Traditional local crafts and industry

Hello, swappers!

What an ingenious animal the human is. Everywhere you look in the world, people are making their mark by continuing traditions. Perhaps your corner of the world rears world-class sheep? Maybe your grandfather was a clog-maker or perhaps you sing folk songs in your local dialect under the shower? Most of us who feel drawn to traditional crafts and industries are perpetuating it in some small way, and that's what this swap is about.

In this swap, we are going to tell each other about our local traditional crafts and industry (or music, or dialect, or costume, or rites of passage).

How?

Well, I want to keep the rules to a minimum, because only you know best how you can present that thing that makes your region, ethnicity or family unique. It really is up to you, but keep it flat and simple: this is a type 2 swap. Instead, here are some examples:

Buy a postcard of a local farm and write to your partner about how people in your area are preserving old types of fruit trees.

Pick up a leaflet about your regional museum of taxidermy/brick-making/rodeo and send it with a note to your partner.

Take a photograph and print it out (paper type doesn't matter), send a ticket stub or newspaper clipping, make a quick sketch, print something off the internet or even send a small sample (In this instance, be sensitive of your partner's needs: don't send bacon rinds to Kuwait or dried herbs to Australia).

Pop it in an envelope and post it to your partner.

When you receive your mail, keep an open mind. Do not join this swap unless you are prepared to read about, for example, whale harpoon-carving from your Norwegian partner or bull-fighting from your Spanish partner. We want to broaden our horizons and learn from each other here!

Disclaimers: There will be no angels for this swap, because life is risky. To make things easy for me, I have set the filters to allow newbies and swappers with a rating of 4.95 or above. I reserve the right to remove anyone from the swap that I feel may not play nicely, without apology or explanation.

Let's swap!

Image: Belgian lace maker; Thill publishers, Brussels.