Once A Month Challenge

Another blogger posted a challenge... to make a purchase from another crafter's Storenvy shop once a month. My first thought was "oh, man, we have this bill that needs to be paid, and the checking account is running low, and we have to buy so much stuff for the grad party, and I haven't had many sales from my own shop lately to help with finances."

The more I thought about it, the more I thought I really should take the plunge and commit to the challenge. I have been accumulating funds in my SavingStar account, so I cashed in on that, depositing enough money into my PayPal account to fund a few months of small purchases. So, what to buy?

My middle daughter is expecting our first grandchild in October. We just found out that it will be a baby girl, so I wanted to get something for her. I have seen that a fellow crafter who makes adorable and practical monster toys (many of her items double as storage bags) had branched out into sensory blankets - little cuddly blankets with varied textures and ribbons. Oh, yes... babies love little ribbons and tags hanging out of toys! I looked around her shop and found just the right little cuddly for "Pumkin" (temporary nickname for a late-October baby)!

Since my daughter was visiting last week (for her little sister's graduation), I was able to give her the gift. She loved the blend of different materials, and how it was just the right size to put in a purse or diaper bag. So, with one gift, we have a bunch of happy people... I'm happy that my daughter likes her present. She's happy she got a present. Baby girl will be happy to play with cuddly blanket, and a crafter is happy that she made a sale through her Storenvy shop!

That got me thinking of reasons why the challenge to purchase one item a month online from a crafter is such a good idea.

Reasons for shopping handmade:

1. You make a crafter happy! When you purchase something from Target or Walmart, the cashier doesn't say "Oh, you bought a cute t-shirt! That makes me so happy!" When you make a purchase from a crafter's online shop, it is "Happy Dance" time! Participating in online craft groups, I always see posts saying "I got a cha-ching!" or "I made a sale!" Purchases from crafters' online shops go toward paying for kid's braces, saving up for a family vacation, or maybe even just putting groceries on the table. It's a big deal to that person.

2. You are getting a unique, one-of-a-kind product. You can find stuff in Storenvy shops that you just can't find in a big box store. And you can shop in your pajamas! (Well, maybe you can do that at Wal-Mart...) When your gift is opened up at a baby shower, or bridal shower, you don't have to worry that somebody else got them exactly the same thing! It is handmade, with love, not mass-produced.

3. You can get things customized. Many of the items made by crafters can be personalized with names or your choice of colors. I can't post a picture yet, but one of my recent sales was a custom order for a little girl who loves unicorns, pink, purple and purses...and I was able to combine all of those for a very special gift!

So, where do you begin looking? Here are a few of my friends' shops:

Lu and Ed is the shop where I bought the blanket for my granddaughter. This shop has adorable little toy monsters, Mon-Stor bags where kids can store their toys, pajamas, or stuff they need on a long car trip, and the adorable sensory blankets like the one I got!

The Craft Penguin does some cool string art pictures, and she can make custom signs. Her "State Love" signs, with an outline of your state, and a heart where your city is located, would be a great gift!

Sudzy Bums makes a wide variety of soaps. Cute little shaped soaps, scented bar soaps, body butter, gift sets, party favor sets... just lots of fun stuff!

Wilde Designs has a mix of products from magnets to bookmarks, earrings to stickers, bobby pins to buttons, leaning toward the geeky side.

Black Rose Essentials has a lot of bath products (body scrubs, bath bombs, salt soaks) in some of the most amazing scents!

And then there's my shop: Penguin Place Cute little stuffed animals, American Girl doll clothes, hats, scarves, afghans and so much more!

So, would you join me in the Once A Month challenge? If you have a baby shower, bridal shower, or birthday party coming up, consider looking through Storenvy Shops to find that special gift. Looking for something in particular? Let me know, maybe I know a crafter who can help you out!