Three Stone Steps

An early Happy New Year

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:45:00 +0000

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.

From the you can take the girl out the the English Department department

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:54:00 +0000

http://www.internal.org/view_poem.phtml?poemID=120

Posted via email from ellen's posterous

About a week to go for online shopping

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Here we are again. It's time for holiday shopping. Of course, here at Three Stone Steps, we hope you shop online with us, but if you don't, of course we hope you shop locally at places that carry sustainable and fair trade merchandise.

I wrote a little post about where to shop in your pajamas over on another site, where I'm the Baltimore Green Culture "Examiner.

As for Three Stone Steps, you still have about a week to shop and, if you're in the U.S., get your items shipped in from USPS Priority Mail.

Let me know if you want something giftwrapped and what you'd like written on a gift card.

Another holiday shopping post, or what to do this weekend

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:34:00 +0000

If you're trying to beat Black Friday and supporting interesting independent businesses, like, ummm, Three Stone Steps, you may want to check out Holly Fest at Friends School , at 5114 N. Charles Street, in Baltimore on Saturday, the 21st. It runs from 10am to 4pm, costs $5 to get in, and is jammed packed with vendors selling everything from jewelry to pottery to sweaters to artwork. If you're looking for Three Stone Steps' great fair trade, eco-chic items, you can find us in the new gym, about four spaces in from the door.

On Sunday, Three Stone Steps will be, once again, at the Baltimore Bazaar, right across the street from the big farmers market. (Honestly, if you've never been to the farmers market, you really should go since it's great and lively and almost a big party. However, the Sunday before Thanksgiving--read this Sunday--is their biggest shopping day of the year.)

Hope to see you out at one of these events. Of course, you can always find Three Stone Steps online, and there are a few great items at the World of Good site, where, at long last, you can buy recycled newspaper and magazine Christmas ornaments.

More soon.

It's November! Now I can actually post about the Holidays

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:53:00 +0000

After a bit of a wait, I was able to get these very super fabulous recycled Christmas trees made from recycled 55-gallon oil drums in Haiti. They are pretty amazing. I bought one last year for personal use (and, I never have a tree, but just couldn't resist this one):

Pretty cool, huh? And, not only is it recycled and helps provide a sustainable income to an artisan in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the tree folds up flat and can be used year after year after year.

These'll be online soon, and I'll certainly update you when you are able to buy one for yourself or as a gift.

And, there are several little holes on the tree, just perfect for hanging our ornaments. May I suggest adorning your recycled Christmas tree with recycled ornaments made from used newspaper and magazines? Not only are they recycled, their fair trade too, and made by a women's collective in a depressed urban area in Manila.

The ornament below is made of recycled newspaper "beads" and interspersed with actual small beads:

And, this ornament (below) is made from recycled magazines, turned into "twine":

And, this beautiful one is made from recycled office paper:
And, this last one is made of newspapers turned into a "twine."

Again, I'll definitely update you when they're online, which should be later today. So far, they're going fast!

Update! The ornaments are now online at World of Good! Check 'em out.

The Shopocalypse, or What Would Jesus Buy?

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:33:00 +0000

Please note: I posted this at the Baltimore Green Examiner right here, but am also including this for readers of this blog. If you're in the area, hope to see you there!

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, Baltimore's Action! Film Series will be screening What Would Jesus Buy? on Tuesday, November 3rd at The Windup Space in Baltimore's Station North Arts District, at 12 W. North Avenue. Doors open at 6:30, the film screens at 7:00pm, and a Q&A and shopping session will follow at approximately 8:30. This is one to tell your friends about!

What Would Jesus Buy?, produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), is a hilarious and energizing docu-comedy about over-consumption and the pending "Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!" The film follows Reverend Billy and the Church of the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse. Check out the trailer.

Following the film, representatives from Green America, Ten Thousand Villages, Three Stone Steps and other green and fair trade businesses and organizations will be on hand to discuss responsible consumption and offer you excellent gift options for the season.

So, join us for an evening of film, discussion, drinking, laughter, and shopping!

The Shopocalypse is upon us … Who will be $aved?

For more information, contact Action! Film Series co-producer Kathy Harget (410-440-9896) or send an email to: ActionFilmSeries@gmail.com.

What does "green" mean & climate change fashion

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Three Stone Steps has a little writing gig. I'm now the Baltimore Green Culture "Examiner."

I'm delighted to be able to report on local "green culture" although I'm not sure exactly what that means. In fact, "green" is used so often, I'm not sure what the entire word means anymore. But, what's good about an amorphous word and term is that I get to define it.

Today's post is about these clever high heeled flippe r s (pictured above), which would be just perfect if any of those dystopian visions of climate change come to pass. And, frankly, these shoes would pair perfectly with the mosquito netting and waterproof Luna Bag for that special night out.

Waiting for Haiti

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:43:00 +0000

I wasn't able to get back to Haiti this year. No need to go into it, but it just didn't work out.

But, that doesn't mean that I'm not getting some new Haitian goods. I am! I am very excited to announce that new metal cuffs are on the way, as are very amazing recycled hanging Christmas trees. (You can call them a Hannukah bush if you'd like, and they'd work for Kwanzaa, too.)

Anyway, without further ado, the cuffs. Here's what they're made of:

Here's a photo of the artist working away on them:

And, here's one. (Really, it's wearable sculpture.):

I have a recycled metal Christmas tree for personal use. I'd post a photo of it, but someone stole my bag--with my camera in it--when I was vending at a festival recently. Such is life in the worldwide headquarters of Three Stone Steps, Baltimore, Maryland USA.

But, the decision on the new camera has been made, and it's only a matter of time until you can see it, and decide if you want you own, long lasting, recycled holiday tree. (And, the trees would be great paired with recycled paper Christmas ornaments. Just a suggestion, but, really, it's hard to get much funkier and greener for the holidays....)

Let them eat cake (from Safeway)

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:59:00 +0000

I'm writing this on a Mac laptop, while sitting in my kitchen at a table I bought several years ago from IKEA. (I actually didn't want an IKEA table, but after six months of looking online, in antique and thrift stores, IKEA actually had one that worked for this space at a price that I could afford.)

In my pantry, I have a few cans of tomatoes, a few Tetra packs of soup, and some dolphin safe tins of tuna. There's ketchup in the fridge, mayo, and yogurt, too. I am almost certain that I've more than a few products in the fridge and the pantry that contain high fructose corn syrup. No. I am not pure.

I try not to be judgmental, but I do shudder a bit when my sister-in-law brings home cases upon cases of bottled water that she's bought at her local Wal-Mart. I cringe when I go to my local Safeway (yes! I sometimes pick up things there, although I try to shop at the farmers' market as much as I can), and I'm the only one I see bringing my own reusable bag.

But, according to Charlotte Allen, in a piece in the Los Angeles Times, titled Keep your self-righteous fingers off my processed food, people like me--in her definition, people like me are "foodie snobs and lefty social critics"--are Marie Antoinette-like delusionals, taking joy in people spending too much for heirloom tomatoes. (I'm honestly actually surprised that she didn't bring up the POTUS ordering--the horror, the horror--Dijon mustard on his burger, or mention the salad green star of the last campaign: arugula.)

For some reason, Allen is a staunch defender of her tastes, especially in ice cream. She adores Haagan-Das, which, last I checked, wasn't exactly on the top of the shopping list of people like my sister-in-law, and all the others living through the (say it with me now) biggest recession since the Great Depression. And, in an insightful piece entitled What is Charlotte Allen arguing, the author makes the point that Allen [is]put-off by the very fact that people out there are interested in good food consumed in an environmentally-friendly manner. (The author makes a lot of good points too about food subsidies, etc., so definitely worth a read.)

Allen defends IKEA, and scoffs at people who scoff at Wal-Mart. When driving around yesterday (burning fossil fuels), I happened to hear her on NPR's "Opinion Page." When the host, Neal Conan, asked her about the environmental, labor rights, and quality problems when buying products from China, I nearly swerved when she said: You know, China does have serious environmental problems, but those are China's problems and they're not our problems.

Huh?

Just who is delusional now?

Money can't buy me love....

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:44:00 +0000

....And, even if you did have money, shopping doesn't buy much in the way of happiness, at least according to The Daily Sta t, from Harvard Business Publishing.

It's short, so I'll just post the entire August 13 stat:

Women control almost $12 trillion in consumer spending, 65% of the global total. By 2028, they will control 72% of worldwide consumer spending. But contrary to stereotype, a BCG survey of over 12,000 women in 22 countries found that only 5% of women say shopping makes them extremely happy, compared to pets (42%), sex (27%), and food (19%).

So, shopping makes only five percent of women "extremely happy." But, what about those who are just happy to shop online at someplace, say, like Three Stone Steps, with its commitments to fair trade and eco-friendliness? It's not going to buy you love or inner peace, but we'll definitely try our best to make you just regular ole happy.

Miss Landmine and other "beauty" contests

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The always interesting site, Global Voices, had an especially fascinating post about the Miss Landmine contest being canceled in Cambodia. As detailed in a statement in The Mirror, an overview the Khmer language press, The Ministry of Social Affairs Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation does not support the Miss Landmine contest, because it can create misunderstandings among the public towards the honor of disabled people, especially of disabled women. And, while I might not have worded it that way, I definitely agree.

Let me give some background. Many, if not most, of Three Stone Steps products are made in Cambodia. And, most are made by landmine and polio victims. In fact, Three Stone Steps' silk and cotton producer has horribly disfigured hands due to something that happened to her during the Khmer Rouge reign of terror. She has never showed the slightest bit of discomfort with her appearance. In fact, why not just let you see her? (She's the one in the gray shirt, and apologies for the bad photo of her):

Now for a very long aside:

Whether I like it or not, Three Stone Steps, which sells bags, wallets, scarves, and jewelry rolls, etc., is part of the "fashion" industry, or at least part of the "fashion accessory" industry. And, as a progressive and "green" business, I often gasp when some of my "eco-fashion" cohorts shoot photos of their organic cotton shirts or bamboo bamboo bags using conventional fashion magazine models and poses. Really, the way I look at it, if you're going to take on conventional clothes and accessories, you may as well take on the conventional way that they're shown.

But, now back to the the Miss Landmine contest. According to an article in The Guardian last year, the pageant was started by a male film and theater director from Norway. (According to the article, Norwegians find beauty pageants very "politically incorrect." And, while I wouldn't use a loaded term like "political correctness," I also find them sexist and dehumanizing.) The pageant organizer thought that juxtaposition of a pageant and landmines was theatrical. He's right. It got attention. It got me to write a blog post on it. But, of course, that doesn't mean it's right. It's just as exploitative as regular beauty pageants, and on top of that, it reinforces Western notions of beauty.

So, in honor of the canceled Miss Landmine Pageant, below are pictures of some of the truly beautiful women who create Three Stone Steps' products:

Except for the final photo, all of these photos are taken in the outskirts of Phnom Penh:

At the sewing machine:

Sewing beads on jewelry roll by hand:
Sewing by hand and by daylight:
Silk dyer, Takeo Province:

Maybe a follow-up to Not Xmas in July, but maybe not

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:49:00 +0000

If you're in the Cleveland Park 'hood in DC, you may want to check this out. Save money, help the environment, and wrap really cool packages:

This comes via Reena, the owner of Eco-Artware:

I am offering a free Eco Gift Wrap Workshop, August 22 at the Cleveland Park Library from 2:30-3:30 pm. Class size limited to 10 students (must be over 15 years old).

"If each American household wrapped three gifts in reused materials,
enough paper would be saved to cover 45,000 football fields."
Statistics from the University of Colorado

Learn: Sources for attractive commercial recycled gift paper; how to
wrap with cloth; alternative wrapping materials/techniques, and more.

Call 202-232-9032 to reserve your space.

I am a crafts designer who taught at the Guy Mason Center and received two craft-related grants from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Not Titled Christmas in July

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:15:00 +0000

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.

Still here!

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Ah, the incredibly languishing blog. Looking for time and for inspiration for something to post, but have just been--and this is no excuse at all--very busy.

So, let me tell you a bit what I've been doing:

I've been peddling my wares at local weekly markets. If you're in the Baltimore-area, I can be found most Sundays at the Baltimore Bazaar section of the wonderful under the JFX farmers market. (The Baltimore Bazaar is not in the same place as all the wonderful produce and prepared foods, but across the street.

On Tuesdays, I've been at a sweet, small-ish community market. The Hamilton-Lauraville Market runs from 4-8pm and is on Harford Road across from Safeway.

I've also been busy deciding what's doing well of my new items for re-order. The answer is that people have really taken to almost all of the new products from the Phlippines, especially the abaca bags and the trash purses. Of course these are not yet on my site, which brings me to another reason I've been distracted:

I'm planning a major rehaul of my website.

And, lots go along with that.

But, no more excuses.

I'll write a wonderfully insightful, and funny blog post soon. Promise. (Ok. Maybe not wonderfully insightful and funny, but will definitely post.)

Taking the Easy Way Out: Mothers'/Mother's Day Post from 2008

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:19:00 +0000

For this Mother's Day, I thought it best to re-post my Mother's Day/Mothers' Day post from last year, since nothing really has changed in the history between 2008 and 2009.

Happy Mothers' Day & Enjoy!

Ah, the apostrophe! Where would we be without it?

In my never ending quest to blog about holidays, I found Mothers' Day (with the apostrophe after the "s" ) to be much more to my liking. It's a communal thing: you know, collective action versus taking your mother out to brunch with free flowing mimosas and signing your name to a Hallmark card.

As with most things, there's some great background here, background that those marking Mother's Day eating out and shopping tend to forget. This first little bit is minimally edited from a website on West Virginia culture:

It started with Ann Marie Jarvis who organized a series of Mothers' Day Work Clubs in West Virginia to improve health and sanitary conditions. Among other services, the clubs raised money for medicine, hired women to work for families in which the mothers suffered from tuberculosis, and inspected bottled milk and food. In 1860, local doctors supported the formation of clubs in other towns.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad made a county in West Virginia a strategic site during the Civil War. Ann Jarvis urged the Mothers' Day Work Clubs to declare their neutrality and provide relief to both Union and Confederate soldiers. The clubs treated the wounded and regularly fed and clothed soldiers stationed in the area. Jarvis also managed to preserve an element of peace in a community being torn apart by political differences. During the war, she worked tirelessly despite the personal tragedy of losing four of her children to disease. In all, eight of her twelve children died before reaching adulthood.

But, that's not all. Julia Ward Howell, of Battle Hymn of the Republic fame, as well as an advocate for suffrage and a pacifist also envision Mothers' Day as an "s" apostrophe holiday. In fact, she wrote a poetic proclamation:

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

How the holiday morphed from one promoting the great and general interests of peace to one promoting (unfairly traded) floral bouquets and canned sentiment is far beyond the scope of this blog, and perhaps my somewhat rusty research skills. But, with that said, Happy Mothers' Day to all!

Just in time for Mother's Day: A Trunk Show!

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Please join me at Alexa Webb Artisan Jewelry, on May 7, from 6 to 8 pm for a Three Stone Steps trunk show, where we'll be unveiling brand new items from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Pictured left is a great new travel set, a cosmetic case and jewelry pouch, made of jacquard silk from Vietnam. The set costs $25, or $15 each piece.

And, to the right, we have a cute, perfect for that summer event clutch fairly made in the Philippines of seagrass. If seagrass isn't eco-chic enough for you, the lining is made from recycled flour sacks. And, you can carry this this incredibly sweet bag for a sweet price. It's a mere $23!

Oh, and there's so much more! New hand loomed silk scarves from Cambodia. New colors of the very popular silk screen on cotton messenger bag, more colors and styles of the lovely Angkor bag, complete with matching silk wallets, and purses made from recycled junk food wrappers.

We'll be serving some light refreshments, and hope that you'll join us.

Alexa Webb Artisan Jewelry is in Federal Hill, at 1028 S. Charles Street.

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

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:08:00 +0000

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 meta l, 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.

Energizing Earth Day Post

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day.

I have a little dog named Fellini. (Yes, I named the Fellini Pannolini bag after a little stray found in Patterson Park over five years ago.)

If you don't know him, well, here's a photo:

And, his brother, Mingus, (who coincidentally has a bag named after him) is in the background. since it wouldn't be fair to leave him out.

But, back to Earth Day and energy. Fellini is a high energy dog. Maybe the highest energy dog ever. He's a wonderful, funny, loving animal, but he's difficult to tire out. And, I often look at him in amazement and think, why can't I harness this energy?

I think if there was some way to hook him up, ethically and humanely, mind you, his energy could, at the very least, power my house and, at most, the entire eastern seaboard. I used to think that Fellini alone had enough energy to rid us of the need for coal fired power plants, but, you know, Fellini is now pushing six, and he can't have this energy forever.

I've been mulling this over when watching him. I think about it when I see people run or bike around the same park. All this energy, and why isn't it harnessed?

Then, I watched a video on a sustainable dance floor:

I watch this and think, hey! that's my idea! A case of great minds thinking alike, and all that. I think this is just the beginning.

And, if anyone has an idea for how I can hook up Fellini to a nice, safe generator, please let me know.

Shooting in Outerspace. Booblehead Not Included.

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:28:00 +0000

I'm on the seemingly never ending journey of shooting my new products (many of which aren't even here now, but I have samples. And, they should be here soon. Fingers crossed.)

Anyway, most of the photos are just suspended in outer space. You know, white background. A focus on the product. And, the photos end up looking like this:

Actually, these are lovely (and, in stock, although not on the Three Stone Steps site yet). I mean, who wouldn't love a cute jacquard silk cosmetic bag and jewelry pouch set, fairly traded from Vietnam?

But, you know, shooting photos like this doesn't exactly scratch one's creative itch. (Ok. I did use my little light box outside, instead of inside with a lot of lamps. Chalk that up to my concern with my carbon footprint, my desire not to give our dastardly gas & electric company, BGE, one more cent, and wanting to be outside on a gorgeous day. And, that did provide some challenges, although not exactly of the creative kind.)

So, I moved on to shooting my very eco-chic bamboo earrings, which should be here Friday. At this point, I'm pretty much just testing. And, in a moment of incredible inspiration some weeks ago, I decided to name these the Let's Go O's earrings. (And, yes, they will be available in O's orange.) And, what could be better than O's earrings, than pairing them up with Cal Ripken?

I don't really know if a photo like this will make it to the website, but, we'll see. Bobblehead not included.

Blue Skies Smiling at Me

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:11:00 +0000

For the first time, in what seems like forever, the sun is shining and the sky is blue here in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, home of the worldwide headquarters of Three Stone Steps.

And, with this weather, my thoughts turn to this weekend, specifically for Saturday, when the weather is supposed to be even more glorious, and Three Stone Steps will be in Druid Hill Park to take part in, for the second time, Baltimore's EcoFes t.

Last year, EcoFest was terrific fun and incredibly inspiring (almost, but not quite as inspiring as everyone's new favorite singer, Susan Boyle--ha!-trying to figure out a way to get Susan Boyle in this post, and I did!) If you're interested in what I thought about this wonderful event last year, I did blog about it in 2008, and it can be found right here.

And, if you're hoping for a sneak peak on what Three Stone Steps will have on tap, well, our famous repurposed mosquito netting items will have some special (read low) pricing, and, with hope--praise deity of your choice and fingers crossed--some brand spankin' new items from the Philippines. But, don't hold your breath.

If you make it there, please stop by and say hi.

WSVW?

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0000

WSVW= What Should Venus Wear?

Venus is the name of my armless mannequin. (Incredibly obvious name, I know.) Anyway, I use Venus to show off Three Stone Steps' bags, so that buyers can get a sense of their size and how to wear them. However, she is naked. This never bothered me before. In fact, I thought that usually a mannequin was much less alienating than using a live model, since, well, since live models can sometimes be intimidating because, well, who looks like that? (Of course, Venus has the same ridiculous dimensions as a Barbie doll, so that theory has more than a few holes.) Anyway, I just shot some more photos, and realized that this nudity is not good. It's time to dress Venus.
But, What should Venus wear?

I'd love your suggestions!

Naked Venus models an abaca shoulder bag, with recycled flour sack lining, with little abaca flower brooch.

Naked Venus is carrying the mint green color of the Luna Shoulder Bag, in repurposed mosquito netting. (It's on sale, by the way.)

Even More Test Shots

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:25:00 +0000

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

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:47:00 +0000

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?

Krakow, Phnom Penh, and Remembrance: A difficult post

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:14:00 +0000

I returned on Sunday from a two week, unexpected, free, and non-Three Stone Steps related trip to Poland. I've never had much desire to go to that Central/Eastern Europe nation, but my partner's provenance is, as he likes to say, 100 percent pure Polish, and, well, free airline tickets are hard to resist.

Poland, especially the area around Krakow--a lovely, if overly touristy city--was, during World War II, the epicenter of the Nazi atrocities. And, certain Krakovians are oh so cleverly taking advantage of this fact, opening "Jewish style" restaurants, offering tours to Schindler's factory, the Jewish ghetto, and, above all, to Auschwitz. It was all very disturbing, this overt marketing of a lost Jewish community in a Disneyland kind of way, and this marketing of a genocide. But, maybe some people need to be reminded, or worse yet, even learn what happened. Ok, and also disturbing is that no one running the tours, or really awful restaurants were actually Jewish. There was this mythologized version of it all; as if there was some really colorful people and past that is now gone. It's all well, it's too bad, but we'll play loads of uplifting Klezmer music anyway!

So, what does this have to do with Three Stone Step s' silk scarves, bags, and other fine fashion accessories? Well, they are from Cambodia, a nation with a much more recent genocide. I've been to Cambodia, specifically Phnom Penh, often. My first time there, I visited the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, a chilling experience since it's left pretty much it was when abandoned by the Khmer Rouge in 1979. It's very respectful, and the staff actually consists of actual Cambodians. I've met Cambodians over 35. Lovely people, as soon as they have some time alone with you, they talk and talk about life under the Khmer Rouge, still trying to make sense of the horrors.

So, it was with some dismay that today I read a New York Times article titled, "Pain of Khmer Rouge Era Lost on Cambodian Youth." It's all really chilling. As horrific as it is to remember the atrocities, it's even more horrific to forget.

I'm sure marketing gurus would tell me not to publish this post. Who wants to hear about genocide when purchasing a messenger bag? But, Cambodians still live in Cambodia. I work with one producer who has told me about life under the Khmer Rouge. All the people she hires are her age or older, and are mostly polio and landmine victims. Cambodia may the land of the amazing Angkor Wat, and incredibly beautiful silk products, but scratch the surface, and you'll find people still trying to make sense of the not too distant past.

Now that this post is finished, I promise that my next one will be more uplifting.

News from the United Nations

info@threestonesteps.com (threestonesteps) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:30:00 +0000

This fits in both the better late than never and the I didn't know that, but I lived quite well without knowing that departments, but as of January 2009, we are in the International Year of Natural Fibers, or Fibres, if you prefer.

And, why does this matter? Well, Three Stone Step s is proud to carry three of the fifteen natural fibers/fibres listed. In the silk category, we carry that great silk Angkor shoulder bag, and fantastic silk scarves, and jewelry rolls. We'll be getting more colors in the shoulder bag along with matching wallets, and great new colors of the silk scarves. And, while we're at it, we're also introducing fabulous new cosmetic bags, jewelry pouches, and great little purses made of silk, and a silk/linen blend from Vietnam.

For cotton, we will be getting in more of the popular silk screen on cotton messenger bag, and a new style bag in the same pattern.

But, what's most exciting about this year is that it's also the year of abaca. I won't spill all the beans now, but be prepared for great new messenger bags, and other great things to carry made of this amazing, sustainable fiber. If you want a sneak peek, courtesy of the UN, check this out. Much, much more soon!