Valarie does beautiful work on so many different levels.
1) One area involves her ceramics. As she says in her shop announcement, "I love clay and color, and adore gardens! Using porcelain, stoneware, or fired paper clay I focus on detailed hand painting usually with a floral theme."
1) One area involves her ceramics. As she says in her shop announcement, "I love clay and color, and adore gardens! Using porcelain, stoneware, or fired paper clay I focus on detailed hand painting usually with a floral theme."
I'll show you a few of my favorites currently available from her store. I will tell you, I've already made two visits and snatched up other favorites, but she just keeps adding more new ones!
Turns out, I love flowers too... and I'm really into coral this year.... AND, I have a special fondness for polka-dotted ceramic beads! :-) How did Val know?!
I bought one of these early this Spring. Can you guess which one? Now sort of wish I had one of each! :-) Aren't they fun?
Val also sells these lovely (what I call, "3-D" flowers) in many varieties! Just beautiful!
Of course, there are more than flower pendants, you'll also find the cutest birds, beads, mugs, and fairy garden cottages!
2) Now if the ceramic work wasn't beautiful enough all on its own, there's more beauty going on behind the scenes! Profits from Val's Ceramic Garden benefit her African women's project, "Work of Our Hands." Beads sold in the Etsy shop may be made either by Val or by women from Namibia. The description specifies which is the case. (I've purchased some of each and can assure you, either way, you get a great piece!)
Val has also just opened another store, GlobeIn, so that she can sell the finished jewelry the Namibian women make at fair trade value.
When in Namibia, Val spends a lot of her time teaching the women to make ceramics. Below are a few photos of the women involved in the project:
I do hope you'll take time to read more about Val's life here and abroad, and read about the artisans in Africa, by looking at "The Work of Our Hands" blog!
And once more, (don't get spoiled, we can't do this every week!)... we'll have a GIVE-AWAY! Val has generously donated some items so we'll have double-the-goodies!
To be entered to win, please visit one of Val's stores and/or her blog, come back and make a comment here. Please leave me some way to contact you. (If you would rather your contact info not be made public, please leave a separate message with the contact info and I won't post that one.)
Deadline to enter is 10pm Central time Saturday April 20, 2013. Two names will be randomly chosen from those who enter!
My sincere thanks to Val Garber for taking the time to work with me on this entry and for being the wonderful giving person that she is! A special thanks too for donating items for the give-away! Best wishes in your very fine endeavors!
~Sharyl
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Image Credits:
With the exception of the last two, photographs used on this page are the property of Valerie Barber and used under special permission.
Photos of the give-away prizes were taken by Sharyl.
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2) Now if the ceramic work wasn't beautiful enough all on its own, there's more beauty going on behind the scenes! Profits from Val's Ceramic Garden benefit her African women's project, "Work of Our Hands." Beads sold in the Etsy shop may be made either by Val or by women from Namibia. The description specifies which is the case. (I've purchased some of each and can assure you, either way, you get a great piece!)
Val has also just opened another store, GlobeIn, so that she can sell the finished jewelry the Namibian women make at fair trade value.
When in Namibia, Val spends a lot of her time teaching the women to make ceramics. Below are a few photos of the women involved in the project:
And once more, (don't get spoiled, we can't do this every week!)... we'll have a GIVE-AWAY! Val has generously donated some items so we'll have double-the-goodies!
Gift Set #1: Flower & Leaf + Baby Elephant
Gift Set #2: Orange Elephant + Blue Bird Pendant
To be entered to win, please visit one of Val's stores and/or her blog, come back and make a comment here. Please leave me some way to contact you. (If you would rather your contact info not be made public, please leave a separate message with the contact info and I won't post that one.)
Deadline to enter is 10pm Central time Saturday April 20, 2013. Two names will be randomly chosen from those who enter!
~Sharyl
*************
Image Credits:
With the exception of the last two, photographs used on this page are the property of Valerie Barber and used under special permission.
Photos of the give-away prizes were taken by Sharyl.
*************
15 comments:
Great post Sharyl...will be checking out Val's blog and shops. GREAT works!! LOVE it.
(not entering contest)
Oh wow, that's what I needed, one more fantastic artist to drool over...!
She has some awesome pieces in her shop, and the bead sets from the Namibia artists are awesome!
I seriously fell in love with the Mooka mug. (emailed that one to the hubs!)
Thank you both for a great giveaway!
I love Val's beads. It is wonderful that she is sharing her skills to help others get skills, confidence, and income.
She and her ladies are a demonstration of ( Proverbs 22:29) If you are skilled in your labor, you will stand before kings.
I love Val's work and have purchased several of her beautiful pieces. What she does for the African women is so wonderful! I visited her new site as well.
Thanks for a wonderful giveaway!
Val's work is beautiful; I have purchased several pieces. Her Women's outreach is just another reason to purchase:)
Sharly thank you so much for all your kind words and for introducing your followers to my blog and shops!
You are a dear!
Val
Thanks to you all, and thank you, Val! Please spread the word through FB, Twitter, and/or your Blogs if you will! Hoping more will stop by and learn about this wonderful enterprise! --Sharyl
Just checked out Val's Etsy shop and there may be some ceramic pendants in my future. Thanks.
Sharyl, you are seriously jeopardizing my bead budget sending me to Val's etsy store! I had to have the little red birdie..and if something else fell into my basket who am I to argue? LOL She makes beautiful pieces and for a great cause. :)
I love flowers, as well! :) What amazing work! I'll share on facebook & twitter.
<3,
Andrea
zenithjade@yahoo.com
Her Peach Orange Green White ceramic bead set is so adorable. I've been reading her blog off and on for a while now. Very interesting. And I love what she's doing in Namibia. Would love to win one of her sets. That first one with the leaf and the elephant is so cute.
kaythomerson(at)hotmail.com
Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments and spreading the word about Val! (Lena, I've been eyeing that red bird too! Those birds are just too cute to resist!)
Count down to the give-away! :-)
--Sharyl
Val's work in Namibia is so awesome!
I love Val's work. My favorites are the elephants and the fairy garden cottage. Kuddos to Val for doing amazing volunteer work. :)
My deepest thanks again to all who participated! Entries for the drawings are closed. You may still feel free to leave comments though. The more the merrier!
The winners will be announced Sunday! (Thanks again to Val!)
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