"Gift Shows" in Mexico

It's no secret that the staff of retail specialty shops attend gift shows to find most of their merchandise. The look of a shop is determined by the "eye" of the buyer. Mexico has it's share of gift shows and a couple of them cater to handcrafted art and decor. We at Chiripa are always hopeful that we might find a new source of product when we attend one of these shows. Our preferred buying method is to go to the source, the people who make the product; but, that's not always possible.


The foremost handcraft show in Mexico is ENART held twice a year in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. The exposition is held in this impressive structure of interlocking rooms and courtyards.

We've met wonderful people there who have continued to be our suppliers. We sometimes visit their workshops to meet the artists crafting the products. This is how we first met the owners of D'Casa described in the post dated August 2008.

This past February we attended a COFOCE exposition featuring artisan crafts of the state of Guanajuato. It was held in San Miguel de Allende which is one of our frequent stops when shopping in Mexico. So, we decided to give it a try.


The setting was enchanting. The exposition hall was a converted hacienda with fabulous gardens and courtyards that enhanced the goods for sale. (Remember, this was February when back home in Madison, Wisconsin it was sub-zero with blizzard conditions.) We found a couple new sources for products and met one of our regular vendors at this show. I'll post stories of some when I have the product in house and can show it better. But, the following picture is a preview of one of our new products: the traditional ceramic hanging peppers.


We like to share our sources because ultimately we want more people to appreciate the beautiful crafts of Mexico. The earrings in the next photo are an example of a product that we buy at ENART. We love the designs of Francisco Sanchez Sahagun sold through his company Citlali. Their website is lovely, but you cannot buy online. We have a good supply in the shop right now and a few samples of his work in the jewelry section of our webisite. If you enter the word "Citlali" in the search field, you'll get just those pieces.


Meanwhile, it's April 16 and we're still waiting for all of the product we ordered in February to come together in Guadalajara to be shipped here. Patience. I must be patient. . .

Dichroic Glass Jewelry

Chiripa has offered dichroic glass jewelry since we opened in 2006. Customers love the vibrant colors and iridescent sparkle set against high quality sterling silver. On our last buying trip to Mexico (Feb 2009) we visited the family workshop where the glass is made.

We found the business tucked in a neighborhood of Guadalajara. This was definitely a taxi-ride from our downtown hotel. We had communicated ahead of the trip that we planned to visit on this day. Unfortunately, our contact was in the U.S. when we arrived.

But, Edith (who speaks English) took charge; and, after verifying our identity, we were let in to the bustling business. Workers were firing glass in one room, finishing pendants and bracelets in another, photographing product to place on their website, and working on new packaging designs.

We set to work selecting new pieces for Chiripa. We (and you) can also order online from Mexico925, but it's fun to meet the people who produce the jewelry. And, I could work much faster pouring over bags (yes, plastic bags-full) of pendants and earrings and bracelets and rings.

We offer a few of their designs on our website and a large selection on display at the shop.