Conscious Crafties
What is and who are the conscious crafties?
Conscious Crafties is a Handmade Buying and Selling Market. All products are handmade by people living with chronic illness, disability or caring for those affected.
Where was the idea born?
The idea was bought to life by the lovely Karen Thomas.
After becoming sick in 2011 almost overnight, she found her way to various support networks. She noticed that many of us turn to crafts to help distract from our illnesses and to feel useful again. Seeing so much untapped talent, the idea was born to create a community for everyone to showcase their work, in one place and give people a way of creating their own business.
It was also a way for her to feel useful again, by using her lovely skills to help others.
Conscious Crafties is about empowering all living with chronic illnesses, disabilities and those effected to be successful through their crafts, tell their stories and meet new like minded friends who understand their struggles. She is also hoping it plays a key part in changing the way disabled/sick people are viewed by the world. That they can still contribute and are incredibly talented!!
Conscious Crafties has been built in honour of Sam, her beautiful friend she met through sickness and their love of crafts. Her strong fight with Gastroparethis and POTS sadly ended in Oct 14. Heartbroken, She knew then, after years of thinking about it, the idea for us all to sell our crafts within a supportive community needed to be launched, so it could help people now and give them hope for the future.
Concious Crafties is a place where stories are told.
As most people with chronic illness, disability or those effected by it feel unheard, each 'Craftie' gets to tell their story on the site to help spread awareness of their (sometimes invisible) illnesses. Stories appear in the 'Meet the Crafties' page and also posted on Facebook and Twitter. Concious Crafties gained a massive following on Facebook in such a short space of time so their stories are seen by thousands. Their crafts are regularly shared through social networks and many of our Crafties have appeared in various online newsletters, all helping to increase sales whilst raising awareness. Every new Craftie also gets invited to our 'Crafties Community', a fun place to share crafts, selling tips and form close bonds with friends who understand what each of us go through.
Here is Karen's story:
Karen Thomas Conscious Crafties Founder
In 2011 I was perfectly healthy going about my workaholic lifestyle when BOOM! - I started fainting up to 10 times a day and my bed became my best friend. A year later I was diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) a rare condition affecting the blood vessels and heart rate. There's no cure, but reaching out to others with the same condition has been a huge help in learning to live with it. 3 years later I was told my POTS was caused by EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) a connective tissue disorder affecting the skin, cartilage, ligaments and blood vessels - everything that holds us together! I also have some bonus conditions: Fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s Disease, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Migraines and Asthma. Life has been tough, but I've met some wonderfully strong friends who also live with chronic illnesses.
So if you fancy a browse or want to know more about the amazing crafties pop over to http://www.consciouscrafties.com/
