I went to a little shop locally called "He, She and Me." It is a delightful shop, part customized clothing, part coffee shop and part showroom for craftsmanship from all over the world. A great deal of the very artful displays consists of merchandise from Ten Thousand Villages. This is a way for true craftsman from every corner of the world to sell their art for fair market value. The variety and beauty of the items is truly amazing. The craftsmanship is impressive. And the prices are very reasonable. With each item comes a Romance Card, telling a little about how the item is made. There is jewelry, scarves, candle holders, vases and teapots and baskets, musical instruments, planters, stationery, journals and photo albums, pictures made of straw, Faberge eggs and stacking dolls from Russia, and on and on it goes. I bought a little paperweight, made of a river rock from Vietnam. The artist puts 8 coats of varnish and iron oxide, with each coat taking up to a week to dry. Then he painted the koi and covered it all with a clear coat. It's so smooth and unique! Going to the shop is like visiting an art museum, only with pieces you can actually afford to buy. Especially since I got gift cards to the shop from my youngest son for Mother's Day!
4 comments:
Tracie this is an excellent idea for unusual and more thoughtful gifts. I've only peered in but I think I might have to 'sign up'! Thanks for sharing. Is that the paperweight? I collect paperweights. It's really lovely. :o)
Yes, this is the paperweight. It is so smooth and shiny it was hard to get a good picture. It was only $7. There is an onyx apple paperweight for $10 that is just darling!(It is in the "gifts under $25" section.) I may have to have it next. When you get a chance, explore the site using the tabs across the top, you'll be amazed at all the variety!
I will! My husband and daughter are off fishing tomorrow so I should get some browsing time! :o) (It's always best to shop online when my husband is out of the way. I can fill him in on the details over a cold beer later in the day! He is much more amiable then! ;o)
Isn't it lovely to get something you really want for your birthday, and to have the opportunity to browse around such a lovely shop, but so difficult to make a choice? I do try and buy fairtrade groceries when I can, but I don't recall seeing a similar retailer selling these sorts of goods local to us? The talent of these craftsmen is truly outstanding, and they deserve to be paid a very good price for their goods. x
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