The expression of individuality has always been a high priority of mine. After reading about the sweatshops, I've been trying to wean myself off of shopping at big name supermarkets.
For most of my "fun" purchases, I've been able to reduce my number of purchases by telling myself that I don't really need it. CDs and DVDs are a prime example.
Before I made the conscience decision to stop shopping at supermarkets, I stopped buying jewelry. Most of the jewelry is made in China, most likely in a sweatshop. But that still wasn't my reason to stop buying it. This may be selfish but the quality seemed cheap, the jewelry too readily available, and had no personality to it.
Where do I now buy my jewelry if not at a supermarket? Definitely not at a jewelry store, that’s too expensive for me. I returned to an old habit that was taught to me by my mother: art fairs.
When I was young my mother would take me to the summer art fairs; where the magical atmosphere was thick in the hot summer air. The various handmade crafts, getting to meet the artists who made the crafts and have them explain the processes they go through to create them, and going through the crafts with friends and/or family are all crucial reasons to why art fairs are so remarkable.
Sadly, I lost sight of this magic during high school and the beginning of college. The art fairs came every year and seemed monotonous, but I was reminded of their awesomeness at an art fair in Japan.
When I returned to the states, I made a point of seeking out the closest art fair in the summer. Art on the Rocks in Marquette takes place in late July. All summer to wait. Why did it have to take all summer to get here? But it was worth it. There were jewelry makers, photographers, ceramics artists, weavers, welders, and so on.
There are tricks to shopping at art fairs, because it’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the novelty of an item and people tend to forget that it may not be the smartest purchase.
Rule 1: Art fairs are expensive so ask yourself, “Is this item worth its purchase price?” Look at the quality, if it looks like something you could easily do at home then don’t buy it. Ask the artist about their techniques, most of them are more than willing to expand on their work process.
Rule 2: Many of the vendors at art fairs will have similar items, if done a little differently. Make sure to look around completely before making purchases. You don’t want to spend all of your money at the first vendor. If you’re worried about it being there when you get back just remember that if you were meant to have it then it will be there. If you can’t remember what it was that you wanted so bad at the beginning then you probably didn't want it that bad.
Rule 3: Stay within budget! Try to go to an art fair with a set amount to spend. Art fairs can be expensive but only if you get a little out of control. I try to go with cash only that way I can’t extend my budget on that fabulous but highly overpriced item.
At Art on the Rocks, I managed to find some gifts for my family and some jewelry for me. Because handmade jewelry can be pricey I no longer purchase jewelry on a whim. It’s solely bought every 6 months to a year (depending on how much I spend) and I always make sure that I have the money at the time of the purchase.
My unique finds at Art on the Rocks were at this amazing vendor that attempts to reduce, reuse, recycle as much as possible and BONUS by fair trade silver whenever possible. Here is there link: ReMik's Jewelry. Here they make jewelry out of real flowers! They encase them or preserve them in some form of protective chemical (they explained it but my brain is withholding the information from me) and make them into necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc. I got this gorgeous yellow rose necklace and a pink orchid necklace. What a find!? And I wasn't aware of their earth friendly goals until I researched them afterwards. What better expression of individuality than handmade jewelry that looks amazing? Pics to follow!
