#supporthandmade
#shoplocal
#smallbusinesssaturday
The hashtags abound for the idea of shopping small businesses, bolstering local economies, supporting the handmade movement. As a blogger, a crafter with a small business (or two or three), as a friend to owners of brick and mortar shops, as a daughter of small town America, I get on board with all the things that embody this large overarching concept.
I also shop at costco and target (keeping it real!) but my passion is to support the little guy. I also love the thrill of finding a gem of a shop and seeing them grow -- because they are loyal to their customers and their product is just dang good.
But the explosion of the handmade movement has also brought its share of copycats and impostors, the biggest offenders claiming to support artisans overseas as a cover to capitalizing on the "sustainable shopping" idea. While I am a firm believer that there will never be too many artists, I find the hunt for the original often exhausting.
As an individual, I do my best to research and put my dollars where my heart is. But there is only so much impact a single consumer can make.
This is where Umba comes in!
When I learned about
Umba, I knew I wanted to be involved. This past summer, I joined a handful of women and helped the company launch their direct sales side as an
Umbassador.
Umba now partners with and empowers artists, giving them a voice in a handmade loving community. The founders are committed to the idea of "delighting and inspiring" and have curated a line of products that do just that.
Some products support women in villages across the world in Cambodia, Columbia, and Peru, other products help youth here in the U.S. by helping to support West Virginia Young Life volunteers, but all of the products are handmade and originals. I appreciate that the exhausting "hunt" is done by
Umba and I have the opportunity to shop a well-curated selection products. I am excited to see this company grow and even more excited to share it with you!
Catherine Weitzman, Forage, Florence Oliver, Basik,
Foamy Wader (select products), LovelyB, Make Pie, Thimblepress
Now through 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, December 10th
Offer valid for U.S. only.
And because I love you all so much,
an artist story and a giveaway.
this ...now discontinued... bag from the Basik 855 Summer line could be yours
Ikat Uptown Hobo
Adjustable strap, magnetic snap closure, interior sipper pocket, measure 17'' x 15.5''
$89 value
Based out of Cambodia, Basik 855 creates handwoven ikat accessories that are infused with each season’s most exciting design trends and colors. Basik 855 believes that machines will never replicate the exquisite craftsmanship of a product made by hand. The fabric in Basik 855 totes and clutches takes shape on traditional looms, using the same time-intensive techniques that have defined the craft of ikat for centuries.
In three years, Basik 855 have grown from a collection of artisans working in their own homes to a centralized weaving center located 42 kilometers outside of Phnom Penh. The talent passed from generation to generation of weavers combines with the skills of a specialized design team to create a timely, cohesive collection that is equally at home on the streets of New York and Los Angeles as it is in Phnom Penh and Sydney. Basik 855 is committing to doing business as they think it ought to be done. The artisans are their cause, and the company was founded with the purpose of paying each employee a fair-living wage that they would not receive in the garment factories. This belief forms the core of the company, and it inspires their motto of “fashion with a fight.”
Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.
