An early Happy New Year

Some updates from Three Stone Steps for the end of the year and the decade:

Starting early next year, the 10th to be exact, I'll be on the road to meet with our existing fair trade producers in Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. I'll also be on the lookout for great new unique, functional, and eco-friendly accessories. Please stay tuned. I think there will be great new items in store.

During that time, we will not be processing orders, so if you have your heart set on something, best to order it as soon as possible. We'll be back to processing orders by the third week in February.

If I'm not updating this blog, please follow me on Twitter, @threestonesteps, or on www.threestonesteps.com's Facebook fan page.

We're thinking of beginning a dedicated travel blog--ok. I realize that I have trouble keeping this one updated, so I can't imagine how I'll deal with two of 'em!-- but will definitely let you know if that happens.

So, in the meantime, Happy New Year! I'll be back here soon.

Not Titled Christmas in July

My apologies. Really. There is nothing I dislike more than big retailers pushing holidays up really early. When I was a kid, Christmas merchandise didn't come out until after Thanksgiving. Then it changed to immediately post-Halloween, and finally, now it seems to come right after Labor Day.

What's to do?

As much as I don't want to add to this insanity, I am just too excited about the new, fair trade, very eco-chic Christmas ornaments I'm getting made of recycled newspapers and magazine by a women's collective in a very depressed neighborhood in Manila, the Philippines.

So, if you'll indulge me, I think you'll love to know that they will be here, and won't be sold until after Labor Day but I just wanted to give you a sneak peek:


Really, what could possibly be much cuter than a large holiday ornament made from recycled magazine twine?


I find this one, made from recycled office paper, and a bit smaller than the one above, elegant. Yes. Recycled and elegant.


Similar to the one above, this ornament is made from recycled newspaper beads. I think most people have this as their favorite.

I look forward to getting some better photos on the Three Stone Steps site, or letting you see them in person. I just know you'll like them. But, first, enjoy the rest of your summer.

And, why do you think they call it the "Manila envelope?"

I received a shipment from the Philippines last week. Three Stone Steps now has brand new colors and designs of messenger bags and other personal accessories. Very exciting. But what's actually blogworthy is that these bags come in rarely seen in the U.S. fibers. So, in addition to mosquito netting, recycled metal, silk, and cotton, Three Stone Steps now boasts such fibers as recycled tetra pack (think those little juice boxes where you poke a hole with a straw) and used (but clean) junk food wrappers, bamboo (made into hip jewelry), seagrass, and abaca. Of all these wonderful fibers, I must admit to having somewhat of a mini-obsession with abaca. Plus "abaca" is just such a magical sounding word.

I've posted photos of my abaca products before on this blog--in the should Venus, the mannequin, be naked post--but it's time to do it again so you can see just what I'm talking about:


Cute, huh?

Anyway, without getting all Latin plant name on you, abaca is the fiber from a tree that looks exactly like a banana tree, just without the fruit. The fiber is harvested from the outer sheaths of the trunk, a process done by hand that doesn't harm the tree at all. In fact, in a couple of years, the same outer sheath grows back. And, while abaca is grown in various parts of the world, it's said to be indigenous to the Philippines, and the Philippines leads the world in its production. Ok. End of botany lesson.

Abaca is generally considered to be the strongest natural fiber available. In fact, cordage, especially for ships' ropes, is among its most notable use. And, not only is its strength legendary, abaca is incredibly lightweight. Talk about having it all.

But wait, there's more. Abaca, this friendliest of eco-friendly fibers is, at least in the Philippines, grown by small farmers, working maybe five or ten hectares. So, we're not talking some big multinational paying workers peanuts to harvest this fiber on plantations, this fiber comes from real small farmers. And, once it's in fiber form, it's taken to another small producer to dye and weave. All this is done by hand, too. And, then the producer I work with, on the big southern Philippine island of Mindanao, and I figure out how to design this woven fiber into bags you will love.

These bags have other special, eco-friendly features like lining made from recycled flour sacks, but I'll leave the inside of the bag for another post.

Oh, and the Manila envelope trivia question thing? Abaca is sometimes called Manila hemp. And, envelopes used to be made out of it, hence the Manila envelope. And, now you know.

Even More Test Shots

It was a perfect overcast day for photography with my little point and shoot camera, so I decided to try out more photos in context.

All these items are from the Philippines, and should--fingers crossed, diety of your choice willing--will be here at Three Stone Steps by next week.

(This cute lime green bag is made from abaca, and lined with a used industrial plastic sack. The very sweet abaca flower is sold separately.)

Dangles made with bamboo, coconut bead, and some seed. They'll be available in many hip and fun colors.


I'm least happy with this photo, although not with the product, which is a cute, summery clutch made out of seagrass, and line with recycled flour sacks.

Well, there you have it. Some new products shot in some new context. We'll see just what I'll end up doing with these photos when I get ready to load them to my site.

Photos with Backgrounds: A Little Test

While I'm waiting for my brand spankin' new products to arrive, maybe tomorrow, from Vietnam, and the very great, very unique items from the Philippines sometime next week, I thought I'd experiment a bit with shooting the products with a bit more flair, and just not, as a friend described, floating out there.

I've done a little test with my lovely fake grass. I shot a sample of my new little purses, made with raw silk, and decorated with a mod flower. Here it is:

I can't wait to get them. I'll also have these amazingly cute and oh so affordable purses in black with gray flowers, and yellow with purple flowers, but thought I'd start my test with just one.

So, what do you think?