Well it’s getting a little busy around Misericordia Mansions.
No sooner had I got over the thrill of seeing my guest blog post on the Fred Aldous website, than Made in Scotland magazine featured my Peace hoop in their Christmas 2013 gift guide!
Don’t forget that the last posting date to guarantee Christmas delivery is today Friday, 20th December. If you’re in Edinburgh, why not come see me at the Morningside Makers Market (try saying that 10 times fast!) tomorrow Saturday, 21st December?
I’m going to be at the Morningside Makers Market craft fair this Saturday and I’m busy getting myself prepared!
Just before my degree show (almost 10 years ago!) I ordered some business cards. The world of printing was not like it is today kids, and I had to send off a real print of my image and let someone else do the hard work of scanning it in and making sure everything fit.
We also had to buy something like 1000 (it felt more like 10,000) cards at a time, and so I tried to make them fairly generic, having an inkling that my artistic productions may change before I managed to hand out all of my cards.
Lo and behold I was right, so I’m busy updating my business cards with something a little more appealing than the address labels I’d been using before.
A mere 873 left to do! Do come along this weekend and get your hands on a card (and maybe more)! If you can’t make it, don’t forget that the last UK post is Friday, 20th December (that’s this week).
Here’s my version of a Christmas gift guide, it’s a little unorthodox, so hold onto your (Santa) hats.
I know, it seems a mite unusual coming from a person doing her level best to encourage you to part with your pennies, but there is almost no one on your Christmas list who needs stuff. We are very lucky.
Great, you think, so if I’m not giving stuff what do I get Aunty Jen? Not to mention the kids…
But stuff goes nowhere, it just sits about until you trip over it one last time and finally send it (hopefully) to the charity shop in the hopes that the giver won’t notice its absence and ask about it. (They never do.) Why not approach gifts as a way to open a door. So that what you give isn’t as important as why or from whom, or even who or how it was made.
So find your favourite book at a charity shop or independent bookseller and (this is the most important part) tuck a note into it telling the recipient where you were when you read it or why you love it or why it reminds you of them.
Or explain that you want to support local or fairtrade or organic makers and get them a voucher or a veg box or a handmade widget. But tell the story!
So you can still buy earrings and socks and novelty hot water bottle covers as long as the reason isn’t ‘It was on 3 for 2 at Chainz ‘r Uz and I was desperate.’
I know this takes more effort and it may mean that you need to practice over a few years. But halfheartedly buying stuff for the sake of it almost never makes either the giver or the receiver happy.
Where do I come in? I like to provide the most difficult service of all. I’m here for the people who don’t even need fairtrade recycled hand-crafted widgets. Your mum with all the ornaments and kitchen gadgets she’ll ever use, or your friend who just buys what he wants (when he really wants anything, which isn’t often).
To them (but mainly you) I’m offering a touchstone, a portal, a wardrobe door which gives a glimpse of a time you shared, a book they love, a place they’ve visited and all the memories, associations and thoughts that will bring a smile to their face whenever they see their piece. (Plus, it’s handmade, reclaimed and I rarely employ children!)
Now, go forth and give!
(or contact me to order your personalised piece)
Last date to commission a piece for UK delivery by Christmas:
this Friday 29 November
USA/Europe: Friday 13 December
UK: Friday 20 December
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