Shop local and handmade for the holidays!

Shop local and handmade this holiday season, a recap f upcoming markets and events I will be participating in.

It’s the holiday season! Every year this is the season that commerces make the most money. The average American plans on spending $801 on gifts according to the American Research Group Inc. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean Canadians will be spending the same amount, in fact the average Canadian is projected to spend $629 according to a survey done by Ipsos Reid for Google Canada, it still represents a lot of money for gifts.  With all this money going into the economy why not invest in local handmade goods instead of large companies that manufacture overseas?

Supporting a local small producer or boutique has a direct influence on the lives and wellbeing of people in your community. The money is not going to an unseen entity which cuts the profit in every which way before it trickles down to low wages for the person who is actually making it (not to mention other negative environmental and social implications). The money is supporting the production of more goods, it is paying rent and grocery bills, it is buying gifts for loved ones and helping pay for day to day needs.

It is sure that you can probably buy 10 pairs of earrings at a large international box store for the price of the one pair you are buying from me. But the one pair of earrings you are buying from me will be well made with carefully sourced materials. I have spent time developing my design and have done every step of the way by hand, myself. The one pair of earrings costs that much because I rent a studio, I buy my own tools, I buy materials which have all been researched and tested (it is easy to underestimate the amount of time spent contacting suppliers, ordering test batches and then testing them, learning about international shipping and much more),  I run my own website and take my own pictures and do my own paperwork. It takes time to make something, especially in small batches. I am not making 1000 pieces at a time, I may make 10. I do not pay myself $1 a day.

In this time of over consumption it is important to consider the impact of the money you spend. Instead of buying 10 pairs of earrings and  supporting a giant business with questionable ethical manufacturing criteria maybe it is only necessary to buy one pair of earrings and have a pair that have been mindfully made in a unique style while you are supporting someone close to home. You also have access to the person who is making your gifts. You can ask them questions, have conversation with them about their process and why they made the choice to create goods. As corny as it sounds you can give a gift that has a life and has a soul.

All that being said here are some of the upcoming deals and events for Studio METHOD(E).

• All this weekend in my etsy store I am offering a discount of 25%, use the coupon code WINTER13 in my etsy store at checkout to save.
• If you are interested in dropping by and seeing my studio as well as picking up jewellery as a gift please get in touch with me and we can set up a time that you are free, I love having visitors! I also always give great deals on pieces that are bought directly from my studio. Contact me or stop by if you see the light on, it is located in Limoilou at 175 3e ave, local 202B, between Pneus Ratté and les Ateliers Forest. Come in the front door, go up the stairs, turn left and go in the second door, you will find me (if it is not the morning, don’t come in the morning, I work late)!
• I will be at the Salon d’Artisanat Actuel at Regart, centre d’artistes en art actuel, Saturday December 7th (next week). It is in Lévis, about five minutes from the ferry terminal. For more information, check out their webpage here. 

• I will be participating for the fourth time in Salon Nouveau Genre on Sunday, December 8th. It is at the Église St. Jean Baptiste, which is at 470 Rue St. Jean. This is a really great event with over 100 participants.  It offers a wide variety of products in a variety of prices and definately worth the visit. To see a list of the vendors and for more information check out the website here.

There are always a wide variety of activities and chances to buy from local artists and artisans this time of year. If you don’t know where to look it can be a little overwhelming finding that something special. Etsy provides a tool that allows you to shop local. Events like the two above provide easy access to a wide variety of makers. Make contact, get a business card. If you want to take your gift giving up a notch, have someone make a custom order for you.

This year buy local, buy handmade.