Craftadelphia! THIS SATURDAY!

This month's Craftadelphia will be featuring art, handmade crafts and live music by Nicole Erin Carey.
Event takes place THIS SATURDAY, July 12th at mew gallery: 906 christian street from 11am to 4pm. Now's your chance to buy handmade items directly from the artists. This month's vendors will be selling independently designed and produced purses, hats, jewelry, greeting cards, etc.

So, what's so great about buying handmade? According to the lovely folks over at buyhandmade.org, here are three reasons you can be proud to join the handmade movement...

1/ Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.

The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can
be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.

2/ Buying handmade is better for people.

The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.

3/ Buying handmade is better for the environment.

The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.

6/20/08 Team Meeting at Mew

Last month’s meeting? Rainy, dark, I got a parking ticket (groan), hordes of members present. This month’s meeting? Sunny and cool, easy parking—and hordes of members off for the first real “high summer” weekend. But a treat anyway, three new members on the scene: Angela, crocheted stuffed animals (angdavidson.etsy.com), who has agreed to do a workshop for the team; plus Nathan, photographer, and Emma, sculptor, painter, jewelry designer. Look for the latter two at an etsy shop still under construction.

One good thing about welcoming new members was the chance to review the tips and ideas we’ve developed since we began. So while we were all looking smart passing on the info to the newbies, it allowed us to remind ourselves of what we’ve all learned in these last months—about production, setting up our shops, marketing, photography, and just spread the word about the “handmade in Philly” phenomenon. We also got to introduce the new folks to the Mew Gallery—the women who run this cornucopia of handmade goods could not be more generous.

Next trunk show, the “Philly Craft Explosion,” will take place on Saturday, July 12, at the Mew, and five more are scheduled for the following months. The last one was a lot of fun, with food, drink, live music, and lots of customers. Come join the blast.

Pictures from June's Etsy Meeting

Here are some photo's from the Etsy Teams June Meeting at Mew Gallery.

Want to join the Philly Etsy Team?

...Great! Send an email to phillyetsy@gmail.com. Please put 'Join Philly Etsy' in the heading and add a link to your etsy shop and (if you want) a little about yourself in the email. All new members are encouraged to come to our meetings at the Mew Gallery, 906 Christian Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 (held the third Friday of every month, 6-7:30pm).

Philly Etsy Team's Trunk Show at Mew! This Saturday!!

Team Meeting Schedule!

Philly Etsy Team: Featured in Uwishunu!!

Check out the write up regarding Not Your Grandma's Craft Show!!

Philly Etsy Team Treasury!

Hooray! Another Philly Etsy Team Treasury, full of wonderful things made right here in Philly.

Here's a link, which expires on Wed. May 7 at 10:15 am. And for posterity's sake, a screenshot: