tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71679454416668261152024-03-08T13:44:45.876-08:00Mexico By HeartStories,photos,and useful information about travel, art and culture in fascinating Michoacán, Mexico.Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-67251732008206053292021-02-22T09:43:00.001-08:002021-02-22T09:43:55.530-08:00Traditional Copper Cazos and the Covid Crisis<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzQRsR9OUiA/YDPtIjBoTMI/AAAAAAAALUU/1VU7fjuLsjEGWPLmzbb6O1A4jMKpdmsIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s957/copper%2Bcazos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="938" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzQRsR9OUiA/YDPtIjBoTMI/AAAAAAAALUU/1VU7fjuLsjEGWPLmzbb6O1A4jMKpdmsIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/copper%2Bcazos.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #323235; font-family: Lato, HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mexico By Hand has sold a lot of hammered copper cazos this past year. Ever since the pandemic began we've had so many orders I honestly have lost count. Sales of cazos have helped to sustain us through these tough times of cancelled events and retail closures, and our customers as they are sheltering at home seem to appreciate our efforts to supply them. I suspected that the artisans in Santa Clara del Cobre are really hurting now due to lack of tourism and the cancellation of major sales opportunities for artisans like Semana Santa and Dia de los Muertos, and I hoped that our cazo orders might help. We have been buying copper art from Roberto Castro Hernandez for about a dozen years and he is our primary supplier for the cazos. This morning I received the following message from him which brought tears to my eyes. I've translated it for you:</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323235; font-family: Lato, HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">"Thank you for your trust. The truth is that if it weren't for the quantity of orders you've made, my situation would be very bad with this pandemic. But you have given oxygen to my workshop and store. And that is very nice for my family. Thank you so very much."</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323235; font-family: Lato, HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Even as our shipper (FedEx) continues to raise their rates and the cost of copper (the raw material) also goes up, we hope to continue delivering cazos to folks all across North America. Yes, we are delivering to Canada as well.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323235; font-family: Lato, HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">So, many thanks to all who have purchased cazos from us! You are helping to sustain talented artisans in Mexico. We and Roberto's family very much appreciate your business.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323235; font-family: Lato, HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">If you wish to purchase a cazo you can do it here: <a href="https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/hammered-copper/products/hammered-copper-cazo-cooking-pot" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a6785; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Traditional Copper Cazos">https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/hammered-copper/products/hammered-copper-cazo-cooking-pot</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/hammered-copper/products/hammered-copper-cazo-cooking-pot" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a6785; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Traditional Copper Cazos"><br /></a></div><a href="https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/hammered-copper/products/hammered-copper-cazo-cooking-pot" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1a6785; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Traditional Copper Cazos"><br /></a><p></p>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-68388548547145621732019-03-12T16:56:00.001-07:002019-03-19T10:50:42.839-07:00Butterflies and Baskets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">At the end of February, I went for my third visit of a Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary--Sierra Chincua in Michoacán. It was again a magical experience being in this gorgeous setting and seeing thousands of butterflies flying around us. And the good news is that the numbers of butterflies who overwinter in the Mexico mountains have increased in 2018 and the efforts of conservation appear to be working.</span><br />
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But there is another story that the thousands of tourists who visit the area each year don't see. Because of the prohibition on logging in the forests to protect the endangered butterflies, many of the indigenous people who live there have lost their livelihoods, and they are barely surviving. Tourism does not bring in as much money as lumbering, according to the group <i>Monarch Watch</i>, and “<b>action must be taken soon if the Monarchs are to survive the 21st century, but it will require creativity, hard work, and compassion for both the butterflies and their human neighbors.”</b></div>
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I spent several hours with a few artisans who weave beautiful pine needle baskets in the community of Donaciano Ojeda, high up in the sierra not far from the butterfly sanctuaries.The sale of the baskets provides much needed income for families, and helps protect the butterflies.</div>
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In my fourteen years of buying Mexican artesania for resale, I have visited dozens of artisan homes in numerous rural villages--mostly in Michoacán, a very poor state, where the majority of artisans struggle to make a modest living. But I have to say that I have never seen such poverty as I did in this community. The surrounding scenery is stunningly beautiful, the air was fresh and clean and the sun was warm, yet the children we saw there appeared dirty, listless, and sad--and most likely hungry as well. </div>
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The women we spoke with are part of a cooperative called Grupo Florecito, which was formed about 18 years ago.The artisans go into the nearby forest and gather up pine needles (called <i>ocoxal</i>) and spend hours cleaning the needles and carefully weaving them into baskets. Most of the weavers are women, as many men travel to either Mexico City or the U.S. in search of better paying work.</div>
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Finding customers for their work is always challenging. Cooperative members have to travel by bus to crafts fairs several hours away a few times a year [photo] and there’s always the hope they’ll be lucky and find a buyer, such as myself, who will purchase a large quantity. The group has no website or social media presence, and contacting them by phone can prove to be challenging. But my last order was completed quickly and the quality of these sturdy baskets is remarkable.</div>
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Mexico By Hand's customers love these baskets. They’re great for serving tortillas or bread, are extremely sturdy and have the added bonus of smelling like the pine tree forest where they’re made. Plus the issue of survival-- of both the people who make the baskets and the magnificent Monarchs-- can’t help but move customers to want one in their home.</div>
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To purchase a pine needle basket, please go to our website: <a href="https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/handmade-pine-needle-basket-medium-1" title="Pine needle basket">https://mexico-by-hand.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/handmade-pine-needle-basket-medium-1</a></div>
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*Many thanks to Ferron Salniker for her beautiful photos and assistance. </div>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-52229368692362831402018-08-21T09:42:00.003-07:002018-08-21T09:42:46.596-07:00How Much Does the Artist Get?<b id="docs-internal-guid-2242e09e-7fff-56c1-70dd-8be0422ead64" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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A clerk at Trader Joe’s just asked me if the artisan who made my blouse was paid a “fair wage”. A couple of weeks ago someone on our Facebook page asked if our workers are paid fairly. Leaving aside for the moment the question of what exactly is a “fair” wage (is it the minimum wage in Mexico which is currently about $5 US per day?) and how many workers in the U.S. or other countries actually receive a fair wage (are teachers paid a fair wage? how about the cooks in the restaurant you patronize?) let’s address the issue of exploitation, which is what I think people are really asking. It’s a good thing that more and more consumers seem to care that the workers who produce the things they buy are treated well and paid fairly. But I need to ask you, when you’re traveling and you buy an object, an article of clothing or a rug from a vendor, do you make sure you are paying a fair wage? Do you ever bargain for a better price? Do you ask the artisan if what you’re paying her is fair? Would you pay her more-- even if she didn’t ask you to? There is a movement in Mexico now to discourage buyers from bargaining, and it’s aimed mainly at Mexican tourists, who to be honest, are the worst offenders. That’s a first step-- accept the price asked by artisans and don’t coerce them into lowering it in order to make a sale. If you don’t want to or can’t pay their price, then you should politely say “no gracias,” and walk away. I often have to assure artisans that their price is fair or “justo”, I don’t expect them to lower it-- I just can’t afford it.<br /><br />So here are my answers to the above question regarding our business and fair wages. The artisans/artists we buy from work independently and we are their customers. They do not work for us. They set the price of their products (art) and we pay what they ask, just like you would if you were to walk into their workshops-- which are in their homes. Occasionally they offer us a special discount for being loyal customers for ten years, but we do not bargain or haggle, and believe it or not, we pay the same price per item, no matter whether we're buying 1 platter or 10, i.e. we get no wholesale break. <br /><br />A few years ago, when I wrote a dozen chapters of my memoir entitled “Why Importing Crafts from Mexico is Not for Wimps”, I wrote the following in response to a similar frequently asked question. <br /><br /><b>“How much does the artist get?”</b><br /><br />We've been asked that a lot over the years, most often at large crafts events where attendees seem to feel comfortable wandering into one's booth and giving their opinions. I can’t imagine the same people going into a Bloomingdales or Tiffany's and questioning the sales clerk about the working conditions of the people who make their jewelry or leather goods. For some reason people have the idea that someone like me who is spending her weekend in a 10X10 space trying to entice strangers to buy handmade goods from Mexico must be exploiting the artisans. These well-intentioned folks have most likely never owned a business, and they most certainly have never tried to import crafts from Mexico. They know nothing about it or me, especially that my motivation for starting this business and for continuing it in spite of all the hassles and annoyances, was because I'm actually trying to help the artisans support themselves and maintain their families through the sale of their art.<br /><br />As with any business, there are costs and expenses involved. The truth is there is very little profit in importing crafts if you choose not to exploit your providers and gauge your customers, i.e. if your only concern is the bottom line. In case you’re wondering, here's an example of how my business gets a piece of artesania you might see on my website delivered to your home. Let's take the clay candleholder which I am sending out to a customer right now. I paid Herlinda Morales about $5 for the piece. I had to fly to Michoacan (approximately $500 round trip if you go on a low-cost airline), pay for hotels & food, plus hire a driver to take me to Herlinda's workshop in Santa Fe de la Laguna, which is about a 40 minute drive from where I'm staying. The piece wasn't actually finished that day, so I had to pay my assistant to pick it up a month later, and then pack and ship it to California. I've related some of difficulties with that before, but that all costs money. It's hard to figure out the expenses for each individual item I bought on that trip, but there are a lot of costs in just bringing the product to the U.S. Here I have to pay for utilities, phone, internet, my website, packing materials, and my car so I can take the box that took me at least 20 minutes to carefully pack over to FedEx. They will charge $18 to ship it a hundred or so miles to your home, and you will pay it. I have to pay a commission to Paypal or Square on my credit card sales. If I sell the piece on consignment, the gallery will take 25-50%. If I take it to a crafts festival, I will have to pay a booth fee to the organizers which will cut into my profit margin. And I am just talking about my costs, not MY labor. I am figuring that like Herlinda, I probably received $5 from that sale as well. But of course, she has expenses also included in her price. But it is the price she set. Except in rare situations, I do not bargain with the artisans from whom I buy-- they set the price. So all in all, if the artisan receives $5 of the $48 plus tax you paid for that candelabra, I believe she has received a fair price. I estimate that I earned about $1.50 per hour-- so is that a fair wage here in the U.S.? If I paid her more, I would have to charge my customers more, because I can't reduce my expenses, and there’s a good chance I won’t be able to sell her pieces. If I don’t raise my price, I might lose money, and my business would not be sustainable. If my business is not sustainable, then I’d have to stop buying artesania from Michoacán's artisans, and that would be a loss for them. So as you can see, the answer to your well-intentioned question is quite complicated. Sorry you asked?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-89193117759546019302017-09-07T10:45:00.002-07:002017-09-07T10:55:32.823-07:00Handmade-- Endangered Species?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Last year I noticed their arrival. Hung on the outside of every store that rings the beautiful Plaza Grande, the bright eye-catching designs are everywhere. It's no wonder people like these blouses, but when one takes a closer look, the educated eye can tell they’re machine made. They’re also not from around here. These inexpensive additions from Chiapas and Oaxaca (see photo below) are found not only in the shops of the <i>comerciantes</i> or resellers who don’t actually make anything, but in shops where one goes to find quality traditional handmade textiles made by artisans in Michoacán. It's extremely common in Mexico’s touristy areas to see folks selling clothing and crafts that aren't locally made. There are no real indigenous crafts made in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, or Cuernavaca. For years Huichol Indians have sold their work in Los Cabos, and peddlers from Guerrero have walked all over most of Mexico's popular beaches in search of customers for their shell jewelry and hammocks. It adds to the visitor experience and enjoyment of what one thinks is local culture. The thing is, the <i>vendedores</i> (salespeople) who have been forced to leave their homes and families to travel to a tourist spot in another Mexican state -- they're not really hurting anyone with their </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 9.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">entrepreneurial spirit.</span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> But what's happening now in Michoacán is different. We’re seeing beautiful <i>artesania</i>, handmade by local weavers and embroiderers--like the blouses from Cocucho in the photo to your left-- endangered.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In July of 2016 my family was invited to attend a First Communion in Jaracuaro, on the edge of Lake Patzcuaro. It’s a traditional sombrero-making Purepecha village where few tourists go, and is one of the few artisan towns in Michoacán we’ve never visited. The hats made in Jaracuaro today are mostly machine-made and are sold in vast numbers all over Mexico and the United States. After getting an explanation and tour of the process in one workshop, I stepped into the store in front to look around. In addition to dozens of beautiful hats, they carry clothing as well, which of course I wanted to check out. The chica working there pointed out their “rebozos”. I knew they weren’t from Michoacán, because even the machine-made ones you see in Michoacán's markets are distinctive. These were not woven but printed with a flowery pattern, and looked like they could be from India, or maybe Turkey. I took a closer look at the tag, which was marked “Made in China”. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It pained me to see that label in this indigenous Michoacán village, but what disturbed me even more was hearing that young woman passing these cheap machine made textiles off as “rebozos”. I’m sorry that she and whoever made the decision to sell them are trying to tell us that they are. A rebozo is a handmade shawl woven either on a footloom or backstrap loom. Michoacán is one of the few places in Mexico where these traditional textiles are still made, and there are several villages where it is a major source of the family income. Imported shawls are putting these weavers out of work.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton rebozo made on a back strap loom in Turicuaro, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In indigenous communities in the poor state of Michoacán, there aren’t a lot of employment opportunities for women without much education. If a woman can work on a blouse or rebozo for a few hours a day while a pot of beans is cooking over the fire and she watches her children, that is something that can provide some income for her family. The traditional designs that have been passed down from mother to daughter represent their community and culture. If the demand for the work disappears, it would be a financial and spiritual loss for the women and their families. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what can we do? For one, don’t buy those cheap machine made products. It’s sometimes difficult to know whether something is handmade or not, and takes some experience and education. I’ve seen textiles so tightly woven or stitched that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t made by a machine. Generally though, handmade is more expensive. A backstrap woven rebozo can take a month or two to make and cost anywhere from 500 to 5,000 pesos in Mexico. Shop around, ask questions, and educate yourself. If you speak Spanish, ask the shop owners where and how the piece was made. “Hecho a mano?” “Hecho en Michoacán? En qué pueblo?” Let shop owners know that you prefer to buy local handmade crafts from Michoacán. Tell your friends who shop in Patzcuaro to also buy local handmade crafts. Better yet, if you live in or travel to Michoacán, go visit artisan villages and buy directly from the artisans. (We offer tours and consulting that can help with that.) And if you care about this and live in the United States, be aware that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mexico By Hand</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> buys directly from Michoacán embroiderers and weavers and sells their quality handmade textiles in the Bay Area and online. The work is greatly admired by North American women who are willing to pay the price (and more) for the handmade textiles in order to cover our costs of doing business. We’re willing to spend what it takes to travel 2,000 miles to select and ship them back to the States. And we also enjoy hearing how much our customers love the blouses, and that they want us to buy even more. It is our sincere hope that others will continue to support this beautiful work, since sales to Mexico By Hand alone will never be able to sustain the artisans. That said, we vow to keep doing what we’re doing it as long as we’re able and our wonderful customers keep buying. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade blouse from Arocutin, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade blouse from Uricho, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade dress from Cocucho, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">To purchase handmade textiles from Michoacán, go to <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">To find out about our tours and how you can visit artisans in Michoacán, email us at: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">mexicobyhand@gmail.com.</span></div>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-8355652043474446622017-01-05T10:29:00.002-08:002017-01-05T10:29:39.414-08:00The Art of Embroidered Stories <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bjhv5BqIDHY/WG0_cbtOLbI/AAAAAAAACsg/S3dkaEaKidwHqerzZ7shZ7EjDF5mpBZtgCLcB/s1600/pillow-lake%253Ared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bjhv5BqIDHY/WG0_cbtOLbI/AAAAAAAACsg/S3dkaEaKidwHqerzZ7shZ7EjDF5mpBZtgCLcB/s400/pillow-lake%253Ared.jpg" width="400" /></a>Near Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacán, indigenous women embroider colorful pictures that can be framed or made into decorative pillows and clothing. The themes of these embroidered “stories” originally came from ancient mythology of the Tarascan or Purepecha Indians, drawn from seals found in Tzintzuntzan. Gradually many women there began depicting traditional village dances such as the Dance of the Viejitos and festivals such as Dia de los Muertos. The artisans also embroider scenes of women cooking, men fishing, and other scenes of daily life in a Purepecha village.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s1600/Teo.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s200/Teo.JPG" width="200" /></a>Teofila Servin Barriga is one of the most well-known of the Santa Cruz embroiderers.<br />
She lives and works with her husband, Julio, in Sanabria-- on the road between Patzcuaro and Quiroga-- with stunning views from her home and garden of green pastures, corn fields and Lake Patzcuaro that inspire her art. The first time I saw her embroidery was almost 20 years ago, when Doug and I were on vacation, our first time in Michoacán. Julio and one of their sons were working at a table they'd set up on a Patzcuaro sidewalk. Julio was drawing as well as teaching the boy how to create the scenes that Teo would later embroider. We chatted with them for quite a while, and I must have asked at least five times for the price of a small embroidered piece on the table that had caught my eye. Julio was so engrossed in giving us the history and stories of the area and culture represented by the pieces, that he seemed to be completely disinterested in selling them to us. Finally I was able to buy it, and as we said goodbye, he told us that we could find Teo on the road to Tzintzuntzan. But it was many years later when were living in Michoacan, we found ourselves on that road, that I put two and two together and realized that the handmade sign that read "Artesanias de Teo" might very well be the same family. We stopped the car and found Teo working in her little shop. Julio later walked up from the nearby fields he was tending, and we knew that this was indeed the place. Their young son had grown up and was attending university, and Teo had begun to make a name for herself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Teo in Mexico By Hand's booth, Santa Fe, NM</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s1600/Teo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Teofila has sold her pieces to collectors in Mexico, Europe, the United States, and Japan. Before being selected to participate in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market with <i>Mexico By Hand</i>, she was invited to represent the embroiderers of Michoacan at a special exhibition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and to participate in the Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art exhibit in 2004.<br />
In 2011 Teofila was featured in the video, <i>En las Manos de las Mujeres, </i>a video produced by <i>Mexico By Hand</i> about four master craftswomen of Michoacán.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roselia Barriga</td></tr>
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Two other talented embroiderers of the same style we've come to know are Roselia and Cristina Barriga-- of Artesanias Textiles deSanta Cruz. If you get to visit Patzcuaro, their work can be found at the Casa de los Once Patios.<br />
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<i>Mexico By Hand</i> sells a small selection of embroidered pictures, pillow covers, and beautiful cotton blouses by these talented artisans to U.S. customers on our website: <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>.<br />
Contact us if you would like to make a special order at info@mexicobyhand.comMexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-35033191926187457152016-01-29T10:47:00.004-08:002016-01-29T10:51:54.903-08:00Copper Art and Cazos- A Handmade Tradition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gorgeous copper vases like this one are produced every day in small workshops scattered around one small town in Mexico -- Santa Clara del Cobre in the state of Michoacán--one of the places the U.S. State Dept. says we shouldn't visit. Every year I'm asked if I still go there, or someone tells me that they'd love to go back, but they sadly can't do that anymore, because, "well, you know--it isn't safe anymore". While I can't deny the reality of violence experienced by Mexican citizens due to the drug cartels, I <b>can</b> tell you that the only sounds interrupting the quiet on my visits to this charming town are the chirping of birds and the rhythmic ping-pinging of copper artisans hammering as one wanders down the cobblestone streets. </div>
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Roberto Castro Hernandez and I have been doing business for years. Some things have changed in his small family workshop, located several blocks off the main drag. The "showroom" next to the workshop now has a tile floor. And he now regularly communicates with me via email and Facebook on a computer there-- which make placing orders incredibly more efficient. But the pieces he produces and the deep passion and love he has for this traditional craft-- has not.</div>
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From simple, elegantly-shaped 14 inch tall vases to finely etched pieces (called <i>cincelado</i>) with animals, one never knows what you'll find coming out of his tiny smoke-filled workshop. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roberto Castro Hernandez of Santa Clara del Cobre</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roberto and his brother in their family workshop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammered copper cazo-14 inches diameter</td></tr>
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While we've been selling copper vases from Santa Clara for over a decade now, just this past year <b>Mexico By Hand</b> has been asked to import copper cazos like this one for folks who are, to be honest, not our usual customer. In case you aren't familiar, cazos are essentially cooking pots, very traditional in Mexico for cooking a variety of foods over an open fire. Huge cazos are used for making <i>carnitas </i>and heavy ones like this are especially good for making candy and jam because copper conducts heat so well. [Search copper cooking pan on the internet and you'll find some from France that are marketed for just that purpose.] While we've been exploring the idea of competing with those expensive European pots, it turns out that some organic goat farmers have discovered that Mexican cazos are just the tool they need for making artisanal <i><b>cajeta</b></i>! <i>Cajeta</i>, for the uninitiated (and you really <b>must </b>try some) is a delicious caramel-like creamy delicacy made from milk, sometimes called <i>dulce de leche</i>. First a farmer in Australia reached out to us, and then two different farmers in Maine (females, I might add) ordered cazos. These are caucasian folks who seem to have no Mexican ancestry, so I find the whole thing fascinating.<br />
And I really want some of that <i>cajeta</i> they're making too.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qYoTC8turkQ/TCksbSGLu-I/AAAAAAAAAzg/azCcsHZOeHg/s1600/florero%2B35cm%2Bcuadrado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qYoTC8turkQ/TCksbSGLu-I/AAAAAAAAAzg/azCcsHZOeHg/s320/florero%2B35cm%2Bcuadrado.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
For more information about any of our hammered copper products, contact us at:<br />
info@mexicobyhand.com<br />
(510) 526-6395<br />
<a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oa_74y_h_eQ/Vquo0-xPm6I/AAAAAAAAChA/yXsE7x6QD58/s1600/copper%2Bwith%2Bfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oa_74y_h_eQ/Vquo0-xPm6I/AAAAAAAAChA/yXsE7x6QD58/s320/copper%2Bwith%2Bfish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<br />Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-59592486998108900872015-11-22T15:56:00.000-08:002015-11-22T15:58:12.610-08:00"You're not Santa Claus."<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miDT6tR2wjY/VlJPQk5TvGI/AAAAAAAACec/vciTG6R_mns/s1600/Manuel%2Bbowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miDT6tR2wjY/VlJPQk5TvGI/AAAAAAAACec/vciTG6R_mns/s320/Manuel%2Bbowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small bowl by Manuel Morales of Tzintzuntzan</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why does that little bowl cost so much more than your larger bowls?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
is kind of like comparing paintings in an art gallery. Sometimes small
paintings, because of the artist's talent and renown, might command a
high price. And we all know that just because a painting is large, it
doesn't mean it's of greater value. The same can be said for folk art
and crafts. I know artisans whose small pieces cost four times what
other artisans in the same village charge for pieces that are twice as
big. And they will get that price because their work either shows great
skill and talent, or because the artist has won numerous awards. Or
sometimes the artist has been recognized by an American collector or
gallery that has a good publicist. But there are also big differences in
the amount of time and skill involved in making a simple clay pot that
is mass produced, and a finely
decorated pot with intricate original designs from a skilled artist. The artisans in Capula make both. You might think that the large cazuela below on the left is "beautiful", but if you've ever seen pieces like the blue cazuelita below made by the talented Raquel and Demetrio Gonzales, you'll realize that one is clearly worth more, no matter the size.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-596Win9YKkU/VlJJtEGqZ1I/AAAAAAAACeE/dWYAFEt5BdA/s1600/cazuela%2Bcon%2Btapa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-596Win9YKkU/VlJJtEGqZ1I/AAAAAAAACeE/dWYAFEt5BdA/s400/cazuela%2Bcon%2Btapa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large cazuela from Capula, Michoacan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNwKnhqpWoY/VlJKRZHU9sI/AAAAAAAACeM/qwXRvE_gres/s1600/cazuelita%2Bblue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNwKnhqpWoY/VlJKRZHU9sI/AAAAAAAACeM/qwXRvE_gres/s400/cazuelita%2Bblue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cazuelita from Capula, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A machine made rebozo you find in Mexican market stalls can't compare with a rebozo woven on a backstrap loom that took the artisan an entire month to make. The first might cost you $30 or less, and the second one could set you back $300 or more. Most Americans don't understand what's involved in making a rebozo, which is why they are reluctant to pay that much-- even if they might consider actually wearing one. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GaqL1HFPOU/VlH_RCAL5PI/AAAAAAAACdo/JBZnoaqtTnE/s1600/Cecilia%2Bw%253Arebozo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5GaqL1HFPOU/VlH_RCAL5PI/AAAAAAAACdo/JBZnoaqtTnE/s400/Cecilia%2Bw%253Arebozo.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master of Mexican Folk Art weaver, Cecilia Bautista with one of her rebozos.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we were living in Morelia ten years ago, some friends took us to a small town in the countryside for a Sunday </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">comida</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (dinner) at their friend’s home. One of the family members had some rebozos from La Piedad; they're the shiny, silk-like rebozos that come in bright colors. She assured us they were a good price, but at $20 I wasn't sure and thought they were expensive. I bought one anyway (it was a beautiful bright red) however I realized at that moment I actually had no idea how to distinguish a quality rebozo from a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">corriente </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(cheap commercial) one, and what in fact </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">would</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> be a fair price. But now after several years of seeing lots of rebozos and how a good one is actually made--trust me, it’s a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">lot </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">of work-- I know a little more. It doesn't hurt to ask why something costs so much-- that's how you learn.So I am not offended by the question, as long as there is a sincere desire to understand. However, if someone asks about the price as if to challenge my right to charge so much, in a judgmental or disapproving way, then I might get annoyed. No, I will </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">definitely</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> get annoyed.The artisan sets the price, and then I have to charge for the expense of bringing it to you the customer. (There’s a lot involved in that story, but if you really want to know more-- you’ll just have to buy my book.) If you find that something I'm selling is too expensive for you, then you shouldn't buy it. It feels bad when you really like an object or work of art but just can't afford it-- it happens to me </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">all</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> the time. Most of us who are not part of the 1% often experience that longing for material things we can’t afford. But for some reason a lot of folks expect things from Mexico to be cheap. That of course includes not only art, but food. The concept of a high-end Mexican restaurant is confusing for many who are accustomed only to eating burritos at a <i>taqueria</i>. The same can be said for Mexican crafts which in the minds of many folks are supposed to be "a deal". This is especially true for Americans who have traveled in Mexico and fail to understand not only the time it took the artisan to make the item, but the cost involved in getting<i> artesania</i> here to the U.S. But on the other hand, I sometimes hear customers surprised that a large clay pot or serving dish is so inexpensive. "Really? That's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">all</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">?". And then I contemplate telling them how little the piece cost in Mexico and how I would be a thief if I charged more. I’m happy when customers feel like they're getting a great deal, as I try to keep the prices down in order to make our merchandise affordable. On the other side, I do feel bad sometimes having to charge so much for a cup or a bowl, but the reality is if I charged any less I would practically be giving it away. Which would mean that I’d be a super nice person, but a terrible business woman. And this little business would not be sustainable. I want to do good and help the artisans, but if I want to continue buying their art, it's got to work financially for me too, meaning I can't be losing money. I am a socially responsible family-run business, not a charity. Or as my husband sometimes reminds me, “ You aren’t Santa Claus, you know.” You're right, Santa doesn't have to deal with FedEx.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For more information about Mexico By Hand, our products, or artisans of Michoacán, check out our website at <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a> or contact us at: info@mexicobyhand.com</span></div>
Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-31800199197196667712015-10-11T15:51:00.003-07:002015-10-11T15:51:46.885-07:00Boxes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQ40x3hmfx0/VhrmNKP-GdI/AAAAAAAACaQ/09LTY32dCSo/s1600/boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQ40x3hmfx0/VhrmNKP-GdI/AAAAAAAACaQ/09LTY32dCSo/s320/boxes.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
Never thought about boxes very much before I got into this business. But
boxes seem to come up a lot for me. Just yesterday I was at a restaurant eating dinner with Doug and began to receive multiple messages on my phone from Rene, the guy in Michoacan who
does my packing, wanting to know what size boxes should he buy for the
next shipment. He gave me many choices, supplying the measurements for me (in centimeters which I needed to quickly convert) to make the decision. The boxes were important enough to him that he
felt it was necessary to disturb my Saturday night. Hmm, I'm not sure about that. <br />
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Just a few
days before this I was searching for just the right box to ship a large platter to a
customer. For some reason I didn't have one in the size I needed it,
though I have a pretty large collection of boxes because I'm always
looking for free ones and rarely throw anything away. You probably don't
think about boxes very much but when UPS charges eight bucks for a
medium size box, that cost cuts into one's profits, so it becomes extremely important
to a small business owner like me. In case you're interested, the US
Post Office charges half that.<br />
<br />
I was also thinking about boxes yesterday while filling out an
online application for Amazon's new Handmade marketplace. My answers (and
really my business model and practice) do not fit into one of their
boxes-- so it was really, really hard. Never thought much about the origin of the popular
expression "to think outside the box", but I guess that's where it comes
from. Makes sense. I like to believe that I do that kind of thinking a lot.<br />
<br />
Today as I anticipate the next delivery of the beautiful crafts and folk
art that I purchased in Mexico this past summer --I expect I'll do a happy dance
when I see <u>those</u> boxes on my driveway. At that moment, I will definitely be thinking INSIDE the
box.<br />
Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-32891912027309872232015-09-24T15:03:00.000-07:002015-09-24T20:07:04.489-07:00Muertos and Memories<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOeL0NxokUQ/StEReBKRHII/AAAAAAAAAe4/tikZROIPAMk/s1600/Posada%2Bpottery%2Bdisplay%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOeL0NxokUQ/StEReBKRHII/AAAAAAAAAe4/tikZROIPAMk/s400/Posada%2Bpottery%2Bdisplay%2Bcopy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michoacán burnished pottery at Reuben Godinez's Lolita in Napa, CA</td></tr>
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<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-ed4f5a52-fc68-089f-b73b-1cdbafa99414" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am not a business woman. I have been a social worker, a journalist, and a teacher. I never took a business course, or an economics class for that matter. Despite the pressure from Michoacán's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">La Casa de las Artesanias</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to open a gallery in the Bay Area, we never did. To be honest, I am risk-averse, not a big fan of extreme sports and I've always been afraid of heights. In the beginning, back in 2004 when I officially started DBA <i>Mexico By Hand</i>, I sold to some galleries and small shops, and often became friends with the owners. Unfortunately most of them are no longer in business. It was sad to see good folks forced to close their doors, and though we lost them as wholesale customers, <i>Mexico By Hand </i>never went under, even during the economic crisis of the last few years. Not paying rent, utilities, and employees saves a lot of money. I made the choice to operate from home, and after hearing all the sad stories of so many-- I am very, very glad I made that decision. One store owner was Patricia, who is an artist and the former girlfriend of a friend of a former boyfriend from my college days (got that?) who sunk her inheritance into a cute gallery/store in a terrible location and carried some of our folk art on consignment. Another friend that comes to mind often, because of the tremendous impact he had and <u>still</u> has on me, is Reuben.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9AddIb_mb1I/StESRp6ewnI/AAAAAAAAAfA/c9x_v6HiA1Y/s1600/Posada%2Bpottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9AddIb_mb1I/StESRp6ewnI/AAAAAAAAAfA/c9x_v6HiA1Y/s320/Posada%2Bpottery.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burnished pottery by Hernandez Cano workshop</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ed4f5a52-fc69-28ed-8f98-75bedb30ad32" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was October 2004, our first Day of the Dead after returning from our year in Mexico and we were collaborating on a show at a San Francisco gallery. Reuben also knew the gallery owners-- three gay men from three different Latin American countries--and at their request he created a beautiful altar/art installation for the event. We provided our folk art from Michoacán. We also showed some video we had taken of indigenous Dia de los Muertos celebrations at cemeteries on islands in Lake Patzcuaro. When I saw Reuben out of the corner of my eye moving to the music in the unique way they do in Michoacán, I gradually approached him and commented, “You look like you’ve been to Michoacán”. He smiled, “I am </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">from</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Michoacán.” Excited to be able to put quality artesania from Michoacán in his Napa gallery, our relationship with Reuben began with consignment sales and moved on to us collaborating on several special events. It also resulted in connecting us with a few terrific wholesale customers and Carlos, his friend from high school, who still helps us sometimes with our shipping from Mexico.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MeTIwqlpR6I/VgMyQSkBPLI/AAAAAAAACZM/CLBGmYXakOg/s1600/petaluma%2Bshow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MeTIwqlpR6I/VgMyQSkBPLI/AAAAAAAACZM/CLBGmYXakOg/s400/petaluma%2Bshow.jpg" width="313" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-ed4f5a52-fc69-9f43-a212-c4912d919b7e" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sadly, Reuben lost his gallery, but our networking relationship continued and culminated with the very important connection he made for us in 2009 with the Petaluma Arts Center and their annual Dia de los Muertos celebration. Sadly, our friend Reuben never enjoyed the fruits of his labor on that extraordinary show, and will never know about the relationship that continued for several years after he tragically died-- a few days after that first exhibit opened. I owe our generous Michoacano friend so much, feel his strong presence every Day of the Dead, and miss his creative genius whenever I am setting up our folk art for a show, asking myself-- what would Reuben do? That time is coming soon, and I hope he'll be there by my side. Something tells me he will be. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petaluma Dia de los Muertos 2013</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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In 2015<b><i> Mexico By Hand</i></b> will again be exhibiting at the Dia de los Muertos show in Petaluma, CA.<br />
For more info.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/El-D%C3%ADa-de-los-Muertos-Petaluma-154451587898565/timeline/">https://www.facebook.com/El-D%C3%ADa-de-los-Muertos-Petaluma-154451587898565/timeline/</a><br />
or contact info@mexicobyhand.com.<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span> </span>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-72937653596953982722015-09-10T22:01:00.002-07:002015-12-13T05:04:05.949-08:00Fernando Arroyo-- Capula, Michoacán<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We learned the hard way that Fernando Arroyo is actually called Buddha by those who really know him. Capula is a Michoacán town about a half hour away from the state capital Morelia and is known for its pottery -- dishes and bean pots that are used for cooking and serving food-- and also for clay catrinas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Doug and I spend a lot of time shopping in Capula every summer, and we've left a lot of our dollars there over the years, many with the talented Fernando and his wife Belen who produce magnificent handpainted, lead free pottery. Many years ago we were attempting to find him, couldn’t remember which street he lived on and figured we would just ask around, like we often do in Michoacán towns and villages. But this time it wasn’t that easy, because it turns out, believe or not, there are two Fernando Arroyos in this small town. And one of them, the guy we were looking for, is called Buddha. Now we know that, in addition to knowing exactly where his house is, as well as the names of his three children. They know us as well. And after attending his goddaughter’s wedding a couple of years ago, we also know that half of the artisans in Capula are related to Buddha in some way or other. That invitation from Fernando meant that we had finally crossed over the line from being just customers to being friends. It was a big deal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fernando was the first artisan we ever videotaped, even before we had moved to Morelia. We found <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PU9euBs3b3k/VfIXHLwEUKI/AAAAAAAACXU/Uwwx4ZDBDQU/s1600/A454-oval%2BCapula%2Bplate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PU9euBs3b3k/VfIXHLwEUKI/AAAAAAAACXU/Uwwx4ZDBDQU/s320/A454-oval%2BCapula%2Bplate.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first Arroyo plate</td></tr>
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a </span>gorgeous plate we wanted to buy at the Casa de Artesanias cooperative, and asked the two folks at the front desk if they knew the artist and could they possibly help us find his workshop -- the plate had a signature on the back. “Claro que si. Soy yo, Fernando Arroyo.” “Of course,” he said, “that’s me.” He hopped on his bicycle and we followed him in our car to his workshop, which was a tiny room in the back of his house, just a couple of blocks away. We watched and filmed how he skillfully molded the clay into a large platter (Michoacan potters actually do use a mold, as opposed to a wheel) using a piece of wire held in his teeth to cut it to size. That step I'll always remember, and that first plate we purchased is one of the best pieces I have ever seen-- by Buddha or by anyone. It hangs on the wall of our kitchen and continues to bring me joy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A couple of years later we were living in Michoacán and placed an order for platters by Fernando. They were very detailed-- with the traditional punteado (pointillist designs) and what I assume were hallucinogenic- inspired flower and fish motifs. An amazing amount of work went into them and they were absolutely stunning. We arranged for the platters to be packed by folks at the Casa de las Artesanias and they arrived in our first big shipment from Mexico. It was a thrilling moment to finally see the boxes sitting on our driveway...until we opened the box. We found eight 16 inch round platters packed tightly into one cardboard box with zero bubblewrap or foam protection. And no surprise here-- we found eight broken platters. As we pulled out the pottery shards from the boxes, with our emotions ranging from fury, to disappointment to utter despair as we witnessed this huge loss (of course there was lots of bilingual swearing too) our thoughts inevitably went to the hours and weeks Fernando spends creating just one of these pieces. Now what do we do? We can’t possibly sell them, but we can’t just throw them away! How do you throw away art?</span></span></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8kZulKT0HA/VfIY-ccVfLI/AAAAAAAACXo/_MZB7bySIBI/s1600/Arroyo%2Bplate3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8kZulKT0HA/VfIY-ccVfLI/AAAAAAAACXo/_MZB7bySIBI/s640/Arroyo%2Bplate3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You have to get pretty close to see the cracks on the pieces Doug managed to repair. The broken platters hang on our living room wall above the piano, and as is often the case with home decor, weeks can pass without us even noticing them. We don’t play the piano anymore and we don’t usually hang out in that room-- unless we have visitors. If folks are interested in Mexican crafts they’re invited to take a close look, and in addition to hearing a bit about Fernando and seeing some remarkable examples of Capula art (which is rarely being done anymore, by the way) they also hear the story of how the pieces came to be a permanent part of our personal collection. Doug receives compliments on his repair job: “Wow, I didn’t even notice that they were broken until you mentioned it”, and we again are reminded of our great luck in finding this artist-- and all the other artists we’ve come to discover in Michoacan. Those platters also serve as a stark reminder of the many trials and tribulations of this crazy business. We’ve learned a lot over the years, and the platter disaster of 2005 taught us that it’s not enough to find amazing artists, you’ve also got to find superior packers to get the art home safely. And that, I repeat, is why importing crafts from Mexico is not for wimps.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fernando Arroyo's food safe plates and platters are imported to the U.S. by <b><i>Mexico By Hand</i></b> and are often sold at the <i>Mexican Museum</i> in San Francisco, <i>The Gardener</i> in Healdsburg and Berkeley, CA, <i>Leslie Flynt</i> in Santa Fe, NM and online at <a href="http://mexicobyhand.com/link.jsp?id=744">www.mexicobyhand.com </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Contact us at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">info@mexicobyhand.com</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> or (510) 526-6395</span>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-34680415846550330422015-08-11T18:12:00.000-07:002015-08-11T18:12:13.063-07:00Selling Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L879Dfopb8o/VcqdSVxZipI/AAAAAAAACVY/MpwJKbhVCGc/s1600/T327-Coucho%2Bblk%2Bw%253Agray%2Bflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L879Dfopb8o/VcqdSVxZipI/AAAAAAAACVY/MpwJKbhVCGc/s320/T327-Coucho%2Bblk%2Bw%253Agray%2Bflowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I'm so happy Mexico By Hand exists. Always a joy to visit your site
and your product quality and the love that goes into them touches my
Mexican heart. I've loved everything I have from you. Thank you!” This feedback arrived from Maria who bought some embroidered blouses from me again this year. After ten years of selling artesania, I cannot tell you what kind of person will be a Mexican art consumer. Sometimes it's a Mexican-American like Maria, or someone of another ethnic background who travels to and loves Mexico. But sometimes my best customers speak no Spanish, have very little understanding of the culture, and have only ventured to Mexico to vacation at a beach resort or maybe a town like San Miguel de Allende-- which is charming, but not "real Mexico" in my book-- and that was many years ago. They don't necessarily talk about wanting to go to Mexico, but they definitely want these charming expressions of Mexican culture in their homes. Or on their backs. A lot of my merchandise is housewares and decorative items, but we also carry woven rebozos and embroidered blouses, which some women are absolutely crazy for. Not everyone feels comfortable wearing an "ethnic" piece of wearable folk art, but there are some women, and again I can't predict who they will be, who embrace the style enthusiastically. Customers like Beth in London, who orders blouses from me </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">while I'm still in Mexico--</span> minutes after I post photos to my Facebook page. Then there's Carlina, a lovely woman in San Francisco who bought several blouses and rebozos recently, including this gorgeous embroidered dress I found for her.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-csM43Dmwlrs/VcqYk2Fk8fI/AAAAAAAACVM/3iM9a28wl_Y/s1600/dress%2Bfrom%2BArocutin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-csM43Dmwlrs/VcqYk2Fk8fI/AAAAAAAACVM/3iM9a28wl_Y/s400/dress%2Bfrom%2BArocutin.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After receiving the photo I emailed her Carlina wrote: "I have fallen madly in love with the dress! I had such a terrible day with a series of bad medical news and to open this coming home-- wow and thank you!" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I believe that making people happy is what art is all about-- isn’t it? </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And it's the art that makes me happy too. I could never sell widgets, whatever they are. Plumbing or office supplies do not turn me on, although I know they're necessary and I appreciate the men and women who do sell them. I buy artesania that I like-- sometimes love-- and therefore it's a pleasure for me to sell it to others. I want to share the beauty, and am excited when a piece I purchased in Michoacán goes home with a happy customer in the United States. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes I feel like I'm in the happiness business. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Embroidered blouses and other items that bring happiness are available on our website:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a></span>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-69709916866297551322015-08-02T10:34:00.001-07:002015-08-02T10:40:50.426-07:00Friendship Fajas<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Cuanajo, Michoacán 2004</td></tr>
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Natividad Casimiro Romero makes each of her weavings with love, generosity, and gratitude, and with faith that tomorrow will be better. For that reason, I call her <i>fajas</i> "spirit sashes". We first got to know Nati when we were shooting our video documentary for <i>La Casa de las Artesanias</i> (the Michoacán Handcrafts Center) and right away we knew that she was special. How many people can endure so much illness and hardship, and manage to smile like that? Polio as a child, and barely surviving cancer shortly before we met, Nati has always inspired Doug and me. Looking at the photo of her weaving on her backstrap loom, her crippled feet tucked under her skirt and her wooden crutches nearby--I remember her remarkable smile and feel this gentle woman's strong spirit and determination.<br />
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When we exhibit our artesania and people notice the <i>fajas</i>, which is not that often, they usually want to know what these woven pieces are for. I explain that the women who make them use them as belts, but one could make a camera or guitar strap out of them, or simply hang them for decoration. But I also need to explain so much more...that all of Nati's woven belts, bags, and table runners carry the same designs used by her ancestors, the Purepecha women who came before her and who taught the next generation, as she is now doing. When I look at her weavings I am reminded of all the poor Mexican campesinos who struggle to hold on to their indigenous traditions. Weavings from Cuanajo-- even from this master artisan-- have never been commercially successful. Mexicans and Americans alike usually fail to understand that $150 is not too much money for this work. So I end up selling what I buy from Nati at my cost...on the average $80, which gives her a few more pesos for food or bus tickets or yarn, so that she might keep doing this work until she can't do it any longer.<br />
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We hadn't seen Nati for a couple of years, when we brought our tour group to her house in August of 2011. As soon as we turned into Cuanajo, there she was, walking down the dirt road towards her house. Nati stands out from all the other Purepecha women in the village, because of her crutches. We stopped and offered her a ride, and after kisses and happy exclamations of "que milagro", we soon notice how the diabetes has taken its toll on this woman who has already suffered so much. Though we were sad to see her health failing, we treasured that visit and were happy to see that our group also found Nati and her family special, as they enthusiastically bought weavings to take back home. <br />
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In 2013, we arrived without a tour group, with just a couple of friends. We didn't intend to buy anything, as we still had pieces by Nati that hadn't sold yet and buying <i>fajas</i> or <i>morrales</i> (woven bags) wasn't a priority for my buying trip. We really just wanted to say hello. The family had obviously been suffering financially, telling us that the <i>Casa de las Artesanias</i> was no longer buying fajas. Apparently the new management decided to stop investing in artesania that didn't sell well in their stores. Nati implored me to take three <i>fajas</i>, telling me, "pay me when you sell them... I trust you." We were touched by that trust, reflecting on what this gesture said about the relationships with artisans we've developed over the years. And more sadly, it speaks to the desperation of these talented artists who are without a market and have few options. I paid Nati just a few months later-- not because I sold her fajas-- but because I received an email from our packer/helper Rene telling me that Nati had called him at the Casa de las Artesanias and asked that he contact us. Her mother was sick in the hospital and they needed money to buy medicine. I wired the money (the amount we agreed to charge for the fajas) which was a bit risky, but I did it because we’re friends, we trust each other, and I had faith in Nati’s work. I believed I would eventually sell them, and clearly the family needed the money now.<br />
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Upon returning from Michoacán I posted photos of Nati’s stunning pieces on Facebook and my website. And the fajas were displayed in the Tienda at The Mexican Museum in San Francisco, where I thought they would have an opportunity to be seen by folks who appreciate Mexican indigenous art and culture. While the clay pots and dishes from Michoacan were quickly purchased by happy customers, the <i>fajas</i> were definitely admired, but still after five months hadn’t sold. I was beginning to worry that summer would arrive and we’d be on our way to Mexico again, and they would still be there on the shelves. Not only could I use the money, but how could we face Nati again with her <i>fajas</i> still unsold? I couldn’t afford to take more from her again, so I told Doug that if I don’t sell them before we go, we just won’t be able visit her this year.<br />
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Then came February and the <i>Art of the Americas</i> in Marin, a show where we’ve exhibited for several years and did pretty well. I remember selling a <i>faja</i> at the first show we did -- might have been 2006. Folks who attend this show have good taste and also spend their money on unusual indigenous art. So this looked like our last hope for Nati’s<i> fajas</i>. As I carefully arranged them on the wall of our booth so they would not be missed by customers passing by, I thought of Nati and her spirit and the positive energy her pieces evoke. Though the show officially opens on Friday night, few people attend then and rarely do we have sales that night. But about an hour after the doors open, Ross and Nancy, a couple who attend the show every year, came by our table and spent some time with us. They bought two <i>fajas</i> after hearing our stories about Nati, and at the end of that Friday night we were amazed when they returned to buy two more. Excited and grateful, this sale was not only an affirmation of Nati’s talent, but our faith and trust in each other and the way I have chosen to run my business. It turned out to be not only a good night, but overall was a successful show for us as well.<br />
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A couple of weeks later I received an email from Beth, my wonderful customer in London, wanting to order some earrings she saw on my Facebook page. She also wanted to know if I had any <i>fajas</i> available. Are you kidding me? You want to buy <i>fajas</i>? I wrote her that I’m all sold out except for a small one that I bought a few years ago, plus a very large wool table-runner that I thought we might use ourselves one day, but could let go. After seeing the photos I sent, she bought the two pieces and asked me to please buy more <i>fajas</i> on my next trip to Mexico.<br />
I also received a brief note from Nancy--the angel who bought the four <i>fajas</i> at the Marin show-- “Peggy- please let Natividad know how much we treasure her weavings and let us know if you bring more back.”<br />
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It's July 2015, and I'm in Michoacán buying. As we approach the entrance to Nati's house, I wondered what we would find this time. It had been two years since our last visit, and it turns out, Nati was well aware of it. As we cried out "buenos dias", and upon realizing that it was us and we had indeed returned, Nati immediately burst into tears. We had never seen her so sad, and as I hugged her as she wept, she began to untypically share her troubles with us. Her foot had become infected and they had to remove a toe. It was obviously very painful and scary for her. Nati's mother was sick with lung cancer, apparently from all the wood smoke she had breathed in their traditional Purepecha cocina. It was a hard visit, one I won't easily forget. We listened a lot and we of course bought some of her work. Actually, the money we spent there should sustain the family for several months. And generous as always, the women insisted on serving us corundas, proudly explaining that they were made entirely from the corn grown there in their small family parcel.<br />
My daughter Jenny, who is a chef and had accompanied us on this visit, clearly appreciated watching and learning about the process of making corundas. She had heard us talk about Nati before, had seen photos we had taken of her twelve years ago, and knew that her courage and strength was an inspiration to Doug and me. Jenny is now seeing that the once beautiful, smiling woman in our photos who has endured so much over the years--is still teaching us important life lessons. The time we spent with Nati and her family reminded us to be grateful for all that we have, and for me especially, it was affirmation that my yearly purchases of this endangered work is making a difference, at least for a few families. Though I'm filled with sadness about this last visit, I'm glad that we were able to show Nati that she has not been forgotten, and that we and our customers will continue to value her beautiful creations.<br />
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Woven fajas and morrales by Natividad are available for purchase on <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a> <br />
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<br />Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-21283557089837468872015-06-15T15:31:00.001-07:002015-06-15T15:37:55.303-07:00Falling for Artesania<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shopping for unique artesania in Mexico is one of my favorite things to do. And when a customer really appreciates a piece of art I’ve chosen, falls in love with it, and then commits to taking that piece home --well, that's what it's all about. Calling it love might sound strange, but the attraction that people feel to a piece of artesania that was handmade by someone they've never met who is from a completely different culture and lives thousands of miles away--that can be a mysterious thing. I find it fascinating when it happens to others-- not just me. After all these years I am still trying to understand the men and women who've fallen under the folk art spell. In certain cases I think it might be an addiction. The desire to add to one's collection of ceramic serving bowls and platters is understandable, as we can always use one more of those. But how many hammered copper vases does one person need? I have a few wonderful customers who apparently feel they must have more copper vases in their lives, and they just keep buying them, year after year. I often tell people (and I really believe this) that you will get extremely attached to your first copper vase, and your affection for it will deepen the more time you spend together. I've heard back from a few smitten folks who excitedly tell me about their first copper vase love experience..."Peggy, it's just like you said!" Told you so. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As for me, after all these years I am still amazed by the beauty of this first vase I bought, with or without flowers. I found it at the annual Copper Fair in Santa Clara del Cobre in 2003, the year we lived in Morelia.The piece was a prize winner in the youth division of the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">concurso</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (competition) and was made by an eleven year old boy. As a former teacher of kids that age, I especially appreciated that fact, and I really, really like the vase. I would absolutely call it love. Many have admired it and some have even begged me to sell it to them, but this is one piece I will definitely be hanging onto. Though I doubt it loves me back, this vase, like it or not, is a member of the family now. </span></div>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-52001180792794768272015-06-09T16:04:00.000-07:002015-06-09T18:19:18.054-07:00It's What I Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YVb_jaMPvH8/VXdmqQ8GwiI/AAAAAAAACQM/LSRR_V7WbJ4/s1600/Peg%2Bw%253AMarta%2BEspicio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YVb_jaMPvH8/VXdmqQ8GwiI/AAAAAAAACQM/LSRR_V7WbJ4/s400/Peg%2Bw%253AMarta%2BEspicio.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buying burnished pots from Marta Espicio of Huancito</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The woman who has been cutting my hair for at least 5 years knows I go to Mexico every summer. She just asked me what I will do there for a whole month, expressing real shock when I answered that in addition to eating, drinking and spending time with friends-- I would, of course, be working a lot. “Huh? No...wait...what do you mean?” I’m not surprised when strangers assume my yearly trips to Mexico are about relaxing at some beach resort, but when I get that from people who know what I do and should know better-- it’s a little weird. People don’t seem to believe that there’s actual work involved in what I do. Doug and I have a running joke after a stressful or exhausting experience with my business, e.g. a shipping issue (read my previous posts if you are curious about those experiences). “Just another day in the glamorous life of a Mexican crafts importer”, one of us will sigh. “Wow, that’s my dream job”, a woman gushed recently.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Lady, you have no idea. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_BzDy0rxEo/VXePxoB9KNI/AAAAAAAACRA/wSgt-6jENoI/s1600/Peg%2Bin%2BCuanajo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_BzDy0rxEo/VXePxoB9KNI/AAAAAAAACRA/wSgt-6jENoI/s400/Peg%2Bin%2BCuanajo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Cuanajo, buying <i>fajas</i> (woven sashes) from our friend and artesana, Natividad</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Yes, I do have a lot of fun when I’m there-- how could I not, it </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mexico after all--but when I go to Mexico I’m going mainly to work. Some of our merchandise can be ordered throughout the year by phone, and a few artisans actually use email and social media like Facebook. But one of a kind pieces such as clay catrinas and embroidered blouses, I must personally see and touch. You have to like shopping, which fortunately I do. And there’s a lot of shmoozing required, which I don't always like but </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">can</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> do, especially if there's some booze involved. This is part of being "culturally competent". You can't just go to an artist's home workshop, point to the stuff you want, pay, and walk out. You probably won’t be offered drink or food, but artisans in Michoacán will almost always get a chair for you when you arrive. If you're really lucky and it’s a fiesta day or if they know you pretty well, you might be passed a bottle and treated to a bowl of Churipo, a traditional Purepecha soup. Eating together is quite an honor, and is always a memorable experience. But the chair is very important. I will try to sit on it, even if it's just for a minute and I have been driving for 4 hours to get there and hate the idea of sitting down on a small uncomfortable wooden chair fit for a 7 year old. It's what you do. And you chat for a bit about the family, the weather, tourist traffic, and of course admire the prize winning pieces they show you. You do this if you ever want to be considered an important customer who deserves attention and maybe a small discount.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That's another point…Mexican artisans generally don't understand wholesale pricing. Even people I’ve known for years and to whom I’ve paid thousands of dollars don't give me much of a price break. I usually pay what you would pay just walking in off the street. There is only one artisan among dozens with whom I work who automatically gives me a 25% discount. Everyone else only calculates the time involved in making each individual piece. They don't realize that it might make sense to sell 100 items to me all at once for less money per piece, rather than have to wait for a 100 customers to buy one piece at a time over 6 months. I don't usually push it because often the price they’re charging is so incredibly low for the talent and time involved, and I don’t want to be that kind of buyer. If I know that someone is trying to take advantage of me, charging more than they should-- that’s another story. That’s where experience comes in, because I am </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">not</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> just some tourist walking in off the street. </span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xmAZiOkmao/VXdxbW6mAGI/AAAAAAAACQw/AcrJyIrcOYU/s1600/Herlinda%2Bin%2Btaller.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xmAZiOkmao/VXdxbW6mAGI/AAAAAAAACQw/AcrJyIrcOYU/s400/Herlinda%2Bin%2Btaller.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here I’m at Herlinda Morales’ workshop in Santa Fe de la Laguna where her famous black candelabras are molded and fired. In 2011 Herlinda spent a few nights with us in our home in Berkeley when she and Martina Navarro, a maque artisan, participated in a show I produced called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">En las Manos de las Mujeres</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. I showed her the Golden Gate Bridge and cable cars, introduced her to chopsticks and Irish coffee, and most importantly made her feel </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">en casa</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -- at home. And she and my daughter, Jenny, shared some special moments too. When Herlinda learned last year that Jenny was to be married, she created a special candelabra for her. In addition to her usual flowers and butterflies, it includes two lovebirds or doves of peace. That’s the clay piece drying on the table. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes we're the ones offering food and drink, like to one of the indigenous artesanas who’s been walking around the Patzcuaro plaza all day trying to sell her clay pots or woven napkins to tourists eating ice cream or sipping cappuccinos. We’ve also had Roberto-- our favorite copper artisan who is also an elementary school teacher-- over to our casita for comida and a long overdue conversation about education. And three years ago when I turned 60 I invited him and a few other special artisan friends to join friends and family from California and Morelia for my birthday celebration in Patzcuaro. Martina, Felipe Horta and Teofila Servin were also able to be there and came bearing unexpected and extraordinary gifts: an exquisite hammered vase, a blouse, a woven rebozo, and this embroidered pillow made by Teo. I was deeply moved, and yes, at times like this, I'll admit it-- it i<u>s</u> a dream job. Can't wait to go back!</span></div>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-63978083842228397262015-05-03T09:30:00.002-07:002015-05-03T11:38:17.224-07:00Shipping and Handling Part III-- “Caras buenas”<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-7e928352-1213-3b80-e0c0-8880d9753a2e" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">January 2015 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With the shipping nightmares of 2014 behind me, and almost all of the merchandise in that shipment now sold, I was starting to feel more positive and energized for the new year. I had some money in my bank account, and customers were clamoring for more product. That’s always a nice feeling. Plus, the exchange rate was amazing! In July of 2014 we were getting around 12.5 pesos to the dollar. At one point it went up to 13 and we were absolutely giddy. But then, in January and February of 2015 we saw the dollar surge and watched it go past 14 to 1. Holy Mole-- now’s the time to buy! Currently, at the moment I am writing this, the rate has been holding steady </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">above</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 15 to 1. Think about it this way: a copper vase I bought in 2014 cost me 600 pesos, which was about $48. If I were to buy it now at 15 to 1, it would be around $40 US. If I buy ten of those vases, I will be saving $80. That’s a significant difference and some pretty strong motivation for me to start placing some orders. First though, I have to check on shipping possibilities. Always there’s that shipping issue. “Hey Carlos, got any trucks coming up in the next few months?” Affirmative, he tells me, probably end of February or beginning of March. Perfect, that will be plenty of time for the artisans to complete my orders before Domingo de Ramos. If you wait too long, they will be busy creating their pieces for the concurso and after that they’ll be kicking back, enjoying Semana Santa with their families. Of course I know from experience that “end of February” probably means the end of March, but even with a delay I figure we’ll be okay. So I place the orders, send money quickly (before the rate changes) and assure my customers that yes, I will be getting more of that beautiful pottery in a couple of months. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was the 20th of March, officially Spring, and I was waiting to hear when I could expect to see my boxes. First I needed to check with Rene, my packer guy extraordinaire. Last time I checked he told me he still had a lot to do. So I was really surprised to receive his message telling me that he was just taking the boxes to the paqueteria to ship them to Tlaquepaque where they are to be put on Carlos’ truck. I write back, “Si? Que bien!” (yeah? that’s great!) But then his messages continued and I soon realized that this was no ordinary conversation. An accident had occurred with the boxes. “Una camioneta aplastó las cajas” (a truck had smashed the boxes) and he didn’t know how many pieces were broken. It took me a while to get the story straight, probably because I was in shock and unable to grasp what was happening. Apparently Rene had unloaded the boxes on to the pavement next to his pick-up truck and some guy in another truck drove into them. After seeing what he’d done, the driver immediately took off, and there was nothing Rene could do. They were really smashed. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">True story... I am not making this shit up.</span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So there was my Spring
shipment of pottery and that great deal (remember that fabulous exchange
rate?) which is now another chapter in my book we’ll call “The great disaster of
2015”. </span> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maybe I’m getting used to the ups and downs of this business, or maybe I’m actually getting better in my efforts to “be more Mexican” and not complain so much (which is the norm in my Jewish culture) but as I awaited the news of just how bad the damage was, I am remarkably calm. I remember many years ago, before <i>Mexico By Hand</i> was even an idea, Doug and I were walking around Patzcuaro’s Plaza Grande during either the Semana Santa or Dia de los Muertos crafts event. We stopped to admire some stunningly beautiful pottery laid out on the sidewalk. It was the work of Manuel Morales, a well recognized artist who creates unusual (and pricey) painted platters, bowls and vases. We had seen his work in various galleries and at <i>La Casa de las Artesanias</i> and though we loved it, even at Mexico prices it was too expensive for us. Years later we became customers and friends, but this will always be my first memory of Manuel. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a big German Shepard came bounding onto the sidewalk and jumped right on top of the pottery. As we gasped in horror, Manuel calmly, without saying a word or showing any emotion, walked over and picked up the broken pieces-- including a large platter I would guess was priced at least a hundred dollars-- and threw them into the trash. There is a popular saying in Mexico that is passed down from parent to child: “A tiempos malos, caras buenas”, which literally translates as “in bad times, good face”. In English we would probably say that one should “smile in the face of adversity” or “grin and bear it”. But we Americans, for the most part, don’t usually do that. We yell and throw things, rage and flip the bird at drivers who cut us off on the highway, and we look for someone to sue for damages and our pain and suffering. Manuel knew then that there was nothing he could do but pick up the pieces-- literally-- and keep on working. And now after many years of trying to understand both Mexico and the realities of doing this business, I have finally learned the same. Just pick up the pieces, throw them in the trash, and keep on working.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">May 2, 2015 update: The shipment arrived and the pieces are beautiful!</span><br />
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The pottery above is hand painted by the talented husband and wife team, Demetrio and Raquel Gonzalez of Capula, Michoacán. These and others are imported by <b><i>Mexico By Hand</i></b> and can be purchased through <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>.</div>
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For wholesale purchases, please contact us at info@mexicobyhand.com or 510.526.6395<br />
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-29568799981999368942015-04-18T16:42:00.001-07:002015-04-19T10:19:28.666-07:00Lead: Bad for Children and Other Living Things<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-7e928352-ce5b-f8e4-3c5b-86a0f80357a5" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcPWru7wOLs/VTLkB0pWx3I/AAAAAAAACMc/BnNMOLw4XAA/s1600/sin%2Bplomo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcPWru7wOLs/VTLkB0pWx3I/AAAAAAAACMc/BnNMOLw4XAA/s1600/sin%2Bplomo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When <b><i>Mexico By Hand</i></b> displays a little sign or mentions the fact that our pottery is <i>sin plomo</i> (lead free) this is a very big deal. While most folks don't think much about it, the issue does concern some of our customers and is extremely important to us. It can get a bit complicated and difficult to explain, but here are some of the basics. Pottery that is intended for food use--which is a lot of Mexico By Hand's products -- has additional requirements for importing to the U.S. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) randomly inspects pottery imports crossing the border. They’re looking for toxic metals -- most importantly lead. Though it's the law in Mexico that all pottery intended for food use be lead-free, the Mexican government does not have an inspection system in place to enforce the law, and that's why 90% of Mexican pottery produced still contains lead. So when you tell me that you bought something like our bean pot at a mercado in Jalisco, or your mother has a cazuela she’s been using for years-- so she doesn’t really need a new one-- I want you to understand that I am 99.9% sure that pottery is contaminated with lead. If you tell me that you don’t believe it’s a big deal, “no pasa nada”, then I need to tell you that I don’t care so much about you and your health, but I DO care about the Mexican artisans who produce clay pots and dishes and are exposed to the stuff all day. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkmQZfS3lb4/VTLqqg3v9zI/AAAAAAAACM0/ecsIXE1UdrY/s1600/Cazuela%2Btaller.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkmQZfS3lb4/VTLqqg3v9zI/AAAAAAAACM0/ecsIXE1UdrY/s1600/Cazuela%2Btaller.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They dip their hands into the glazes, their kitchens and gardens are contaminated because the pottery is produced in home workshops, and artisan’s children can suffer learning disabilities as a result. It's also really bad for the environment </span>surrounding the artisan communities. So even if you plan on using the pot for decoration and won't use it for cooking, that's why we inform you that our pottery is lead-free. We are trying to encourage artisans to convert to lead free glazes, but unfortunately if Mexican consumers keep buying the pots with lead and resist paying more for the ones without lead (because they <u>are</u> more expensive) artisans will not feel motivated to make the change. We American consumers <u>can</u> make a difference and in the past decade we've happily seen a gradual movement towards more lead free production. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is illegal to import pottery intended for food use that is made with glazes containing lead,</span> and the U.S. government can be very strict. Yes, folks cross the U.S.- Mexico border every day with leaded pottery--</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> in private cars and trucks, but if an importer like us is caught with even one piece of contaminated pottery, the whole truck will either be sent back or the product will be destroyed. And a black mark on the importer’s record may prevent him or her from ever importing to the U.S. again. It’s serious.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All that being said however, if someone asks us to show proof or evidence that
our pottery is lead-free--like an official seal or
some sort of certificate from the government, we can't. Because </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>there isn't one.
Really. If a box of ours is randomly inspected, we might be able to show you a piece of tape courtesy of the FDA. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GkW25vmO-GI/VTLhc5yXdpI/AAAAAAAACMQ/2zx_EQKGv1s/s1600/FDA%2Btape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So you have to trust us when we say that we </span>know the artisans and are careful about who we buy from, not just because we care about this issue, but because we have to be careful-- if we want to stay in business. Fortunately for us all, there are some amazingly talented artisans who have been making beautiful lead free pottery for <i>Mexico By Hand </i>for years. Here are a few samples from the town of Capula, not far from Morelia, the capital of Michoacán. Lead free pottery can be purchased on our website at <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-77422370524241927262015-04-10T11:30:00.000-07:002015-04-11T08:58:07.464-07:00Embroidery from Lake Patzcuaro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Near Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacán, indigenous women embroider pictures that can be framed or made into decorative pillows and clothing. The themes of these embroidered “stories” originally came from ancient mythology of the Tarascan or Purepecha Indians, drawn from seals found in Tzintzuntzan. Gradually the women around Lake Patzcuaro began depicting traditional village dances such as the Dance of the Viejitos, and festivals such as Dia de los Muertos and Corpus Christi. The artisans also embroider scenes of women cooking, men fishing, and other scenes of daily life in a Purepecha village like this. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s1600/Teo.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s1600/Teo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Teofila Servin Barriga is one of the most well-known of the Santa Cruz embroiderers.<br />
She lives and works with her husband, Julio, in Sanabria-- on the road
between Patzcuaro and Quiroga-- with stunning views from her home and
garden of green pastures, corn fields and Lake Patzcuaro that inspire
her art. The first time I saw her embroidery was almost 20 years ago, when Doug and I were on vacation, our first time in Michoacán. Julio and one of their sons were working at a table they'd set up on a Patzcuaro sidewalk. Julio was drawing as well as teaching the boy how to create the scenes that Teo would later embroider. We chatted with them for quite a while, and I must have asked at least five times for the price of a small embroidered piece on the table that had caught my eye. Julio was so engrossed in giving us the history and stories of the area and culture represented by the pieces, that he seemed to be completely disinterested in selling them to us. Finally I was able to buy it, and as we said goodbye, he told us that we could find Teo on the road to Tzintzuntzan. But it was many years later when were living in Michoacan, we found ourselves on that road, that I put two and two together and realized that the handmade sign that read "Artesanias de Teo" might very well be the same family. We stopped the car and found Teo working in her little shop. Julio later walked up from the nearby fields he was tending, and we knew that this was indeed the place. Their young son had grown up and was attending university, and Teo had begun to make a name for herself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teo in Mexico By Hand's booth, Santa Fe, NM</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sDAVchXy5Qs/VShCI1QsW1I/AAAAAAAACKY/mL4CAFBQNxM/s1600/Teo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Teofila has sold her pieces to collectors in Mexico, Europe, the United
States, and Japan. Before being selected to participate in the Santa Fe
International Folk Art Market with <i>Mexico By Hand</i>, she was
invited to represent the embroiderers of Michoacan at a special
exhibition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and to participate in the Great
Masters of Mexican Folk Art exhibit in 2004.<br />
In 2011 Teofila was featured in the video, <i>En las Manos de las Mujeres, </i>a video I<i> </i>produced about four master craftswomen of Michoacán. And I continue to see Teo and her family every year when we return to Michoacán.<br />
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<i>Mexico By Hand</i> carries embroidered pictures, pillow covers, and beautiful cotton blouses by Teo and other talented embroiderers of Michoacán.<br />
See more on our website <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a> or contact us at info@mexicobyhand.com<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCA3HrWnYgg/VShEHKunV6I/AAAAAAAACKs/8DC-fvzMMls/s1600/embroidered%2Bpillows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCA3HrWnYgg/VShEHKunV6I/AAAAAAAACKs/8DC-fvzMMls/s1600/embroidered%2Bpillows.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-50569635176351150432015-04-04T18:14:00.001-07:002015-04-04T18:20:17.337-07:00Michoacán Masks<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-99f54fb2-8717-39ce-3c9e-f562b6358ff7" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am not a mask collector, but some of my best friends are, namely my husband Doug. I'll never forget searching the Oaxaca main market with him many years ago, and after what seemed like hours of a wild goose chase, we turned a corner and miraculously came upon some amazing treasures-- old masks( men with big beards and some devils) from Guerrero--that were the first to adorn our walls. Doug kept his cool and bargained hard with the woman (who clearly was not the artisan but a vendor of random stuff in her stall) and after we had given her all of our pesos, we dug deep into our pockets to offer some dollars we'd been saving for an emergency. To Doug, this was obviously an emergency. I remember the joy Doug felt when we carried off those pieces. He was thinking how cool he was and that he had really scored. I on the other hand was thinking: How will we get these things home? Where the hell will we put them? How much money did we just spend? And finally-- did I marry a crazy man, because-- who does this??</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since then, that mask obsession has led to a few more purchases for our home, and has given me a bit of insight into some of my</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mexico By Hand</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> customers. Michoacán masks are completely different from other Mexican masks, and they are largely unknown by folks who have never been there. There are a few different styles of masks from different villages, e.g. Ocumicho, Sevina, and Uruapan, to name a few, but for now, I'm going to talk about the masks from Tocuaro, a small village on the shores of Lake Patzcuaro. I remember on my first trip to the state, I didn't much care for them. Frankly, they're pretty scary-- brightly painted devils with red tongues sticking out and lots of snakes and bats-- creepy stuff like that. I certainly wasn't going to buy any, even to sell to my customers. And I doubted they would want them either. But then I met Felipe. It was April, in 2005 or maybe 2006, and I flew to Michoacán by myself for the annual Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) crafts market and concurso (competition) in Uruapan. Doug and I had spent the previous year producing a documentary of the event for the <i>Casa de las Artesanias</i> and I was so excited to be back. But this time I was going as Mexico By Hand, and my purpose was to buy! I had gotten up very early--too excited to sleep and I wanted to shop early to get the best stuff. Turns out this was Mexico, where vendors don't show up bright and early, which is something I still forget so many years later. So realizing I had plenty of time, I ducked into a little hole in the wall breakfast place nearby and ordered some coffee and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">huevos a la Mexicana</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Sitting at the counter a few stools away from me was Felipe Horta, a maskmaker from Tocuaro. I knew his name because his uncle was the famous Juan Horta, considered to be the best in the village. Felipe had a booth there in the market and of course was also hoping to win a prize for an elaborate dance mask and cape he entered for the concurso. We had a nice chat, and he let me know that he'd be interested in exhibiting in the U.S. if I could arrange something. To my surprise he told me that he has a visa and has been to San Francisco to show his work. I promised to stop by his booth and we shared contact information, and then he insisted on paying for my breakfast. A few years later I returned the favor when </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mexico By Hand</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> applied and was accepted to exhibit at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market and we sponsored Felipe as the guest artist in our booth. We spent 5 days together, and have been friends ever since.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felipe Horta in his workshop</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Felipe is very talented. He also has a big personality, which means he's not shy and loves to joke around, something that makes him a good salesman as well. So when Felipe tries to sell me something, I have a very hard time saying "no", in either language. By the way, it's the same word in English and Spanish--the word should be easy to master. Like a good Mexican, Felipe enjoys bargaining--hard. He is one of the few artisans with whom I do that, because we are friends, and I don't have to worry about offending him. Plus, he always starts it. So, as a result, over the years I have purchased masks that I initially didn't want to buy, but was convinced to do so. I have sold some of them, and others are currently part of our home collection-- until we sell them. So who are the folks who buy these devil masks? Well, first they are people with some money to spend on art, because Felipe's masks are not cheap. And though I have seen an equal number of men and women who show interest, I have to say that my last few purchases have been to middle-age women, of various backgrounds. Go figure. One woman of Armenian descent has bought two, and then there was a customer who bought one a couple of years ago who I was sure when she approached our booth was, for lack of a better or more PC word, a "bag lady". Obviously yanking my chain when she asked the price, this woman didn't even blink as she pulled out her credit card. Surprise…a strange person with a foreign accent who collects masks and has money to spend! Hallelujah!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Grandote</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This year we were again exhibiting at that show, and we brought Felipe's masks, which happily got a lot of attention. Up walked this woman who looked very familiar, and got down to business right away. "How much for those masks?" she asked pointing to our medium size devil masks. After I answered her, she then pointed to the one I call "El Grandote"-- the big ass one. This is the giant mask that Doug convinced me to buy from Felipe two and a half years ago, and was getting to be part of the family, not because we couldn't part with it, but because we feared it was like a young adult who would never be able to leave home. It not only had a devil, but a skeleton and a scorpion too. Super creepy…and it was expensive. That was the piece I really, really wanted to sell that day, and if we did sell it, we could call the show a success. Hallelujah! Now what are we going to do with that bare wall? I'm missing El Grandote already. Felipe, amigo, how much for that big mask??</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skull w/angel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uavX1o3uVT4/VSCKh0052dI/AAAAAAAACH4/EDP-BaK-qXU/s1600/Hortamask-duality.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uavX1o3uVT4/VSCKh0052dI/AAAAAAAACH4/EDP-BaK-qXU/s1600/Hortamask-duality.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Dualidad (Duality)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Felipe Horta's masks </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">can be purchased at his workshop in Tocuaro, Michoacán and also </span>are available in the U.S. through Mexico By Hand. <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For more information, contact us at: mexicobyhand@gmail.com or (510) 526-6395. </span></div>
Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-79388895453537130402015-03-30T17:13:00.000-07:002015-03-30T17:13:39.049-07:00Trasteritos and Bateas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gop3bmx5ePo/VRnh2z9Tj8I/AAAAAAAACFA/ywd_nvm6QnY/s1600/Anita.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gop3bmx5ePo/VRnh2z9Tj8I/AAAAAAAACFA/ywd_nvm6QnY/s1600/Anita.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Some photos just can’t be improved upon--there’s no need. The picture I took of Antonio and have used all these years was from the day we met-- in 2003. I noticed him in front of his colorfully painted bateas and trasteritos, on the edge of the Plaza Grande in Patzcuaro, just outside of the official artisans booth area. It was like he had snuck in to the artisan market and didn’t really belong there. I had seen pieces like that before of course-- everyone has. The iconic painted chairs and flowery wood trays called bateas in Michoacán are well-known to Mexicans and their children, even those who’ve migrated to the U.S. There is even a demand among gringos for “vintage” bateas on websites like Ebay and among antique dealers. And I had seen some magnificent extra large bateas, like maybe a meter in diameter, in <i>La Casa de las Artesanias</i> in Morelia<i>.</i></span><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jd0SHvYlIQ/VRniGwRApLI/AAAAAAAACFQ/D7DhZ6nlxnE/s1600/batea%2Bgrande.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8jd0SHvYlIQ/VRniGwRApLI/AAAAAAAACFQ/D7DhZ6nlxnE/s1600/batea%2Bgrande.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The bateas were made by Antonio Anita Mejia, a man with no art training but tremendous talent--the only real artisan in the town of Quiroga. Doug and I think of it as the Tijuana of Michoacán, with its dozens of shops lining the main street with all the same cheap souvenirs made somewhere else, it is a tourist trap to be sure. We can always tell when someone mentions Quiroga as a place to shop, that they don't know much about artesania. Until Doug and I moved to Michoacán and our guide Socorro took us around to film Michoacán’s artisans, we didn’t know what Quiroga really had to offer, and that was its famously delicious carnitas. From then on our workshop visits around that part of Lake Patzcuaro always include a stop at Carnitas Carmelo, across from a lovely park which is always empty. We often had trouble locating Antonio’s house, and were happy when he briefly had a shop right down the street from Carmelo. But there wasn’t enough business, weren’t enough tourists to pay the rent. Though I buy from him at least once a year, I don’t think Antonio actually knows my name. But he trusts me to pay him the right amount of money, casually looking at the numbers as I show him how I calculated the total. The soft spoken Antonio once told me he didn’t really know if the amount was correct, as he gratefully accepted the pesos I handed him. He doesn’t know much about math, but as my husband Doug says with great admiration-- no one loads a paintbrush like Antonio.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Antonio's work can be purchased in the U. S. from <i><b>Mexico By Hand</b></i>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Please contact us at <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">info@mexicobyhand.com/ 510.526.6395 </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnaGUkSr58A/VRninj-hIMI/AAAAAAAACFo/nSKpuETgrsQ/s1600/green%2Btrasterito%2Bw%3Acups.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnaGUkSr58A/VRninj-hIMI/AAAAAAAACFo/nSKpuETgrsQ/s1600/green%2Btrasterito%2Bw%3Acups.jpg" height="400" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trasterito with clay cups</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQQV_v3s3us/VRnihFu7ntI/AAAAAAAACFg/VYEqzjui2cg/s1600/mini%2Bsillas%3Aor%2B%26%2Bbl%2Bcopy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQQV_v3s3us/VRnihFu7ntI/AAAAAAAACFg/VYEqzjui2cg/s1600/mini%2Bsillas%3Aor%2B%26%2Bbl%2Bcopy.jpg" height="247" width="320" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini painted chairs</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-13203532832924046782015-03-21T17:13:00.000-07:002015-06-03T08:27:02.499-07:00Mexican Tablecloths! Handloomed Textiles of Patzcuaro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Anyone who has been to the town of Patzcuaro-- even for only a day-- notices the dozens of shops that surround the Plaza Grande (the main shopping area) displaying brightly colored tablecloths, bedspreads, and napkins. Every restaurant and cafe table and most of the hotel beds in Patzcuaro are covered with the hand loomed textiles. They are in fact-- pardon the pun-- part of the fabric of the town's charming landscape. All of the textiles seem to be made by the Adame family, but the cousins and in-laws involved in the industry are not necessarily working together; it seems that they actually don't even all know each other. It's kind of strange. But anyway…most tourists will buy something at one of the shops, at least a few napkins, because they're pretty easy to throw in one's suitcase. I have bought several pieces over the years, and regularly use them at my home in California. Cotton napkins and tablecloths that are affordable and can be machine washed and dried are a rarity here in the U.S. I have bought a few tablecloths for customers, and friends and family too, but that has been problematic; getting the right color and size for other folks can be challenging. So is finding a shop there that wants to ship an order to the U.S. After several years of discussions and attempts with various well-meaning and seemingly serious textile business owners, I was about to give up on the idea. I could never get anyone to tell me for starters 1)how much it would cost to ship to California and 2) how I could pay them. But then I received an email from a customer I've never met, with a very specific request for a Patzcuaro tablecloth, and I decided to give it one more try. I promptly sent Ron a message and a photo. Ron is an expat who I met the past summer, and like most of the expats in Patzcuaro, usually isn't super busy. So I asked Ron if by any chance, he was going to be walking down to Centro soon for coffee or groceries and if so could he please do me a big favor and see if any of the shops near there have a tablecloth like the one in the photo. Ron said he'd be happy to help. Within a few hours I received a detailed account of his search for the tablecloth I requested (no luck) followed by more emails with notes about dimensions available, conversations about delivery times, photos of some styles, and even scans of some business cards. Ron was really into this! So I proposed we talk more about doing some business together, which we did a few days later. And then Ron and I put together a scheme and he went about buying some cotton napkins, and he proceeded to conduct an experiment to see how we could transport the textiles and what it would cost. Here's Ron's theory about Mexico: "Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, is ever straightforward in Mexico. And that theory seems to apply to something as pedestrian as napkins."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Long story short, the private companies like FedEx are ridiculously expensive and therefore not cost effective for us, so the Mexican correos (the post office) which has long held a reputation for being slow and incompetent was really our only viable option. FedEx promised to deliver in 3 days but cost 4 times as much. Really? $58 to mail 15 cloth napkins? So, on three separate days, Ron sent three packages to me containing cloth napkins from the Patzcuaro post office. I received 2 out of 3, within two weeks, which I consider pretty good. The first one he sent on November 26, still hadn't arrived by Jan. 8th. According to the "track and trace" widget on the correos website, the box didn't arrive at the airport in Mexico City until Dec. 22, which is 26 days later. So, after 42 days, I decided to check the website again, and the information was the same. According to the site, the box was last seen on Dec. 22 in Mexico City. I noticed there was a place to contact them with a question, and knowing full well that it was a real long shot I'd get an answer, I sent a short email with my question: "Where is this box?" --followed by the tracking number. Amazingly, I received a note early the next morning from the Correos Mexicanos telling me that the box had arrived at the Richmond, CA facility on Jan. 9-- that very morning. No way! At this point I stopped thinking about my package for a moment and had to marvel at the customer service and technological capabilities just exhibited by a government entity I had assumed, like most people do, was totally and completely dysfunctional. A few hours later there was a knock at my door. There it was-- box #3, which actually was box #1, with the remaining napkins in our Patzcuaro textile experiment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a Mexican miracle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4B3xdZEL5E/VQ4Ci4c3-wI/AAAAAAAACEA/RLUSmtfwVvQ/s1600/postcard%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4B3xdZEL5E/VQ4Ci4c3-wI/AAAAAAAACEA/RLUSmtfwVvQ/s1600/postcard%2Bfinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Napkins and</span><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></i><b><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> tablecloths imported from Mexico are now available in various styles and colors from <i>Mexico By Hand</i>. Our Patzcuaro textiles are 100% cotton and are made by hand on a traditional wooden foot loom. They can be machine washed and dried and little or no ironing is necessary. Check our website for size and price information and to place an order. </span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>info@mexicobyhand.com/ 510.526.6395</i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-91414237120028842462015-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:002015-01-20T16:57:23.974-08:00Lovely Jewels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-994p7w1_3DU/VL7vmS2N0CI/AAAAAAAACBU/4EcrmKHJwsE/s1600/Kutzi%2Bearrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-994p7w1_3DU/VL7vmS2N0CI/AAAAAAAACBU/4EcrmKHJwsE/s1600/Kutzi%2Bearrings.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I don't think I've met a woman who doesn't like jewelry. She might be picky and insist on only wearing real gold, or on the other end of the spectrum be a hippie type who collects shiny baubles from all over the world. But no matter her fashion style and pocket book, she will almost always take a look at an earring stand. Everyone knows that most Mexican silver is of high quality and is made in Taxco. I said most. But there are a few other places where quality jewelry is made in Mexico, and one of them is Michoacán. They don't make silver bangles or turquoise rings there, but if you're looking for delicate silver necklaces and earrings with fish--you need look no further. Michoacán means "the land of the fishermen" so fish are an important theme in the region's traditional artesania. There are a couple of families who dedicate themselves to making beautiful traditional jewelry, including the silver and gold earrings often worn by Purepecha women like the one below. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artesana of Cocucho, Michoacán</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls in Ocumicho, Michoacán</td></tr>
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If you spend any time in Michoacán (and are paying attention) you will notice that all the women and girls wear silver or gold earrings in the shape of a half moon. I bought my first pair in 2003, but it took me a few years to finally meet the family in Cheran who makes them. Cheran is an interesting town with a lot of history, and in the past decade has become known for its indigenous activism and self-defense forces. It was an adventure trying to find them, but eventually we located their house and made our purchase from Rigoberto and his charming mother, la señora Benedicta. The following year we made an appointment for them to deliver some earrings to us in Patzcuaro and the whole family arrived at the house we were renting. They are such a lovely family and they do beautiful work. But doing business regularly, especially during the months we weren't in Mexico, was problematic. Even trying to inquire about the current prices of various earring sizes-- with the fluctuation of silver and gold in the world market prices were always changing-- that was always difficult for us. Making a purchase and arranging delivery was definitely a challenge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZN_dBgDbzM/VL7vCLHda5I/AAAAAAAACBA/ekV9p8QVemI/s1600/tumblr_moh3so9f8A1s829mno1_500.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VZN_dBgDbzM/VL7vCLHda5I/AAAAAAAACBA/ekV9p8QVemI/s1600/tumblr_moh3so9f8A1s829mno1_500.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edith & Cesar of Kutzi Joyeros</td></tr>
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Then by accident (and some very good luck) in 2013 our new friend, Joanna, introduced us to Edith and Cesar aka Kutzi Joyeros. After seeing the beautiful silver earrings she had just bought from them, I was excited to make an appointment to visit the Kutzi workshop in Patzcuaro. Doug and I immediately hit it off with the couple, and I found several styles of earrings I was sure my customers would appreciate. In addition, we could place future wholesale orders via Facebook and they would send packages to the U.S. We can do business! Last year (the summer of 2014) was even better. I messaged that I'd like to bring down some old jewelry that I received from my mother-in-law and my own mother who had passed away the previous year. I asked if they could remake some of mom's earrings for pierced ears so either I or my daughters could wear them, and to also use the gold from a necklace to make into a pair of gold filigree earrings I could have for my daughter Jenny's wedding. They were happy to help with the re-purposing of our family heirlooms, and also made beautiful new silver half moon shaped <i>arracadas</i> or hoops for me to sell to Mexico By Hand customers. When Edith and Cesar delivered the order, we passed several wonderful hours with them chatting about art and politics as we drank quite a bit of mezcal. Now this is the way to do business! <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WhdXrt2DqhE/VL7vmzJ8zTI/AAAAAAAACBg/BlxMpU8otAI/s1600/Kutzi%2Bcollection.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WhdXrt2DqhE/VL7vmzJ8zTI/AAAAAAAACBg/BlxMpU8otAI/s1600/Kutzi%2Bcollection.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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Kutzi's silver earrings can be purchased online from Mexico By Hand at <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a><br />
Many thanks to Florence Leyret Jeune for the use of her photo of Edith and Cesar. You can see more of her beautiful photographs at: <span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".jq.$mid=11421799019956=252313423c6c922fe83.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".jq.$mid=11421799019956=252313423c6c922fe83.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><a data-reactid=".jq.$mid=11421799019956=252313423c6c922fe83.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$range0:0" href="http://www.artisanos-de-michoacan.tumblr.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.artisanos-de-michoacan.tumblr.com</a></span></span><br />
<br />Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-63184446319224089952014-12-26T11:13:00.002-08:002014-12-26T11:13:45.867-08:00Faith, Friendship, and Fajas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lVC8L5eRFY/VJ2vU0kqcVI/AAAAAAAAB-8/Vz3Op_i5Ack/s1600/Nati%232.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lVC8L5eRFY/VJ2vU0kqcVI/AAAAAAAAB-8/Vz3Op_i5Ack/s1600/Nati%232.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natividad weaving. Cuanajo 2004</td></tr>
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Natividad Romero
Casimiro makes each of her weavings with love, generosity, and
gratitude, and the faith that tomorrow will be better. For that reason, I
call them "spirit sashes". We first got to know Nati when we were shooting our video documentary for <span style="font-style: italic;">La Casa de las Artesanias</span>
(the Michoacán Folk Art Center) and right away we knew that she was
special. How many people can endure so much illness and hardship, and
manage to smile like that? Polio as a child, and barely surviving cancer
shortly before we met, Nati has always inspired Doug and me.<br />
Looking at this photo-- her crippled feet tucked under and her wooden
crutches nearby-- with that big warm smile--I feel this gentle woman's
strong spirit and determination.<br />
When we exhibit our artesania and people notice the fajas, which is not that often, they of course want to know what these woven pieces are for. I explain that the women who make them use them as belts, but
one could make a camera or guitar strap out of them, or simply hang
them for decoration. But I
also need to explain so much more...that all of Nati's
woven belts, bags, and table runners carry the same designs used by her
ancestors, the Purepecha women who came before her and who taught the
next generation, as she is now doing. When I look at her weavings I am
reminded of all the poor Mexican campesinos who struggle to hold on to
their indigenous traditions. Weavings from Cuanajo-- even from this
master artisan-- have never been commercially successful. Mexicans and
Americans alike usually fail to understand that $70 (my reduced price)
is not a lot of money for this work. So I end up selling what I buy from
Nati at my cost...which gives her a few more pesos for food or bus
tickets or yarn, so that she might keep doing what she knows until she
can't any do it any longer.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XdQnoyxoD5Q/SvIUL6qkwQI/AAAAAAAAAjI/APKIlkvNIRk/s1600-h/Nati%27s+mother.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>We
hadn't seen Nati for a couple of years, and we were anxiously hoping to find her at home when
we brought our tour group there in August of 2011. As soon as we
turned into Cuanajo, there she was, walking down the dirt road towards her house. We
stopped and offered to pick her up, and after kisses and happy exclamations of "que
milagro", we quickly noticed how the diabetes has taken its toll on this
woman who has already suffered so much. We all treasured that
visit... our tourists also found Nati and her family special, and they
enthusiastically bought numerous weavings to take back home. Below Nati
proudly posed with one of her cotton fajas and her mother,
Maria Guadalupe (right) is holds a certificate Nati received in
recognition of a weaving course she had given recently. Maria, also an excellent
weaver, has had to stop weaving due to the arthritis in her hands. <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XdQnoyxoD5Q/SvIUL6qkwQI/AAAAAAAAAjI/APKIlkvNIRk/s1600-h/Nati%27s+mother.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XdQnoyxoD5Q/SvIUL6qkwQI/AAAAAAAAAjI/APKIlkvNIRk/s320/Nati%27s+mother.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400401098129588482" style="float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 240px;" /></a> <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax8NKfrSvhI/UVCFr6O5dNI/AAAAAAAABgM/pMZM6fZGCZI/s1600/Nati%2Bholding%2Bfaja.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ax8NKfrSvhI/UVCFr6O5dNI/AAAAAAAABgM/pMZM6fZGCZI/s1600/Nati%2Bholding%2Bfaja.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a><br />
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In 2013, we arrived without a tour group, just a couple of friends. We didn't intend to buy anything, because we still had pieces by Nati that we hadn't sold yet and buying fajas or morrales (woven bags) wasn't a priority for my buying trip. We just wanted to say hello. The family had obviously been suffering because the <i>Casa de las Artesanias</i> was no longer buying their work. The new management was not going to buy artesania that didn't sell in their stores. Nati implored me to take three fajas, and told me, "pay me when you sell them...I trust you." We were touched by that trust, reflecting on what this gesture said about our relationships with artisans we have developed over the years. And more sadly, it speaks to the desperation of the these talented artists who are without a market and have few options. I paid Nati a few months later, not because I sold her fajas, but when I received an email from our packer/helper Rene telling me that Nati had called him at the Casa de las Artesanias and asked that he contact us. Her mother was sick in the hospital and needed money to buy medicine. I wired the money (the amount we agreed to charge for the fajas) figuring we would eventually sell them. They are stunning as you can see, and are as of yet, still unsold. They are not only "spirit sashes", but I believe could be called "friendship fajas" as well.<br />
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To see or purchase these beautiful fajas please go to our website: <a href="http://mexicobyhand.com/item.jsp?category=5274">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-7266906170521831932014-12-21T07:38:00.002-08:002014-12-21T07:38:39.901-08:00Calabaza Confusion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ9_H_NDj1o/S9UA9CGOyBI/AAAAAAAAAxI/8rxd704Pu98/s1600/calabacitas.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ9_H_NDj1o/S9UA9CGOyBI/AAAAAAAAAxI/8rxd704Pu98/s1600/calabacitas.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squash in various colors and shapes</td></tr>
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Shopping is a big part of my work, so it's a good thing I like to do it. The fact is, I only really like it when I'm buying stuff I like myself. It's puzzling sometimes for me as a professional shopper for <i>Mexico By Hand</i> to predict how popular an item will be with customers. So when we started out, I was a bit unsure whether other folks would like what I like. It turns out that a lot of folks do. There have been some "mistakes" along the way, and of course the logical, best guess is to go by the sales history of similar product. But that doesn't always work.<br />
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Take the burnished calabazas (squash) of Zinapecuaro for example. The first year of Mexico By Hand's existence we couldn't get enough of them to meet the demand. With the exception of the giant ones, the small and medium size pieces flew off the table, people were SO excited for them.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqwMKnnmjyw/S9Wk8OUoiII/AAAAAAAAAx4/HZl5TTvjziw/s1600/A220-red%2Bsquash%2Bcopy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqwMKnnmjyw/S9Wk8OUoiII/AAAAAAAAAx4/HZl5TTvjziw/s1600/A220-red%2Bsquash%2Bcopy.JPG" height="200" width="184" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4-1Ru5dKzc/S9WkrEDL6CI/AAAAAAAAAxw/vlHPRZTKfD8/s1600/sm%2Bgreen%2Bsquash%2Bcopy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W4-1Ru5dKzc/S9WkrEDL6CI/AAAAAAAAAxw/vlHPRZTKfD8/s1600/sm%2Bgreen%2Bsquash%2Bcopy.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3Il-sEwsXg/S9WonpQtWcI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/YHSTGeSE6y0/s1600/green%2Bsquash%2B" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3Il-sEwsXg/S9WonpQtWcI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/YHSTGeSE6y0/s1600/green%2Bsquash%2B" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kN6Tcxuu9I/S9Wi72RjvwI/AAAAAAAAAxg/tKAChHlkbUQ/s1600/XL%2Bcalabaza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kN6Tcxuu9I/S9Wi72RjvwI/AAAAAAAAAxg/tKAChHlkbUQ/s1600/XL%2Bcalabaza.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3Il-sEwsXg/S9WonpQtWcI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/YHSTGeSE6y0/s1600/green%2Bsquash%2B" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miV9M6t4pFg/VJN39xzGXVI/AAAAAAAAB9s/ZN9dwdvocp8/s1600/calabazas%2Bat%2BLolita%27s.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-miV9M6t4pFg/VJN39xzGXVI/AAAAAAAAB9s/ZN9dwdvocp8/s1600/calabazas%2Bat%2BLolita's.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a> The artist/owner of a gallery in Napa, California absolutely went nuts over our calabazas. He displayed them beautifully in the window, along with my photo of the artisan holding a giant one, similar to the one on the right. There are three families who make these, and they live on the same small street in the town of Zinapecuaro in Michoacán. We have bought the squash from all three. <br />
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The photo on the right was taken in the workshop of the Hernandez Cano family, just before the artisans packed up our order. This workshop is more known for their beautiful burnished pottery featuring Pre-Columbian designs and drawings inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada such as La Catrina.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our burnished squash at The Mexican Museum in San Francisco</td></tr>
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The year we exhibited burnished clay squash at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, I think we sold more than 25 calabazas the first day of the show. After that, I had trouble getting them, so when I had the opportunity to buy some in the summer of 2013, I went for it. I got some gorgeous ones-- some of the best ever. And they have sat on the shelves for months. <br />
Here we are at the end of 2014 and I still have 80% of that 2013 purchase. Go figure. They were beautiful, affordable, displayed nicely, and supposedly folks in the Bay Area should be into ceramics that celebrate the natural world, and vegetables in particular. I am confused. Where did I go wrong? The only thing I can think of is that customers are going for the more practical items, such as bowls and platters...stuff one can actually use. Maybe since the recession people are more careful about money, and maybe it's because folks are trying to reduce the clutter...something I often hear from folks as they get older. But we all need beautiful art in our loves, and an object created completely by hand out of clay and water, well that can inspire and delight the owner for years.<br />
The calabaza experience has unfortunately caused me to doubt my ability to judge what will sell-- a skill I thought I was getting pretty good at lately. It's an important skill for my business, so I need to figure this one out. On the bright side, challenges like this keep the work interesting, and meanwhile I get to enjoy our beautiful collection of calabazas...until they find the right owner.<br />
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For more information about these or other Mexico By Hand crafts, please visit our website <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a> or contact us at info@mexicobyhand.com. Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-35247582197511653442014-12-03T10:09:00.000-08:002014-12-03T10:16:01.839-08:00Importing Crafts from MexicoWe're often asked how Mexico By Hand gets our artesania from Mexico to the United States. I'm currently writing a memoir about my glamorous life as a craft importer (note that tongue is firmly in the cheek) and will be posting various chapters here on my blog in the coming months. My working title is "Why Importing Crafts from Mexico is Not for Wimps". I have spent a lot of time devoted to the subject of shipping, because it is a big one and has been on my mind a lot, and as you will see, is very, very glamorous. The following is an abbreviated version of my answer to the FAQ: "How do you get your stuff here?" <br />
The answer is pretty long, but here's the headline: I have my ways. Various ways. And it's constantly changing-- by necessity. The first couple of years we did a lot of crazy things to get our purchases home. A couple of times we drove from the Bay Area to meet our boxes in Tijuana. They were shipped on Mexican trucks that do not have permission to enter the U.S. In Tijuana (an adventure in itself) we would meet the truck, fill up our Honda Pilot and cross the border, going back and forth several times. We did that until we got it all and had filled up a U-Haul trailer parked on the U.S. side of the border (no, American companies will not let you take their trucks or trailers into Mexico) and then we'd drive it back north to Berkeley. Luckily we have some wonderful friends in the San Diego area who let us store our stuff at their place until we finished the job, and others who let us crash with them for a night. Exhausting way to go. Definitely not for wimps.<br />
You see, there aren't a lot of transport companies that ship artesania from Mexico to the U.S. And the few that exist are either untrustworthy i.e. they break your stuff, or they are really expensive. And they also break your stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-161s8vAAobo/VH6Z2uwRUeI/AAAAAAAAB8E/zgkSS5jJ21Q/s1600/broken%2Bplatter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-161s8vAAobo/VH6Z2uwRUeI/AAAAAAAAB8E/zgkSS5jJ21Q/s1600/broken%2Bplatter.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A casualty of shipping.</td></tr>
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Fortunately we made some new friends in this business over the past ten years. Carlos, whose family's business is not too far from us, have trucks that deliver furniture and other large items from Guadalajara on a regular basis. Sometimes they had trucks leaving Mexico at the right time for me, and he and his associates were honest, careful, and didn't charge me too much. And it was definitely easier than going to Tijuana. Once I used a company with an office in Texas, and transporting artesania they say is their specialty. They were disorganized, took longer than the time they quoted me, were not cheap, and when I checked out their pricing this year, in 2014, they were charging for a pallet twice what they charged me two years before! The other way was through my business contact and former partner on the lead free pottery and cookware project called Cocina Sana. Dirceu has truckloads of clay items going from Michoacan to L.A. every 4-6 weeks. And Mexico By Hand has hitched a ride with him several times. <br />
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And then there was the summer of 2014...<br />
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After my friend Carlos told me that he was canceling his shipment for August and September (remember the Napa Valley earthquake?) I was desperate. Dirceu was the guy I called. He had a truck leaving Michoacán in a couple of days, which meant I had to get my packer guy, Rene, to rearrange his schedule and jump into high gear to deliver our 20 boxes to the warehouse to be loaded on the pallets in time. Rene was a hero and he did it, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Our artesania-- all of the wonderful pottery, and copper, and catrinas I bought in June and July for <i>Dia de los Muertos</i>-- was finally on its way to California the first week of September, definitely behind schedule, but it was on its way, yippee! Fingers were crossed, because we were shipping so many fragile pieces this year (including about 50 clay catrinas!) but things were looking up. Surprisingly the shipment cleared customs in El Paso on Sept. 11 pretty quickly, but then the real trouble began. The whole truck was held for over 4 weeks by the FDA. Most people don't know that the Food and Drug Administration inspects clay imports for lead and other toxic metals. They randomly open boxes and select pieces to test, and if they suspect there is a problem, they do more tests. So to make a VERY long story short, these were weeks of no information, misinformation, and actually false information that made me almost lose my mind. I had long phone calls and many emails to various folks, including several FDA agents, and in short the whole situation was a mess. To sum it up as briefly as possible, the holdup was that there were some clay pieces in Dirceu's shipment that after being analyzed were found to contain some lead. His mission is to support artisans in the production of lead free (sin plomo) pottery so they can sell it in the U.S. So finding lead was horrifying itself, but then it causes big problems for not only the entire shipment, but for future shipments he wants to bring in as well. Unfortunately, because the way the forms were filled out, my clay pieces were dragged into the whole mess and would not be released. The choice was to destroy the pieces, or write on them that they are "for decorative purposes only"... even though there was nothing wrong with my pieces which are, I assure you, <i>sin plomo</i>, i.e. lead-free.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our pottery waiting to be released by FDA</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ry01ZIKgx4/VH6g8SiYbnI/AAAAAAAAB80/tb1Uj4kj5Rs/s1600/writing%2Bon%2Bplate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ry01ZIKgx4/VH6g8SiYbnI/AAAAAAAAB80/tb1Uj4kj5Rs/s1600/writing%2Bon%2Bplate.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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The shipment was finally released and arrived in L.A. on October 14. A few days later I received my stuff (most, but not all) on Friday, Oct. 17, more than three months after we had departed Mexico and left our precious items to be packed and shipped home to us. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boxes were opened randomly and then sealed up with tape.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 of our 2 pallets arrives from L.A.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdVvK9JHRoc/VH6gqi5yYwI/AAAAAAAAB8U/zw2Biw__4YY/s1600/catrinas.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdVvK9JHRoc/VH6gqi5yYwI/AAAAAAAAB8U/zw2Biw__4YY/s1600/catrinas.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clay catrinas at the Oakland Museum</td></tr>
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During all of this time I had customers writing and calling about items they had ordered months ago, and more importantly, wholesale clients (e.g. the Oakland Museum) who were counting on me to deliver orders in time for <i>Dia de los Muertos</i>. In addition to the anxiety and fear that I would never see my purchases, I worried that my customers would be so annoyed that they'd ask for their money back, and never order a thing from me again. Fortunately, we have wonderful customers who understand the perils of shipping internationally, and can be very zen in situations like this.<br />
And we have our beautiful pottery, signed by the Mexican artist with handwritten notes ordered by our U.S. government on their
bottoms to remind us of the nightmare of the summer of 2014. What did I
tell you? Not for wimps. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8yYKnysIfMk/VH6kOkngUII/AAAAAAAAB9I/Ui7VyvOtWg8/s1600/3Angelica%2BMorales.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8yYKnysIfMk/VH6kOkngUII/AAAAAAAAB9I/Ui7VyvOtWg8/s1600/3Angelica%2BMorales.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plates by Angelica Morales of Tzintzuntzan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead-free platter by Fernando Arroyo of Capula<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead-free bowl</td></tr>
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These and other beautiful handmade crafts from Michoacán can be purchased at <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a>. Contact us at info@mexicobyhand.com or (510) 526-6395.<br />
<br />Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7167945441666826115.post-70310353960272184702014-05-28T20:03:00.002-07:002014-05-28T20:03:39.354-07:00Support the Arts AND the Artists<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ihzLUZIHF3g/U4acX7uuBDI/AAAAAAAABzQ/xW_ivVdHiwo/s1600/artesana+rebozo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ihzLUZIHF3g/U4acX7uuBDI/AAAAAAAABzQ/xW_ivVdHiwo/s1600/artesana+rebozo.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebozo weaver from Turícuaro</td></tr>
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About 10 years ago Doug and I were in the final month of our year long stay in Michoacán. At that time we were putting the final touches on our documentary for <i>La Casa de las Artesanias</i>, and making sure that we had purchased all of the treasures we absolutely couldn't live without. We didn't know then that we were starting a business, that our love for Michoacán's artesania-- some might call it obsession-- would lead us to embark on something that a few months later would become what we now know as <i><b>Mexico By Hand</b></i>. We didn't know then that we would return every year to buy more handmade crafts-- not for ourselves-- but to sell to appreciative customers in the United States. </div>
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And we never imagined that ten years later, in the year 2014, there would still be <b><i>Mexico By Hand</i></b>.We have learned and experienced so much these past years, and our feelings and attachment for the people and the culture of Michoacán have grown even stronger. Many artisans eagerly look forward to our visits and depend on our yearly purchases in order to sustain their families. We of course enjoy the relationships we have developed, and are always excited to meet new artisans and expand the circle. Every year we hope to discover or undertake something new that will either delight our customers or ourselves. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMNFyp_CpQ0/U4acUlnthNI/AAAAAAAABzM/WoQ6e5ZRqdM/s1600/Ana-embroiderer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AMNFyp_CpQ0/U4acUlnthNI/AAAAAAAABzM/WoQ6e5ZRqdM/s1600/Ana-embroiderer.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young embroiderer, near Erongaricuaro</td></tr>
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Which brings me to a new project I'd like to tell you about. When Doug and I were having lunch last summer with some new friends in Erongaricuaro, a village about a half hour away from Patzcuaro, I heard about some women who run a health clinic for the indigenous women in the area. It intrigued me, but I never had a chance to visit or learn much more. And then, a few months ago, I received a group email from the clinic's director, asking for financial support for this very clinic. As I read the letter, tears began streaming down my cheeks. My strong reaction surprised me, but it didn't take long for me to realize that the intensity of my feelings was a sign that I needed to pay attention to this letter, to this organization called <i>Mujeres Aliadas</i>. I immediately wrote back and offered to donate a portion of Mexico By Hand's sales to their project. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FAhUmnicXoo/U4acRInxBlI/AAAAAAAABzI/K-yCaBT1n9k/s1600/Nati's+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FAhUmnicXoo/U4acRInxBlI/AAAAAAAABzI/K-yCaBT1n9k/s1600/Nati's+family.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artisan family in Cuanajo</td></tr>
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<i><b>Mujeres Aliadas</b></i> advances the lives of poor women and adolescent girls in the Lake Pátzcuaro area of Michoacán by providing women-centered sexual and reproductive health and educational services. Women in the area have unacceptably high rates of maternal, infant, and cervical cancer mortality due to poor access to affordable, dignified and quality health care. Common ailments often go untreated for years or even a lifetime. For many, particularly the indigenous women, the cost of travel to a clinic or even a small fee for care is simply unaffordable. <i>Mujeres Aliadas</i> helps to empower women and adolescent girls to advocate for their health care rights.</div>
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The majority of the artisans from whom <i><b>Mexico By Hand</b></i> buys are indigenous Purepecha women. All but one has children, and most of the men have daughters. The women who create the beautiful art we buy and sell need the services provided by <i>Mujeres Aliadas</i>. They need to be educated so that they can take charge of their own health care and they need to be treated with respect and dignity. It makes so much sense for <i><b>Mexico By Hand </b></i>to support this project, and with your help, we can send some much needed dollars their way by the end of the year. All you need to do is purchase from <a href="http://www.mexicobyhand.com/">www.mexicobyhand.com</a> and tell your friends and families to do the same.</div>
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Mil gracias!</div>
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-- Peggy</div>
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To find out more about <i><b>Mujeres Aliadas</b></i>, go to their website:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://mujeresaliadas.org/default.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://mujeresaliadas.org/<wbr></wbr>default.html</a></span></div>
Mexico By Handhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454463280277260399noreply@blogger.com1