It’s been a hot and muggy summer here in Kentucky, USA, and I’m at war with my yard.  It’s a large property with a lot of grass and if people stopped mowing here, we would become a tropical forest in no time…  So, many of my days have meant t-shirts and shorts, sweating so much…

Silvia Hara weaves tapestries, paints and plays Bulgarian folk music.  Her life as an artist came naturally for her as her grandfather was an acclaimed textile designer who inspired her journey.  You can learn more about her on her profile, her website and on our sister site, Creative PlaceMakers, where you can zoom in and…

Our Artizan Shops are vetted in based on the quality of their products along with their professional presentation. But, we also have a great interest in promoting products that have sustainability at the core of their creation. I have always felt somewhat of a disconnect between what I do and what I believe in. Basically,…

The Goldin Institute has two projects, both aimed at training community organizers at effectively creating change by amplifying assets that are already found there.  The first project is in Chicago, where Goldin is based, largely dedicated to peace building.  The second one has a Global focus. Both have 20 Fellows who go through a curriculum…

Flowers have been a favorite motif ever since humans started decorating surfaces. Archeologists have found pottery, wooden carvings, woven remnants, and jewelry with ancient floral designs. And, why not? Once humans went beyond the function of something they made, they felt compelled to decorate it. This eventually became stylized into a language of its own…

We're featuring our Market Categories here on our blog to give them some context, some history...  Embroidery is one of those vast categories as there are so many different techniques that go back in time for centuries. For this post, I thought it would be interesting to explore how embroidery has been used for storytelling.…

Our Animals Category is one of my favorites! They show up in all kinds of products, from cute and funny to mythical and strange. Humans have had a close connection to animals since the beginning of recorded history.  In 1940, four teenage boys went looking for a lost dog and stumbled on to the discovery…

Featured image: FeltUA Ukrainian Shawl with Child Trump has been in power here in the US for a little more than a month, bringing disruption, fear, arrogance, unemployment, and insecurity.  Shock and awe has a paralyzing effect, meant to incapacitate “the enemy from within”. My job is to promote beautiful handmade products made by our…

I was thinking about the heart shape, wondering how it became the symbol for love. Clearly, the physical heart must have inspired poetry, ballads, and stories for thousands of years because of how it pounds in our chests when we think of the beloved, hold a child, face an enemy, take a risk or engage…