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.

Huichol Yarn Paintings and Beadwork

This is the first in the series of posts reporting on the artists and places we visited in February of 2009. The Chiripa partners ventured into new territory on this buying trip: Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. Our quest was to get closer to the source of Huichol artwork. The Huichol people create intricate yarn paintings that depict their world view. Below is one piece (14" x 14") we shipped to Chiripa.


In addition to yarn paintings they carve wooden figures, cover the wood (or clay, in some cases) with beeswax, and then enbed colorful glass beads in the wax with painstaking detail. In the pictures below you can see how the artists picks up the beads with a needle and places them one by one on the carved piece.


We were disappointed to learn that the Huichol cultural center we had hoped to visit was temporarily closed. We were able to amuse ourselves visiting the artists working and selling in their designated block. The man below is making beaded jewelry.


Most of our buying took place at the state-run (DIF) shop that supports the Huichol people.


If you are ever in Tepic, you will find a fine selection of yarn paintings, beaded figures, clothing, books and more. The address is Av. Mexico exquina con Abasolo, Palacio de Gobierno, Tepic, Nayarit. Phone 01 311 216 99 17.

If you can't make it to Tepic, visit Chiripa in Madison, Wisconsin

Safe

Since we returned from Mexico (a Chiripa buying trip) the most frequently asked question is, "Did you feel safe?" I enthusiastically reply, "Of course!" I've heard that there are State Department warnings about the dangers in Mexico and I don't doubt that there are some places with major problems. However, we never felt unsafe, not even uncomfortable.

We travel in places less frequented by tourists. Generally we travel inland by bus, avoiding the beach resort areas. As I wander through city centers at night I often see families and older people. The streets are not deserted, they are alive with the activity of communities that thrive on social interactions in social gathering places like the zocalo.


These central park areas provide a glimpse of the people of a community. I love to sit and watch the activities. (There was precious little time for sitting and watching on this trip!) Besides the walkers and sitters you'll see vendors with balloons and toys,


with food,

with a shine for your shoes,

with artwork, with music, and with small crafts. The sounds and smells mix well with the perfectly balmy weather.

One night in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajato we were crossing the zocalo to find a restaurant when I was "egged" twice. I had watched this strange custom in the past, but wasn't prepared to be the recipient of the cracked shell, flour, and confetti that rained down my hair. A couple young boys (who were taller than me), cracked the colorfully died, hollowed, and filled eggs on my head. It was a surprise, but all in good fun. I shook it off and wondered about the significance of the act. In questioning some Mexican friends I didn't get a full reply. Just that it's something that young people do. (If you know the origins please post a reply.)

Well, we're back. We're still tired. And we're filled with wonder at the imensely diverse country of Mexico who's traditional crafts have become our calling. In the next few months I'll post photos and information about the places we visited and the artists we met. -- Kathryn

Late Mexico Update

For those of you checking on on this blog I just want to let you know that things are going well. We´ve covered lots of ground and found new product and connected with old friends. It´s been incredibly hard to find a computer. When I´m "free" I´m on a bus or sleeping.

We are now in Patzcuaro, a favorite place in the state of Michoacan. Our last stop was Cuetzalan in the state of Puebla. We spent 12.5 hours on 4 buses getting from one to the other.

I´ll post details and photos from the trip when I get back to Chiripa.

Kathryn

Next Trip

New Year's Day 2009 at Chiripa, Madison, Wisconsin.

Madison had a timely dose of snow this morning. (Although, it was nothing like what we got at on New Year's Day pictured above.) It covered the dirty piles of snow and reminded me that we still have a lot of winter left. Lucky for me some of the Chiripa crew is leaving for a buying trip to Mexico; and I'm one of those leaving.

This trip will focus on central Mexico with a quick exploratory trip to the state of Nayarit where the Huichol people make their incredible beaded figures and yarn paintings. We'll also visit Tlaquepaque, Jalisco and San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

Beyond that will depend on time and circumstances. We know we will end in Patzcuaro, Michoacan and fly out of Morelia. I will try to post periodically to this blog. Last time I was not able to upload photos, but maybe I'll have better luck this time.

I'm anxious to travel. I don't know if it's the long hard Midwest winter or just my need to explore some new places, but I'm more than ready. I'm also looking forward to seeing friends and business associates who we've met along the way. And picking out product is always fun. What recession?

Kathryn

Our stone iguana planter is getting tired of being buried in snow!

The Greeting Card Dilemma

In an effort to provide a complete shopping experience I decided from the beginning to include greeting cards at Chiripa. I made an assumption that I could find bilingual cards. AND, I wanted something that would tie in with the "artisan crafts" that we feature.

I found cards produced in Mexico with historic Mexican images--blank inside.


cards from Queretaro, Mexico with hand painted silk panels--lovely, but blank inside;


and even some US cards with Mexican themes--also, blank inside. I began hounding sales reps for greeting card distributors at gift shows. Nothing, until last month when I received a call. Leanin' Tree had paid attention to my plea (and a few others I suspect). A new line of Spanish language cards had been in production for two years. They were proud to announce the launch. How could I not order the package complete with spinner?


The cards have nice messages in Spanish with the English translation on the back. Here's a sample:
Deseandote un dia tan bello y perfecto, que parezca haber sido hecho especialmente para ti. Feliz Cumpleanos
(Wishing you a day so perfectly beautiful, you feel as though it has been created especially for you. Happy Birthday.)

I think these cards will be a great way to support Spanish language classes and learners. I'm also hoping the Spanish-speaking community will like them.

But they still lack the "artisan craft" angle that I want. Maybe we'll have to create our own cards with images of the beautiful crafts we carry at Chiripa. We'll see. . .

In the near future I'll be off to Mexico for new adventures. kl

Dinner/Last Day/Watch Your Step/Night on the Bus

[Continuing and final journal entries written by Chiripa partners on the August 2008 buying trip.]

August 25: Dinner with Friends

This evening we had dinner in Oaxaca with our good friends, the Chavez y Santiago family (and friend Elsa). The family carries on a long hand-weaving tradition in Teotitlán del Valle, the renowned weaving village. The oldest son, Eric, recently took a position with the outstanding new Textile Museum in Oaxaca. The museum has both a Mexican and a worldwide focus, and houses an astonishing collection of the best natural textile craft from throughout the world. If you are ever in Oaxaca, you should not miss it.

Federico, Eric, and Elsa at Chiripa.

Eric, his father Federico and friend Elsa visited us in Madison last year, and gave a presentation at Chiripa about hand-woven rugs and natural dye techniques. At the museum, Eric is working with others to save and promote traditional textile materials and methods.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel to finish labeling and packing the small items we had collected. This is an exhausting task at the end of a long day. A friend will pick up the packed boxes in the morning, consolidate them with later deliveries that we have ordered in the Oaxaca area, and eventually send the consolidated shipment to our exporter in Guadalajara. The exporter will add the Oaxaca shipment to our shipments from other areas; check the packing, labeling and paperwork; and put the whole works on a truck for the U.S. We hope to receive the complete shipment, with a minimum of damage, in October. We always enjoy rediscovering our treasures when we unpack them at the shop.

August 26: Last Day in Oaxaca

On our last day in Oaxaca, we decided to travel (via the Abastos Market) to the village of Atzompa, which specializes in lovely clay figures. There was a better selection than last year, and we bought as many as we thought we could carry on the bus and airplane. Earlier, we had also placed an order for hand-made clay Christmas ornaments, made by the well-known artisans Luis Blanco and his wife María who live in Atzompa.

When we returned to Oaxaca, it was hot and the sun was bright. People walked on the shady side of the street. Some of the men wore sombreros (sombra = shade), and some of the women carried parasols (para sol = for the sun). In the afternoon, we escaped the heat by sitting in the shady courtyard of a pleasant little café, sipping a cerveza and trying to organize our paperwork prior to our long, all-night bus ride to Mexico City.

August 26: Watch Your Step

You must be careful when walking in Mexico – I mean, careful about where you put your feet. The sidewalks are generally constructed of rough stone or cobbles, and often a stone is missing. Cavernous holes may go unrepaired for years, even centuries.

For locals, walking a sidewalk is a little like walking a mountain path – you take it as you find it. Then too, the locals are familiar with the holes, and avoid them without even looking. But you should not be tempted to do as they do. You should keep your eyes on the ground, carefully pre-meditating each and every step.

Of course, this strategy may make you more vulnerable to overhead (or nearly overhead) hazards. In many places, the sidewalks are lined with street vendor stalls that have overhead metal awnings. These awnings are high enough to accommodate a 5-ft. local resident, but they may not accommodate you. From nearly every trip, I return with a minor head wound sustained while I was keeping my eyes on the sidewalk.

August 26-27: All Night on the Bus

We climbed on the bus at 8:30 PM for our all-night trip to the Mexico City airport. This was a 1st-class bus, and there was a big show of security. We had to pass through metal detectors and leave our box of clay figurines in the luggage compartment under the bus (where we feared that they would be smashed to small shards).

At 11:00 PM, we passed the little comedor in the wild mountain area between Oaxaca and Puebla. The night was pitch black, but in the little comedor the blue fluorescent lights were still on, and people were still eating.

We got off the bus in Puebla at 1:00 AM, and caught a taxi to another bus terminal. The taxi driver took one of those disconcerting shortcuts down deserted back streets, but we arrived just fine. At the second terminal, we waited for the 2:30 AM bus to the Mexico City airport. The small terminal was lively, and people seemed wide awake.

We arrived at the Mexico City airport at 4:30 AM. By 6:15 AM, we were on a plane headed home.

[Note: The shipment arrived October 31 with almost no damage. Another trip is in the planning. We'll keep you posted!]