HAPPY THANKS GIVING!!

hope you enjoyed browsing our posts last 10 days as much as we enjoyed bringing them to you :)

if there is anything that you'd all like to see more often on our blog , 

just write to us.

Have a great weekend!

Wish you guys a great family n friends time together, 

lot of good food, lots of fun and good things to remember! 

Love,

The Green Elephant :)

Artisan Group Feature : Palm Leaf Weaving

Bored of the usual mono colored baskets sitting around the table or on your bathroom shelves? Do you find them either just too dark or too light and not bright enough to light up the room with energy? Well end your despair here my friends. Check out these really cool colorful and fun baskets, that are made by palm leaf weaving also known as Kottans. These are made by our artisans from Tamilnadu, South of India. This organisation began as an initiative to income generation and culture preservation in the year 2000. The foundation supports building new markets for Kottans (palm leaf basket) through interventions that assist craftspeople to adapt their traditional weaving styles whilst incorporation contemporary color and design. 

Kottans - Palm Leaf Weaving Baskets 

available at TGE

Multipurpose Baskets

Multipurpose Baskets, Boxes and Pen Holder

Storage Boxes

Multipurpose Baskets, Pen Holders

Tray and Place mats
While we mention this group also check out these cool palm leaf bags. These are one of my own favorites in the entire collection! :)

Handbag

Shoulder Bags

Artisan Group Feature : NAIE

NAIE is a registered fair trade artisan organisation that works in handicraft and towards the welfare of their society. They operate from the Uttar Pradesh region of India towards increasing the artisan's welfare, building capacity, children's education, overall community development and social work. NAIE is committed to work for sustainability through  fair trade and to this end, their products are made from industrial waste such as tires, bicycle chains and tins. Including these reusable materials, they also work with mediums such as wood, enamel, metal, brass, glass, gem stones, beads and textiles. Most of the wood used in these products is bought exclusively from the forest quota given by the government of India that sells only dead trees. 

NAIE products available at TGE : 

 Tire Products 

Tin Lanterns

Bicycle Chain Picture Frames

Artisan Group Feature : Kishkinda Trust

Kishkinda Trust promotes banana-plant based handicrafts with women artisans of Anegundi, thus providing them with a means of livelihood. The natural fibre cottage industry was set up in 1999 and has been using locally available banana fibre extracted from the trunk of the banana plant, Shorba grass, river grass and other locally available fibres. It has been a livelihood means for its 205 women since it's inception. TKT emphasizes the utilization of eco friendly materials that are locally available. The banana fiber is utilized as raw material along with other natural fibers to produce wide-ranging products including bags, mats, quilts and decorative fringes. Over the years these products have secured clients from all over India and from abroad. These women artisans have formed a federation comprising of 15 villages. Regular training workshops are conducted in Design and Technical Development assisting them to upgrade their skills and build their capacity. 

Kishkinda products available at TGE...

Banana Fiber Baskets

Banana Fiber Floor Cushions

All of their hand-crafted products provide an independent income for village women. Apart from providing financial support, the federation has played a major role in empowering and transforming these shy women into confident individuals.

Artist/Artisan Feature : Pure Ghee Designs

I was just browsing through the list of our eco-friendly product producers and came across Aditi Prakash's work. Amongst all her beautiful work, this innovative squiggly twist given to the Sabai grass basket - the material we spoke about this morning caught my eye first. It's an amazing adaptation of the material that otherwise has been used more conventionally than artistically. I had to but share it with yall! 

Squiggly Sabai Grass 

Basket Close Up

Design Alternate

Aditi has established a research, design and production studio called Pure Ghee Designs that aims to deliver exceptional cultural content and celebrate the Indian design aesthetic. Here is a glimpse of some of her other colorful work. 

Bags made from different cloth types

Coin pouches made of Silk and scraps

 Colorful Mobile Cases

Charms made from scraps

Aditi was shortlisted for the YCE Awards this year by the British Council. She says modestly "Did not expect this! Especially because Pure Ghee Designs (the company) is less than a year old." Well, Aditi, you definitely seem very deserving! :) Loved your work!

Artisan Group Feature : Kadam

Happy Monday morning people!! ghrrrr... i heaaar youuuu :) well i've bought you some mid morning snack for thought for you to munch on... for the remaining four days we'l do some home accents in our 10 day countdown to Thanks Giving by thanking our artisans!

Today we're presenting Kadam - an NGO

This organisation aims at tackling the problems of uneducated youth migration to urban cities which lead to the problems of Urban Slums, unemployment, rampant violence and street children being a direct fall-out of this migration at the grass root level. The volunteers and professional try to create viable employment opportunities at the village level for the youth and work towards good education conditions for children. They train the artisans to make finished products using natural resources in order to create balance in the environment using technology for the overall economic development. The ngo rolls the profits for the holistic development of the villages and artisans. Bio degradable products for everyday living is what the company is synonym with. 
Sabai grass and date palm leaves are abundant in Orissa and are used to make rope and plaits which are further converted into baskets or covering furniture.

Sabai Grass Products are available at TGE

Moon Basket

Round Basket with Lid

Sabai Oval Basket

Available in set of 3

Other interesting products made by the same organisation using natural Bark Wood

Cheese Platter, Shell Spoons & Fruit Fork

Artisan group feature : Norbulingka

Keeping Tibetan Culture and Values Alive 

Norbulingka products available at TGE

Norbulingka is dedicated to handing down tradition and restoring standards by providing training, education and employment for Tibetans. It supports an environment in which Tibetan community and family values can flourish. It reconciles the tradition creatively and respectfully with the modern, and seeks to create an international awareness of Tibetan values and their expression in art and literature. They create high quality products using traditional Tibetan techniques like appliqué, woodwork, sculpture and thangka paintings. 

Applique work Shoulder Bags

Gem Boxes

Gem Box details

Applique Cushion Covers

Artisan Group Feature - Dwaraka

DWARAKA stands for Development of Weavers And Rural Artisans in Kalamkari Art. This organisation preserves and promotes the work of kalamkari artisans hailing from different villages in Andhra Pradesh. It was a small group of handful of artisans and their families who continued to believe and work to keep this inherited art alive, although all it bought them that time was hunger and poverty. They were overlooked and their art neglected for a long time, until they met this father daughter duo - a blessing in disguise. Anita Reddy and her father Dwaraknath Reddy have extended their hand to these artisans and now its a throbbing organisation of over a 100 artisans. They now have an amazing catalog that consists of scarves, bags, wall panels, gift boxes,  corporate gifts and home furnishings. 

Dwaraka Products are available at TGE. 

Here is a preview of some of its beautiful products!

Stole/Scarf

Shoulder Bags

Clutch Bag

Cushion Covers

Small note for Kitsch Lovers

If you recall,  we had featured Indian Kitsch by Aarohi Singh some time back. 
Aarohi is having an exhibition of her art at
Page Turners Bookstore, 89 Kannan Building, 
MG Road, Bangalore.

from the 25th November to 28th November 2010.
So, if you are in Bangalore during those days, do visit the 'Art by Aarohi' exhibit.

Meanwhile, here is a small glimpse of the exhibit. Enjoy!

Artisan Group Feature : Dastakar

     Introducing Dastkar Ranthambore 

available at TGE

Pillow Cover

Dastkar Ranthambore works with women artisans in the villages around Ranthambore Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan. Dastkar's distinctive Tiger motif and use of trees and birds and animal imagery demonstates the communities concern for the natural environment and in particular, the endangered tiger species found in the area. Their products include fashion accessories such as bags and home furnishings including cushion covers and bedspreads. 

Tiger Utility Bag - Front and Back Views

Inside Lining for the Safari Bag

Animal Print Bags

Utility Bags

Coasters

Dastkar aims to strengthen the traditional textile arts. TGE wishes to extend a HUGE thank you to Ujwala Johda, manager at Dastkar and artisans who work with her creating products that we showcase today. The success story of Dastkar has empowered entire communities and improved their standard of living. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

If you like these products and are interested in helping out... you can either buy these products from us, adopt a family or adopt a project... Write to us - mailthegreenelephant@gmail.com