Highlights:
The women have been stamping away with some a new designs. Yesterday we worked on more complicated stamped bracelets and introduced texturing techniques to them. Their creative juices are flowing and they stamp words and phrases in Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara.
Some of our favorites were Haz el bien, no el mal (Do good, not evil), Sumaq Runa (beautiful person in Quechua), Munsmawa (I love you in Aymara), and Ccanaqpacha (everything above the earth).
Today we worked on a new technique, riveting with cold connections. This is a riveting technique that doesn’t require heat but still allows you to connect multiple pieces of metal together. I also brought a box of metal blanks in different types of metals and shapes to give the women the opportunity to let loose creatively. They could do anything they wanted with the blanks as long as they used the riveting techniques at least once.
The women loved it and were SO into the project. The best part was watching them experiment and think about the project from a design perspective. They problem solved various issues with their designs (remember, they came up with the designs, not me) and tried things that the others were not.
For me, it was a joy to watch them design without fear. Rather than being tentative or worried they were doing it “wrong” they jumped head first into the project and produced some stunning and unique pieces.
All of these beauties (and more!) will be on our online store soon! Check back for new designs from the women!