It’s well and truly Christmas shopping season now, but if you haven’t started buying gifts yet, the Glasgow Craft Mafia is here to help! As well as our own craft markets this weekend, we’ll be posting up a weekly digest every week til Christmas telling you where you can find GCM members selling their wares.

If you can’t make it to a market, remember you can shop from home, or your desk on your lunch break. Just browse our member pages and click through to shop.

We’ve also got some special offers for you this week from our members!

DING DONG DESIGNS

Get yourself some amazing little finger puppets or felt cuteness with FREE WORLDWIDE POSTAGE on orders of £10 and over until FRIDAY 4th Dec at www.dingdongdesigns.com

SHOWPONY

Lovely printed Embellished Bags on sale + FREE SHIPPING for a few more days at www.etsy.com/shop/showpony

MERULAPIE

We’re sad to see her go but Merulapie is having a closing down sale. Get 50% off everything by entering GOODBYE at the checkout. www.merulapie.com

ASKING FOR TROUBLE

Buy some cute stationery and hand-printed goodies and get a free cute 2010 calendar magnet on all orders over £10 at shop.askingfortrouble.org

GIRL INDUSTRIES

Get yourself a bargain on lovely hand knits and upcycled treats – there’s 20% off store wide at www.girlindustries.etsy.com

Also , look out for Katy of Girl Industries on the telly on Friday where she will be demonstrating a couple of handmade skills for dressing up gift wrap and making your own gift tags. It’s on STV’s The Hour on Friday from 5-6pm. Make sure you tune in!

Exciting news from GCM member Rachael Albert who is opening her very own 1950’s style boutique in the West End of Glasgow. It’s situated in DeCourcey’s arcade, next to the Made in the Shade Maisonette, making for a very crafty corner of town for your shopping.

As well as a range of clothing by designer Kat herself, it will showcase the work of up and coming UK designers including GCM members We Are the Robots and Girl Industries, plus Flossy and Dossy, Handmaid by Julie Mills, Tara Starlet and Lilly Wiggler.

The opening is tonight from 5pm – 8pm so get yourself along for a browse. If you can’t make it, check out the Rachael Albert website for all the details and lots of photos.

The annual Gifted exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland is always worth a visit. Taking place over the Christmas season, it aims to highlight the quality and diversity of contemporary Scottish craft. The exhibition provides an exciting opportunity not only to see new, innovative work, but also to purchase these original pieces.

Once again there’s a great line-up of 20 of Scotland’s most talented craft makers, including the GCM’s own Pumpkinsputnik.

You can see the full line-up of makers here, and make a note in your diary to get yourself along for a visit. It’s open now until the 10th of January and entry is free.

Now in its fifth year, The Park Gallery’s Winter Warmth exhibition is focusing on textile design, in all its forms.

Taking place in The Park Gallery and Callendar House in Falkirk, Winter Warmth will highlight contemporary textile design and the original and innovative use of textile materials and techniques in all areas of applied arts and crafts.

A unique and tantalising array of work will be on show from sixty artists from the UK and beyond including  Glasgow Craft Mafia member Miso Funky.

It’s on right now until the end of the year so get yourself over for a visit.

Congratulations to GCM member Sarah for the launch of her new magazine The Coveted! You’ll have seen Sarah at our markets as Pistol Whip Vintage and she’s now turned her hand to writing about Scottish fashion and independent designers. Issue 1 is free to read online so what are you waiting for – go have a read!