Meet the family

Forget everything you know about craft fairs. Forget the very phrase ‘craft fair’ if you want to find extra-special items created by artists, printmakers, textile designers, jewellers, knitters and toy-makers from the west of Scotland.

Glasgow Craft Mafia, an umbrella organisation that unites and promotes like-minded creative types, is holding its official launch party on October 25, followed by two markets in November. GCM is part of a worldwide movement that began in Austin , Texas when a small group of enterprising crafters hit upon the idea of pooling resources.

It only began in February, but Glasgow’s branch of ‘the family’ already has 16 members, selling everything from knitwear and bags to jewellery, stationery and soaps. Members include Little Robot, aka Lindsey Carr, a designer who counts Victoriana, automata and ‘beards and other facial hair adornments’ among her inspirations; the mother-and-daughter-run Ding Dong Designs, offering clothes, accessories and finger puppets; and ‘self-appointed guardian of cleanliness’ Lady Wurlitzer, whose pampering products include soaps, balms and soaks.

The launch event will offer the chance to meet the nimble-fingered folks behind the online stores, who trend-spotting types have appointed leaders of the ‘alt.craft’ movement. Of course, most of the GCM members have been doing their uniquely creative thing for years, but now as a collective they really mean business.

Whether you’re looking to get an early start on your Christmas shopping or just fancy treating yourself, then paying them a visit might be a smart idea.

Glasgow Craft Mafia has a launch party on October 25 at Home, and markets on November 1 at Universal and November 18 at Mono.