Eco friendly and fair trade - sisal handbags from Kenya

You may be aware that Kenya is suffering quite badly from the effects of

global warming. In various parts of the country crops are failing because

it either hasn't rained for years or because there were devastating floods

that occurred unexpectedly and destroyed entire villages making people

homeless and leaving them without much hope for their future.

We have just taken delivery of a small number of sisal purses and handbags and

I would like to introduce them to you herewith:

Rosemary - a hand woven small handbag / purse

featuring leather details such as adjustable shoulder

straps. The bag is lined and has a sturdy zip closure.

Price: £20 incl. free UK delivery

Comes in many natural colours.

Buy it now - click on the image or here for more details

Beaded handle purse. This is our best seller at fairs and exhibitions. A great little handbag featuring handles beaded

from tiny glass pearls and in the Masai style. The bags come

in a variety of colours and have a sturdy zip closure.

Price: £16 incl. free UK delivery.

Buy it now - more details: click on the picture or here

Hand woven small handbag / purse with real leather straps.

The straps are adjustable and the purse features a sturdy zip closure. Comes in a variety of colours. Simple yet effective

little handbag.

Price: £11 incl. free UK delivery.

Buy it now - click on the picture or here for more details

And finally - Lulu. Our best selling larger shoulder handbag,

made from natural hand woven sisal and featuring real leather,

a comfortable shoulder strap, inner silk lining and an inner

zip pocket for all your precious belongings. The shoulder bag

itself has a very secure and sturdy zip closure. Comes in a

beige/ grey colour only.

Price: £40 incl. free UK delivery.

Buy it now - click on the picture or here for more details

All our sisal handbags come in limited edition and no two handbags are exactly the same

(colour variations are to be expected).

How to become an Eco Celebrity

By Lona who strutted down the catwalks in New York.....

Once upon a time there was a discarded lorry canvas that was saved from an

overflowing landfill site by a clever Brazilian designer who saw the potential

of this robust material.

The designer took it home, washed it, dried it and carefully cut undamaged sections

from the canvas. Soon a beautifully styled handbag emerged, complemented by

carefully selected leather straps, secret pockets with delicate lining and

sporting a secure zip.

And so the Lona lorry canvas handbag was born.......

100% eco friendly, sustainable, handmade, fair trade -

for a clear conscience, showing your commitment to recycling.

A signature fashion item for autumn/winter 07.

Then there was the drinking can that became a desirable fashion bag,

but that is a fairy tale that I shall recount another time........

5 Top Tips for a Happy Life

Apart from the obvious like eating freshly prepared food, being nice to your neighbours, giving up smoking and drinking (but not necessarily the odd glass of wine every now and then) and being generous, ethical shopping can have a big impact on your outlook on life.

• Looking your best really is a big mood enhancer. Physical appeal aside, beauty is about your aura, how you feel about yourself and therefore how others perceive you. It has been proven time and again that chemically loaded facial creams don’t do very much for your appearance, especially if you suffer from allergies as some chemicals can cause your skin to come out in a rash.

• Recycling is another great mood enhancer. Yes, sorting your plastics from your papers is a good start, but why not go and buy more recycled products and even extend this to buying recycled gifts for friends or décor for your home and garden?
  

• Buy more fair trade – it gives you a clear conscience and that lets you sleep better. Sleep in turn is great for your skin…….fair trade makes sure that small producers receive a fair share from selling their products. And real fair trade makes sure that only sustainable or recycled ingredients are used in the making of products. You can make a difference when buying fair trade.
  

• Creating a green corner in your home, if you don’t have a big garden, gives you a positive mindset. Sowing seeds to see them grow into flowers, herbs or your own salad leaves is a real thrill – for you and your children. It is also great for teaching and learning about responsibility.
  

• And finally, buying only good quality and well designed products, whether for yourself or a friend, is kinder to your purse in the long run. Which makes you happier. That handbag you bought for £9.50 the other day, fell apart the next day and you lost your keys, your money, your driver’s licence and now you have a hellish time replacing everything. Which will cost you – what? 5 times as much as that handbag? Better save up and then buy a handbag for £75 that will last, is stylish and can be recycled by passing it on to your daughter. For example.
  

That's it. In my experience anyway.

RSPB condemns outrageous Catalan bird-hunting plan

An outrageous proposal by the Catalan government could see British nesting birds being illegally hunted as they pass through north-east Spain during their spring and autumn migrations.

The RSPB, working with SEO - its Spanish BirdLife International partner - is fighting the regional government proposal that would permit Catalonian hunters to use the so-called traditional practice of luring songbirds, by playing their songs, to branches covered in glue.

Please show your support for the SEO and the RSPB by signing their petition against this illegal practice.

Further details can be found on the RSPB website.

Something that really stunned me

This has nothing to do with fair trade or recycling but I thought I must tell you about it anyway. It has to do with health. I own three dogs, one of them is a border collie called Judy.

Judy is now 13 years old and whilst she is still very playful and brainy, she started suffering from arthritis 1 year ago. Most border collies are afflicted by this as they like being outside and Judy had a penchant of sleeping on cold slabs even during the winter. Collies get heated up very quickly as they have a very thick skin. Believe me - nothing (other than her chewies) could move her and I spent up to an hour sometimes luring her indoors. Now, of course, she's lapping up the sunshine and doesn't mind a bit of warmth and more comfort.

Anyway, being a health conscious person and believing strongly in the power of natural supplements like herbs and minerals, I put her on glucosamine with chondroitin approx. 9 months ago. It seemed to help but I knew she was in pain when every walk took longer and longer. 4 months ago I added devil's claw to her supplements which is a herbal anti inflammatory.

And now comes the stunning bit: last Sunday I read in the Sunday Times Magazine about bromelain and turmeric being excellent anti inflammatories. Of course I went to my health food store, spent £20 and bought both. I started Judy on one bromelain and one turmeric tablet in the morning and one turmeric pill in the evening. Today is Thursday - and Judy has made a remarkable recovery! At first she started to walk much better - noticeably so, because even Gary made a comment and he is super critical. Then she wanted to join me for more than one walk a day. Yesterday she ran around in the park with another large dog, something she hasn't done in the last 8 months or so.

Altogether she is perkier, doesn't just lie around all day long and has become more like the dog I knew. He arthritis will not go away and her one back leg is still stiff, but she seems to be more pain free and that can only be a good thing. And I think what works for her must work for humans as well. I shall go and tell my mother who has rheumatoid arthritis, but I suspect she will pooha me and stick to her genetical time bomb injections......

I am going to Norfolk next week for a holiday - I think I should really discover England better and anyway, I want to do my bit to reduce the carbon output and brave the English weather which is not so bad right now, isn't it? When I am back I tell you about my other dog, Bess and how I treat her eczema. I have found out what works and what not for her and maybe that helps one of you or someone or some animal you know.

I have just published a bit of a bio, in case you are interested. About who I am and my background. Go to my website and click on "something about Sabine".

Take care now.

Sabine

Alaffia skincare range

Our supplier returns 10% of their sales to West Africa to fund community enhancement projects. These projects are designed to help lift their communities out of poverty and become self-sustaining. Their projects focus on the future, emphasizing the environment, gender equality, education and empowering communities.

Women are the backbone of African societies. It is time to honour their contributions by working towards gender equality. One way to do this is to place fair monetary value on the unique skills of African women, such as handcrafting shea butter, and compensate them with fair values for their products and knowledge. This economic and moral boost encourages gender equality in the family institution. Over the past four years our Fair Trade cooperative members in central Togo have seen a shift in family equality. Their regular salaries help them to support their families and give them more voice in their communities.

Alaffia and Cebra believe that the future of Africa lies in the hands of the young and that if young Africans are helped with the dilemmas they face - such as harsh poverty and lack of infrastructure - they will in turn help Africa in the future. Alaffia have several ongoing projects, including donating school supplies, roofs and furniture and their bicycles for education project in which they collect used bicycles in the United States to distribute to students in rural Togo.

Protection of sub-Saharan Africa's complex and diverse environment is essential to the quality of life of present and future generations, especially as our climates change due to global warming. Alaffia are currently focusing on one major problem, deforestation, through their Reforestation and Shea Tree Protection programs. To date, they have distributed trees to more than 150 households in central Togo. They hope to plant more than 500 trees next year, as well as expand the project throughout other regions of Togo and West Africa.

Cebra finds Alaffia's skincare range the to be one of the best vegan, organic creams, lotions and soaps on the market and we endeavour to support their projects on an ongoing basis by steadily increasing sales of their products in the UK and Europe.

Gnome-be-gones

Soon to come - the gnome-be-gones. A must have for every gardener who hates gnomes! These funny creatures are made from scrap metal. They come in two sizes and various actions (i.e. holding a flower, skiing, surfing, caped crusader). I expect them to arrive 2nd week of August and I can predict that they sell out fast.

Also new in our program: Raw Gaia and Beyond totally organic skincare.

Plus: home and garden decor from the Edge Company. In stock from 4th August 2007.

See you at the Taunton Flower Show?

Focus on Thailand

I am pleased to announce the arrival of our Thai handmade pearl necklaces and earrings. We have chosen to work with Novica, a company associated with National Geographic, who in turn support local artisans from around the world. Their workmanship is outstanding and the jewellery they produce is of the highest quality.


NEWS: We have decided to support the BBC Wildlife Fund because we believe that we must do more to prevent endangered species from vanishing from our planet. I got very angry recently with the publication of Jeremy Clarkson's article in the Sunday Times about how he could not care less whether the tiger is completely eliminated and that humans are more important than any animal. He seems to forget that if we go on like this - wasting resources, killing everything, whether plant or animal, for profit - there will be nothing left for our children and their children and that we will be guilty of having destroyed our wonderful planet.
If you would like further information about the BBC Wildlife Fund then go to our website www.cebraonline.com and click on the link displayed on our homepage.

Designer leather handbags from Peru

This month we are proud to add 4 different designer handbags, fairly traded with 2 very talented woman designers in Peru. Three of the designs are made by Rosario Pazel using brown suede leather and soft black or brown leather for the handles. The other bag is made by Giannini from soft black leather and features hand embroidery. We think these bags are a bargain given that we only have a limited quantity available!
Soon to come:
a limited quantity of designer pearl necklaces and earrings from Thailand.
If you want something truly beautiful and awe inspiring then we are sure that these jewellery items are for you.
Watch this space!

New products in May and June

We have had a whole raft of new and exciting handbags and jewellery arrive during this month. Firstly there are our Nepalese felt bags and hand crafted jewellery. These are made by a women's co-operative in Nepal (some of the women are disabled and the necklaces for example are their only source of income).
Then our Escama handbags from Brasil arrived and caused lots of envy and "I want one of those".......... these bags are made from recycled drinking can tabs which are crocheted together with cotton yarn. The basic colour is silver, the cotton comes in black, teal, orange, red, grey and many other colours. These bags are the ultimate in eco chic: fair trade, ethical, green. And they look fabulous too!

Next we sourced a range of high quality handmade sisal bags from a

women's co-operative in Kenya. The bags offer excellent value for money (prices start at £10) and are of the highest quality. There are mini purse with long leather straps, small handbags with glass beaded Masaai style handles and large shoulder bags with inner lining and zip closure featuring leather straps and leather tops.

We are currently looking into sourcing handbags and thong sandals made from recycled trucks' canvasses. Yes, that's right! And no, they aren't dirty or disgusting...these accessories are made in Brasil and the canvasses are collected from lorry yards, washed thoroughly and then made into the most beautiful bags and sandals combining the canvas with real leather and recycled tyres (the soles for the sandals!). Once again - an ingenious Brasilian idea, using existing materials that would otherwise pollute the environment and fill up landfill sites.

Festival attendances

This year we have booked stalls at two major events so far. On 17th June 2007 we are at the Green Fair and Scything Festival at Thorney Lakes near Muchelney in Somerset. The festival runs from 10 am - 10 pm and promises to be a great day out for the whole family. Thorney Lakes Campsite has won the prestigeous Conservation Award and is in a spectacular location. Muchelney itself is a historic village where John Leach, the famous potter, has set up home and business. Come and see us and support fair trade and green issues. www.greenfair.org.uk


Then we are going to attend the Taunton Flower Show which takes place from
3. - 4. August 2007. The Flower Show this year has invited Chris O'Donnell and his Eagles and Vultures Show to display and educate people about the importance of conserving these beuatiful birds. I am really excited to go and see the show as I am a huge fan of eagles and I support conservation efforts in this field. Come and see us at our stall in the Crafts Marquee. www.tauntonflowershow.co.uk

We now attend the Bridport street market every Wednesday (weather permitting). We are located midway down West Street next to CandleLite Living and Superdrug. Come and have a look at our fair trade products. The range changes each week.


Finally I am happy to report that we created a showroom in our house in Crewkerne which is open from 1st May 2007 by appointment only. If you are looking for that special gift and you want to spread the fair trade ethos then please phone or email us and we will be happy to show you around.

Spotlight on our fair trade handbags from Madagascar

Mad Imports, our supplier, is a socially responsible company that sells handmade art and accessories from Madagascar and Kenya. Their eclectic products blend the traditional and contemporary design ideas and craftsmanship of their partner artists who use unique textiles and renewable raw materials. The partnership between local and international artists fosters an exchange of ideas, stimulating the design process and resulting in truly special products. The sale of these products enables families to gain economic independence and earn fair compensation for their talent and hard work. Mad Imports is committed to responsible trade, is sweatshop free and is a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

Our supplier invests in several sustainable development efforts. Currently, they fund the education of the children of our weaver partners and work closely with the Akany Avoko orphanage to provide educational materials, operational funding and support for special projects. Further, they developed a partnership with a community of women in Kenya, supporting their micro-enterprise and funding community development projects. They continue to work closely with their artisan partners to generate sustainable economic development, provide a venue for artistic expression and to stimulate cross-cultural exchange.

The new handbag collection is now available to buy from our website .

Launch of new Brazil collection

Well, here we go. Fair trade from Africa - but to be honest, when you see these pieces of jewellery you will agree with me: they are absolutely stunning. I could not resist placing a substantial order when I saw them. The quality is outstanding for the price and of course, they are all fairly traded meaning only local artisans were employed and they received a fair price for their stunning creations.

I like the idea of supporting other countries apart from Africa. And although Brazil is doing quite well economy wise (Volkswagen produces their Polo there - it drives with ethanol and that is made from sugar canes. Still, they don't cut down the rainforest for it but use the land that has either been neglected or convert unviable crops into ones that bring the money in. And they use all of the ethanol themselves - no export here because they use it all up themselve. Talk about a green country. Why can't we do something like that in Europe? We have wine lakes, butter mountains, milk seas... surely the land that is overproducing all that could be turned to better use) it is far from being a rich country.

The new collection is launched on 28th March 2007.

I am sure you will love it. And you can buy with a clear conscience.

Kind regards
Sabine

Hello and welcome to my first post on this blog.

My name is Sabine and I own a fair trade shop where I sell crafts from African co-operatives. We specialise in fashion items because I found that most fair trade jewellery items and ceramics don't show the real talent and fashion sense that African people have.

Fair trade fashion does not have to be dull and boring. Our fashion items are exciting, vibrant, trendy, colourful or demure - but most of all really affordable and at the same time unique and full of personality.

All our products are made by hand and either from sustainable resources or recycled materials. This is important as we don't want to encourage people to waste their countries' natural resources but enable them to "live of the land" so to speak. Meaning they can produce saleable items without plundering their environment or killing wildlife.

I would like this blog to become a focal point for people who share my enthusiasm for fair trade products. Your opinions and ideas, suggestions and problems are all important. Please don't hesitate and add your blogs, but please write in a civilized manner, don't abuse others for having different opinions and don't post anything of a pornographic nature (these post will be immediately deleted).

Otherwise - enjoy! And I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Sabine