You may not be the slightest bit interested in this, but I'm telling you anyway since that is the way of blogs!!
On the other hand, you may be so interested that you'll all want to move to the NorthWest of Ireland tomorrow!!
There's been an idea milling around in the back of my mind for a while (as ideas tend to do...), concerning the setting up of a NorthWest Ireland Craft Sellers group. I think there are a good few people stuck at home alone, churning out lovely crafts, with no support and very little sales. With the recession as it is here, many people need to be making a bit of money, and also they need to meet other like minded folks, or at least, that's my premise!
Secondly, as a group, one often has more influence and ability to think bigger than as individuals.
And thirdly, local craft, local money, local shoppers- its a spiral which could be good for the area, which is slowly sliding back into the unemployment and emigration which cursed it up until the Celtic Tiger.
So three weeks ago I finally did something about it by emailing the Etsy Ireland Team and writing a post for the Etsy Ireland Blog. As you can see the response wasn't great. (Shligigh is the Irish for Sligo and what a lot of people refer to it as).
Then I put a request on their Facebook page, result even less great.
Then (which took the whole of yesterday afternoon) I sent an internal email to all the Etsy Sellers I could find who had an address in the NW, and behold! Positive responses! Eight 'definates' so far, and such lovely replies too!
So I'm quite encouraged!
This is The Year of Craft in Ireland, and there is so much happening around the country, even in Galway and Donegal. But Galway is nearly three hours drive from here, on a winding narrow road, and Donegal Town is an hour, not practical for a social do. Sligo, Leitrim and North Mayo are the last bastions of Craft Barbarism in the known world- I'm tellin' ya!
I've so many ideas of possibilities, I hope something comes of it. Maybe I'm thinking too big, or being impractical, but its kind of exciting having something to maybe look forward to.
4 comments:
It sounds like a grand idea, though I'm not planning a move to Ireland just so that I can join in!
Your idea sounds good, and I took it immediately a step further: maybe you could get your products on sale in a shop together, like my Craft Club has in their own shop run by the members, or like we have at the Art Museum shop, who have handpicked some items to sell?
Your idea has promising progress. A collaboration among the area artists is sure to bring inspiration and perhaps word of mouth advertising to area residents. Good for you! Near where I live they have a spring tour and sale located in all the artists' separate studios. THey have made maps so that you travel to each home studio and have a chance to shop and see the studio in person. It's really a fun tour that takes place in NE Iowa.
Great idea :-)
I'm on my way up and over a bit to the left :-) x x x
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