As most of you know, we have started a micro-business to produce hand-made cards with a small group of women. Aaron Kelly (my partner in microfinance) has several family members who make cards as a hobby, and he thought it would be neat to train some local women with this new skill and sell the cards in the larger Antigua market. We had some custom rubber stamps made with some Guatemalan icons, such as the national bird – the Quetzal; the Mayan ruins in Tikal; and some scenes from Antigua. Additionally, we received several donated rubber stamps with floral designs, and they look really nice also. The leader of SI’s art school, Carlos Lopez, has helped us from the beginning of the project by graciously offering us space in the art school in the afternoons, creating the designs for the custom stamps, and teaching the women to paint with watercolor. It is amazing to see how far these four women have come in such a short time – from having never handled a paintbrush when we started in March to feeling confident enough to present us their own ideas and designs more recently.
We have received several inquiries from people who are interested in purchasing these cards in the United States. I will be travelling the US during September and have planned to bring some of these cards with me. If you are interested, please browse our product listing below and email me at steven.n.miller@gmail.com with your order. Cost per package is US $5; and for each ten packages you buy, receive one additional package of your choice free. Each package also includes envelopes. We are happy to accept payments by cash, check or credit card (through PayPal – click here.) For those of you in Louisiana, I will happily deliver your order in person during September. Otherwise, shipping rates are $5 for orders up to 11 packs or $10 for all others, and they will be sent via USPS. If paying through Paypal, just enter the quantity (not including any free packs) and your shipping zip code (free delivery in Louisiana is automatically applied). At the final order review stage, you will be able to specify the types of cards you want and the quantity for each in a notes field by clicking the link under the product description.
All proceeds from the sale of these cards will be reinvested directly into the card business to be able to continue to provide job opportunities and training along with spiritual development in the communities of Magdalena and El Gorrion, Guatemala. Our goal is to expand the project to be able to hire 10 local women by the end of the year. Thanks in advance for your support!
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- Market Scene – Stamped, embossed, and hand painted. Quantity is 3 per pack.
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- Arch Street – Stamped, embossed, and hand painted. Quantity is 3 per pack.
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- Azalea – Stamped, embossed, and hand-painted. Flower color and background style/color vary. Quantity is 3 per pack.
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- Callalilies – Stamped and hand-painted. Quantity is 4 per pack.
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- Roses – Stamped, embossed, and hand-painted. Flower color and background style/color vary. Quantity is 3 per pack.
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- Daylilies – Stamped, embossed, and hand-painted. Flower color and background style/color vary. Quantity is 4 per pack.
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- Tulips – Stamped, embossed, and hand-painted. Flower color and background style/color vary. Quantity is 3 per pack.
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- Butterfly – Stamped, embossed in silver, and hand-painted. Paint color varies. Quantity is 4 per pack.
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- Sunflower – Stamped, embossed, and hand-painted. Background color varies. Quantity is 4 per pack.
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- All cards are stamped on the back with a unique “Handmade in Guatemala” design. Enlarged to show detail.
My favorites are the arch street scene and callalilies.