African inspired printed pillows

I've always been inspired by African art, and I own a number of beautiful examples, from sculpture to cloth. I love the boldness and simplicity of it, and I think it complements modern design perfectly.

So when I was getting into block printing and saw the beautiful Oshiwa printing blocks I was immediatly hooked. The Oshiwa designs were produced at their workshop in Namibia by three local craftsmen, and you can buy their hand carved wooden printing blocks from the Oshiwa shop on Etsy.

I have used my blocks to produce African inspired pillows, the first pillow is a bird and lizard design on natural linen, and the second features lizards and turtles, it's printed on fairtrade organic cotton from India.

I'm kind of proud of the fact that these pillows combine the skills of craftspeople from three continents, African woodcarvers, Indian weavers, and myself!

Nyaka Grandmothers

Many of us enjoy crafting as a hobby, or a source of a little extra income, a few make it a full time job. For many of us it is a cosy and fun little world which provides a little distraction.

A little while ago I came across an Etsy shop offering something a little different, baskets made by grandmothers in Uganda who use the vital income generated to care for their grandchildren, left orphans by the AIDS virus.

These children are extremely vulnerable to poverty, and the Nyaka project offers educationfor the children as well as income generation schemes for the grandmothers, their carers.

If you want to get involved you can buy one of their fabulous baskets in their Etsy shop, NyakaGrandmotherShop or how about hosting a basket party? They'll send you everything you need, here's what they say on their website:
"When you host a Basket Party, you become part of a growing circle of people who are helping impoverished Ugandan women rise out of poverty. By partnering with Ugandan women a world away, you are truly helping them achieve a better future. On behalf of the Ugandan Grandmothers and orphans living in extreme poverty, thank you for taking action!"


To find out more, visit the Nyaka Project website, or their Facebook page.