We have had Mexican skulls since we first opened the shop nearly six years ago and in that time they have become more and more popular. The brightly painted skulls are always a best-selling line, but we have also had huge success with the unique black skulls from Oxaca made from "barro negro." We first bought these back in 2012 when we visited the city looking for inspiration. Now, thanks to our colleague Alberto in Mexico, we're able to sell these again!
"Barro negro" translates roughly as "black mud" or "black clay," and in that regard, it's a pretty literal translation. The material is particular to Oaxaca, and as well as skulls you tend to see a lot of crafts made from the clay. It's a porous product so while vases would be lovely you don't see any of those!
Each one is made by hand of course, and they are all slightly different - though all have an intricate, textured pattern which you can hopefully see in the photos.
We are delighted to have received a new delivery of inspiring fair trade products from Craftworks Cambodia. The box includes one of our most popular lines - our recycled tyre wallets - as well as more incredible "Hope & Peace" jewellery.
The wallets have the appearance of leather but in fact make a great gift for vegans as they use no animal products. Some are plain while others are lined with sacking or other material. We also have "Elephant Cement" wallets and messenger bags made from recycled cement sacks!
Our "Hope and Peace" jewellery is a truly inspiring project, using bomb casings and bullets left over from the war in Cambodia to make stunning jewellery.
The items are made by home workers like Chantha and allow those employed to support their families and keep their children in school.
As well as having its own fair trade shop, Hay is also lucky enough to have a thriving fair trade group which meets regularly and runs some fascinating and engaging events. The next one, on Thursday 19th July at the Globe at Hay, features none other than Hollywood legend Hugh Jackman.
The event will include a screening of Jackman's new film, "Dukale's Dream," an award-winning documentary. The film transports the viewer to Ethiopia to meet the inspiration behind Jackman's new fair trade coffee company, Laughing Man Coffee.
Following the screening there will also be a tasting and Q&A with local fair trade coffee heroes, Method. Plus, Jump 4 Timbuktu will have a special guest from Hay's twin town of Timbuktu with some of his amazing leather craft work.
It should be an amazing night, and best of all it's free! Hope to see you next week at the Globe - Thursday 19th July from 7pm.
We were away last week, enjoying a well-earned break after the Hay Festival. It's been a long time since we had a summer holiday of any description, so we were very grateful to Thomas and Leonie for watching the shop while we were away.
We spent a week in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia, with a bountiful supply of sunshine, scenery and tapas!
You can't visit Granada without a trip to the Alhambra, the incredible citadel that dominates the skyline.
It's fascinating for many reasons, but of particular interest is the incredible, intricate tile work which runs through the site.
We found these fascinating as although they are very typical of the area, they are something you also see a lot of in Mexico - clearly the skills and designs went with the Spanish as they travelled over the Atlantic. We have a range of Mexican tiles for sale in the shop, made in San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. They may have travelled further but the designs are just as beautiful!
We have seen a big surge of interest in our amazing Ocean Sole animals over the past couple of weeks. If you use Facebook, you may have seen this enthralling viral video which has spread like wildfire across social media. For those of you who prefer to protect your sanity, we are pleased to present the video in full below. It really does bring home what an amazing job Ocean Sole are doing, and what an incredible effect it has on the local population in Nairobi, Kenya. Enjoy!
ssloth