The first two weeks of the Buy Handmade pledge have been going very well. Nearly five thousand people have promised to support independent artists this holiday season, and to “shop outside the big box.”
 
This Monday we will be launching a much expanded “Why Buy Handmade" page. It will offer a list of compelling reasons to buy handmade items and resist purchasing mass-produced items. It will also include a reading list of books, magazines and articles which address and explore the DIY, crafting, and handmade movements, as well as a directory of websites for today's artist, crafter or conscientious consumer.
 
We will also soon be featuring portraits of pledge signers holding up a sign saying “I Buy Handmade.”  To help us with that, we are asking those of you with flickr accounts to upload your own “I Buy Handmade” portrait, join the buyhandmade.org group, and add it to the buyhandmade.org pool.  Be sure to also tag your photo with your pledge number so we can pair you up with your pledge quotation.
 
More news soon… In the mean time, keep spreading the word. Let’s get this movement moving!
 
Onward and upward!

You can also contribute videos of your "Handmade Story."  Read more here.