9.12.09

BEETLE AND FLOR

I just discovered the awesome Brooklyn based Etsy seller Beetle and Flor. . .

Thanks for visiting our temporary site! Beetle and Flor specialize in helping under-served communities that depend on making and selling crafts as a livelihood. Our aim is to help their designs flourish, whether it be by spicing up traditional creations with a modern twist, or developing a strong visual identity giving the artisans an edge in the global market. We also create our own range of products that:  use these very same communities, paying fair wages, utilizing traditional materials and craft skills.  tackle current issues, particularly urban-environmental.  raise funds to support new Beetle and Flor “Community Projects”.  We care deeply about the ecological impact of our work, and always choose the most eco-friendly materials and production methods available. Below are some of the projects and organizations we have worked with in the past, including an assortment of our own products. If interested in our services or in the purchase of any of our products, please contact Christine at beetleandflor@yahoo.com or visit our etsy site at the following link: http://porcelainskulls.etsy.com

"Beetle and Flor specialize in helping under-served communities that depend on making and selling crafts as a livelihood. Our aim is to help their designs flourish, whether it be by spicing up traditional creations with a modern twist, or developing a strong visual identity giving the artisans an edge in the global market."

I LOVE this gold plated skunk jaw necklace!!
Jaw Pendants and oxidized sterling silver chainJaw Pendants with gold vermeil chain.Porcelain Beaver Skull with 18k gold luster teeth
A couple of Beetle and Flor's projects. . . read more about them here
Top left : One of the women participating in the training program for women, at Ghar Sita Mutu, in Kathmandu, Nepal. We had a brief encounter with this orphanage and organization last year during the elections, helping design a logo and a few felt products for their training program. Beverly Bronson founded the impressive and well-run orphanage, home to several rambunctious and bright kids (and dogs)! Top right: This is one of Kokonor’s tailors, probably working away at one of B&F’s cushions from last year. Kokonor is run by it’s talented and dedicated founder Catherine R Anderson, whom I met in 2007 while working for the Norbulingka Institute, in lower Dharmasala, India. We decided to put our heads together (in 2008) and try and go somewhere with our ideas on fair trade, environmentally sound and socially conscious goods. Too see her line of beautifully crafted women’s sleepwear and kid’s clothing, go to www.kokonor.co.uk Bottom left: Catherine and I were super happy to find the Green Shop, up in Mcleod Ganj were we were working and living last year. The Green Shop is run by the Tibetan Welfare Office, and trains and employs Tibetan refugees in all aspects of paper making: this includes running an amazing recycling program, where paper is collected from each individual household. The paper is processed and dyed using natural pigments, and made into paper and all types of paper products. Whenever we can, we purchase our paper goods from these guys. Bottom Right: Our trusty screen-printers at the beautiful Norbulingka Institute. If around Dharmasala, its a must-see!Latest stuff. I wanted to draw awareness to the need of getting (us) inner city people outside to reconnect with nature. Initiatives such as “One Million Trees NYC”, ask for public participation to reach their goal of planting a million trees within the next decade. But how can you get the public involved, if they sort of don’t care? Reconnecting inner city kids to our environment on a physical level (digging in dirt), seems important for the future of such initiatives. This campaign was an idea of how we can get our kids outside, using existing free or low-cost programs available around the city.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

that necklace is awesome

December 9, 2009 at 12:33 PM  
Blogger the girl in grey said...

wow the gold is so beautiful.
xo the girl in grey

January 1, 2010 at 5:51 AM  

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