Rene Trim: Shopping local and buying homemade is stronger than ever

And so another Christmas craft show season slowly draws to a close (for those who are not quite done shopping yet: don’t panic – there are still some event listings at the bottom of the page).  Based on what I witnessed at the events I visited myself as well as on the feedback I received from vendors overall event attendance was good but visitors were cautious when it came time to pull their wallets – more so than normal.

The big picture is much the same: according to a recent BMO study, the average Canadian will spend $1,517 over Christmas in 2014, the lowest holiday spend in three years (last year, for example, the amount was $1,810).

That money is not just spent on gifts but also includes such things as entertainment, travel and food. The same BMO study quotes the average amount spent on actual gifts as $551 -  a 19% drop compared to the $678 we forked out last year. Reasons quoted for the drop in spending are lower than anticipated job growth, rising household debt and the rising cost of hydro, water and heating.

The fact that the federal government has cut an approximate 25,000 jobs over the last three years – with another 8,900 slated to disappear between now and 2017 – does not help either in a government town such as Ottawa. PSAC, the public service’s largest union, already forewarned an acute impact on Ottawa’s economy and it only makes sense that art and craft shows are one of the first to feel the pinch, as we largely depend on the amount of disposable income our visitors have available to them.

Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom: shopping local and buying handmade is becoming more and more popular - which is great for all of us. I once read that money is like blood, it needs to keep moving around to keep the economy growing. Spend it at non-locally owned businesses or on-line retailers and it flows out of the community, like a wound.

To those who came out to any or all of the amazing events we are lucky to have in Ottawa - thank you –  we hope to see you all back in 2015! ** Starting next week: Meet the artisan ** So, the shows will be taking a bit of a break over the winter but that doesn’t mean I won’t have anything to share with you! While we patiently wait on upcoming events once the snow starts to melt, I will be introducing you to some of the amazing artisans that live among us. Next week, we’ll start things off with Jeff Collver from Whistlewood Custom Woodworking and Design . Jeff is a woodworker (and whistler!) par excellence who recently branched out from high-quality mantles, cabinets and furniture to a line of artistic wooden home accents.

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Jeff Collver’s Whistlewood Custom Woodworking and Design[/caption] ** Upcoming events ** ** ** So, you’re a last-minute shopper, eh? Well, you ARE cutting it dangerously close but fortunately, I do still have a couple of opportunities for you to pick up some handmade Christmas gifts:

The Limoges Christmas Market is on this Saturday, December 20

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, from 10 to 5. Limoges (near Embrun) really goes all out for this annual event; booths are placed around a big Christmas tree and there are all sorts of kids' and other activities (205 Limoges Road)

The 2014 Originals Ottawa Christmas Craft Sale at the Ernst & Young Centre is open daily until December 21. The events hosts 200 Canadian artisans from across the country so you are bound to find something for the remaining people on your shopping list.

That’s all for now - have a creative week, folks!