Welcome to Walkabout Crafts, owned by Emma Brown

*Walkabout Crafts - The online gift shop for buying and selling arts and crafts*	home \| buy \| sell \| gift shop \| world tour \| craft topics \| free gifts \| contact

About Walkabout Crafts

Hello and welcome to Walkabout Crafts - the online gift shop with a personal touch! My name is Emma Brown and I live in Scotland, United Kingdom.

I began selling my own crafts online in 2000, followed by setting up a stream of web sites for my 'crafty' friends. Since most of my work colleagues were based in Scotland, I set up a Scottish Crafts web site combining all our crafts onto the one web site. Hence our first online craft fair was born!
This was followed by similar sites for England, Ireland and Wales - these grew bigger and faster than anticipated so to make life easier I combined all the sites into our World site; Hence Walkabout Crafts was established in November 2008.

Walkabout Crafts is an online 'Craft Fair', members from around the World can display their arts and crafts in their own 'shops' - giving customers access to exquisite hand crafted goods from the comfort of their home.

Walkabout Crafts is a non profit web site. Members fees are put towards the upkeep and maintenance of the site. 100% of all items bought from our online gift shop goes direct to the artist / craft maker.

We are constantly adding new gifts and content to our web site so make sure to bookmark this site or join our

page to be kept updated with new arrivals.

To help us promote 'Walkabout Crafts'; Please recommend us to your friends or if you have a web site / social network page please add our link (selection of banner and text links can be found at here ), or if your feeling really generous please send a donation.

Unfair Trade

'Fairtrade Certification and its system of minimum pricing were designed initially for commodity products. It is technically difficult to adapt this model of standardized minimum pricing to crafts and other products made by small scale artisans, which are each unique, made of a variety of materials and have varied productions processes and costs.'
Taken from the Fairtrade Official Website

Walkabout Crafts is designed to give the support to the small scale artisans, which is lacking from the large organisations throughout the World.
We do not buy in products, nor do we accept members who are selling bought in goods - we only accept members who have produced the items themselves so that they can sell direct and benefit personally.
Although we may act as the 'middle man' in negotiating wholesale orders, speciality orders etc. we do not take any monies from members or customers.

Facts:

Fairtrade does not apply to artists or craftworkers

The majority of our members work below minimum wage, and indeed many have full time jobs on top of their craft work.

With the increased cost of supplies many don't even cover the cost of the materials to make the items. Let alone be paid for the time and skill to produce the item.

With little support from any official organisations, many of the traditional crafts are dying out.

Artisans from developed countries are just as affected, if not more, than those from underdeveloped countries, due to the higher cost of materials, living expenses and lack of export opportunities

The increase of traders importing goods for trade events or shops is increasingly taking business away from local Artisans.

Whilst Fairtrade is doing a good job to support the producers of consumer products i.e. mainly foods. There are too many traders who fly the banner who have not been granted certification. With this is an increase of shoppers who are buying Fairtrade products because it is 'Trendy' rather than understanding fully how Fairtrade works, what products are eligible and who exactly is benefiting financially.

If you have any opinions on this article please get in touch

I would just like to compliment you on your fantastic service. You were so helpful
and the speed with which we received the orders was excellent. Thank you.

I found your amazing site at the morning and half a day I spent reading this! It's fantastic!

At last a web site where I can do all my Christmas shopping in one place - you have a wonderful collection of gifts for all the family and pets too! Keep up the good work.

I love your world section! Great to get info for going on holiday and ideas for entertaining the kids and grown ups too!

What a magnificent website- and so big! I have just started in the craft business and I have found craft ideas, setting up business information and events all through your website - great to find everything in one place - thank you!

Walkabout Crafts is a non funded, non profit web site. 100% of all sales go directly to the members. Please support us by telling your friends about us - thank you. Copyright © Walkabout Crafts All rights reserved. Telephone: +44 (0) 773 328 4443