The HYPE Over Handmade: The impact of how you shop | The Yuppiest Hippie

Hi Friends. How are you? Are you ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday? I am looking forward to my parents arriving tomorrow. Should be a good time. It will be nice to not travel this year as we normally do. Would love to hear what you are up to. Leave a comment below.

I recently came across this great blog post about shopping handmade and the impact it has. I am so excited to share this post with you from Rebecca at The Yuppiest Hippie. Without further ado here is the beginning of her post.

I get this question a lot, especially when working vendor shows. Sometimes the question is asked with tact, sometimes... not so much.

Regardless of how it's asked, it's a legitimate question. Why is handmade more expensive, and what's with all the hype surrounding artisans? Why are consumers willing to pay MORE for handmade?

Go grab a cup of coffee, for I'm about to explain exactly why- this is going to be a good one!

Handmade = fair trade, fair labor, Believe it or not, a person MAKES everything you own. Your shoes are made by someone. Your coffee is made by someone. Your jeans are made by someone (or at least someone running machinery that makes the item as part of a mass production assembly line).

So, who makes it? Cheaper items are typically made overseas, where inflation and cost of living allows companies to pay lower wages. Ethical companies pay a fair wage to their workers, which meets or exceeds a living wage. These items are typically marked with a fair trade symbol. According to the World Fair Trade Organization, fair trade has an impact beyond trade: It proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first. It is a tangible contribution to the fight against poverty, climate change, and economic crisis.

There are several organizations that independently evaluate and award a logo.

Some companies do not engage in fair trade. They pay a wage that is low, unlivable, or unfair to the worker, taking advantage of the scarcity of work and living conditions in developing countries. These savings are passed onto the consumer with a lower retail price; however, the workers pay for the difference.

When you purchase handmade, there is complete transparency on who the laborer is. You can have a conversation with the artisan, crafter, seamstress, or designer. You know exactly where your money is going. Because many artisans we purchase from live in industrialized counties, wages are higher. The cost of labor is built into the price of the item, resulting in a higher price.

....To read more of this great post head over to The Yuppiest Hippie....

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7 Steps to Start Selling Wholesale and Bring in the Big Bucks!

Meet the Maker: Lynda Lundringan and family of Sitting in a Tree Boutique

Hi, friends! Happy Friday! This summer is going by so fast. Tonight, we have the chance to see our daughter in her theater camp performance. I am so excited to see all of their hard work put together. What do you have planned for the weekend?

It is time for another post in our Meet the Maker series. Today, I will be having Lynda from Sitting in a Tree Boutique taking over our blog and telling us about their family owned business. Enjoy getting to know this sweet family a little better.

We are truly a family business--me (Lynda the grandma), my daughters (Rachel and Andrea), and daughter in law (Bridget). My granddaughter, Avery, is our main bow model. And here we are three generations of women owning and inspiring our business!

I am originally from Canada. Grew up in Alberta and immigrated to the US in 1987 with my hubby and our two young daughters. We've lived all over the country.

I currently live in Scottsdale, AZ, only about 20 minutes away from Rachel and Avery. Andrea and Bridget both live in Utah, only about 30 minutes away from each other.

My daughters had successful careers but willingly gave them up to say at home when they had their first child. At this point, they found that their lives had changed course and felt reborn as powerful, creative mothers. They wanted to start selling their products but were too scared to do anything but daydream. I relentlessly encouraged them to pursue their business idea. After a year of dreaming, planning, and talking, they finally launched the little Etsy shop in January of 2017! I was flattered when they asked me to be a part of it all! When my daughter in law Bridget heard what we were doing, she wanted to join the party with her incredible artistic abilities. We really have the most amazing time together!!!

When Avery was born, she had no hair and every time Rachel would take her out in public, someone would come over and say, "What a cute little boy!" Rachel started putting a bow in her hair just so folks would know she was a girl!!! Most of the bows she bought from the big retailers were not very good quality, so Rachel started making them and she always got compliments. We pride ourselves on our quality and attention to detail. Etsy just seemed like the perfect place for us to start selling on. We started with bows and have added custom hand painted family portraits, and Diet Coke mom tees! We have lots of exciting new things we are currently working on.

We hope that the moms who buy from us love their purchase and buy from us again! Repeat customers are the biggest compliment. We really try to create a friendly environment where our customers can receive answers to questions and know that they are truly valued.

Not sure if we have a favorite piece. We really put our heart and soul into everything we create and love it all!

If you are new and starting out be patient because success most definitely doesn't happen over night. When my kids were younger I would always say "Do what you love and the money will follow!" I think that applies to the handmade business. Do it because you love it and feel passionate about creating. We have met so many amazing makers through IG and feel very loved and supported by other mamas. It's a wonderful community, so take the time to cultivate those friendships!

You can find us on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/SittingInATreeBtq and on Instagram @sittinginatreebtq

Thanks for sharing Lynda about the family business and about your sweet family. Have a great weekend everyone.

Day 18 of Christmas in July Craft Challenge.

Welcome guest blogger Eileen Wenckus. Thanks for joining us.

Christmas Notepads

Hi everyone, I am so happy to be participating again in this fun crafting challenge. As you already know I love to craft, create, paint, collage and enjoy trying new crafts, tools, and methods.

My criteria for the crafts for this challenge are: it should be easy, fun, inexpensive, pretty quick to complete, require few materials and tools, something the family can help with and look pretty good when completed.

There are so many fun and interesting crafts to try, especially Christmas ones it’s hard to choose but I think I’ve come up with some fun things for us to do that meet most of the criteria. I have been joining you for five guest posts, I have not tried them all before …in other words we’re learning new things together. Of course, you may have done them all or some of them comment below with your ideas and tips.

Let’s get started with our first craft a holiday notepad. This reuses Christmas cards and was inspired by one I saw on Pinterest and a tutorial I found here: Hope Studios.

Keeping track of things with a list is so helpful especially around the holidays. These little notepads are so easy to make you’ll want to have a few around and best of all they reuse your old Christmas Cards.

Supplies needed: Paper cutter or ruler and scissors, stapler, paper for filler that is unused on one side (I used misprinted computer paper), and old Christmas cards, ones that are landscape orientation (horizontal) work best.


First, you’ll need to select a card with an image that you like. Then using either your paper cutter or scissors and ruler trim the card to the size that you want your notepad to be.

I really like the animals on this card and trimmed it just enough to highlight them. Fold up the bottom of the cover about ½ inch to the inside.

Next measure the size of your notepad cover and cut your paper about ¼ - ½ inch smaller than the inside of the notepad cover. It should fit under the folded edge.
Once you have all your paper cut place it inside the cover and staple it all together through the folded edge.

And that’s it,  you’re done! I made two of them in a very short time. Have Fun!!



Please share your crafts either below in the comments or on our DIY Facebook page.
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Day 6 of Christmas in July Craft Challenge guest post from Eileen Wenckus.

Hi friends! How has your week been? I hope you have been enjoying the challenge as much as I have been. Check out this fun first entry photo from Laura of The Dreamy Dutchy.

Today's Craft is Pop - Up Star Ornament from guest blogger Eileen Wenckus. Enjoy!

I have fun ornament for you to try. This one is not difficult it involves cutting, folding and gluing. I reused some old Christmas card, this created a mainly white star because of how I folded it. It you want something more colorful paint some paper, use paper that is printed on two sides or decorate paper with stamps. Here is a how to video where the person used stamps: Pop up ornament 

Supplies:
Five pieces of 3 x 3 inch paper and two pieces of 1.5 inch paper.
Glue (I used a glue stick)
Ribbon and a bead
A bone folder or a ruler (the bone folder is to make creases sharp but the ruler will do that to and is also for measuring your paper.



Photo #1 Measure and cut out your paper you will need five 3x3 inch squares and two 1.5 x1.5 inch.  I cut mine out of old Christmas cards, I had a blank side on one side which you’ll see below I folded to a white star facing out. I could have decorated the blank side and I think I’ll try that for the next one. This one I’ll write on and use for a gift tag. Photo #2 fold each of the 3x3 papers; first fold each in half one way, then in half the other way and finally on the diagonal. Use your ruler or bone folder to give you sharp creases. You can see the creases in the paper. Next fold the diagonal crease in so your paper folds up into a triangle open at one end closed at the other. Photo #3 glue one side of each folded paper to another don’t complete the circle.


Photo #1 glue a piece of ribbon to each side of the folded ornament. Then glue one of the 1.5 inch pieces to each side over the ribbon. Photo #2 put both ends of the ribbon through the bead and tie a knot at the top. This is how the ornament looks closed. I glued the decorative side of the reused Christmas card out since I wanted it in when the ornament is open. Photo #3 Pull up the bead to pop out the ornament and this is  my finished ornament - open. Enjoy making yours. I’m looking forward to seeing them.

Thanks for sharing Eileen. This looks like a fun craft.

We would love to see your entries. Please share them below in the comments or in our Facebook group.  Don't forget to fill out the rafflecopter. Each entry brings you closer to winning a custom made piece of jewelry from Mt Nittany Creations.

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