Handcrafted in the highlands of Guatemala, various villages surrounding Lake Atitlan re-use their huipils and form them into cuff bracelets and then bead around the edges. They are flexible and can fit most wrists.

You can feel proud to wear this jewelry, not only is it beautiful, but because the workers who craft it are treated well. In an effort to give back to this Guatemalan community, this Fair Trade organization contributes to "Puerta Abierta" and "Pueblo a Pueblo". These local charities fund many grass roots projects including a free library, literacy education and school lunch programs.

Handcrafted in the highlands of Guatemala, various villages surrounding Lake Atitlan re-use their huipils and form them into cuff bracelets and then bead around the edges. They are flexible and can fit most wrists.

You can feel proud to wear this jewelry, not only is it beautiful, but because the workers who craft it are treated well. In an effort to give back to this Guatemalan community, this Fair Trade organization contributes to "Puerta Abierta" and "Pueblo a Pueblo". These local charities fund many grass roots projects including a free library, literacy education and school lunch programs.

Handcrafted in the highlands of Guatemala, various villages surrounding Lake Atitlan re-use their huipils and form them into cuff bracelets and then bead around the edges. They are flexible and can fit most wrists.

You can feel proud to wear this jewelry, not only is it beautiful, but because the workers who craft it are treated well. In an effort to give back to this Guatemalan community, this Fair Trade organization contributes to "Puerta Abierta" and "Pueblo a Pueblo". These local charities fund many grass roots projects including a free library, literacy education and school lunch programs.

Handcrafted in the highlands of Guatemala, various villages surrounding Lake Atitlan re-use their huipils and form them into cuff bracelets and then bead around the edges. They are flexible and can fit most wrists.

You can feel proud to wear this jewelry, not only is it beautiful, but because the workers who craft it are treated well. In an effort to give back to this Guatemalan community, this Fair Trade organization contributes to "Puerta Abierta" and "Pueblo a Pueblo". These local charities fund many grass roots projects including a free library, literacy education and school lunch programs.

Handcrafted in the highlands of Guatemala, various villages surrounding Lake Atitlan re-use their huipils and form them into cuff bracelets and then bead around the edges. They are flexible and can fit most wrists.

You can feel proud to wear this jewelry, not only is it beautiful, but because the workers who craft it are treated well. In an effort to give back to this Guatemalan community, this Fair Trade organization contributes to "Puerta Abierta" and "Pueblo a Pueblo". These local charities fund many grass roots projects including a free library, literacy education and school lunch programs.

Earrings made from bottlecaps, with a picture of "La Calavera", The Skull. Each earring has three beads hanging from the end and is hung from a french wire.

Keep time with this skeleton representing Father Time and the others in their Century ride!!  Handcrafted with wood and embellished bottlecaps.  Requires 1 AAA battery.

A fun addition to your Day of the Dead collection - dancing skeletons on a clock face with bottlecap images surrounding the happy pair. This require a AA battery

This handwoven basket from Rwanda supports an innovative social enterprise approach to fair trade. Providing extraordinary women in Rwanda with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty: income, skills, information and confidence.

Each basket is signed by the artist with an accompanying photograph.

Shigra, the Quechua word for bag, is made from hemp fibers of the chambira palm tree which grows in the drier, more westerly area of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.

Shigra, the Quechua word for bag, is made from hemp fibers of the chambira palm tree which grows in the drier, more westerly area of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.

Shigra, the Quechua word for bag, is made from hemp fibers of the chambira palm tree which grows in the drier, more westerly area of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.

Shigra, the Quechua word for bag, is made from hemp fibers of the chambira palm tree which grows in the drier, more westerly area of the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest.

This charming heart nicho is a repair shop for "hearts injured and broken!" Also noted on their repair shop, "Se Vende Corazones Al Por Mayor y Menor - we also sell hearts retail or wholesale!

A perfectly charming diablo couple full of glitter and charm!

Red pottery vase decorated with 5 whimsical cat face designs, made by the Luo people of Kenya. Pottery is low-fired, so a liner is recommended if used for cut flowers. Measures 8" high, x 8 34" w with a 6 1/2" wide rim.

The predominant craft medium in East Timor is traditional hand-woven cloth known as tais. All over the island of East Timor, tais are signifiers of ethnicity, and designs are specific to language groups. They contain motifs that are a symbolic dialogue of diverse cultural practices. Even when the motifs cannot be associated to culture, they usually represent something more than decoration. The women who make these totes live in remote communities in the south east corner of the island; in the flatlands of Los Palos and the densely forested highlands of Iliomar. Los Palos is home to the Fataluku people. Tais woven by weavers in this community utiliize futus (ikat) dyeing methods to express their ancestral heritage.

The motifs have their origins in colonial exchange with the Portuguese who first came to East Timor in the middle ages.

The predominant craft medium in East Timor is traditional hand-woven cloth known as tais. All over the island of East Timor, tais are signifiers of ethnicity, and designs are specific to language groups. They contain motifs that are a symbolic dialogue of diverse cultural practices. Even when the motifs cannot be associated to culture, they usually represent something more than decoration. The women who make these totes live in remote communities in the south east corner of the island; in the flatlands of Los Palos and the densely forested highlands of Iliomar. Los Palos is home to the Fataluku people. Tais woven by weavers in this community utiliize futus (ikat) dyeing methods to express their ancestral heritage.

The motifs have their origins in colonial exchange with the Portuguese who first came to East Timor in the middle ages.

The predominant craft medium in East Timor is traditional hand-woven cloth known as tais. All over the island of East Timor, tais are signifiers of ethnicity, and designs are specific to language groups. They contain motifs that are a symbolic dialogue of diverse cultural practices. Even when the motifs cannot be associated to culture, they usually represent something more than decoration. The women who make these totes live in remote communities in the south east corner of the island; in the flatlands of Los Palos and the densely forested highlands of Iliomar. Los Palos is home to the Fataluku people. Tais woven by weavers in this community utiliize futus (ikat) dyeing methods to express their ancestral heritage.

The motifs have their origins in colonial exchange with the Portuguese who first came to East Timor in the middle ages.

Beautiful and festive sterling silver Day of the Dead earrings, handmade in Mexico. Earrings features a flaming heart, a large skull and dangling birds. Hung from sterling silver french wires. Marked Sterling 925 on the back.

Beautiful and festive sterling silver Day of the Dead pendant, handmade in Mexico. Pendant features a flaming heart , a large skull and dangling birds.

Handcrafted sterling silver earrings with  carnelian stones, made in Afghanistan.

Silver disk earrings with carnelian and dangles of coral and freshwater pearls.

Afghanistan silver earrings with multiple onyx dangles.

Lovely silver earrings with carnelian stones.  Hung from silver french wires.

These mother of pearl with sterling silver earrings were handccrafted in Afghanistan.

Afghani silver earrings with silver bells and coral beads.

Afghani silver earrings with carnelian stones.

Afghani silver earrings with onyx stones.

Afghani silver earrings with coral beads.

Lapis is indigenous to the area of Central Asia and has been traded along the silk route for many years!  These beautiful earrings are handcrafted with sterling silver  and the lapis stones are a beautiful shade of blue.

These beautiful bell earrings are handcrafted with sterling silver with lapis stones.  Made in Afghanistan. 

Afghani silver earrings with onyx.

Beautifully handcrafted Afghani sterling silver earrings with carnelian stones.  Hung from silver french wires.

These sterling silver earrings have it all! Skulls, flowers, birds, maltese crosses. Perfect for the Day of the Dead party or any occasion where a conversation piece is desired. Hung from french wires.

Felt applique tree ornament.

Felt and linen heart ornament with cute embroidered bird.

Felted heart ornament with felt applique design.

One of the cutest sights in the animal kingdom - a Mama penguin with her baby!! Make it a fair trade Christmas with simply the best natural gourd ornaments that bring twice the smiles! They are all Earth and child friendly by design and make wonderful gifts!

All gourds are one of a kind so shapes will vary!

Make it a fair trade Christmas with simply the best natural gourd ornaments that bring twice the smiles! They are all Earth and child friendly by design and make wonderful gifts!

All gourds are one of a kind so shapes will vary!

The Swahili name for the zebra is beautiful -
Punda Milia

The zebra represents maintaining your individuality while part of the herd. Although one may see things in black and white there is always the goal of balance.

Old tin cans and other scraps of metal from businesses in the industrial areas of Harare, Zimbabwe are turned into delightful sculptures by artists using snips, pliers and hammers. They depict animals familiar in Zimbabwe.

Five brothers came together and discovered their artistic talents. They came from a poor background in Zimbabwe and they founded their Metal Sculptors Project to depict African natural history through metalwork, and to earn a better living.

Warthogs represents the ability to root out the truth or become invisible during times of danger!

Old tin cans and other scraps of metal from businesses in the industrial areas of Harare, Zimbabwe are turned into delightful sculptures by artists using snips, pliers and hammers. They depict animals familiar in Zimbabwe.

Five brothers came together and discovered their artistic talents. They came from a poor background in Zimbabwe and they founded their Metal Sculptors Project to depict African natural history through metalwork, and to earn a better living.

The Swahili name for giraffe is Twiga -

The symbol of a giraffe represents the ability to see far into the future and the ability to reach things that are unreachable to others.

Old tin cans and other scraps of metal from businesses in the industrial areas of Harare, Zimbabwe are turned into delightful sculptures by artists using snips, pliers and hammers. They depict animals familiar in Zimbabwe.

Five brothers came together and discovered their artistic talents. They came from a poor background in Zimbabwe and they founded their Metal Sculptors Project to depict African natural history through metalwork, and to earn a better living.

Father Sun Guides the Peyoteros
The men and women guardians of the sacred peyote tradition are guided on their spirit path by Father Sun and the Rain Mothers, symbolized by the radiating serpents. As the peyoteros perform the ancient rituals on their pilgrimage to Wirikuta (the peyote desert and legendary birthplace of the sun) the deities reciprocate by enlightening them with shamanic knowledge.  The peyoteros use their eagle feather wands to channel healing energy and mystical powers from the deities, which they negotiate for and attain after completing a difficult five year apprenticeship.  Father Sun knows all and sees all, and accompanies the devoted on their paths, counseling them by way of their peyote visions and dreams illuminating their ascension to higher knowledge.

Messengers of Luck and Abundance
The hummingbird, know as "tupina (tuu-pee-nah) in the Huichol language, is a symbol of good luck and abundance. It is the messenger of Father Sun, and brings blessings and beauty to the world. Small children participating in the corn harvest ceremonies are thought of as little hummingbirds.

Messengers of Luck and Abundance
The hummingbird, know as "tupina (tuu-pee-nah) in the Huichol language, is a symbol of good luck and abundance.  It is the messenger of Father Sun, and brings blessings and beauty to the world.  Small children participating in the corn harvest ceremonies are thought of as little hummingbirds.

Sun and Ocean
Father Sun (Ta Kauye) and Mother Ocean (Tatie Haramara) co-exist in an eternal sacred union, symbolizing equilibrium between opposing forces of nature. Huichol survival in their rugged environment is contingent upon the ceremonies they perform to maintain the delicate balance between the masculine deities of the light (sun, fire, wind, deer) and the feminine goddesses of the dark (rain, earth, water, corn).  These ancient rituals insure that the deities work in unison: the Earth Mothers provide the fertile soil to nourish the seeds and plants, and the Rain Mothers provide just the right amount of rain showers to water the crops without flooding them out.  Father Sun's rays give life too, rather than scorching the cultivated fields, and Brother Wind sends gentle currents that will not tumble the growing plants.

Owl Spirits
In Huichol culture the predatory night owls are valued because they eat the rodents and other animals that may otherwise damage the corn crops.  Owls are considered to be the intermediaries between the land of the living and the land of the dead.  When members of the community are close to death or have passed on, owls advise the shamans in their dreams.  Owl feathers are not usually used by the shamans for healing or chanting.