Attention Crafters!

Oh my gosh!!! Less than a month until Christmas and I still haven't started my shopping yet!

On Friday we should get some of it done; we are going to the city as my son has his check-up at the Stollery. (It is so nice to have appointments spaced six months apart now, and some of the tests a year apart.) I'm hoping the weather co-operates with us; I don't care to drive in the city where there are so many careless people.  Sometimes I think some of them should be on Canada's Worst Driver.

Now is the time to look for those unique and interesting gifts. Gifts such as these are not found in your local department store or even online. I am talking about the handmade gifts, available at the Christmas Craft Sales and at the little specialty stores across the country. There are many talented people out there, why not make their Christmas a little brighter by buying something they have made? Handmade gifts are so much nicer to receive. Granted certain things can't be handmade (like the Kobo Vox I would like) but I would love to receive a quilt or wall hanging. In my family I am the crafty one and not everyone appreciates quilts, afghans or other handmade things.

If you are a craftsperson, now is also the time to market your wares. If you have been stockpiling all year, why not host an Open House during the next three weeks leading up to Christmas? Decorate your home, put on some Christmas music and showcase your creations. If you feel you don't have enough for an Open House, get together with other crafters in your area.

Or better yet, provide a location for others to sell their wares. What starts out as a way to make a few extra dollars for Christmas could easily lead to year round income. For the homemaker interested in a few extra dollars per month, this is an excellent way to do it. I rent space in a local store that does showcases local crafts people, thus giving them constant exposure and custom orders (occasionally). I pay a low monthly fee, and sometimes make tenfold. It gives me the opportunity to sell my crafts without having to spend my days or weekends at markets and craft sales. It's a win-win!

The snow has started to fall, which doesn't impress me much. The good thing is it isn't -40. Hopefully the snow is over by tomorrow evening so the roads are clear for our trip on Friday.

Have a great day!

Diane