Kempenfest will take place over three days, Saturday, July 31 to Monday, August 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

We'll be selling our jewellery only as this is a juried artisan show. We'll have lots of selection from high-end signature collections, pieces by local artist Melissa Wakefield, as well as fun gifts like bracelets, earrings and keychains at great price points - a souvenir of Kempenfest and a piece of Africa. Hope to see you there!

(If you're looking to purchase a basket or other Ghana goods, our 2nd Anniversary Open House is just two weeks away... or you can always shop online!).

The store is a beautiful one, located in downtown Orillia, on Mississaga street (right by the Mariposa Market by the way!). They have a wonderful selection of earth-friendly products.

We love their commitment to be selective and purchase only products that fit under these categories: recycled, recyclable, reclaimed, reused, reusable, organic, biodegradable, sustainable, and locally made. Our jewellery featuring recycled glass and our baskets made from the indigenous grass of Ghana, West Africa fit well into these categories.

We're excited that we get to connect with customers through Eco-centric who appreciate the effort that goes into these wonderful products. We also hope some of our customers will get the chance to experience Eco-centric and its lovely owner, Kara Sears, who brings a positive vision to the community.

For more information about Eco-Centric, please visit the website, www.ecocentricstore.ca.

The Gibson Centre boasts an art gallery, theatre, cafe, in-house artists, banquet hall and art programs, among many other opportunities to participate and enjoy the arts.

It is our pleasure to be selling some of our signature pieces in their gallery store. We are also booking opportunities for beading workshops in the new year and will keep you posted on any news and upcoming events.

To find out more about The Gibson Centre at www.gibsoncentre.com. See you there!

Although fairly new to the area, Magpie Beads was previously operating for 6 years in Orillia. They have since closed their Orillia store and are concentrating their efforts on the Barrie location. We are happy to partner with Magpie Beads as they have a commitment to being a part of the arts and culture in our downtown neighbourhood.

We are hosting a Beading Basics Workshop at Magpie this Wednesday, October 13 at 7 p.m. At the workshop, you will have the chance to create unique jewellery as we show you ways to string the beads and create your one-of-a-kind pieces.

As seating is limited, we ask that if you'd like to attend, you would RSVP either Karen at Magpie Beads (726-6601 or magpiebeadco@gmail.com) or Loreli at Big Village (331-9553 or loreli@bigvillage.ca).

Hope to see you there!

Friday, November 5 - 12p.m.-8p.m. (if you have a choice, this is the best time to shop, and it isn't as crowded during the day)

Saturday, November 6 - 9a.m.-5p.m.

Sunday, November 7 - 10a.m.-4p.m.

Adult admission is $6 ea.

We'll be selling jewellery made from recycled glass cultural beads from Ghana, West Africa, as well as a few samples of products made from our gorgeous batik fabric (i.e. napkins, aprons). We're excited about some of our new pieces we'll be bringing to the show, including a few made with our new "lost wax brass" pendants.

This will be our third year at this event. One of our favourite things about this show, other than sharing the floor with other great vendors and starting some of our own Christmas shopping, is that we get to see so many people we know at this event. We sure hope to see you there too!

Here, we'll show you!

Win #1 - Jewellery is made to your own specifications

You know what size, colour, style you like, so why not create a piece that is best suited to you.

Win #2 - Save money by making it yourself

You can save 20%-40% off the retail price simply by putting in some time to make a piece yourself. It's time well spent not only because of the job satisfaction at the end of it, but you've spent it with friends (see win #3).

Win # 3 - Do something different with your pals

Tired of just doing "coffee" or the same old thing with your pals? Try an event where you leave with a special piece and a great memory of your time spent together. Beading workshops promote conversation and good times as you help each other create your pieces. Not only great for old friends, but meeting new people too!

Win #4 - Practicing creativity is always a good thing

At Big Village, we feel that creativity is like a muscle that needs to be exercised! Some of us forget to exercise that muscle because of the grind of daily life or the administrative nature of our jobs. When we work at being creative, we may just surprise ourselves with the outcome. Plus, we always have samples to inspire you and offer helpful hints, so you never have to work too hard to produce a beautiful piece.

Win #5 - Support a fair-trade business while you do it!

All our beads are purchased from a fair-trade business in Ghana, West Africa which has a positive influence in their neighbourhood, creating job opportunities and standing against child and slave labour. Simply by using our beads in your jewellery, you help your local fair-trade business thrive and provide opportunities in Ghana. Thank you! Read more about our Fair Trade Practices.

Here's another win, it's extra special to make your loved one a hand-made gift for Christmas! We're offering a Beading Basics Workshop at Magpie Beads, in Barrie, on Thursday, December 2nd at 7 p.m. RSVP as seats are limited!

One needs permission to visit Ghana. The government will not give you entry unless you have been formally invited by a citizen of Ghana. I have, in the past, combined my business with missions on these trips, and have always asked our church in Ghana to provide me with a letter of invitation. This time, I thought I would impose upon our bead and basket suppliers for the letter. I didn't realize how touched I would be by the actual invitation.

I received the letter today - scanned and e-mailed, no less, for those who might not think Ghana technologically advanced.

The letter from our suppliers, in good Ghanaian hospitality, also included an invitation to stay with them for the duration of my stay and visit the women who make the baskets:

"During the period of your visit, we will take you to the various weaver groups at their respective centres. We also intend to make household visits to some of the weavers to see where they live, what they eat and the challenges they go through."

It has occurred to me that when we get an invitation to witness someone's challenges, we have gained one of the highest privileges. There are not too many in this world who want to be so vulnerable, especially to a stranger.

The letter goes on:

"It is our hope that the visit will afford you the opportunity to interact with the weavers at their weaving centres, learn what it takes to make the baskets and the way of life of the weavers in their communities. We think that a better understanding of the cultural milieu of the weaver will foster a stronger bond of relationships between you and all of us for our mutual benefit."

This letter has reinforced Big Village's initial vision, that by building relationships and awareness, we gain a better appreciation and understanding of each other for our mutual benefit. Our job, as fair-trade vendor, is to be a conduit for this appreciation and understanding.

And it goes both ways. I will be asking lots of questions and taking lots of pictures of all our suppliers to pass along to you. I also believe it is important to let them know how well their products are received. What would you like them to know about you? How do enjoy/use their baskets? Do you have a picture of their basket(s) in your space? What has inspired you about what you've learned about their livelihood, their culture, or their product?

Feel free to e-mail me at loreli@bigvillage.ca. I'd love to hear from you... and so would they!

Absolutely everything will be discounted. We will be selling our batik, baskets, beads and “glocally-made” jewellery at 20%-40% off. You can pick up a Gift Certificates or bead mixes for Do-It-Yourselfers on your list. We will also have clearance items, including jewellery displays/storage!

There will be door prizes and refreshments. For more details see our invitation below. You won’t want to miss it and we don’t want to miss you!

Loreli will start the year off right when she travels back to Ghana from January 5-20, where she will be meeting with our fair-trade partners.

Besides reuniting with old friends, what she is most looking forward to is travelling to the upper region of Ghana, the village of Bolgatanga, to the Women's Co-operative where our beautiful baskets come from. She will get to meet with some of the ladies who work there and hear their stories.

She will also spend time with our bead and batik producers and meet with potential new artisans to consider future partnerships.

We'd love it if you participated in the adventure. Check out our Big Village Facebook page as Loreli plans to give daily updates (as the Ghana Internet allows). She will also re-open her blog site - which she wrote while living in Ghana. Do you have any particular questions you'd like to ask of our suppliers? Loreli would love to bring home answers for you, as well as beautiful handicrafts! E-mail loreli@bigvillage.ca.

Special thanks go to all of you who sent in pictures of yourself in your Big Village jewellery. We have compiled over 50 of your photos in an album to give as a gift to our bead suppliers. What a beautiful demonstration of how their recycled glass cultural beads are being enjoyed here by all of us!

We'll keep you posted on our upcoming events throughout the year once Loreli has returned from Ghana. In the meantime, we wish you and your family all the best for 2011!

So the bishop is sharing with the politician a little bit about how he came into his position. He says he was educated quite by accident. You have certain responsibilities based on your birth order in a traditional Ghanaian family and as the youngest son, he was required to care for his elderly grandfather. He had two older brothers who received an education as was their privilege. They were a fair bit older than the bishop. One was getting ready to leave for Belgium on scholarship after finishing his secondary school education. He was paying a final visit to the family in the village before he left. The elder son was shocked to see his youngest brother, at the age of 8, doing nothing but household chores and caring for his elderly grandfather. He spoke directly to the men in the family, “although it wasn’t an acceptable practice at that time to speak as an equal,” and insisted they find someone else to care for the grandfather and to send the bishop to school. Because his wishes were selfless, they decided to hear him out and gave the bishop his education. The bishop considered it Providence that he should be given the opportunity to attend and worked diligently to achieve high marks.

Now, he shares with the politician, he finds himself in a position to be speaking up on behalf of the educated just as his brother did for him. His priority while in office has been to set up JSS (junior secondary) boarding schools for girls. He decided to educate girls because they are at the same disadvantage he was as a young boy. Because of culture, they are not the priority to be educated.

In Ghana, it is acceptable to "sack" (expel/suspend) children from school when they have not paid fees. But as for him, this is his weak spot, he says. If someone cannot pay their fees, I cannot sack them, rather I ask them to do their best to pay the fees and continue to work hard. By keeping the girls in school, they achieve such high marks, the proof is in the pudding so to speak. In fact, 10 of the girls have ranked at the top of the national exams. He laughs when he says how ashamed the young men must be.

The politician agrees with the bishop, that people are finally realizing the potential of education. It is the educated who must advocate for education. But even so, people are not satisfied when they are left behind. They see what makes the difference in the people and in the country. If you work with, assist and organize those changes, you will channel it for the greatest benefit to the country. If you do not, you will see a rebellion.

There is no punch line. Assist positive change.

This is now the Official Theme of my trip. And perhaps a new motto for the business, as I see better my place in the midst of what's happening here and the response in Canada.

The women I met with yesterday, work together outside under the shade of trees. The strong, dry winds of the Harmattan blow hard this time of year. Their lips and skin are cracking because of it. They use bowls of water to keep the straw wet while they weave. The wind blows one woman’s basket away when she wasn’t looking - she runs after it. The winds will only last a month or so. The women live in mud huts with no windows, near to the large tree where they meet. These dwellings keep them cool when temperatures become unbearably high in the next couple of months. They farm for their food and also care for the family, cooking meals and making clothes. There is no such thing as leisure time. In fact, when I asked how long it takes for one basket to be completed, they could not give a definitive answer, because they never make a basket without interruption. They estimate 3-5 days.

When the woman are asked about their struggles, they don’t complain, in fact they say they are satisfied in most ways. They only wish for consistent, sustainable employment. If they have that, they can easily meet their needs. They wonder if Canada can help them with that. I hope you don’t mind. I said that we could.

We've had the pleasure of selling our beads at The Magpie Bead Co., downtown Barrie, for a couple months now. We've also hosted a couple of Beading Basics Workshops which both our customers and Magpie customers have enjoyed.

As a result, we thought it would be a great idea to host regular Big Village beading workshops at Magpie Beads, so there will be more opportunities for our customers to "play" with the beautiful recycled glass beads from Ghana, West Africa.

We are happy to announce the first Tuesday of every month from February to June we will be at Magpie Beads. There will be two seatings to choose from: afternoon (2 p.m. start) and evening (7 p.m. start). We do require an RSVP as seating is limited. You can do this by either contacting Loreli, owner of Big Village, or Karen, owner of Magpie. Check out details below for our next workshop at Magpie!

Would love to see you there!

Big Village Beading Basics Workshop at The Magpie Bead Co.

Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Time: 2 p.m. and/or 7 p.m. (workshop runs approximately 2 1/2 hours)

Location: 15 Dunlop Street East, Barrie

Cost: Pay only for the piece(s) you make. Refer to our Price List for more details.

RSVP:

Loreli, owner of Big Village: (705) 331-9553 or loreli@bigvillage.ca

Karen, owner of Magpie Beads: (705) 726-6601 or magpiebeadco@gmail.com

As many of you know, I've been bringing in the cotton batik fabric from Ghana for some time now. I've been selling this fabric through Thimbles & Things in Orillia and as finished products, such as our aprons, pillows, tablecloths and napkins through My Front Porch, as well as directly.

Now, I'm no seamstress, but this beautiful fabric was a large part of my life while living in Ghana. The men, women and children wore outfits of batik and I also had a few pieces made for myself. Batik just REMINDS me of Ghana and its people, so vivid and beautiful.

Betty Batik, our instructor

Since I've been selling it, I have been interested in learning the process, rather than just the theory, of making batik. What better way to learn than to actually do it myself! I signed up, along with two friends, for a tutorial with a lovely lady I met in Ghana a few years ago, whom I like to call "Betty Batik." Betty Batik and co. were kind and patient teachers. Take a look!

I took the class with my friends, Sylvia, who runs the Baptist Mission House we call "home" in Accra, and, Adele, who travelled with me in Ghana and is our Big Village seamstress.

Sylvia (L) and Adele (R) take the batik class with me.

First step was to DECIDE (so many options!) what image we wanted for our stamps. I chose the continent of Africa - can't get much more African than that! Our instructor actually free-handed our stamps with a pen, then cut the shape out with a straight razor. My batik would not look as cool without his help, that's for sure!

Instructor free-hands our stamp designs

Some of the more popular patterns for Batik are the cultural Adinkra symbols which are full of meaning. Adele chose a symbol meaning "endurance," which is actually perfect for her since she's like the Energizer Bunny!

Adele's stamp is an Adinkra symbol, meaning endurance

We took our finished stamps carved out of a sponge (traditional stamps are made from clay or wood) and dipped it into the hot wax (warmed in a bowl over fire). We "flung" out the excess wax back into the bowl (got stung a couple times when more than one of us would do this at the same time).

Gathered around the bowl of hot wax

Adele flings her sponge to reduce the excess wax

We stamped our cloth with the wax one, two, three times, then go for a wax refill.

Queen starts us off

We were doing the "half-drop" technique. I'm not sure how many different techniques there are, but obviously, this is one even beginners can do. It meant that we would stamp the cloth once, then dye the fabric, then add another stamp, then dye again. This could be done several times to create more intricate patterns and designs, but given our timeline, we only did it twice - and it still took us 6 hours!

First stage of my "half-drop" design!

I forgot to take pictures of the cloth getting dyed - which was simply a matter of immersing the cloth in a large bowl of dye. I asked for combo of light blue and brown for my material. After the first stamping and dying my cloth looked bright blue. Although I actually liked it, Betty assured me that the blue would decrease in brilliance by the time we were finished. Part of their expertise was understanding the how to mix and apply the dye throughout the process to achieve the proper end result.

My bright blue would lose brilliance throughout the process

After being dyed, the cloth was dried outside and then time for the second stamping!

I complete Step 2 of half-drop technique

Second time was a cinch! I had the hang of stamping by now and it took me hardly any time at all to complete it. The first time, I'd actually made a couple mistakes - dropped the stamp on the cloth with lots of wax in it, whoops! But our instructor assured us there are no mistakes in batiking as the error can be removed with some boiling water. Whew!

Once we finished stamping, we dyed our fabric again. We graduated from lightest dye to darkest dye mix. I started with blue and added brown. The cloth looked murky with all that dye and wax.

While our cloth dried in the African sun - it only took about 30 minutes - the men prepared a large pot of boiling water outside over a fire.

Our batik dries in the hot sun

Pot of boiling water is prepared.

This seemed to be the longest part of the wait! The cloth was boiled and as the wax came off, it rose to the top and was skimmed off with a ladle. The wax would be reused. We believed our wax must have been reused several times or was fairly old because it took a very long time to come off our cloth. I saw my bright blue turn to a light blue through this process.

Wax is boiled off Adele's cloth, skimmed from the top to be reused

Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to go, given that it was our last day in Ghana and still had some last minute souvenirs to collect and packing to do! Betty suggested that she finish up the boiling. She said the only step we would miss would be ironing the cloth.

Betty Batik examines Adele's cloth, Sylvia's also there hanging to dry, mine still boiling...

Betty Batik kept her word. She delivered our batik beautifully ironed and folded. We parted ways, but promised to keep in touch. Hopefully we'll be able to continue with Batiking 102 on the next trip!

The only thing I have to do now is decide what to turn it into...

Swatch of my finished batik

During the hour and a half workshop, the kids will participate in cultural games and fun facts about Ghana, along with a beading activity for the kids where they get to create a bracelet out of our recycled glass bottle and hand-painted cultural beads from Ghana, West Africa.

Bonus, we bring the party to you! There's no need to make arrangements to transport the kids to another location. We easily set up in your home.

If you’ve been thinking about hosting a Big Village birthday party for your child, now would be a great time to reserve a date!

The cost of a Children's Birthday Party Workshop is a $50 deposit*, plus $10/child plus HST.

E-mail us at info@bigvillage.ca or call us at (705) 828 - 7795 to book a date.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

*Deposit is refundable up to two weeks before the birthday party date.

This is why I want to share this from our partners in Bolgatanga, Dominic and Patience Abukuri, who come alongside the women's co-operatives in order that baskets can be exported internationally. After I visited the women's co-operatives in January, 2011, Dominic shared the struggles of the women.

The problems and struggles of Ghanaian women and children in general are legion. This situation is more pronounced in poverty-stricken communities.

Education may be important, but survival is much more important. The struggle of the women is for survival. They have to fight the demands of social traditions in their communities in a modern driven world.

The number one priority is food security.

Generally, women in Bolga are farmers. A woman is expected to till the land of her husband, from weeding to harvesting... When the food is harvested, the man presides over its consumption. The woman will have to look elsewhere for income to get food of her own. The man [distributes] the raw food stuff and the woman will have to look for her own ingredients to prepare food for the whole family. The woman therefore has to combine farming, weaving, and drawing water at the same time to keep the family alive.

Another major daily struggle of the weaver is access to fuel wood. As a result of population pressure and environmental degradation, fuel wood for food preparation is one big hurdle. The women cannot afford the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas for cooking. They have to depend on wood from the bush for cooking, but there is no more bush and therefore, no wood. Government workers depend on gas for cooking, middle income earners use charcoal, and the weavers in the rural communities have to look for millet stalk and other grasses which do not generate much fire for cooking.

Out of love for her children, the woman is much more concerned about her child's education than the man. She needs to get books, sandals and uniforms for the child through her ways and means.

Traditional society has also placed a lot of restrictions on the women to worsen their plight further. For instance, women cannot own land or even their deceased husband or father's land.

Access to portable water means drawing water from half a mile to the house on her head. In some cases, women have to carry water for animals to drink. In all these, the pain and suffering is shared with the children.

We believe that sourcing the woman with an extra income will restore some amount of financial independence. We believe that assisting the women will have trickling down positive impact on the children. So we have our motto that " If You Help the Woman, You Help the Child."

For those [women's co-operatives] groups we have been working with, we believe we are creating this impact.

It is in this regard, that we try to help the groups with an assistance that will promote their basket weaving activities. Some of these is helping them to construct weaving centres, buy cooking pots for them and providing fire wood.

Our ability to continue with this depends on how often and in what quantities we get our orders.

It is very sobering to think about the everyday struggles of the weavers. However, I know from my conversations with them in January, as long as their needs were met, they do not consider themselves in any hardship.

Our partners are very matter-of-fact when they say we can help simply by ordering from them! We can actually play a part in meeting their needs - dressing and feeding their families, sending their children to school - by purchasing and enjoying the beautiful, high-quality baskets they make. Which could be the easiest thing in the world to do.

For basket purchases, visit our online store.

You've really helped this company. You shall see the changes when next you come to Ghana.

My first response is to pass along the thanks to you, our customers, who make this relationship work, providing a landing place for the beads and making the business a sustainable one.

What an honour to be included in the future of this small, but significant company.

I'm hoping my next visit to see the changes will be with some of you.

Koforidua Bead Market - West Africa's Largest Bead Market

We're planning a fair-trade trip on August, 2012 - leading those of you who are interested in observing and learning the trades of our partners, including traditional bead-making, basket-weaving and batiking.

We will host an information night on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 7 p.m. at Barrie Public Library. At that time, we will lay out our expectations of what will take place on this trip, costs and time/length of trip and address any of your question/concerns.

We would love to get your RSVP if you intend to attend this information night and/or if you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to e-mail info@bigvillage.ca.

All the same, teachers in Ghana and Canada alike are ending the school year and it's a great time for us to express our gratitude for the hard work they invest in us each year.

Big Village products are perfect end-of-the-year gifts. Music teachers, coaches, school teachers and tutors will appreciate the uniqueness of our beads, each made from recycled glass from Ghana, West Africa.

Here are our favourite ideas:

Our bracelets are a great price point at $16 ea. There are a variety of colour choices and designs to choose from. They are for sale at all our retailers selling jewellery, including MacLaren Art Centre (Barrie), My Front Porch (Wyebridge), Cashmere Blue (Midland), Marty's Cafe & Bistro (Barrie) or our online store. (Bonus, free delivery when purchased directly from us if you live within a 50KM radius of our location in Barrie.) Otherwise, we'll have lots available at Eco-Fest, just before the last full week of school - excellent timing, I'd say!

If your teacher isn't one for jewellery, we have other options...

Like our keychains/zipper pulls. A great piece of Africa for only $12.

Or something in batik perhaps?

Our travel bags are very useful, containing and carrying everything from makeup to pedicure sets to pencils to jewellery... and more! They are priced at $18 ea. and are only available directly through Big Village, either our online store or visit us at the upcoming Eco-Fest, in Barrie.

Feel free to visit our online store or Facebook Page for more ideas for teacher.

Your tee-cha will thank you!

Ghana leads the way in resourcefulness and we love to show off their beautiful products made from things that are organic (elephant grass baskets) or previously considered "trash" (recycled bottle beads).

At this show, we will be selling a large variety of all our products, including our jewellery, bead kits, baskets and batik items. This isn't only a sale, though, there are lots of activities for young and old to celebrate this green earth!

Bracelet made from old Coke bottles.

Read more about Ecofest.

It's one of the most common things we hear from our customers and friends when we talk about Ghana. And we'd love you to go! That's why we are extending an invitation to you to join us for a learning trip to Ghana in August, 2012. It will be an opportunity to meet and interact with the amazing artisans we've partnered with and explore the culture of Ghana.

If the thought of this trip piques your interest - if you've ever thought you'd like to go - you will definitely want to join us on our Information Night, this Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. at Barrie Public Library (Georgian International Room). We'll talk about what's involved, including activities and costs, and answer any questions you might have.

RSVP Loreli at info@bigvillage.ca. Come check it out!

But for now, we've turned our minds towards what we call Workshop Season. Fall is the busiest time of year for us, as our customers get their schedules organized and plan events leading up to Christmas.

Check out Our Workshops for more information about hosting a workshop in your home.

We want to remind you to book now in order to get the date you want for your event. There are now three of us to conduct the workshops, so we're hoping we can accommodate the demand. Loreli and Jen Mountney do the Barrie and area workshops and Becky conducts the GTA workshops. You can either contact us individually or e-mail info@bigvillage.ca.

If you want to participate in a workshop without hosting one, here are some options:

• We host workshops the first Tuesday of every month at The Magpie Bead Co., in Barrie. Our first one of the fall begins Tuesday, October 4. There are two sessions, at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. RSVP Loreli at loreli@bigvillage.ca as seating is limited!
• Join our newsletter or like us on Facebook and receive updates on workshops that are open to the public.

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NOTE: Due to price increases in fuel and raw materials, our suppliers have had to increase their prices. As a result, we've had to make slight changes to our Price List. Please consult the Price List before booking your workshop, so there are no surprises! (You will see changes mostly to our necklace lengths.)

Everything is on sale for at least 20% off, some things up to 40%.

Batik items:

• girls tunic dresses and shirts 40% off
• youth boxer shorts 40% off
• aprons 40% off
• pillows 40% off
• napkins 20% off
• travel bags 20% off

Baskets

• handbags 40% off
• round market bags 20% off
• u-shoppers 20% off
• baby baskets 20% off

Jewellery

• bracelets 20% off *or D-I-Y
• necklaces 20%-40% off
• earrings 20% off
• keychains 20% off

Beads

• bead packages and bead strings 20% off

*For Do-It-Yourselfers, there will also be a bead table where you can make your own bracelet/keychain.

Hope to see you here!

Date: Saturday, August 27
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 214 Livingstone Street East (left side entrance), Barrie
Payment Options: Cash, Cheque, Visa, Mastercard

This is an announcement that comes with some difficulty. I have come to a crossroads where I’ve had to make the decision to let go of Big Village.

But let me explain.

Big Village has been doing so well, because of you. You’ve come along for the ride, you’ve allowed me to tell my stories, to share about my friends in Ghana and the wonderful things they are doing there. You’ve created with me and even dared to dream about the ways Big Village could grow. You’ve provided a landing spot for the hard work and efforts being made in Ghana and you’ve spread the word. Because of you, Big Village is thriving. In fact, Big Village is ready to go to the next level…

Now, if you know the story of Big Village, you would also know that it arose out of my mission experience in Ghana. What my Ghanaian friends taught me that one of the most valuable things we can do is to encourage each other. When we can come alongside to support and challenge each other to do well, we are empowering each other and helping one another recognize our God-given value. This was the impetus for my business – encouraging and challenging each other to pursue excellence, to be a positive influence in our communities, to put people first.

More recently, I have found that my pursuit of ministry (involvement in church activities) has conflicted with my business time-wise. And yet I feel that God is calling me deeper into ministry, not business. This means I cannot be the one to take Big Village to the next level. And so here I am with the difficult task of breaking the news and taking steps to prepare it for someone else to take on.

Things will run as “normal” for Big Village till the end of December, 2011. We will continue to carry out workshops. In fact, this fall would be a great time to book a workshop before Christmas (e-mail info@bigvillage.ca for the Barrie area and becky@bigvillage.ca for the Toronto area) or participate in our workshops at Magpie Beads in Barrie, on the first Tuesday of each month (next one is Tuesday, Oct 4).

We will do the last of our craft and artisan shows (see our Event Calendar) and I will host our Final Open House on December 9 and 10. I hope the Open House is not just a great final sale, but also a chance to say goodbye to my customers whom I have come to know and really love!

In the meantime, I hope you know that while I’m conflicted emotionally, feeling sad about ending my time here, I am also at peace about this. I am filled with gratitude for the last 3+ years, being able to meet and get to know you, to have lots of excuses to spend time in Ghana, for the privilege of being a go-between for a time… and I am anticipating great things on the horizon.

I wish all of you the best – and hope for the chance to say that to you in person. God bless!

*Loreli*

We had planned on a two-day sale to sell off our stock, but we'd sold out before noon on the second day and had to close the doors! We felt terrible about disappointing anyone who arrived on Day 2. (Please be assured that Big Village will carry on and you will soon have the opportunity to participate in workshops and enjoy the beautiful fair-trade products from Ghana once again!)

We had such great interest in the business and so many fantastic candidates. Though it was quite a process, I'm happy to tell you that a decision has finally been made about who will be the new owners of Big Village.

The "closing date" is February 10 when I will "hand over the keys" to two lovely ladies. I can't wait to introduce you!

Thank you so much for your ongoing patience and support.

Please check back next week for all the details!

Introducing the new owners of Big Village, Karen Berry and Leisha Vandermey!

Friends for over four years, Karen and Leisha believe that Big Village came to them at a time when they were craving "more" in their lives. Read more about their individual stories.

Through the purchase of Big Village, they are able to do some of the things that are important to them: express their creativity, promote fair-trade products and sustainable business, provide a meaningful life for their families, and empower others to do the same.

Both Karen and Leisha will be travelling to Ghana, West Africa with previous owner, Loreli Cockram, for 10 days in April. The purpose of this trip is to develop strong relationships with Big Village's partners and to understand and appreciate the African culture and their unique products. Both Karen and Leisha are excited about this and are looking forward to sharing their stories with you when they return. Keep your eyes on the Big Village newsfeed for updates leading up to and during their trip to Africa!

In the meantime, Karen and Leisha are looking forward to meeting Big Village customers and are planning a "Meet the New Owners" event in the upcoming month. More details will be announced soon. As well, they will begin booking home workshops beginning late March. If you are interested, please send them an e-mail at info@bigvillage.ca. They are anticipating a busy start, so book fast!

We are proud to announce that we will be holding a Open House on Tuesday, March 6th between 6pm and 9pm. Come on out to Magpie Bead Co. in Barrie and introduce yourself to us. We are looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing your Big Village stories! We will have a door prize, make and takes and opportunites to book homeworkshops and receive a special discount! See you there!

It's hard to believe that we have been the owners of Big Village for a month now! We both have learned so much over the past month and are excited to continue to grow with Big Village in the future.

We want to express our gratitude to our friends and families for supporting us in this journey as well as to Big Village's previous owner, Loreli. We are honoured to be the ones to carry on Big Village's vision and we are looking forward to working closely with her over the next few months.

Travel Plans

On April 24th, we will travel with Loreli to Ghana, Africa for 10 days to visit with our bead and basket partners, as well as source out other fair trade businesses. If there is something you would like to see Big Village carry, let us know at info@bigvillage.ca. We are very excited and looking forward to learning about the culture and resourcefulness of this beautiful country.

Our preparations are underway for our trip and right now we are on a quest to find the lightest possible clothing to wear. We understand the temperature can reach an average of 40 degrees celsius every day with the humidity! Adapting to this heat will be interesting; as well as the African culture. We have been doing a lot of reading and asking Loreli questions about the culture, traditions, customs and way of life in Ghana. Did you know in Ghana is it considered rude to cross your legs? Neither did we. We have lots to learn about this beautiful country. We have received an array of vaccinations, filled our malaria prescriptions and are stocking our first aid kit with a variety of drugs to keep us safe and healthy! We look forward to sharing our adventures with you when we return.

Bolga Baskets

Big Village has received a shipment of the Bolga Baskets. If you haven't had a chance to read about these amazing baskets, check out this link for more information on how they are made.

Our basket partner in Ghana run a women's co-operative for the purpose of alleviating rural poverty. The co-operative employs women to make high quality "Bolga Baskets" from the local elephant grass. The cooperative has a system in place not only pay the women for their daily provisions, but also to invest in their larger needs, such as household items or their children's school fees. We cannot wait to meet these amazing women!

With Easter just a few weeks away, our Baby Baskets are a perfect eco-friendly alternative to those plastic Easter baskets. The great thing about them is that kids can use them over and over again – they are pretty indestructible! Kids can bring them to the grocery store and help shop, bring veggies in from the garden, and carry around their favorite toys. They make the perfect flower girl accessory too! Baby Baskets are $18 and if you are interested in one for Easter, please let us know soon at karen@bigvillage.ca. Last year Big Village sold out in a week! We also have a small supply of U-Shoppers, Gambibgo and Market Baskets in a variety of colours and sizes. If you are interested in purchasing any, please contact us at karen@bigvillage.ca. Basket prices vary between $18 - $60.

We will be holding a Easter Sale on Saturday, March 24th between 10am and 2pm at 53 Herrell Avenue in Barrie. Come on out and pick out your basket! No need to make an appointment. We may even pull out our beads for you to play with!

If you are not able to come on Saturday we have the following dates and times available by appointment only. Please email us at info@bigvillage.ca to let us know when you would like to come and we will provide you with our addresses. If none of these dates are suitable, please let us know what works best for you and we will do our best to accommodate!

Monday, March 19th from 5:30pm - 9:00pm in south end Barrie

Tuesday, March 20th from 5:30pm - 9:00pm in Innisfil (Stroud)

Wednesday, March 21st from 9:30am - 2:30pm in south end Barrie

Monday, March 26th from 5:30pm - 9:00pm in south end Barrie

Tuesday, March 27th from 4:00pm - 9:00pm in Innisfil (Stroud)

Home Workshops Continuing

We are now booking home workshops and have a few dates left in April before we travel to Africa. Our workshop formats will remain the same as before and we are now able to offer payments by credit card. It's hard to even think about it while there is still a possibility of snow, but Mother's Day will be here soon. Workshops are the perfect opportunity to make Big Village DIY jewellery for Mother's Day gifts! Check out this link for more information on our workshop formats.

Monthly Workshops at Magpie Bead Co.

As well, we will be continuing to offer regular monthly workshops at Magpie Bead Co. at 15 Dunlop Street in Barrie. Our first workshop will be on Tuesday, April 6th from 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9pm.

We have limited seating at these workshops, so please let us know you are coming at karen@bigvillage.ca to reserve your space!

May's workshop will be held on the second Tuesday (the 8th) of the month but we will resume workshops on the first Tuesday starting in June. We will focus on making Mother's Day gifts at May's workshop as it will be right around the corner!

Magpie Beads is the exclusive retailer in Barrie for Big Village's beads and they are available in the store.

Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who came out to our Open House on March 6th at Magpie Beads. We had a great turn out and were excited to meet everyone! Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to growing Big Village with you.

Leisha and Karen

www.bigvillage.ca
(705) 828-7795

We have been busy learning the business, making beautiful jewellery, filling out summer show applicatons and oh...doing some traveling to a little place we call Africa. Big Village recently returned from a BIG adventure with the previous owner, Loreli. And what an adventure it was! We will post some pictures and dish the dirt next week in another blog post.

It's hard to believe but the end of school is right around the corner and it's a perfect time for us to express our gratitude for the hard work they invest in our children each year.

Big Village products make the perfect end-of-the-year gifts.

Here are our favourite ideas:

The famous "Coke" bottle bracelet! The beads are made from recycled Coke bottles. Perfect choice for the eco-friendly teacher. We also have brown beads that are made from Guiness bottles, green beads made from Heinekin bottles...you get the picture! If there is a certain colour you would like, let us know!

The possibilities are endless with our recycled glass beads. You can choose any colour to suit any personality. Our bracelets are a great price point at $16 each. There are a variety of colour choices and designs to choose from and are for sale at all our retailers selling jewellery, including MacLaren Art Centre (Barrie), Cashmere Blue (Midland), George Brown College (Toronto - both campuses) or from us, by appointment. Otherwise, we'll have lots available at Eco-Fest - which is perfect timing, right before the end of school!

If your teacher isn't one for jewellery, we have other options...

Like our keychains/zipper pulls. A great piece of Africa for only $10.

Or something from our newest partners, Global Mamas perhaps?

Who wouldn't love this tablecloth on their kitchen table or at the cottage?

This apron is cute enough to wear everyday, not just in the kitchen!

We will have these Global Mamas products as well as purses, dresses and other great gifts for your special teacher available at Eco-fest on June 9 & 10th in Barrie. Our famous Bolga baskets will be on display too!

Hosting a Big Village beading workshop is a great way to make your teacher gifts even more special! Invite some girls over, open a bottle of wine and we'll bring the beads! We can make some fantastic gifts for under $25! Our calendars are booking up fast between now and the end of school, so if you are thinking of hosting a workshop, email us soon at info@bigvillage.ca

Whatever you choose to honour your child's teacher, make it a gift from the heart and you won't go wrong!

Karen & Leisha

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures of what we will have for sale! www.facebook.com/bigvillagecanada

Everything will be on sale for 10% - 40% off.

53 Herrell Avenue, left side backyard gate entrance, Barrie, ON
(705) 828 - 7795
info@bigvillage.ca
Payment options include cash, Visa, Mastercard

Global Mamas Products

Womens Shirts, Skirts and Dresses

Girls Dresses - 12 months to 8 years

Boys shirts - 6 months to 6 years

Mens shirts

Bags and Accessories including table clothes, kids hats, womens and girls headbands

Handwoven Bolga Baskets

Baby Baskets

U-Shoppers

Large and Extra Large Market Baskets

Fruit Trays

Rectangular Baskets with handles

Jewellery

DIY Bracelets and Keychains - we will have a bead table for those who wish to make bracelets and keychains

Necklaces

Earings

Bead Strands

We are so thankful for all your support during the transition of ownership from Loreli to us and we know that our partners in Ghana are so greatful for your ongoing dedication to their handiwork.

We look forward to see you all there!

If you can't make it, we will be at Kempenfest August 4th, 5th and 6th in Barrie.

Our trip to Africa was incredibly inspiring. We are still in amazement of all that we saw and did while we were there. Thank you to Loreli who showed us the ropes of traveling through Ghana, communicating with African’s and being the reason why we will have incredible memories for the rest of our lives. We are pretty confident that when we go back we will be able to hail a taxi and haggle the driver to a ¼ of the cost thanks to Loreli’s teaching skills! The most memorable part of our trip was meeting the women who weave the beautiful Bolga Baskets that we bring to Canada. This was an amazing honour and we will never forget their warmth, hospitality and incredible dance moves!

Upcoming Festivals and Artisan Shows

Kempenfest

August 4, 5, 6
Barrie, ON
www.kempenfest.com/

Creativ Fest
October 12, 13^th, 14^th
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON
www.csnf.com/index.html

New Look

Big Village will be undergoing some renovations and transformations in the near future. We will be getting a new look and we are excited to share these changes with you. However, our values and mission will always be the same – we will remain committed to fair trade practices, our partners in Ghana and we will provide them with a partnership that will share their stories with our customers. As well we will be launching a comprehensive online shopping experience where our customers can purchase all our Big Village products from the comfort of their own homes in the Fall of 2012.

Global Mamas

We are so excited about our newest partnership with this fantastic non-profit organization. While visiting Ghana, we met with co-owner Renae and she shared with us her passion for the women of Ghana. Global Mamas transforms the lives of women in Africa by creating sustainable income opportunities which lead to financial independence. This in turn improves the standard of living for women, their families, and the larger community. For more information visit www.womeninprogress.org and www.globalmamas.org We are proud to be bringing in gorgeous batik products such as women’s’ dresses, kids aprons, men’s shirts and home accents.

Welcome New Retailers

· Mixed Greens in Fenelon Falls is now carrying the beautiful Bolga Baskets!

· George Brown College in Toronto (all three campus') is carrying Bolga baskets, jewellery and Global Mamas products such as pencil cases and cosmetic bags

· Gondwana Gallery in Salmon Arm, BC has received their first shipment of Bolga baskets!

Thank you to the following retailers for continuing to carrying Big Village products

· Cashmere Blue in Midland is now carrying Bolga baskets, jewellery and Global Mama’s dresses.

· Magpie Beads in Orillia continues to carry our loose beads.

· MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie has a great selection of jewellery and Bolga baskets.

Have a great summer and be sure to check our website frequently for lots of updates and news!

Karen and Leisha

Big Village has become so busy over the past few months with workshop requests and events that we need another set of creative hands to help us out. Lindsay will be working as a Village Leader, which means she is available for birthday parties and workshops in the Barrie and surrounding areas. We are confident that you will love her friendly smile and incredible personality and we are so happy to have her working with us and spreading the Big Village word!

Lindsay participated in her first Big Village workshop at owner, Leisha’s house in 2010 and instantly fell in love with the beads and the concept behind the company. She feels that using recycled glass to create such beautiful pieces is truly inspirational and she loves the rustic look and feel of the beads and how each one tells its own handcrafted story.

Lindsay has always been a compulsive crafter and creator of all things colourful. Her background in design and textiles helped her with her own past business and she is happy to be back making baby slings again for Big Village using the beautiful hand-stamped Ghana batik prints as well as leading workshops.

She loves talking and teaching about art and design, so it was a natural fit to conduct home workshops to see what inspires and excites others while sharing the story of the recycled beads.

If you would like to contact Lindsay for workshops and birthday parties please email her at lindsay@bigvillage.ca.

Both Karen and Leisha are also available for workshops but our calendars are booking up fast! You can contact us at info@bigvillage.ca to book your workshop time.

As consumers we have so much power when we purchase items, that we have the ability to vote for a better world when we shop Fair Trade. Every day purchases can change the lives of entire communities. Consider how you would feel if you very young child or elderly parent was forced for work 12 hours a day, with little or no breaks, in unsafe, hot conditions to make a "cheap" product for consumers and only be paid a very small fraction of what it sells for. Next time you head to the store think about your purchases, how much it costs and how much the person who produced it actually made.

So how will you celebrate Fair Trade Month? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Become a fan of Big Village on Facebook to stay up to date on what we are doing to promote and share Fair Trade.

2. Purchase Fair Trade products when you are shopping. Many people think of bananas, chocolate and coffee when it comes to purchases but did you know that you can also purchase sports balls, flowers, sugar, tea, wine, clothing and home accessories that are Fair Trade? Our partner in Ghana, Global Mamas is a great example of this!

3. Request Fair Trade products when you are out shopping. Sometimes all you have to do is ask! Fill out comment cards or speak to the manager of the store directly. Explain how Fair Trade makes a different with every purchase made in their store. Ask that they carry specific products if you have favorites.

4. Start serving Fair Trade coffee at home, office or school. Encouraging large organizations such as office buildings and university's is a very effective way to increase the positive change for workers in developing countries!

5. Give the gift of Fair Trade by purchasing a Fair Trade item for a gift for a friend or family member. Take the time to explain why Fair Trade is important.

6. Plan a Fair Trade Halloween. Search out candy and chocolate companies that support Fair Trade.

Big Village is celebrating Fair Trade month by offering some fantastic deals on our favorite Fair Trade products! While we eagerly await the opening of our online store, head on over to our Facebook page for more information! Best part is we are offering FREE SHIPPING!

Global Mamas Urban Explorers are on sale on our Facebook page. Regular price is $32 but to celebrate Fair Trade month we are offering them for $20 plus free shipping!

We have been asked many times if Big Village's partners are Fair Trade certified. The answer is yes...and no. Global Mamas, Big Village's newest partner, is Fair Trade certified through the World Fair Trade Organization and the Fair Trade Federation. As for our bead makers and basket weavers, they are not currently certified through any organization. The Fair Trade certification process is very lengthy, pricey and can be tedious. We hope in the future we will be able to help our partners work towards this certification. However, we believe in our partners and know they do the right thing when it comes to treating their workers well. This is why we insist on visiting our partners every year to ensure that practices in place are socially conscious and ethical. If you are intersted in more information on our Fair Trade beliefs, click here.

Happy Fair Trade month!

Leisha and Karen

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"Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It mean nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependant on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back into the community where it belongs" - Michael H. Shuman, author of the book Going.

Big Village is proud to be a part of the Barrie and Area communities and offer Fair Trade products at an exceptional value. Your purchase from Big Village not only supports a locally run business, it also supports our partners in Africa - it supports the women in Bolga who weave baskets and are able to send their children to school. Your purchases support our bead partners through demand, which allows them to increase their work force and expand their production.

In order to give you more opportunities to make and shop Big Village, we will be open every Thursday, from November 8th until December 20th between 10a.m. and 2 p.m., at 53 Herrell Avenue, Barrie. As always, you can also make an appointment to shop at Big Village if Thursdays are not convenient. This is a great way to do some lunch hour and drop in shopping before the holiday madness begins! Avoid the long lines and packed big box stores and shop in peace and quiet with a cup of tea or apple cider. We will have our Bolga baskets, pre-made jewelry, beads, batik products from Global Mamas (and many items on summer clearance!) and bead kits for Do-It-Yourselvers. As always, you can also make an appointment to shop at Big Village if Thursdays are not convenient. We look forward to seeing you!

Friday, November 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Bread Basket filled with goodies for a door prize

Saturday, December 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Holiday market basket for a door prize

Shop our complete selection of fair-trade products for 20-70% off including:

10% off our DIY Table - its a great chance to make Chrsitmas gifts and bring the kids to make teacher gifts!

20% off Loose Bead Strands and Goodie Bags

50% off Beading Supplies (findings etc)

30% - 70% off Baskets

20% - 70% off Pre-made Jewellery

Global Mamas Products

55% off women and men’s clothing

45% off boys and girls clothes

20% off Batik Throws

40% off Bags including Pencil Cases, Laptop Cases, Urban Explorers

20% off Skin Care Products including Shea Body Butter

20% off Mother Daughter Aprons

20% off Kids Aprons

You won't want to miss the fun. Hope to see you here! 53 Herrell Avenue, Barrie, ON

Karen and Leisha

This holiday season, buy gifts that give back! Choose fair trade and eco-friendly to support Fair Tuesday, an initiative created in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

"The goal of Fair Tuesday is to inspire conscious consumerism and show how an everyday purchase can change lives in a whole community."

Big Village is excited to participate in the Fair Tuesday initiative by offering FREE SHIPPING on all online orders on Tuesday, November 27.

See you online: www.bigvillage.ca.

Use coupon code FAIRTUESDAY when checking out!

Karen and Leisha

Instead we will open on Friday, November 30th from 10am until 2pm and Saturday, December 1st from 10am to 4pm for our Open House. Come on out and support a local business and get some fantastic fair trade holiday gifts!

Keep up with daily updates on our Facebook page! Find out more about our Open House and the great deals!

Karen and Leisha
Big Village

We are able to offer our customers two alternatives to be able to pick up those last minute, fair trade gifts instead.

First, you can shop our well stocked online store 24 hours a day from the comfort of your own home. Although the the Christmas deadline for shipping has just passed, we guarentee to get your order in the mail the day you order it and if you live within Ontario there is still a good chance it will get to you in time. We can also expedite your order to try and get it to you before Christmas Eve for a small additional fee. And of course, local pick up is always available and its free!

Secondly, you can join us plus 4 other small, local businesses this weekend in Barrie to do some last minute, local shopping! Avoid the busy streets and crazy shopping malls and shop in the comfort of one of the artist's studios and home. Check out our post here for more information.

Thank you for understanding and we will keep you posted as to whether or not next weeks hours will be cancelled or not.

Karen and Leisha

We received a large basket shipment from our partners in Bolga that are available for purchase for the holiday. If you are looking for a unique, meaninful gift consider giving a Bolga Basket as a gift this year. Don't battle the malls and busy streets when you shop in peace and quiet. Head on over to our online store for some of the baskets we currently have for sale. This is only a small sampling as we received over 150 baskets! Come on out and choose your own or shop online and choose local pick up when you are checking out.

We will be available for by appointment shopping on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday at various times. Please call Karen at (705) 828-7795 to make an appointment. Shopping is available at our Stroud location at 212 Sunset Crescent.

Happy Holidays and be safe!

Karen and Leisha

It feels like yesterday that we met Loreli for breakfast on Christmas Eve 2011and she let us know that we were the lucky (and crazy!) ones that she wanted to take over Big Village!

We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the postive response to Big Village this year and are truly grateful for your support! Big Village has inspired our friends and families to think more ethically and globally when going about our daily lives and we hope we have inspired you as well. After our trip to Ghana, Africa in April we became so motivated to educate, communicate and raise awareness of fair trade and ethical consumption. We now have Ghana in our blood and are already planning our next trip back!

The children of Ghana are a big part of our motivation to grow Big Village and raise awareness of fair trade.

We are so excited to see what 2013 brings to Big Village and look foward to sharing our plans with you. The launch of our new online store this past November has been a great success and we will be continuously adding new products to the store including more our our recycled glass fair trade loose beads and baskets. As well, we will be launching our batik fabric line! We have been busy planning for the New Year and looking forward to unveiling some pretty amazing new ideas, concepts and products to move Big Village and our partners forward!

Merry Christmas to our Bolga Basket partners in Ghana - Dominic and his wife Patience and their beautiful children, twins Amy and Morris! We are grateful for Dominics incredible patience with us and his family's hospitality while we visited this past April. We are looking forward to seeing them again soon.

A very Merry Christmas to the three people who made Big Village a reality for us! Thank you to our amazing bead partners, Florence and Asari at TK Beads for your love and support this past year. We have been so happy with all of your beautiful beads and are looking forward to growing our businesses together in 2013. Loreli, you are a true inspiration to us and we thank you for believing in our vision, being our Biggest Fan and providing your guidance and help! We promise to continute to nurture and grow the friendships and partnerships you worked so hard at building while living in Ghana.

Happy Holidays from Big Village!

May you have friends at your fire, blessings in your home and joy in your hearts.

Leisha and Karen
Big Village

The sale will include all Global Mamas products, all loose beads, baskets and jewellery and we will be adding new products every day.

Discount details will be available on our online store on Monday and local pick up is available.

Thanks!

Karen and Leisha

Invite Big Village to your next meeting to help your girls earn their World Thinking Day badges or raise money for the World Association of Girls Guides and Girl Scouts World Thinking Day Fund. Big Village will spend 20-40 minutes speaking with the girls in a fun, interactive and age appropriate way about the two themes for this year - reducing child mortality and improving maternal health in Africa. At the end of the presentation, the girls will be invited to make a bracelet using our recycled glass beads as a reminder of this day of friendship and advocacy for girls around the world.

Contact us at info@bigvillage.ca for more details, available dates and prices. We have already booked a few dates with local groups and we are very thankful. We look forward to celebrating this amazing day with your groups!

Baby Market Baskets make the perfect eco-friendly, socially conscious alternative to the traditional plastic Easter basket. These cute functional baskets can be used throught the year for storing kids toys, strawberry or apple picking, storing art supplies or as a catch all in the kitchen or bathroom. They can even be used as the perfect flower girl accessory in a wedding!

Out baskets are made by 5 women's cooperatives in Bolgatanga, a rural village in northern Ghana who use local elepant grass that is dyed with minerals and vegetables to creatve vibrant, rich colours.

Our Baby Market Bakets are as well as a wide variety of other styles and shapes are now available for purchase through the following retailers:

• Bradford Greenhouse, Barrie, ON *new*
• MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON
• Parenting By Nature, Orillia, ON
• La Grande Ourse, Montreal, Quebec *new*
• Our online store,
• By appointment shopping at our studio

Please contact us at info@bigvillage.ca for more information. We wish you all a very joyous Easter with friends and family!

Karen and Leisha

What else is Big Village doing to be "green"?

• We have recently transitioned all beading kits to biodegradable bags.
• We use biodegradable bubble mailers from EcoEnclose to ship all our jewellery and beads in. The great thing about these mailers is that they biodegrade within 5-60 months either in compost or in a landfill and feature a second adhesive strip so they can be reused.
• Our packing tape, also from EcoEnclose, is 100% plant-derived (no nasty chemicals!), renewable and naturally biodegradable.
• We only ship larger packages, like our basekts, in reused cardboard boxes. Sometimes they aren't so pretty but at least we are using it one more time before it heads to the recycling depot.
• We don't print packing slips or invoices to be shipped with online sales. We always tell our customers to save their confirmation email for their records.
• Any printing we do, including our birthday party resources, is done on 100% recycled paper.
• At trade shows and events, we only use paper bags - no plastic!
• In our home offices and studio, we recycled and reuse as much resources as we can.
• The airline we use when we fly to Ghana has an environmental action plan in place.
• We currently do not have a retail store to reduce the resouces we use from our community. Online shopping uses 30% less energy than a traditional bricks and mortar store according to an article published in the LA Times Blog.

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What are you doing in your personal and business life to reduce your carbon footprint? Head on over to Earth Day Canada's webpage for lots of great ideas and tips on how to be more environmentally friendly.

Big Village will continue to strive to be a leader in our community when it comes to celebrating our Earth and our community!

Karen

The market will feature 70+ artisans offering Jewellery, Hand-Sewn Bags, Fashion Accessories, Preserves, Natural Bath + Body Products, Original Art, Designer + Children's Clothing, Home Decor, Artisan Wood Products and Time Pieces, Leather Goods, Hand Bound Books

There will be live music, gourmet food, wine by the glass and more! Chef Proprietor Paul Harber and Chef de Cuisine Nathan Young are crafting a delectable menu that highlights the seasonal bounty and offerings of the local farmers in Niagara. Also featuring food trucks El Gastronomo Vagabundo and The Tide & Vine Oyster Co. Ravine Vineyard wines available by the glass ... sip as you stroll the property and shop! This is an outdoor tented market-stall style event. Free Parking. $2 Entry for Adults. No pets please.

We hope to see you there!

Karen and Leisha

Our fair trade, socially conscious products make the perfect gift for Mom this Mother's Day. We have handwoven Bolga Baskets, Global Mamas batik clothing, and of course our recycled glass beaded jewellery! If Mom likes to make her own jewellery, we have many varieties of beads including our recycled glass beads from Ghana and our newest beads from Earthbutter Beads from South Africa.

Earthbutter Beads handrolled by unemployed mothers in South Africa.

Our handwoven Bolga baskets make the perfect gift that Mom can use for the beach, the market, the library, to hold blankets or craft projects! Our baskets are also available at various retailers across Canada and are available in the Barrie area at Bradford Greenhouses in Barrie.

Wishing all the moms around the world a very Happy Mother's Day!

The objective of the center is to improve the quality of life for children with neurological disorders, their parents and siblings. The parents are comforted by understanding their child's disease and given tools to help them and their child to cope with their limitations. This alleviates the frustration, shame and guilt often associated with common neurological disorders.

On Friday, June 14th at from 4pm - 8pm Anita will be holding a fundraiser at her home in Barrie to raise money for her mission trip. We will be there with DIY jewellery making and lots of our fantastic fair trade retail products for sale.

Big Village will be donating 10% of all DIY sales and 30% of all retail sales to Anita's medical mission. Money will be directed to the Orphanages and the Neurological Clinic.

For more information please email us at info@bigvillage.ca or call Anita to RSVP and get directions. (705) 716 - 4080

Do you struggle every year as to what to get your child's teacher or care provider? Most teachers have enough mugs to start their own coffee shop and enough soaps and candles to live in the bath! So what can you give a teacher to let him or her know they're appreciated?

Come on out to our studio on Tuesday, June 25th between 10:00a.m. and 7:00p.m. and choose a beautiful, meaningful, ethically made gift that the teachers on your list will appreciate! Our jewellery, bolga baskets and Global Mamas products will all be 10% - 70% off on Tuesday only. Bring the kids after school to help choose a gift or shop during the day in peace and quiet! Its also a great time to pick up a basket or two for those trips to the park, farmers market or beach!. No need to RSVP - come on out anytime.

Big Village Studio location: 53 Herrell Avenue, Barrie, ON.

Can't make it out but still want to shop? Check out our online store on Tuesday for some great deals! Orders will ship the next day; not enough time for teacher gifts but just in time for summer! AND, you will receive a special coupon code for your next order!

Happy First Day of Summer and enjoy your weekend!

Leisha and Karen

As you have seen over the past few months, we have begun to very slowly introduce new products. First was our partnership with Earthbutter Beads from South Africa. We love everything that Desiree and her studio stand for; empowerment of women, providing a sustainable income, supporting the local economy and making people feel useful. And their beads are outstanding! Our newest partner, Talented Totes, fits our product vision perfectly. They are 100% sustainable bags that are made to last and use Fair Trade and eco-friendly materials in their construction. They only use fair trade certified factories to produce some of their items (the others are printed in the UK). For more information on these great products and to purchase them, head over to our online store!

Our goal with Big Village is a very simple, yet impactful one. We want to create an opportunity for conscious consumerism within our community and country. Through this, we are providing sustainable incomes to artisans and producers from around the world and providing people in our community with an alternative to cheaply made, sweatshop mass produced products. We want to change the way people shop and want people to feel good about where they are spending their hard earned money. As we search out new products, we will continue to carry our recycled glass beads and hand-woven Bolga baskets. These are still our biggest successes and love working with our partners in Ghana. Word continues to spread across the country and around the world about our baskets and beads and we have been lucky enough to be able to work with people in Canada as far as the Northwest Territories.

In the coming months you will see our product lines expanding but we will never compromise our values and vision. All new products will be researched extensively so you can be assured you are purchasing something that was made by someone who was treated well and paid fairly for their work. New product lines may be rolled out very slowly due to our obsessive research to ensure products and producers meet our strict guidelines and values. As well, in the near future, we will be working on obtaining fair trade certification through the Fair Trade Federation to assure our customers of our commitment to bringing you the best, fairly made products. And lastly, over the next few months you will see our look change a little and our website will be re-designed to be more user friendly.

We hope you will join us on this amazing journey and help build a more conscisous consumer experience! The biggest thing Leisha and I have learned about business owership is that you need to have a vision and plans to meet goals, but along the way there are bumps and you need to be flexible to make changes if it means succeeding. We are committed to our end goal and looking forward to the journey! We are already reseaching fall and Christmas product ideas and can't wait to share them with you. If you have a favourtie product or want to share an idea with us, please let us know! Email us at info @ bigvillage . ca! Our goal is to make conscious consumerism accessible to all.

Karen

PS...my short-term personal goal? To publish the last 10 blog drafts I have started! Yikes!

Kempenfest will take place over three days, Saturday, August 3 to Monday, August 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. We have moved from our regular spot up on the hill to down near the beach and playground. You can find us at booth 113 right in front of the bathrooms. Its hard to see the booth numbers on the picture but if you look for the "W" in the bottom right corner indicating the bathrooms, we are just below that in the corner where two paths meet.

We'll be selling our jewellery and we'll have lots of selection from high-end signature and fun, affordable pieces as well as fun gifts like bracelets, earrings, suncatchers, Christmas ornaments and keychains at great price points - a souvenir of Kempenfest and a piece of Africa. Hope to see you there!

(If can't make it and you're looking to purchase you can always shop online!)

Karen

Happy long weekend everyone! We hope you have plans to celebrate the end of summer and back to school.

We are having a big sale starting today, Friday, August 30th on selected jewellery designs, Global Mama's products and Bolga baskets. Head on over to our online store for some great deals. The prices listed are reflective of the 40% already taken off the orginal price.

Happy Labour Day weekend and enjoy!

Karen and Leisha

Our Homes recommends that the baskets be used "as a purse or handy carryall for your weekly trips to the farmer's market this summer." We also suggest many more ways the baskets can be used: decoratively for magazines, towels, toys, catch-all, or take them as an overnight bag or beach bag.

The baskets are highly durable and resilient to the elements. Your purchase of a Bolga basket goes towards alleviating rural poverty in Ghana, West Africa.

Our Bolga Baskets are currently sold through My Front Porch, Wyebridge, or by appointment through Big Village, Barrie and Mississauga.

For more information about our baskets, visit our link: www.bigvillage.ca/other-products/bolga-baskets.html.

We will be showcasing our beads made from old bottles and window panes. Raw beads and completed jewellery pieces will be available.

We'll also be selling our Bolga Baskets - the ultimate reusable bag.

Hope you can join us!

We agree on their point – the beads are beautiful in traditional and modern-day apparel!

Photo courtesy of Walter Callen, Belgium