Sometimes it's a beautiful thing! I was talking to one of my vendors today and the subject of La Montana school came up. I was explaining what we do and what my plans were for after retirement and she said, "before I came here, I was an early interventionist. (a teacher of kids, age birth to 3) I have all these educational toys in my garage that I don't need anymore. Would you like them for your school in Rocky Point?" I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!! They filled up the back of the Jeep! And I have the back seat out!!!!!!!! I went after them right away, before anything could happen!!!!!! I am sooooo glad that I am a chatty Chari! This made my day!!!!!!!! Mark, I probably won't be down until Labor Day but I will bring them then. I have a nice big shed to put them in until we can deliver. I am so grateful for my big mouth!!!!!!:mrgreen:
Yea, that's what I thought, Sheryl........Sometimes it just falls together for me. It's not me, there is somebody bigger than me running this show......
Yea, that's what I thought, Sheryl........Sometimes it just falls together for me. It's not me, there is somebody bigger than me running this show......
I can get an adult shower chair on wheels and a kids stroller for special needs kiddos but I can not get them down to RP No rush but can anyone help me get them down. The shower cair can not be folded
Sometimes it's a beautiful thing! I was talking to one of my vendors today and the subject of La Montana school came up. I was explaining what we do and what my plans were for after retirement and she said, "before I came here, I was an early interventionist. (a teacher of kids, age birth to 3) I have all these educational toys in my garage that I don't need anymore. Would you like them for your school in Rocky Point?" I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!! They filled up the back of the Jeep! And I have the back seat out!!!!!!!! I went after them right away, before anything could happen!!!!!! I am sooooo glad that I am a chatty Chari! This made my day!!!!!!!! Mark, I probably won't be down until Labor Day but I will bring them then. I have a nice big shed to put them in until we can deliver. I am so grateful for my big mouth!!!!!!:mrgreen:
Hi there, I am always looking for ways to help people make a living. For any of you that are going down, I met a couple that sells by the coffee shop on the Malecon by Mary's, maybe I shouldn't mention names, but they are easy to find. The father of the husband in the couple makes chip bag purses. If anyone wants to save all their potato chip bags and give them to the husband for his father, he makes beautiful purses made of chip bags. Really all milar based bags can be used to make the bags. Now the chip bags should be recycled, that is the appeal of the purse. So the father of the vendor has to wait until someone eats enough chips to get enough bags. Since chips aren't a food that people need, if their budget is low, it takes a while to save enough chip bags, eating them yourself (we never eat them) or getting chip bags from your neighbor. So it is so easy to save them, if you eat them, or others near you do. Just stuff the ones you save in the first big chip bag and take them to the vendor to make purses to sell. Now if all this is a little incomprehensible, just write me and I will give you the exact name of the vendors by the coffee shop. I think they will be happy to get the chip bags for their father to earn some money. I know this may sound inane, but this is what I do all the time, just try to find out what small thing might help someone earn better.
I bought one of those bags in Algodones a couple of years ago. I get a TON of compliments on it everytime I use it. So cute. I'm not a chip eater but my husband is - he's not so good about throwing out the garbage, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for some empty bags. LOL
Hey Janet,
Any help, small or big, is all good. I haven't seen that particular vendor as I rarely go out to shop for anything other than food or bevereges (sp) but I will go look for him next trip. At the Arizona State Prison store, they sell purses made out of license plates that the inmates make. They are really cool! I've seen purses made out of duct tape, too! Now, how to explain to the customs guy why I have a hundred empty potato chip bags in the back......LOL!
Hey Janet,
Any help, small or big, is all good. I haven't seen that particular vendor as I rarely go out to shop for anything other than food or bevereges (sp) but I will go look for him next trip. At the Arizona State Prison store, they sell purses made out of license plates that the inmates make. They are really cool! I've seen purses made out of duct tape, too! Now, how to explain to the customs guy why I have a hundred empty potato chip bags in the back......LOL!
You get the biggest chuckles out of me. My husband asks me what in the world am I doing on the computer to laugh so hard. Your heart is so in the right place, girl. Thank you. I will PM you as to who they are.
I bought one of those bags in Algodones a couple of years ago. I get a TON of compliments on it everytime I use it. So cute. I'm not a chip eater but my husband is - he's not so good about throwing out the garbage, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for some empty bags. LOL
Yes, these purses can be magnificent. The vendor's father had made 4 new purses the last day I was there in RP or PP, and I bought three of them. I like to encourage this type of artisanry of using recyclables. I will pm you with the details of who they are. I will also write to the ladies in Candy Cane and tell them to tell the vendors what we are doing. I just can't wait to get back there. I hope we will spend all of October there and if I am lucky may even get back in Sept, about the middle. I really love the vendors of artisanry. They seem to be mostly from Oaxaca and have to make a living. I work with women artisans on the Mexican border, both sides, so that is my biggest interest promoting them.
Yes, these purses can be magnificent. The vendor's father had made 4 new purses the last day I was there in RP or PP, and I bought three of them. I like to encourage this type of artisanry of using recyclables. I will pm you with the details of who they are. I will also write to the ladies in Candy Cane and tell them to tell the vendors what we are doing. I just can't wait to get back there. I hope we will spend all of October there and if I am lucky may even get back in Sept, about the middle. I really love the vendors of artisanry. They seem to be mostly from Oaxaca and have to make a living. I work with women artisans on the Mexican border, both sides, so that is my biggest interest promoting them.
I think I paid $20 for my bag. I didn't even bother to try to get "a deal" - as long as the price is fair I don't haggle at all. Especially now with the economy being so bad. But, I have seen them for up to $200!
Do you have a website where you sell the stuff for the women you work with? I LOVE the textiles!
I'm assuming it doesn't matter what size bags....?? I work at a school and the kids bring chips from home, of course, and we use them in our cafeteria's also. I'll see what I can do about rounding up one or two, LOL!!! (One or two hundred is more like it!!) I've seen them made out of drink pouches, like Capri Sun's come in but never chip bags (or license plates).........very interesting. I'll definitely pay him a visit next month!!
I think I paid $20 for my bag. I didn't even bother to try to get "a deal" - as long as the price is fair I don't haggle at all. Especially now with the economy being so bad. But, I have seen them for up to $200!
Do you have a website where you sell the stuff for the women you work with? I LOVE the textiles!
You are my kind of person! Yes, now right now our web site is really in bad shape and we are not selling on it. But we are working now to get it updated and selling. Let me list some of the things that the ladies make, rag baskets (big hit and really beautiful), rag rugs, purses of all kinds, sewn cotton, crochet, knit, quilted, some chip bag, not enough (they are an exhorbitant amount of work), lots of jewelry, now woven purses and i will explain more about that. Some clothing, bought in Mexico only, emboideried, etc. crochet shoes (concept from Peru), head adornments, Mexican paper mache serving trays, (really unique), embroidered table covers of all kinds, quilted hot pads, quilted place mats. Gosh, I need to look at my lists. Now at this moment the women are learning to weave, warp based, from a Tarahumara woman who lives on the border with her extended family. She is the greatest lady. She teaches our ladies to weave every Friday. I already have gotten some woven purses, but just in acrylic yarns, which doesn't command a good price. So we have to figure out how to get natural fibers to them for weaving. I hope to have them buy uncolored yarns of natural fibers and then they learn to dye them with natural plants. Do you know anyone who will come and teach us how to do that. Just PM me.
I think I paid $20 for my bag. I didn't even bother to try to get "a deal" - as long as the price is fair I don't haggle at all. Especially now with the economy being so bad. But, I have seen them for up to $200!
Do you have a website where you sell the stuff for the women you work with? I LOVE the textiles!
Oh Darn, I forgot to mention that we also work with women weavers on the U.S. side. We were able to set up a weaving studeo for the Columbus side. More money available on this side of the border.
You are my kind of person! Yes, now right now our web site is really in bad shape and we are not selling on it. But we are working now to get it updated and selling. Let me list some of the things that the ladies make, rag baskets (big hit and really beautiful), rag rugs, purses of all kinds, sewn cotton, crochet, knit, quilted, some chip bag, not enough (they are an exhorbitant amount of work), lots of jewelry, now woven purses and i will explain more about that. Some clothing, bought in Mexico only, emboideried, etc. crochet shoes (concept from Peru), head adornments, Mexican paper mache serving trays, (really unique), embroidered table covers of all kinds, quilted hot pads, quilted place mats. Gosh, I need to look at my lists. Now at this moment the women are learning to weave, warp based, from a Tarahumara woman who lives on the border with her extended family. She is the greatest lady. She teaches our ladies to weave every Friday. I already have gotten some woven purses, but just in acrylic yarns, which doesn't command a good price. So we have to figure out how to get natural fibers to them for weaving. I hope to have them buy uncolored yarns of natural fibers and then they learn to dye them with natural plants. Do you know anyone who will come and teach us how to do that. Just PM me.
Sounds like beautiful stuff. When I visited Oaxaca a few years ago I went absolutely insane buying stuff. I got the most gorgeous bedspread EVER. When the lady said $700 pesos I felt like I was stealing from her! I had seen the same one on the internet for $450 USD!!!
I don't know anyone personally who knows anything about dying natural fibers, but I've always been really interested in the whole concept of "cochineal" bugs used as a red dye.
Sounds like beautiful stuff. When I visited Oaxaca a few years ago I went absolutely insane buying stuff. I got the most gorgeous bedspread EVER. When the lady said $700 pesos I felt like I was stealing from her! I had seen the same one on the internet for $450 USD!!!
I don't know anyone personally who knows anything about dying natural fibers, but I've always been really interested in the whole concept of "cochineal" bugs used as a red dye.
We have a weaver here in Silver City who dyes with cochineal. We all want to learn how to use natural dyes. Do you know if anyone in PP has sheep, and sheep for wool? Does anyone know who is weaving there?
My mother used to crochet rugs out of bread bags. She would cut them in strips, tie them together and crochet away!! They really do make excellent rugs and are extremely inexpensive to make!!
A friend of mine makes and sells purses made out of the plastic grocery bags- she cuts the bag into one strip and crochets them into a purse. That is something they could do in Penasco.
Yes, all production of useful and attractive items out of recyclables is very salable. The cooperative women make crochet grocery bag purses, and rag rugs out of donated clothes and pieces of material. I have heard also of the rugs made from the strips made from the grocery bags. There is so much that can be done with recyclables. Is there a craft workshop that is free for people in Puerto Penasco?
Janet,
Check with Mark (Seadweller) I am bringing yarn for either the Senior center or the Community center for people to learn how to crochet. I assume they are going to sell what they make.
Great idea. You would not believe how much unused quilting materials, unused materials, yarns, etc. people have in their houses that they will never use and could get someone producing something that they might be able to sell. Can you tell me a little about the Senior Center and the Community Center?
Also people are storing old sewing machines that people can use. Has anyone started a drive to bring used and old sewing machines to Puerto Penasco? The old Singers can almost always be fixed. I had one that I did not take south of the border, I almost threw it in the dump, it looked so bad off to me. Then one trip down, I decided to take it anyway and left it with a good friend who is an artisan. The next trip down, she had fixed it up and told me it was industrial level machine. She showed me how good it sewed a straight stitch through more levels of material and a better stitch than all the newer ones I had taken down.
Also when used clothing is donated, if they are jeans or cottons, they can be used for rag rugs, or rag purses or hats. The cottons can be used for cutting up and making new dresses or shirts.
We have sewing classes at our Community Center where they learn to make quilts and other items to sell. We have a couple of American teachers that donate their time and materials for the classes. We would gladly except any sewing machines and materials. Our goal it to help the local people become self sufficient. I think Mark (Seadweller) may have a link to some photos of a recent class we had. Mark?
We have sewing classes at our Community Center where they learn to make quilts and other items to sell. We have a couple of American teachers that donate their time and materials for the classes. We would gladly except any sewing machines and materials. Our goal it to help the local people become self sufficient. I think Mark (Seadweller) may have a link to some photos of a recent class we had. Mark?
Harold... I was there with Chucks (azbeachboy) mother Jean and her friend Gene, while they were doing the quilting class... the photos I have are what I was given by Gene who printed out the photos he took of the ladies sewing their quilts...
I have been enamored of the idea to find a way to encourage fair trade sales of hand produced items, as I think I have heard it called. Sales from the artisian directly or at least closer, to the buyer, somehow. It's real, meaningfull and can have a dramatic impact on the poorest rural residents. I watched a woman on an Ejido near Sahuaripa weaving a hat out of palm and was mightly impressed. Incredible workwomanship She only weaves for the family, it's the only hat they will wear. Said she might get $20 if she sold it in town. Worth $100 if a penny. Only a few of the Vieja's left doing it or know how to do it. If there was a market the younger folk might take more of an interest. It appeared to me that that process could be applied to weaving many, many items of palm, purses, etc. Sigh, well that's a lifetime venture to think about. Anything done to increase appreciation of handcrafts is a good thing, we are so used to mass produced stuff coming off a machine that can spit out 10,000 items in an hour. (The Commie, Pinko Ratfink can insert his comments about wages here too )
I just recalled that I know a man who started this process on the Navajo res. for selling weavings years ago. I'm gonna talk to him. I know one of the problems with poor craftspeople is that they tend to need the money immediately and cannot wait till their work sells in a store. The end up selling for 20 or 30% of final retail.
BTW, there is, or was, a fair trade store in Albuquerque, on Central past the University.