I made this mug myself, hand-thrown in
stoneware. It fits in my hand like no other,
and has a lot of meaning for me, in all
its imperfect glory. It holds not only coffee,
but memory.
Where your dollars go matters. This time of year, we tend to spend more - retailers count on us spending more - things for ourselves, gifts for others. I usually don't buy gifts at all any more unless I can come up with something really thoughtful that I know will be used and valued, not just clutter; and when I do spend, I try to be mindful of who gets my dollars. Are they retailers that will take my money out of my community, or are they people who pay it forward within my community?
Community is many things. I live on the North Coast of California, in an area where Buy Local is firmly and frequently advocated. But I have virtual communities as well; Daily Kos is one of them. People I interact with and care about are here; my money can support them. It strengthens our community and it strengthens our cause.
I am a Maker. That is, from the time I was small, I have always made things, sculpture and drawings and tiny inventions and whatever, well, needed Making. Over the years, I have amassed a curious array of skills, from making pots to spinning wool to machining steel to computer coding to building electronics to sewing to leatherwork to ... whatever.
And thus, I have a deep appreciation for other Makers, for people who hone their craft and find joy in the creativity of end-to-end projects. I love to not only view those things but to use them, to feel in my hand something that another has crafted. To have them not only as objets d'art but also elements of true utility.
And so I bring you the Kos Katalogue, a listing of products and services sold by fellow Kossacks. If you are giving gifts, take the time to browse; there may be someone with Just the Thing.
Just a few ideas at random for your consideration:
This handpainted silk scarf is from
huephoria. You, or your loved one, could wear this!
Perhaps your loved ones are cold, and would appreciate this handmade scarf from
Treadlers in California's Trinity Alps.
I love to have interesting note cards on hand, and they also make good gifts of a bit of inexpensive art that will in turn be shared on to the next recipient:
At Newhard Design, you can get custom cards, or choose from their very traditional options like
or the slightly less traditional:
I know just the person I should send
this to...
We also have photographers with more all-purpose notecard options, like Julie Waters'
Chickadee Cards:
There's a whole section of hummingbird note cards
Food is a great choice for showing your appreciation for the relative who is tough to buy gifts for. We've got
Alsea Acre goat cheese from Oregon Gal, jam from
Kitsap River, and in the DC area,
NinthElegy, who can create a private catered meal for someone special.
I've already mentioned how much I love ceramics. There are several ceramic artists on the list, with some, like Catfish Corner's whimsical giftware:
This turtle would look great in a bathroom!
Or the perhaps less gifty, but awe-inspiring architectural craftsmen:
This is a detail of a ceramic bas relief created by
Totten Tileworks for the Elephant House at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
It's kind of challenging to give books their due in this format, but a special shout out to
Something the Dog Said's book,
A Liberal Sprinkle of Flour. I think the book is only covering bread baking, but it's Something the Dog Said's blog posts that made me brave enough to make chocolates - and his instructions were thorough and extremely reliable.
I also started reading author Teresa Hill after enjoying her comments in a diary about eBooks - she uses "the first one's free" strategy to suck you in. Sample her wares!
Heck, sample all of the wares - so many great things going on in our community. What I've shown here is just a tiny taste of your options (and I apologize to everyone I left out). Make your way to the Kos Katalogue to see the full list.
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Kos Katalogue Blogathon: November 12-November 14, 2013
Happy Holidays! Please consider buying your holiday or celebration gifts for friends and family from the Kos Katalogue.
Kos Katalogue is an online catalog of businesses owned by people who cherish and promote liberal values. Handmade or original gifts include pet supplies; fine art; quilts; jewelry; children's department; arts and crafts; stationery; books; clothing; craft supplies; electronics; food and drink; household sundries; yarn, knitting, crochet, and weaving; freelance services; software and webdesign; sporting goods; and music.
Our Daily Kos community organizers are Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, Sara R, and JekyllnHyde. Below are four examples of these handmade or original gifts. Thanks for your support.
Community Quilt Project David M Bowman Studio
Wings: Hands on Silver Laughing Coyote Woodworks
Please remember to republish these diaries to your Daily Kos Groups. You can also follow all postings by clicking this link for the Kos Katalogue Group. Then, click 'Follow' and that will make all postings show up in 'My Stream' of your Daily Kos page.
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