RON SWARNER: Q&A WITH JADA-MOON GRIDLEY >>>

Many a strange phenomenon comes over us during this, the holiday season. People pretend they’re in ye olde Victorian England. Television commercials start to rhyme. We use terms like “hustle and bustle” in everyday conversation voluntarily. But before you decide to curl up into a ball inside your big down parka and never come out, take into account all of the lovely things that accompany all of this weirdness â€" local craft markets supporting local, sustainable economy.

The Gritty City Gift Fair, organized by local crafter/artist Jada-Moon Gridley, hosts 25 vendors Friday, Nov. 27 at The Robert Daniel Gallery. Expect hand-made art, crafts and products â€" many with an alternative, quirky, unique or hip feel. Don’t expect sweatshop merchandise that steals your soul.

I threw a couple of questions at Jada-Moon regarding Friday’s happening:

WEEKLY VOLCANO: Are the Gritty City Gift Fair vendors all from Tacoma?

JADA-MOON GRIDLEY: No, I’m bringing really talented folks from around the greater Puget Sound region, even one guy from Oregon.

Our goal is to encourage people to buy hand-made and local gifts made in sustainable ways, and to open “the biggest shopping day of the year” to those folks who wouldn’t dream of hitting the mall â€" and to those who would.

The arts, crafts and products available will all be hand-made. Many artists with an alternative, quirky, unique or hip feel have been drawn to or hand-selected to bring you a fine selection of art, jewelry, fashion, and functional items and products. Find items made with vintage buttons, hemp, recycled hardwoods, upcycled paper, forest and beach bounty, repurposed gizmos and more.

VOLCANO: Are you displaying your art?
GRIDLEY: I am not setting up too much of a shop myself â€" but I will bring some of my soaps, lotion bars, massage candles, and gift baskets made with these goodies.  Also serving up some Bloody Marys and mimosas.

VOLCANO: Nice.

GRIDLEY: Yup, and expect the musical stylings of DJ Jimmy Sparkles, Bobby Galaxy, and a special live performance by Stephanie Johnson.

VOLCANO: How long have you been making/creating things?

GRIDLEY: I have been creating stuff as long as I can remember â€" from paper jewelry and weird inventions like a chalk-based "button dye" as a pre-schooler right on up the line. By age 12, I was hearing that I should sell my creations. The soap I started when I was pregnant 6 years ago. I wanted to start giving more hand-made and consumable goods for Christmas rather than ... you know. All that STUFF.

VOLCANO: What are your creative inspirations?

GRIDLEY: At best, I like to think I let divine energy work through me to create. On a more base level, I think I just like to make people, places and things look cool and pretty. So many Tacoma artists have completely inspired me. With their work, but also by the way they live their art and connect with other artists and make the scene come alive in the city.  The support, encouragement and validation I have received here have really led me to start letting art and being an artist take the spotlight in my life.

VOLCANO: Craft supplies you can’t live without?

GRIDLEY: I've got scissors in every single room of the house. And I put gold paint on everything.

VOLCANO: What's the most important aspect of the Gritty City Gift Fair that people should know?

GRIDLEY: We need to keep shifting toward supporting local, sustainable economy. The prices might be low on the sweatshop merchandise available at your corner corporate conglomerate, but the real cost is far too high.

VOLCANO: What’s next on your docket?

GRIDLEY: In the first quarter of next year I'll be diving a little deeper into event planning. The first will be a party called SALVATION: The post-apocalypse pre-funk, an art/costume party featuring art made all from salvaged materials and mad max/tank girl/steam punk fashion sense. The second party will be Moondance, featuring an inspiring singer-songwriter I'm bringing in from Eugene and a DJ from Orcas Island who I fell in love with her DJ style, which she describes as "Goddess downtempo with Indian flavors and feminine conscious hip-hop." So freakin' good. The feeling will be heavy yin, heal your spirit, heal the planet, realize that you are manifesting your reality, and behold the power and beauty of amazing women.

[The Robert Daniel Gallery, Gritty City Gift Fair, Friday, Nov. 27, noon to 6 p.m., no cover, 2501 S. Fawcett, Tacoma, myspace.com/grittycitygiftfair]