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| Beautiful hibiscus brooch |
This is a quickie post asking everyone to take a couple of minutes to check out this give-away... which I am permitting myself to enter as it is being drawn at the end of January 2013 (Yay!). Enough with my self-imposed 2012 moratorium on contests! Val Garber is an American who moved to Namibia in 2002 and took up the challenge of teaching the crafts she loved to the underemployed community she met there. Her blog, Work of Our Hands, documents the development, with her students, of her ceramic/pottery business, which now sells internationally. I think Val is an inspiration. You are livin' my dream, girl!
Since I am crazy about colour, I love this quote by Val from my favorite post African Color Wild and Free:
"Sometimes I have to caution our artisans, that Westerners are not as liberated in color use as Africans, and selling wild color combinations is often hard to do. Myself ? I have to say, that how I think about color, and what colors "go together" has greatly expanded since living in Namibia, but I still have a very long ways to go before being truly FREE."
Enough colour for ya?
**By the way, if you become a new subscriber to Val's blog, your name goes in the "hat" twice for the give-away. SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE "FOLLOW THIS BLOG" OPTION.**
---WHEN YOU COMMENT, YOU MAY GET THAT "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)" EMAIL, BUT YOUR COMMENTS WILL GET THROUGH, USUALLY IN A FEW DAYS, I THINK.
I also love this quote that Val shared recently on her Facebook page:
Let's all keep those small things coming, everyone! ♥♥♥
Thanks so much for sharing that. I like that Val's fair-trade is self-sustaining!
ReplyDeleteWow --that is a wonderful story, and I love the photos on her blog of the merchandise. Such beautiful things :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and WOW how interesting! That is some awesome use of color there .... good inspiration to break out of the usual!! Going to check out Val's blog - thanks!
ReplyDeletethanks Monique
ReplyDeletei love what you wrote about Work of Our Hands ! Thank you !
Val
Merry Christmas to you! Thank you for sharing Val's blog and helping to spread awareness for what she is doing in Namibia - she is truly an inspiration and embodies the true spirit of giving. I enjoyed visiting her blog and learning more.
ReplyDeleteI am behind on my blog reading & writing. so I have made it my goal for the new year to catch up on reading & blogging some each week. I was just reading this blog you wrote on Val. It is wonderful. My husband & I went to South Africa for 3 weeks two years ago. Wow! Can't believe it's been that long! It was wonderful. We loved the country & the people. I have really enjoyed this blog & will continue to follow you & her. Thanks so much for sharing!
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