Get GLAM-ed Up

(pictured above: Gainesville's craftiest blogger The Sassy Crafter, Kim Taylor.)

Eager to purchase holiday gifts for a tiny price? Look no further than GLAM. The Gainesville Local Art Mart, GLAM, is preparing for its second Annual Handmade Holiday Bazaar arts and crafts show, dated for Sunday, Nov. 22, from 2 to 6pm.

“My co-organizer and I wanted to provide an alternative to the traditional holiday shopping venues and at the same time, help give a leg up to budding local artists,” says GLAM co-organizer Kim Taylor.

Local artists, jewelers and designers will congregate at the Thelma Boltin Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave., to sell their individual handmade crafts. Customers will be able to shop 'til they drop with a variety of unusual items to choose from at bargain prices. Local bands and food vendors will be on site providing snacks and entertainment.

“We have an incredible array of vendors who'll be selling everything from handmade baby bibs to bicycle wheel chandeliers,” Kim says.

Other items include jewelry, screen printed T-shirts, reusable lunch bags and sandwich wraps, handbags, and fitness hoops.

Some of the vendors to be featured this year's event include: Michala Designs, Joffe Creations, Waldo Wildlife Collective and Sandhill Arts.

Aside from being an excellent, early holiday shopping opportunity, GLAM is also an opportunity to help those in need - a portion of the money raised will be donated to charity. “We'd like to have some of the proceeds go to a non-profit like we did last year when we donated part of the proceeds of the Handmade Holiday Bazaar to Peaceful Paths,“ Kim says.

Admission to the one-day event is free and open to the community.

--Alisha Kinman