Haven't found the original source-link for these,
but they gave me a giggle tonight so sharing anyway.
2/16/12
2/14/12
Sharing the love & a chuckle or 2
The neo-luddite in me can't seem to crop the embedded video today. Just click the link above to view with correct sizing on original site.
Wishing you a loooovely Valentine's Day!
2/13/12
Music Monday - it's a luuuuv thang
Xmas Dolly is hosting a new Musical Monday & with V-day right around the corner we're sharing the love today. I'm going for more of a bwong-chicka-bwong-bwong vibe with my Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell selection tonight:
Be sure to pop over to Dolly's and share your luvly links & be sure to have a listen to what everyone else is grooving to this week.
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Doh - I totally forgot to share mixed media artist Jodi Ohl's Valentines Day giveaway last week. You can still sneak an entry in... if it is not yet the 14th. Jodi is giving away a free online art workshop as well as a signed Jan/Feb issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. Click here for details & to enter.
And if you comment on my Artsnark blog before the 23rd, you are automatically entered in my random drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Novica.com. Click here for details.
2/8/12
My first micro-loan
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| silver band 'Aesthetic Peru' by Adrian Miranda |
Yesterday I posted a great giveaway from Novica.com. On 2/23 one lucky reader of this blog will be randomly selected to receive a $50 gift certificate to this terrific online shop. (If you haven't entered the random drawing yet, after this post click back a day for details).
Novica is a very interesting company. One of their goals is "to completely re-invent the way that artisans sell their handcrafted treasures." To do this they connect the customer to the artisan without a bunch of middlemen. They have offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America & have partnered with the IFC Worldbank, National Geographic and others to fulfill this mission.
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| this graphic & all images in this post are courtesy of Novica |
Another way that this company supports crafts-people is through 0% micro-loans. The artisans use these loans to purchase supplies, tools or other services needed to expand their small businesses.
Where does the funding for these loans come from? Regular folks like you and me. I went to microfinance.Novica.com, found out more about the process and looked through a list of creative people in need of small loans. They explain what they will use the funds for, plus share a bit about themselves and their craft on the Loan List page. To the right of each name, you will see the size of their request, as well as how much still needs to be collected. There is also a button to click when you find someone that you want to help out.
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| Adrian Miranda |
I ended up contributing to 2 micro-loans. Adrian Miranda is a jewelry designer /silversmith located in Peru. He has new designs in mind that he wants to play with and is needs new tools and materials. Click on his name to read about this artist. If you want to see his pieces currently available, look here.
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| onyx waterfall necklace 'Night Rain' by Adrian Miranda |
My second small loan was to leather-jewelry designer Nueng Pakdee from Thailand. (You can see his pieces here). I was drawn to his bio as much as his bracelets. I also noticed that he was very close to reaching his funding goal of $350. Hours later, I noticed that a few more people got on board today and now this fellow's loan is fully funded!
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| Nueng Pakdee |
So here is what happens next:
(1) This artisan will pick up his $350 loan from the Novica office in his region. He will use it to try and expand his business. In Mr. Pakdee's loan request, he stated his need to hire an assistant as well as to purchase leather in larger quantities (to get better pricing).
(2) Over the next 6 months he will pay back the full amount of this no-interest loan. Each time he makes a payment, the lenders' accounts will be credited. At any time, I can check the loan activity in the Artisan Loans section of MyNovica. The repayments to my part of the loan will appear in the Credit Balance column on that page. The other lenders & I will receive an email update once he has repaid the loan.
(3) I can access my Available Loan Credit at anytime. I can withdraw it, make another loan with it, or purchase a handcrafted item from Novica. If I buy a piece from the site using available loan credit, Novica chips in a 15% bonus balance towards my item purchase. Additional options include gifting a loan or helping to fund a new region that this company is moving into. For details click here.
Now, there is no guarantee that a borrower will not default on a loan. If that happens, I wont get my money back... But I have a great deal of faith in people. I think most people just want to improve their lot in life while fulfilling their creative dreams. (Also most will want to keep in good standing with Novica by repaying their loan in a timely fashion. )
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| leather wristband bracelets 'Reggae Sway' (pair) |
I also think it helps that these are 0% interest loans. Having no interest makes repaying the loan seem realistic. There has been negative press about micro-financing the last couple of years, mainly because of the obscenely-high interest rates charged by some other small credit lenders. I remember this 2010 article in the New York Times that had me questioning the viability of this type of lending system.
Why charge no interest on a loan? On their FAQ page, the folks at Novica state: "If we're receiving 0% funds from customers and lenders, we feel we should charge 0% to our participating artisans. Our economic incentive is for each artisan to grow their business and be successful."
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| leather wristband bracelets 'Infinite Red' (pair) |
Want to know more about micro-credit and how it improves the lives of people who otherwise would not qualify for a traditional bank loan? Visit this page which will lead you to the section titled Information on Micro-credit. You will find answers to several insightful questions on this interesting (& controversial) topic.
If you have the time, pop over and read about a few of these talented artisans. While some are on the Loan List page, others are showcased throughout the main site. Every product page also has information about the person who created each item. And if you find something that catches your eye, be sure to leave a comment on my blog before 2/23 to enter the random drawing for a $50 gift certificate.
2/6/12
Enter to win a $50 Gift Certificate from Novica.com
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| etched wine glasses 'Crystal Flower' by Javier & Efren from Novica.com |
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris
I kept thinking about this famous line from 19th century designer William Morris while wandering through the lovely wares available at Novica.com. I get my fair share of offers from companies that want to sponsor a blog giveaway, but I don't agree to many since I like a good fit. When I was contacted by Novica about a possibly sponsoring a random drawing, their association with National Geographic was the first thing that caught my eye. Popping over to the site, I was impressed with the wonderful mix of eye-catching fashion and home decor pieces from around the globe. Equally intriguing is that each item includes information about what part of the world it comes from and the artisans who made it.
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| wood mask 'Blossom Head' by Nyoman Naranata |
Novica states that their mission is "create a bridge" between the craftsperson and the buyer: "We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow." - pretty cool, huh?
They also act as a venue through which regular folks can make micro-loans to individual artisans worldwide. *More about the loan program at the end of this post* So, a company with interesting products that actually cares about and supports its artisans... I'm all over that. (By the way, you can click on any of the image captions for detailed descriptions. Photos are courtesy of Novica.com.)
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| rayon batik dress 'Java Twilight' by Galuh Kenaga |
So now you're wondering - What about this giveaway? Novica has donated a $50 gift certificate to the latest Thursday Giveaway. On February 23rd one reader will be the lucky winner of this great prize! Want in the action? To enter, leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 2/23. It is that easy. I will use random.org to pick the winner.
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| garnet wrap ring 'Red Comet' by Yuli |
Want a second entry? Visit any of these links. Then come back & comment on this post with your favorite item:
If you win, you can use your $50 gift certificate towards any item on the Novica website. Please keep in mind that there will be a shipping charge. (If your item is under $50 You can always put part of your gift certificate towards the shipping costs).
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| wood walking stick 'Eagle Head' by Nyoman Karsa |
In addition to providing the prize for this great giveaway, Novica generously offered me the same amount to play with. Let me tell you, I spent a long time looking around their site. There are so many fun items to choose from, it wasn't easy. I ended up putting my gift certificate towards this unique book stand /storage box.
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| nickle plated brass book holder 'Lectures' by Khalid Ali |
I really love this box! It is attractive as well as useful & will be perfect accent for my creative space...once I get it back from my 8 yr old who ran off with it after seeing the 'secret' compartments under the lid. (see, it is even perfect for hotwheels and comic books.)
* As mentioned earlier, Novica also helps their artisans get much needed loans to help them expand their small businesses. After trying unsuccessfully to find traditional loans for these folks, Novica set up a system where these creative people can take out a no-interest loan. The craftsperson then uses these funds to purchase necessary tools, materials or other services that will help their small business grow. To find out more about this micro-loan program, please click here. (As I read more about this program, I've decided that I am definitely going to participate. Later tonight, I will check out the loan requests and donate to one that sounds interesting. Pop back here tomorrow & I'll let you know which project I picked.)*
2/2/12
We have print winners!
Many thanks to those who entered my latest giveaways. With help from random.org, the top 2 winners are....
Coreopsis from Occasional Musings & Scratchings
has won a 5" print of Diva
&
Pablo J Casal from EL CHOU
has won a 2.5" x 3.5" print of Peacock Masquesrade
Congratulations, guys!
I will contact you soon with instructions for claiming your prizes.
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to leave a comment. Your feedback is always appreciated!
If you are ready to try your luck again, I have a product review & new random drawing to post in the next couple of days. I'm running a bit behind just now but will have it up tomorrow or Saturday. If you like handcrafted items with character, you don't want to miss this next giveaway.
2/1/12
He's Epic! Sharing the Luck
Little Dude's dad always marvels at how lucky the kid is. His latest win was a random drawing at the grocery store for a free 10" cookie. When the bakery called and asked what he wanted for decorations, the Dude requested frosting balloons & "I'm Epic!" in pink icing.
Claiming his prize & getting a picture taken with the store manager.
Time for snack!
...and now he's just "Ep"
After calling some friends to help make dent in this ginormous prize, the Dude asked me to post his big win to my blog "and make him famous." So, here we are!
Are you feeling lucky? You've got a few more hours to leave a comment here & enter Thursday's random drawing for some art prints. Just comment before 1 a.m. (EST) on 2/2 to enter. To see prints & details, click here.
And if you're into antique photos & other vintage papers, hop over to The Queen Be & enter her 2/6 random drawing.
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