Fibre2fashion.com, India

The overall export performance from the country has shown an encouraging trend in December 2008, but shipments of handlooms and handicrafts have fallen by a staggering 64 percent. Though a negative growth was registered in the overall export basket in the month of December, the sharp fall of the two preceding months has been arrested.

The export value of all sectors from the country stood at US $12.7 billion, to register a negative growth rate of a meager 1.1 percent. The decline in exports rates in the months of October and November 2008 stood much higher at 12.1 and 9.9 percent respectively.

The sector which was the worst to be affected was the handlooms and handicrafts industry which saw shipments plunging by an awesome 64 percent. Exports of textiles also witnessed a slide, by recording a negative growth rate of 13 percent corresponding to December 2007.

The gems and jewellery industry as well as the chemicals industry also saw exports plummet by as much as 21 percent compared to the same period of 2007. The sectors which contributed to the arrest of the fall in exports in December were the pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and agricultural sectors. Exports from these sectors rose by an average 19-25 percent.

As of end of December 2008, the collective value of all exports in the current fiscal (2011-09) beginning April touched $131.99 billion against $112.73 billion registered in the same period of the previous fiscal. The export targets for the fiscal have been set at $200 billion which seems improbable even if the situation improves in the last quarter of the current fiscal year.

Fibre2fashion News Desk – India

BigNews.biz (press release), MA

Mahavideh Company’s decorative Indian handicrafts has given a new definition to home furnishing.

Mahavideh is a fast growing Indian handicrafts exporter in Jodhpur Rajasthan

We deal chiefly in manufacturing, developing and exporting world class handicrafts items, gift articles, reproduction of antiques, utility items, furniture items and furniture accessories in a wide and varying range (Wooden, Wrought Iron, Wood Carving, Meena work, Painting work etc). Our motto is to emphasize on impeccable quality of products and services at par with the international standards. Our designs are highly creative and innovative and we have a team of excellent craftsman and skilled artisans well versed into the art of converting creativity into reality. Mahavideh also boasts of technical professionals who after years of research and development have come up with top class products of matchless aesthetics and intricate workmanship. MAHAVIDEH EXPORT’S its exotic and exquisite products to broad array of customers across the global horizon. Last but not the least we at firmly believe in the satisfaction of our clients and ensure prompt and timely deliveries.

Indian Handicraft

The artistic craftsmanship of handicrafts could be easily seen in panels, columns, balconies, doors, windows, ceilings, temple, houses and entire forts showing that the skill of the wood workers is not restricted to only domestic use. Wood craft is highly demanded across the world and wood work could be easily seen in doors, house fonts and screens. Thus we can say that the wood has revived and is now being used to design a plethora of items like decorative, furniture, utensils, partitions etc.

Kindly feel free for all type of queries you have regarding these products.

Author: Mr. Vineet Chopra (CEO)

Mahavideh Furniture-Indian Furniture Export House

Visit Us: www.mahavideh.com

Mail Us: info@mahavideh.com

Contact Us: +91 999 499 9005

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Xinhua, China

Tibet will hold a tourism souvenir handicraft competition this month to promote the local industry.

Considered one of the pillars for the local economy, the competition is being organized by the Tibetan Autonomous Regional Government in Lhasa.

Officials say local tourism souvenirs are popular among tourists, but standards can be improved. Most souvenirs here are made in homestead workshops so better links to market demands are needed.

The competition, with a top prize of 150,000 yuan, will help develop rich tourist resources, culture and art for ethnic groups in the region, said officials.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa.

Editor: Zhang Mingyu

India Today, India

Ramesh Vinayak

In a reflection of the heightened security concerns after the Mumbai terror attacks, the upcoming world-famous Surajkund Handicrafts Fair at Faridabad will have an unprecedented security blanket for the visitors.

Beginning from February 1, the 23rd edition of the fortnight-long fair is expected to be a big draw for the domestic and foreign tourists. The fair premises will be kept under constant surveillance with 80 CCTV cameras, eight bullet proof pickets and eight security towers equipped with telescope and hi-tech weapons, according to the Haryana police officials.

Apart from high-tech equipment, police officials in civil dress, dog squads, commandos, bullet-proof vehicles would also be deployed at the fair to provide security to the visitors.

The fair would be inaugurated by the President of India. Madhya Pradesh would be the theme state of this year. Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand would also take part in this festival, according to the state Tourism Secretary Kashini Arora.

From the security point of view, festival area had been divided into seven separate sectors. Each sector would be governed by an officer to the level of Deputy Superintendent of Police.

A team of 1100 police officers and officials, which includes six officers of Indian Police Service, 15 officers to the level of DSP and 100 female police staff, had been deputed to ensure security in and around the mela area, said a senior police official.

By Bruce Stewart Email

blog.wired.com

This $10,000 crayon set is for sale on ETSY to make a point. Small artisan toymakers and those who support their work are worried about their ability to stay in business after Feb. 10, when the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes effect. It requires that every toy intended for children under the age of 12 be tested for lead and phthalates.

For another absurd example and some good perspective on this issue, check out Dale Dougherty’s recent column on The $4,000 Rattle. Dale is the publisher of Make and Craft magazines and is well aware of the problems this legislation will cause for many of the makers out there.

As written, CPSIA is going to have a chilling effect on the handmade toy industry. The motivation behind this law is clearly good: We all sat in horror as we learned about lead paint in toddler’s toys, and other toxins finding their way into many items we bought for our children.

But surely common sense can prevail. CPSIA is heavyhanded. Lawmakers should be able to figure out some modifications or exemptions from the costly testing regulations that won’t put domestic handmade toymakers out of business. It seems clear that where the regulations might make sense for a multi-national conglomerate, they just aren’t going to work for the small, do-it-yourself cottage industries. Surely we don’t want to punish the little guy making homemade wood toys in his garage because Chinese factories are using unsafe materials in mass production.

Without modifications, CPSIA will stifle a segment of society I really believe we should be encouraging — those who are out there making things. For more information on this issue and to learn what you can do to help, check out the Handmade Toy Alliance and the National Bankruptcy Day site.

For more, see also this post in an ongoing series about CPSIA at our own Jeremiah McNichols’ website, Z-Recommends.

Update: While I focused on toymakers in my post, several people have rightly pointed out in the comments that this law is much broader than that. CPSIA impacts any products made for children, including clothing, school supplies and many other non-toy items.

By JOHN FLOWERS

MIDDLEBURY — The Vermont State Craft Center at Frog Hollow (VSCC) will close its Middlebury gallery this Saturday, Jan. 31, and then move to sell its 1 Mill St. building to retire the growing debt the nonprofit has accumulated during the past year as a result of plunging sales.

Craft center officials on Monday were scouring the Middlebury area for new venues in which to hold the organization’s arts education classes, which the VSCC plans to continue offering even as it enters a period of self-imposed hibernation. It’s too soon to tell when and where the country’s first state craft center will re-emerge in the community it has called home since 1971.

“Nobody on the board takes lightly having to take these actions, but we also understand our financial responsibility to our employees and to artist members,” VSCC board Chairman Chad Somerset said on Monday. “We have to make the right decisions on their behalf. We don’t want to get into a tight spot we can’t get out of. We want to do it in a thoughtful manner and figure out the next, best step for Frog Hollow.”

The VSCC will continue to operate its gallery on Church Street in Burlington, though officials are considering privatizing that venture.

The impending closure of the VSCC’s Middlebury headquarters comes seven months after the organization ceased its operations in Manchester. Deidre Healey, executive director of the VSCC, explained the souring economy has had a disastrous effect on sales at the craft center, which counts more than 300 artists from throughout the state as members. Revenues at the Middlebury and Burlington galleries were down a combined $300,000 between 2007 and 2008, according to Healey.

Craft center officials took several steps to minimize the red ink. Along with closing the Manchester outlet, the VSCC overhauled its bookkeeping department and stepped up its fund drive, which netted $50,000 in 2008 — a sharp increase from the approximately $6,000 raised in 2007.

Still, Healey and her colleagues learned this past fall that the Middlebury gallery’s days were probably numbered.

“In September, we saw there had been a big dip (in sales), and it was pretty dramatic,” Healey said. “We were on alert, at that point. We started working our way through October and saw more of the same. The board started making financial projections and saw our organization was in considerable trouble and that we needed to figure something out — and figure it out fast.”

Healey explained the timing of the sluggish art sales couldn’t have been worse, as it coincided with the all-important holiday shopping season during which the Burlington and Middlebury galleries tend to record the bulk of their annual sales.

The center recently appealed, in vain, to state officials for a special budget appropriation of $100,000 to help the VSCC weather its current financial storm. Somerset and Healey had reasoned that since the VSCC had sold a combined total of $20 million in artwork over the past decade to generate $1.4 million in sales tax revenues, it was appropriate to ask the state for a little money back.

“Frog Hollow is good for the business of Vermont and we expected to be able to make that case,” Healey said.

But the state itself is facing a multi-million-dollar budget deficit and has no money to spare.

VSCC officials notified member-artists in November that things were looking grim. Then, earlier this month, the board of directors made a tough decision.

“We decided we were going to suspend operations in Middlebury altogether,” Healey said. The center was scheduled to hold a sale at the Middlebury store from Wednesday, Jan. 27, through its final day of operation on Saturday, Jan. 31. Artists are being asked to collect any of their wares that don’t sell.

Center officials this week were speaking with a local broker to list the 1 Mill St. property, currently assessed by the town at $283,700. The structure has a 4,000-square-foot gallery and another 3,000 square feet of space for its arts education classes. Plans call for the organization to re-emerge in a much smaller headquarters in the Middlebury area that will host a smaller staff sometime in the future.

Healey said it appears likely the organization’s administrative functions will move to Burlington, at least in the short-term.

The VSCC, which is not filing for bankruptcy, plans to use proceeds from the sale of the building to retire debt and position itself as a stronger, leaner operation when it re-emerges.

The VSCC currently employs around 15 people, approximately eight of whom staff the gallery on a part-time basis. Healey was unsure on Monday about how many people will lose their jobs when the lights go out at the Middlebury gallery.

CLASSES CONTINUE

She said VSCC’s education classes will be go on through at least the winter and early spring at locations that will be announced in the near future. Some area artists, for example, are being recruited to host classes in their studio space.

Frog Hollow Craft School will hold a meeting at the Ilsley Library community room on Monday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. to discuss the end of classes at 1 Mill St., and the future of those classes in other spots in the community. Anyone with questions or suggestions is invited to attend or to contact Barb Nelson at 388-3177, ext. 7, or e-mail at bnelson@froghollow.org.

Healey said area artists are lamenting the upcoming closure of the Frog Hollow gallery, but she noted the VSCC is not the only arts organization that has fallen on tough economic times.

“People are, of course, disappointed, but I got an e-mail from one artist … who said ‘This is the third notice like this I’ve gotten from one of my galleries recently,’” Healey said. “There are other arts organizations in Vermont that are hard-hit. Chaffee Arts Center (in Rutland) suspended their operations for the winter and they are looking at selling their building. We are hearing bits and pieces from different organizations that are having to make similar sacrifices.”

Weybridge-based wood carver Gary Starr has been involved with the VSCC for 23 years, as a board member and exhibitor. He maintains his own Web site (www.stardecoys.com) and sells his wares through 14 different stores throughout the country, but said Frog Hollow has been a very important venue through which he and other artists have gained sales and exposure.

“It’s certainly a blow to local artists,” Starr said of the latest VSCC news. “It will definitely make a difference for my business. Frog Hollow was an important outlet, not just for Middlebury, but for Vermont.”

Healey hopes the VSCC will soon be back to serve Starr and hundreds of other artists throughout the state.

“We don’t want this to be a permanent stop, but we have to do something,” Healey said.

“It isn’t the end. Some incarnation of Frog Hollow will go forward.”

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Times of India, India

VARANASI: There is a strong need to preserve handicraft that has defined the rich cultural heritage of this old city for centuries: Said BB

Vahan, joint director, ministry of textiles, Government of India, while inaugurating a ‘Handicraft Marketing Workshop’ in Sarnath on Wednesday.

Highlighting a number of programmes to promote handicraft in Varanasi region, Mangala Singh, assistant director (handicraft) said the region was witnessing 17 Ambedkar handicraft development programmes, innovative design training programme and special handicraft training programme for artisans.

“As many as 68,664 artisans in the region have got identity cards while 522 artisans have witnessed distribution of Rs 1,76,90,000 as loan under credit cards scheme,” he added. “In addition, 68,000 artisans have been also included in Rajiv Gandhi Health Insurance Scheme in the region,” he informed.

The marketing and service extension centre, under the office of the development commissioner (handicraft), organised the workshop.

Inquirer.net, Philippines

By Karen Lapitan

Southern Luzon Bureau

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance

PAETE, Laguna—It was boredom that pushed a couple here to go into a business that they never thought would penetrate the international market.

Roberto Cabrera, 62, and wife Vilma, 60, decided to venture into handicraft in 1988, when they felt they were no longer happy managing their small retail. “It was too monotonous,” Vilma recalls of their life before. “We do the same things every day, so we thought of coming up with a new business.”

And so, Rhema-J Handicrafts was born. The trade name was culled from the names of their children: Rhea, Marry Ann and Jassed.

After a while, the name was changed to Cabrera’s Handicrafts.

Today, the company goes by the name R. Cabrera’s Gifts and Collection (RCGC), giving pride to locally made products by invading the global market.

Terrace

With a starting capital of P3,000, the couple hired three production workers and turned their house’s terrace into a workplace.

“What we had then was only a 10-square meter space for the production,” Vilma said.

Initially, they made wooden pendants for a native necklace business of a client who was into export. This client ordered P20,000 worth of products after the couple showed samples of their designs.

That presented a production problem for them, having only P3,000 with which to deliver on a huge initial order.

But the couple did not want to borrow.

“We wanted to expand our business on our own,” Vilma told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

At the time, they did not have their own equipment. Even the packaging of their initial products was simple.

“My husband would just improvise,” Vilma said. “Boxes of cigarettes served as our main packaging material [for our finished products].”

To resolve their problem, they asked for a down payment to buy the raw materials.

After the initial bulk order, other customers went directly to their small office to inquire about their other products.

“We did not have a defined marketing strategy then,” Vilma said. “The clients were the ones who would ask us about our products.”

Apart from wooden pendants, they also made indigenous home decors, paper-based products, event souvenirs, kitchen wares and wooden signs.

More than the profit, the couple stressed that the quality of the products and the integrity of the owners matter most.

“At first, it may look strange that we had to turn down some business deals,” Vilma explained. “But we knew our capacity and we did not want to put our … credibility at risk.”

Before making a deal, RCGC management ensures that their employees will have ample time to work on the order. They also try to make sure that each product is of high quality.

Continued growth

Ten years after its establishment, RCGC has a firm foothold in the local market.

At first, they introduced overruns to buyers interested in their products.

The local buyers were impressed with the quality and designs of the products, Vilma said.

This additional demand for their products prompted them to open a store in Paete, Laguna.

The terrace that served as their work place was replaced by a larger work area for the production of handicraft and gift items.

“Production [entailed] up to 50,000 pieces of decorative items and other products,” Vilma explained, adding that she and her husband also derived great satisfaction in providing job opportunities.

They now have 25 regular employees and at least 20 subcontract workers, depending on the orders from clients.

In 2001, they opened another store in Olivarez Plaza in Los Baños. This was followed by another in Market! Market! in Taguig, which they named Kyosh Novelty Shop. The couple’s daughter, Rhea, now manages the shop.

After two years, they opened their third store in Phase 2 of Market! Market!

Now, R. Cabrera Gifts and Collections indirectly exports products to Singapore, Europe and North America through their distributors and buyers.

Vilma said they were also planning to open another branch in Metro Manila.

Sharing

The P3,000 in capital and the 10-sq. m. workplace have taken them far.

Vilma said they were thankful for the success of their business, which they also attributed to their workers.

The first artist that they hired when they started more than 20 years ago is still with them.

“It really feels good to know that we have loyal and efficient workers with us,” Vilma said, recalling how some of their other workers became successful later in life.

She added that they do not really treat their workers as mere employees but as family.

“We even eat the same dishes during meals,” Vilma said.

Aside from seeing to the welfare of their workers, the couple is also into charity work, which they claim is their way of sharing with others the success they now enjoy.

Yemen Observer, Yemen

Life’s hardships can sometimes lead to creativity, especially if the person in question perseveres and triumphs over these difficulties. This is exactly what happened when two young Yemeni men, Abdullah al-Jabri and Saleem al-Dawsary became professionals with their unique handicraft.

Al-Dawsary and al-Jabri took old boxes and old guns no longer used in the market and encrusted them with agate, coral or shells to turn them from old scraps into beautiful and unique antiquities.

Though they lack a specific place to exhibit their work, they are quite popular in the market and sell their work on demand. “On demand, we inscribe all the kinds of names, words and sometimes proverbs. We feel very proud when we turn an old gun, sometimes around one-hundred years old, into a masterpiece” said by al-Dawsary. He later added that they learnt this handicraft four years ago at the copper brokerage, but they develop their product to make it unique in the market.

Al-Jabri expressed in a sad tone how the kidnapping of tourists affects their business, though he confirmed the Minster of Culture, Dr. Mohammed al-Maflehi and Dr. Khaled al-Rowaishanas as being among their sponsors. He added that their work is being considered as a branch of Yemeni heritage, and as such, it should be protected.

The Manchester Times, NJ

By Jo Ann La Russo

Wildlife and water fowl in art forms of wood carvings, paintings, ceramics and jewelry were on display at the 25th Art and Decoy Festival sponsored by the Ocean County YMCA.

The event held over the weekend at Central Regional High School brought carvers, collectors, artists and craftsman, along with the curious to check out traditional gunning decoys and decorative pieces for sale and competition.

Janet Sellitto, special events director of the Ocean County YMCA, and a host of volunteers welcomed visitors to the event that was chock full of decoys for the amateur and the professional and exhibitors came from far and near.

Jim Estelle of Mayetta displayed his old hunting decoys and prints. “Some of these decoys are priced from $45 to $1,200,” said Estelle, in business for 38 years.

Carvers were everywhere. F.J. Valentino of Gibbstown said that he carves mostly decorative water fowl. His efforts won him the title New Jersey State Champion for his decorative mallard.

“I took up carving following a tragedy in my family,” he said. “It’s a very relaxing hobby.”

Tom Stewart of Long Island took first place in the Best in Show division for his decorative shore bird. Corey Mitchell of Wilmington, Delaware, won first place in the junior division for his water fowl carving.

Bob and Nick Gagliardi of Pennsauken displayed hand carved wood fish and lures along with ceramic sea bass figures.

Books on wildlife, artwork, prints, photography, life-size and miniature artwork, maritime artwork, original watercolors, museum and environmental exhibits were on display.

On Saturday, judges took their work seriously as they studied decoys that were floating in a tank of water. “They make sure the decoys don’t flip over or turn to the side,” said Sellitto. “They are judging for balance.”

W. Fred Reitmeyer of Pomona took first place for his Barnegat Bay traditional gunning bird.

Although the decoy show was held in Toms River for the past several years, Sellitto said that the move to Berkeley Township was a good one and that after 25 years the annual show is still going strong. “This location is very accessible to the parkway. A lot of our carvers come from different areas and they come each year. Everyone is comfortable here.”

Popular at the show was the paint-a-duck table where children, assisted by YMCA volunteers, hand painted their own decoy to take home and display.

Ellie Schmieder, 7, of Manasquan painted a shore bird. “It’s pretty neat,” said her brother, Stephen, 6.

Eight-year-old Hope of Toms River, and twins, Will and Riley, 7, of Palmyra, opted for bright colors.

All proceeds from the Art and Decoy Festival benefit the Ocean County YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign.

Gretchen Surette, a YMCA festival committee member, also pointed out that last year, the YMCA awarded over $400,000 in scholarships.

“The show is very well put together,” said George Bates and Steve D’Amico of Cherry Hill Township.

D’Amico has tried his hand at carving. “I started working with cork,” he said, “but my carvings are not ready to go on display here,” he said, looking around the room.

Hundreds of visitors were at the festival. Cathleen Engelsen of Tuckerton displayed artwork that included scenes of Ocean County history and Barnegat Bay sneakboxes.

Jane Buda of Lake Hopatcong admired a wreath and a gift basket made from local sea life shells by Pat Kingman. Raymond Mancini’s artistic collage captured the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin along with many old time scenes. John M. Wood of Hamilton displayed his carvings and paintings.

Central Regional students Lee Ann, Caitlyn and Alyssa checked out novelty items, musical frogs.

Over the weekend, students from Central Regional’s Key Club worked concession stands for visitors’ convenience.

Debbie Lonieski and Gloria Ruscitti, club co-advisors, said the students were hoping to fund upcoming activities.

Sam Nasto, a volunteer art teacher at the Toms River Senior Center, stopped in for a visit.

“I’m looking for some wood,” said Nasto, who is also a carver. “It’s good to see all the decoys. I’ve been coming to this exhibit for years.”