is why I care about handmade, local goods. This is one of the reasons HandmadeVA exists. Yes, we want you to buy our stuff. But we want you to think about your purchases wisely, too. How often do we truly pause to consider the impact of the purchases we make? What sort of consumer cycle are we supporting when we buy from the "big-box-marts" as opposed to local businesses? And even when we shop at local businesses, do we think about where the goods they sell are coming from?

I don't expect HandmadeVA to change the world or put an end to consumerism as we know it, but I do want HandmadeVA to be a catalyst for change in the 7 cities. We are not just about awesome local crafts. My hope is that it will encourage you to think more carefully about what you buy. Shop local, buy handmade!

Please take the time to watch "The Story of Stuff." It is well worth it. Feel free to comment below....I'd love to know your thoughts on the matter, and what we can do to make changes in our community.

lookin' good...

so we finally got all the gals together for a little sprucing up in the shop today (and a group photo)! we're all so excited about how things are going with handmadeVA, and it's only getting better.

come see for yourself...it's pretty awesome.

new items added recently:

gorgeous prints [sophie's lament]

fun mermaid signs [kelly guswiler studio]

more soy candles [gymbohannah]

new earrings [from heather's hands]

va love tote bags [dreamfly]

and love ninjas!!! [23hearts]