We just wrote an article on the Top 10 Fairtrade Christmas Gifts. Check it out for some great recommendations.

tangled threads: Kolkata and Sasha

tangled threads: Kolkata and Sasha: "22nd July 2010 Woke at 5.30 to be taken to the recycled sari market at 6am by Bipol who works at Sasha. – what a sight to behold. Colo..."

How To: Block Print Fabric with a Wood Block Stamp (Wood Print Block) like a Traditional Indian Artisan

Part 1: How to Block Print Fabric

How To Use A Wood Block Stamp Video - Clip

Our wood block stamp re-stock has arrived from India, and we're opening the floodgates. A "How to Use a Wood Block Stamp" tutorial went out with our August newsletter - if you missed out and would like a copy, simply sign up here. To whet your appetite, here's a (very) short video demonstration.

How To Use A Wood Block Stamp Clip from A Trade For A Trade on Vimeo.

"How to Use a Wood Block Stamp" Sneak Peak

In August we will be re-stocking our collection of wood block stamps with the most popular (and now sold out) designs. If you'd like to receive a "first dibs" email, please sign up for our newsletter here.

As an added bonus, a "How to Use A Wood Block Stamp" tutorial will be included in the August e-newsletter. Look for it around the middle of the month, and make sure to have your artsy hat on hand - it's going to get crafty around here.

Without giving away any Top Secret Information, it's fair to say the tutorial will include a supply list, lots of photos, and the top three hand block printing mistakes. For now, feast your eyes on this sneak peek:

Design*Sponge Features Wood Block Stamps

I had no idea that Grace over at Design*Sponge had previous experience with wood block stamps, but it makes me ever so glad I sent her a link to our new collection. These babies come from an amazing organization in India specializing in the revival of traditional hand block printing.

If you've never tried block printing, take up Grace's call to action today and get yourself a stamp and some plain fabric. I doubt any of us will ever be good enough to do this or this, but I guarantee you'll have new respect for hand printed textiles in general. Who knows, it might even inspire you to hop that plane to "India, India."

Thanks, Grace for the shout-out.

Recycled Plastic Tray - only one in stock!

We have only one Recycled Plastic Tray left in stock! These trays migrated across the world from Nepal and each sale supports medical services and job training for rural women. After collecting plastic garbage (including chip bags, drink boxes, and cooke wrappers) women clean the plastic and slice it into strips. By winding these strips around native grasses called saru, artisans are able to bend these strips into a variety of products. The strips are then tied together with colored twine, making the trays highly durable. No two look exactly alike.

Craftmark - Handmade in India

Craftmark - Handmade in India is just one arm of AIACA (All Indian Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association). In addition to certifying traditional craft processes - from hand block printed fabric to basket weaving to recycled rubber products - Craftmark does their best to promote authentic handmade Indian goods. We're very excited to carry a few Craftmark products, and we hope to carry many, many more in the future.

From top right: hand block-printed fabric, recycled rubber bowl,
handwoven eco-friendly baskets, Gujarati Mirrored Wool ScarfBlack Stone Pottery (Longpi) from Manipur

Black Stone Pottery (also called Longpi Pottery) is made only in the state of Manipur using a black rock and a special type of clay called Lisha. Potters mix the stone and clay at a ration of 3:2. Unlike traditional pottery, these Black Stone pieces are all shaped by hand. Potters use bamboo molds to create the unique shapes - you should see some of the teapots!

Wood Block Stamps from India

Hand block printing begins with woodcarvers creating stamps by carving into high-quality teak blocks. Each stamp takes between 2 to 5 days to carve, and carvers must create a separate block for each color used. Master hand block printers estimate that a single stamp will last for 1500 meters of fabric. Stamps can be used to print textiles, stationery, walls, pottery, and clothing, among other things. They also make great decorative pieces of art. We source many of our wood block stamps from Craftmark-certified artisans and organizations.

Peacock Wood Block Stamp

One of our most popular wood block stamps is back in stock, peacockin' it up.

New wood block stamps from India!

We received a new shipment of hand carved wood block stamps and lovely hand block-printed handkerchiefs from India today - here's a little sneak peak. Many of these (and more!) will make their way onto A Trade For A Trade in JULY. Don't forget to "like" us on Facebook to get the latest news and sales. Stay tuned!

Wood Block Stamps:

Hand Block-Printed Handkerchiefs:

Father's Day Sale!

In honor of Father's Day, we're having our very first sale! From today (6/15) through Sunday (6/20) get 20% off ALL stationery products by entering the code DADSDAY at checkout. This includes cards, journals, and stationery sets!

Handmade Paper Himalayan Life Stationery Set - 8 cards

Handmade Writing Set - Ancient Kingdom Nepal

Fibercopia

Thanks to Fibercopia for featuring A Trade For A Trade fabrics on her beautiful blog. These textiles are all hand printed in India using traditional wood blocks. Fabric is priced by the meter here while we have a range of other Indian-inspired textiles here. For more styles and colors, shoot us an email - we constantly have new stock, and are happy to work on custom orders for specific colors and designs.

Product Highlight: Hand-printed Handkerchiefs

Since we're on the topic of hand block printing, I figured you might want to know some uses for wood block stamps - or even just a place to pick up some handy-dandy hand printed textiles. Using wood block stamps is much easier than it seems - just press the stamp into place on the fabric of your choice and give it a sharp whack with the back of your hand. This will ensure that the full design transfers to your fabric. It's probably best to start with a small project - like hand printed handkerchiefs. These handkerchiefs from A Trade For A Trade are made of light-weight cotton voile, and have various India-inspired designs. $5

New Products June 2010: a smattering

Handmade Japanese Washi Art $86

These Washi Art posters hail from Kyoto, Japan. Artisans first make a large sheet of handmade paper (3 feet long and 2 feet high) and then create a design. They break the design into layers by color, and develop a separate silk screen for each color. By overlaying colors, textures, and patterns, the artwork looks almost embossed, and the gold paint literally shimmers in the light.

Handmade Paper Card from Nepal - Sea Design $3

Bhaktapur Paper, a favorite Nepali organization, employs a number of local artisans in their paper-making business. Each card is handmade (using pulp from a tree called lokta) and then block-printed with a traditional design.

Recycled Paper Journal from India $13

We bought these journals from an old man in a little hole-in-the-wall shop in Jaipur, India. He worked just outside the "Pink City" downtown area, and makes all the journals himself. They're filled with recycled paper, and the outside is stamped with a design, painted, and then embroidered. When we told the old man that we ran a shop, he packaged everything in a box for us, and threw in a few free postcards - what a guy.

Bowl with lid from Onta, Japan $35

Ah, Onta. In this little town in the Japanese mountains, potters use only kick wheels and wood-burning kilns, and the town has designed a see-saw lever using hydroelectric power from a local stream to pound the clay. Famous for the cream and chocolate design, Onta pottery is often referred to as "folk pottery" because it is both functional and beautiful.

Once Upon A Tea Time

Priya at Once Upon a Tea Time recently spot-lighted our wood block stamps on her blog. For the less craftily-inlined, wood block stamps are created when artisans hand carve into high quality teak blocks. Although they're part of cultural traditions all over the world, currently the majority of wood block stamps hail from India. Artisans then use these stamps to print beautiful and elaborate patterns.

The real trick is that they must create a separate stamp for each color used in a design. Master printers estimate that one block will last for 1,500 meters of fabric, and once it runs out the design is often retired.

While in India, we learned a few ways to tell if fabric is authentically block-printed. So remember these out the next time you're looking at ethnic textiles:

• Designs do not "line up" every single time - on the blue ginko fabric above, you can see how the yellow color occasionally bleeds outside the lines of its flower petals. That's not a flaw - that's just the sign that an artisan didn't line up the stamps perfectly.
  
• With a little practice, you should be able to see the "block" and how the print repeats. Blocks are rarely larger than a foot square, for ease of use.

A Trade For A Trade

A Trade For A Trade made the Billings, Montana news today. Check out the full article here. Now some strangers know about us, which is really all for the best.

A non-inclusive list of things currently for sale: slippers that look like sheep, Japanese bowls with lids, peacock journals, and one camel stamp. It's good stuff.