Women's Work Overtime

I may not be in the store much lately, but I'm definitely working overtime. Got to since sales are sooooo low in the shop.

It's been great because that one house party is still (after over a month!) bringing more sales outside of the store...hmmmm, wonder if it's telling me something...

We've done Greenflea again on the upper westide (across from Museum of Natural History). Was supposed to be a warm sunny day, wasn't, but still a good number of people shopping including Catherine Zeta Jones, Jack MacBryer (Kenneth from 30 Rock) and Christina Lahti with her really cool cattle dog. Sales were fine but we love the atmosphere. I miss the city.

We're off to Portland, Oregon for the Fair Trade Federation Conference and Expo. I sent out a mass mailing hoping to lure retailers to the Expo on Saturday. Would be great to wholesale the canvas bags and ostrich eggshell jewelry. I also thought it would be right up my alley to write again. Besides the memoir, I want to start writing about other fair trade vendors, particularly those that were in the Peace Corps and there are plenty of them! What is it that makes people join PC? I think they are unique and interesting people, but I know I'm prejudiced since I married one.

We're also preparing for the upcoming Dumbo Trunk Sale
April 4-5; 11-5; 20 Jay St.; Studio 310A; Dumbo (Down under Manhattan/Brooklyn Overpasses)

It's the First Ever Studio Sale at ModernPress, my sister's full service design/print studio (modern-letterpress.com)

Get gorgeous stationary supplies, beautiful samples, and find out how you can design and create your own custom invitations/announcements/cards with the help of Carolina Della Valle of Modern Press: a full service design studio and printshop offering letterpress printing, embossing, diecutting, foil stamping and last but far from least, laser-engraving and laser-cutting on a variety of unique materials.

Women's Work will be on-hand selling jewelry and loose beads made from- recycled paper made by women in Uganda, recycled glass and brass beads made by women in Ghana, ostrich eggshell from San Bushmen women in Botswana, batik bone from Kenya, and delicate clay beads from Mali.

We've got fabric pouches and totes from Uganda, mudcloth from Mali, kuba cloth from the Congo and handpainted table cloths, runners and pillowcovers from Botswana,
and I'm bringing linotype prints from the San and elephant dung prints from Zimbabwe...with more, much more...(womensworkbw.com)

Joining us will be Macallan and her full array of Goody Goodies Edun Live Organic T's, new elephant beading kits, and fair trade goodies sold by kids, for kids who are orphaned by HIVAIDS in Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and beyond! (goodygoodies.org)

Come check it out.

I'll be in touch after Portland. Hopefully there'll be much to tell you about!