Craftspeople
Men and Women Creating the Future
"Craftspeople" is a more politically correct way to refer to men and women who create functional items using natural materials - for example, carving furniture from wood using hand tools and power tools. This is different from "standard" furniture production for a number of reasons: the wood used is typically local to the area; the furniture is created by an individual or a team, rather than assembled by machines; the tools used are used by people, rather than machines; and each piece is unique, rather than being mass-produced in a factory.
Some of the items made by craftspeople might include blankets, furniture, paintings, and house signs. Craftspeople tend to focus on items that have an aesthetic and a functional value, weighing both equally; for this reason they're not ordinarily considered 'artists', or self-described as such, though they may describe themselves as 'furniture makers', 'painters', or 'sign makers'.
Homemade House Signs
The true value of craftspeople is in their function within the community. In today's global economy, it's difficult to decipher which products are actually made locally, and supporting one's hometown or city is always preferable to paying transport fees and taxes for an imported, cheaply-made product. Purchasing goods from a local artisan guarantees the money will stay in the local economy, and also directly benefits a local family.
Craftspeople, unlike major "chain" furniture makers and manufacturers of house number signs, have spent years honing their talents. You're getting more value from them because their product - whether it's a table and chairs or a series of house signs for your home - is entirely unique and crafted by hand, with years, sometimes decades, of experience and skill to back it up.
House number plaques, for example, are a showcase of the craftsperson's artistic ability. Each letter is measured and carved by hand. Every piece of the pattern is carved, chiseled, or gouged by an actual person, not a blind machine working off of standard programming. You can be assured that house signs created for you by a craftsperson are, in fact, created specifically to your directions, with the utmost care.
Local Impact, Global Business
Due to the skill of many craftspeople in the woodworking industry, many house sign manufacturers now hire craftspeople to design their signs or perform detail work for them. House signs are usually customized online, then, when the manufacturer receives the order, the pattern is handed off to skilled craftspeople to create. Craftspeople are employed by manufacturers of house signs to design and create graphics and fonts, carve sign shapes, and hand-letter house signs.
In this way, many companies selling home signs are making strides towards supporting the independent craftspeople across the world and encouraging recognition of their skills. When you select and purchase house signs for your home, your family members, or your friends, you are helping craftspeople you may never meet to continue doing the work they love, while getting a customized and absolutely unique piece of functional art for your home.