Bolgatanga Baskets
Last week the EU announced the potential banning of plastic bags as it outlined proposals to reduce the number of plastic bags used in Europe each year, after a public consultation revealed that more than four billion were thrown away each year. After massive campaign a few years ago lately I have noticed fewer people using the jute and other alternative shopping bags whilst doing their shopping, myself included and so was not surprised to find out that after four years of decline the use of carrier bags in the UK actually rose by 5% in 2010. From clogging up waterways to causing untold environmental damage plastics bags have been on the global agenda for a while, and according to a report on the BBC website Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Bangladesh and China have already banned very thin plastic bags; Tanzania has banned ultra thin plastic bags; whilst Rwanda and Somalia have banned plastic bags altogether. Shopping still needs to be carried away though, and calls for something sturdy and durable, a factor which for a while saw woven baskets, and branded jute and cotton bags become very popular in the UK. I just love the rounded shape of the handcrafted Bolgatanga woven baskets from Ghana; they have a multitude of uses aside from shopping including doubling up as fruit baskets if you have a smaller size, carrying some of the washing if you have larger ones, storing toys, or taking to the beach.  

Lightweight and usually available in a vibrant array of colours, the baskets take their name from the Bolgatanga region in Ghana and were originally created without handles, used as storage containers, before being adapted to carry items to and from the market. Bolgatanga is said to be the crafts centre of Northern Ghana with the largest producers of straw goods in the country. Bolgatanga baskets are made using elephant grass, a straw also known as 'Veta Vera' as well as palm and reed and can take up to three days to prepare. The Bolgatanga Basket Weavers Co-operative Club established in 1995, is one of the main producers in Ghana with nearly 1000 weavers most of whom are women. The baskets have become quite popular across the globe as practical yet stylish alternatives to plastic bags, so if not visiting Ghana in person you can always find several places to purchase them both on and offline.

Oshiwa
Creating textile-stamping blocks for use on fabrics as well as paper, Oshiwa is a carving workshop based in Namibia. Established in 1994 by by Anita Brandt, the stamps are the creations of Kavango woodcarvers; Paulus Mutunda, Dhumba Joseph, and Joseph Kanwa who originally started out by producing hand-carved photo frames before turning to the textile printing blocks. Meticulously hand-carved the designs are based on whatever the artist feels compelled to carve at that moment, and each stamp bears the name of the carver written in pencil along the side or on the back.

The stamps are available as individuals or as part of a complementary set and there are many designs to choose from; and although most of the designs are one-of-a-kind running themes do occur, such as geometric patterns that are great for creating borders and stylised depictions of local flora and fauna. The stamps are made from African Wawa wood, which comes from Ghana. Wawa wood is soft and pliable making it perfect for carving the intricate details; the wood is treated and comes from certified sources controlled by the Forestry Department of Ghana. Textile stamping reminds me of my 'O' and 'A' Level art classes where I would get lost for hours experimenting with fabric designs, and uses for Oshiwa's stamps goes beyond the obvious, press them into clay or soap to add unique designs to your creations, frame them to hang on the wall, use them as decorative accents to edge a mirror, or even inlay into table, door or wall surfaces protected with a glass overlay if need be. And if getting to grips with stamp making proves a bit too much, then Oshiwa also produces beautifully printed finished textiles for retail.

Sadly, the economic downturn has taken its toll forcing a slowdown of production due to too many unsold stamps having accumulated, a situation that has seen the carvers having to look for other sources of income away from the Oshiwa workshop. Oshiwa has managed to secure a partnership with Rayela, an American-based company, which sells the stamps through an Etsy site, however despite this the workshop in Namibia still has its ongoing maintenance costs that includes, promotion, production and development factors, which can eat into profits.

...you could have fun with these stamps and once done frame them as a reminder of your artistic endeavours.

Shumba Inc
No words necessary with this sentimental card that captures the spirit of love. Using felt, the card is handcrafted by Harare based company Shumba Inc, whose cute and quirky products I have featured before here.

Miller Harris/Le Touessrok
In search of some sun and relaxation and a break is out of reach at the minute then let a limited edition Miller Harris’ candle bring that holiday feeling to you. Inspired by the landscape and local spices of Mauritius, perfumer Lyn Harris of luxury British company Miller Harris has teamed up with Le Touessrok, one of Mauritius' most elegant resorts, to create a fragrance and scented candle, entitled ‘Cardamon Sucre’. The fragrance is only available to purchase directly from the resort, however the candle can be purchased from Miller Harris stores, as well as the hotel if you are lucky enough to visit. Conducting research for the scent, Lyn's first view of Mauritius from the airplane when coming in to land was of the sugar cane plantations triggering ideas for the resulting scent, which contains lemongrass, sweet cardamom and bergamot notes.

…bring the holiday feeling home with the aromatic fragrance of Mauritius