TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010. As it has grown, now over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops. About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform. We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops. The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Catalog. Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus. I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop! These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts.
For some reason, I have always been drawn to handmade dolls and animals, purchasing one here and there and ending up with a small collection. Most of mine are cultural dolls, but others called to me because of their unique look, technique or "spirit". I sew and make things and figured that I could make these 3-d pieces as well. One year, I decided I was going to make a bunch of funny teddy bears for all the kids I know. After I finished the first bear, I trashed the intention along with that poor, wretched piece of road kill. Point of story? It's not as easy as it seems to make two arms and two legs sit well on that body.... So, I have great respect for people who work with soft sculpture and one day, I hope to master the ability to do so as well!
I recently did a treasury that features several of our TAFA Art Dolls and Animals:
I find it intriguing how fabric and other materials can be basically similar tools for different artists, but the way they are handled ends up in such different results. Of course, this is true of anything: art, music, dance... But, there is just something special about the right rendition of an art doll or animal, perhaps something that is buried in a treasured childhood memory, begging to live on.
Dragon House of Yuen supports efforts in hare rescue.
Some of our soft sculptures are made for children. Orit Dotan makes dolls in the Montessori tradition. Others are intended to be seen as objects to be treasured, not played with. Whether appealing to the child in the home or the child within, Art Dolls and Animals is a wonderful category to explore. Visit each shop as they all have a huge variety even within their own shops.
Click here to visit our Art Dolls and Animals Page in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.
And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops. We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!
The latest issue of National Geographic features the Tarahumara who live in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Famed in athletic circles for their running endurance, the Tarahumara call themselves "Raramuri", or "the one who walks well". The article, of course, explores the tension between traditional ways of life collapsing as modernity infringes on Tarahumara land. Isn't that the story of all indigenous groups around the world?
The Tarahumara live in remote mountainous areas which have been difficult to access and have little arable land. The Copper Canyon Mountains cover part of the area. Mining and logging have long brought industrialists into Tarahumara country, but now they are also seen as a resource in themselves and efforts to capitalize on their colorful costumes and handicrafts threaten to further erase their autonomy. Cynthia Gorney, author of the article, focused on the life of one Tarahumara woman who had left her village because she wanted to study. She became a nurse and serves as a bi-lingual health care practioner for her people. She lives in town, has modern amenities, and wants to see the Tarahumara access more of these resources for themselves. Gorney explores some of the loss that modernization brings. Sure, everyone wants running water, electricity, appliances, and less back breaking demands. Unfortunately, with it comes drug addiction, alcoholism, depression, and other negative influences that can often devastate Native communities.
I first learned about the Tarahumara about 20 years ago. A friend of mine, Ginger Blossom, sells their baskets, ceramic pots, dolls, and some textiles. She has been travelling down to the Copper Canyon for years, often taking medical supplies coveted by the people she supports. Ginger has a website where she occasionally reports on her travels. Her store is in Richmond, IL, just an hour and a half north of Chicago, definitely worth the trip!
Corn cob dolls by the Tarahumara available at Native Seeds
Bernard Fontana wrote a beautiful book about the Tarahumara in the 1970's, "Tarahumara: Where Night is the Day of the Moon" (see slide show at the end of this post). Although thirty years have passed, the book still seems current as even then, Fontana spoke of the threats the Tarahumara faced with modernization. Here are a couple of excerpts related to their handicrafts:
"When Father Fonte first met the Tarahumaras in 1607 they made all of their clothing with the materials at hand, largely from plant fibers but no doubt from hides of wild animals as well. A short time after the introduction of sheep, and still in the seventeenth century, wool began to substitute plant fiber, with the Tarahumaras, principally the women, weaving the wool and shaping the clothing. Precisely when Tarahumaras first began to acquire woven cotton cloth and other imported textiles is difficult to say, although the process doubtless began sometime in the 1600s. By the 1930s, most Tarahumara clothing was sewn from muslin and from other cloth manufactured elsewhere, but the sewing was done by the women. This continues today. Women enhance their sewing by doing lovely embroidery, chiefly on blouses, loincloths and cottons. The designs, in a full range of colors provided by commercial embroidery yarns, emphasize life forms: floral, human and other animal, and include geometric figures which may represent such entities as the sun and moon. Embroidery is one of the more important Tarahumara art forms. Their embroidery designs have a charm and naivete that are unique." (page 46).
"If pottery is inorganic, and I am not altogether sure that is the right way to think of it, then basketry is most certainly organic. Nearly every Tarahumara woman, and many of the men, knows how to make baskets using the leaves of beargrass or of palm trees (found in the barrancas). Some basket makers even use pine needles.
On all our trips into the Sierra Tarahumara we have seen basket makers at work. It is something that can be done when one is sitting down to tend the flocks. It can be done at home in between other chores, the materials set aside to be picked up again when it is convenient.
Like Tarahumara pottery, their basketry is the essence of simplicity. There are no decorations woven in; the beauty lies in the form and in the sense of utility conveyed.
All Tarahumara baskets are plaited. Both the lidless guari basket and the lid-covered petacas, like the petate (a mat), are twill paited. Most are single weave, but in the barrancas and in parts of eastern Tarahumara country baskets are made in a double weave, especially the petacas." (page 91)
I have been working with handicrafts from around the world for over 20 years now. My entry into a new culture often comes through the craft connection. I see something, it captures my eye, I look at the technique, the materials used, and soon I want to know more about who made it. Now, after all these years, I can say with certainty, "I know a little about a lot!" Each culture would take a lifetime of study to even begin to understand the relationships between the people and their connection to nature, religion, each other and us, the outsiders. Learning about the Tarahumara was my first real exposure to all the other indigenous cultures who live in Mexico. Each is fascinating to me and if I could, I would have married my interest in the handicrafts to anthropology, roaming around and documenting people and their crafts. (A little jealousy here of some National Geographic assignments?)
Over 100 years ago, Carl Lumholtz lived this dream out. Hired by the American Museum of Natural History to explore the Sierra Madre in Mexico, Lumholz spent several years with several indigenous groups, including the Tarahumara. He collected samples of handicrafts, native plants, took hundreds of photos, and made illustrations of what he saw. He documented his experiences in two volumes called "Unknown Mexico" (see slideshow at the end of this post) which remain to this date authoritative in the depth and scope of information gathered. The books have over 300 photos plus 91 drawings and is a fascinating read. Much of it seems current and even back then, Lumholtz urged:
"When we thus consider the reciprocal influence conquerors and conquered exert upon each other- furthermore, the ever-growing expansion of commerce into the farthest corners of the globe- and finally the rapid development of means of communication in a degree that we probably can but faintly realise, we are able to perceive how nations and tribes, whether they want to or not, will be stibulated to gradual progess, on lines and by methods that in the natural evolution of things become general. A certain difference in men will always remain, dependent on environment, but surely the general trend of human destiny is toward unity. Civilised mankind is already beginning to have a social and aesthetic solidarity. ... If the Louvre, with its priceless art treasures, should burn, cultivated people of every nation would feel the loss as if it were their own. Undoubtedly this feeling of unity will grow immensely as the centuries pass by. The backward races have much to learn from us, but we have also much to learn from them- not only new art designs, but certain moral qualities. Hypocrisy will be done away with as civilization advances, and the world will be the better for it.
It is unnatural to be without a special love to the country of one's birth, just as a man has more affection for his famiy than for other families. But let our allegiance extend to the whole globe on which we travel through the universe, and let us try to serve mankind rather than our country right or wrong." (page 483, volume 2)
Tarahumara men in handwoven wool garmentsPhoto by Carl Lumholtz
Lumholtz was perhaps naive in thinking that hypocrisy would fall away as civilization "progresses". He would probably be shocked at the double talk and nastiness we see today coming from political leaders around the world today. Some things never change.... But, others do, greatly. His sensibility and obvious care for the people he documented shows throughout the stories Lumholtz relates in his books. But, there are occasions, when his language and behavior absolutely shocked my socks off. One of the objects he desired from every area he went to was a skull, or as many as he could get. At that time there was much interest in examining skulls from different cultures to determine intelligence. A skull was the same to him, as a textile, and he apparently had no shame in how he collected either. This exchanged happened with a Huichol group:
"The native authorities, as well as the people themselves, were very nice to me and all contributed toward making my stay among them profitable. As this was my last opportunity to secure ethnological specimens from the tribe, I was anxious to complete my collections. The women here excel in making shirts and tunics, which they richly embroider with ancient designs. Through the kindness of the alcalde I obtained several of these valuable garments, with which the people themselves were loath to part. ... Being desirous of securing here some skulls from an ancient burial-place in a distant valley, but unable to make the trip myself, I persuaded the Indians to go alone to fetch them for me. They brought the precious load back safely in two bags which I had lent to them. This was remarkable in proving that the Huichols are not afraid of dead who passed out of life long enough ago." (page 285, volume 2)
In another incident, villagers kept their favorite dead relative's skulls in their homes. Lumholtz wanted a certain one that he saw in a man's house, but the man refused to give it to him because it was of his father. Lumholtz learned that the man had never married because he had a serious case of hemorrhoids. He ordered medication for him, which he traded for the skull. The man replaced his Dad with another favorite uncle... The books are packed with such stories. I treasure them immensely!
The National Geographic article stated that because of junk food, incoming roads and better transportation, many Tarahumara are already slowing down as runners. Yes, we want life to be easier, but it is a shame that in the trade we make for that ease, we lose so much that makes us special as a group. I am a mut with no particular ethnic ties, except that I physically look like a Viking. So, it's easy for me to choose which cultural influences I want to adopt, even if it is only in outward manifestations like food or clothing. But, for all of these Native peoples who are confronted with industrialization, we can only hope that they will be allowed to retain the values and important things that they choose to hang on to. We are one world, but our differences also make for interesting weavings! May the Tarahumara walk well towards the destiny of their choice!
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We have this little gadget on the front page of our Fiber FocusGroup that pulls images from Flickr tagged "fiber art". Last week this cute guy with a red face and wings popped up:
Merman by Sarah's Artwork
I quickly clicked on it as I wanted to know more about it. I knew instantly that this was a piece that would be close to my heart. And where there was one, there would probably be more.
I was right! Merman led me to a treasure trove of wonderful work! I am especially attracted to work that is influenced by ethnic art, yet twisted into something new. If you visit the Sarah's Artwork blog, you will find this to be true in this case. The blog is loaded with images of inspiration and how they become translated by Sarah into something new. For example, take this piece from her series, My Tribe:
Source of inspiration: Africa!
Other My Tribe pieces all recall Africa, although Sarah said that she is also inspired by the immigrants she sees in Melbourne, often wearing tribal tattoos or henna designs from their place of origin.
But, Merman, looked distinctly Mexican in flavor to me. Hmmmm.... Sure enough, Sarah has been to Mexico and fell in love with it!
And, where does this well of creative juices spring from? AUSTRALIA!!!! It's A Small World After All started playing in my head... Sorry. It's all that childhood indoctrination...
Sarah is prolific and diverse in her work. The soft sculptures are heavily embellished and expressive.
Woman by Sarah's Artwork
King by Sarah's Artwork
She also draws, filling space intensely, creating wonderful environments of chaotic order:
.
The Embrace by Sarah's Artwork
Sometimes the sculptural and figurative become combined into the functional:
I have found that artists who fill their artwork with detail and texture, like Sarah, tend to also decorate or fill their work spaces in the same way. This is true with her. Sarah's former studio was an altar to life. Walls, even the ceiling, celebrate the world, bringing cultures together into a collage of color and texture.
I contacted Sarah and told her how much I liked her work. We exchanged several e-mails and she turned out to be as interesting in cyber-reality as her work. I don't expect much when I contact people out of the blue like this. Many never respond, people are busy, whatever... but, Sarah was enthusiastic and shared quite a bit about what is going on with her. She packed up her studio and is in the process of crossing the ocean to start a new phase in her life: Montana, USA! She has friends there and eventually wants to make it back down to Mexico. Montana is a long way from Kentucky, but it gets my hopes up that if we are at least in the same country, there is a tiny chance that we could meet someday.
Meanwhile, visit Sarah at her blog, leave some comments here about how wonderful she is, and from us all, we wish you "Happy Travels, Sarah!"
Click on this short bio to see a larger image:
Sarah's Artwork and Her Traveling Muse: Australia, Mexico and Africa!
Used huipil Erin purchased in Santiago Atitlan's market.
Erin Stoy is an American who’s lived in Guatemala for over a year, caring for the daughter she and her husband are in the process of adopting. The case has been frought with difficulties, making their stay an unusually long one. Despite the financial and emotional stress of the situation, Erin is grateful that – as Azucena’s legal foster mother in Guatemala – she and her husband have had the opportunity to have their little girl with them since the age of eight months.Another positive thing to come from the experience has been Erin’s new passion for Guatemalan textiles; she has been selling arts and crafts she makes from used huipiles (traditional, hand-woven Guatemalan blouses) since October 2007.
Erin with Azucena in Nov '07.
In August of 2007, a local orphanage was raided here in Guatemala, and political tensions surrounding international adoption were running very high.Agencies began suggesting that fostering parents, like us, stay inside with our kids until things calmed down.Rumors abounded that the police were going to question any gringos they saw with Guatemalan children.So for close to two months, I only left the apartment with our daughter, Azucena, a handful of times.
Market in Santiago Atitlan
As one would imagine, being confined to apartment grounds with a toddler for that long was challenging. Eager for something to do while Azucena napped or played on her own, I started looking at craft blogs for inspiration.I hand-sewed about 20 stuffed animals and little dolls out of Azucena’s outgrown baby clothes and, later, felt.It was a fun diversion from the stressful reality of our situation.
Baby Doll
I had long thought something really pretty could be made from the embroidered collars of huipiles. Once I got the sewing bug, I started visiting a shop here in Antigua that frequently had used collars and other huipil scraps for sale. The first things I made were some pillows that featured collars from Chichicastenango; I embroidered Spanish words like “esperanza” (hope) and “amistad” (friendship) within the circle formed by the collar.
One of the pillows Erin made from a huipil collar from Chichi.
For my next project, I purchased several small of bags of huipil scraps in order to make Christmas ornaments for some family members back home.Afterwards, I posted photos of the ornaments on my personal blog, and the next thing I knew, I had people leaving comments saying they wanted to buy sets for their own families.An online friend who was coming to Guatemala kindly offered to transport any items I sold back to the US for shipping through the USPS. I accepted and was thrilled to have the opportunity to earn some money to help with the many expenses we were incurring by having to maintain households in both the US and Guatemala.Largely through word of mouth throughout the online adoption world, I ended up selling about $2500 worth of Christmas ornaments over the next couple months.
Christmas ornaments.
After Christmas, I began making new items from the huipil fabric, including animals, simple baby dolls, fabric magnets inspired by Semana Santa street carpets, and personalized art for children’s rooms.Lately I’ve been doing more collages.This spring, I moved the craft items from my personal blog to a separate crafts blog and opened a shop on Etsy. I hope to continue making and selling arts and crafts from these beautiful used Guatemalan textiles; they are too lovely not to be re-purposed and enjoyed.Maybe I’ll even get a sewing machine when I get back to the States!
In today's world, where things come from is an important question. If we make things ourselves, we might question the toxicity of the dyes we use, whether the cotton used in a quilt is organic, if wool came from healthy, well-cared for sheep, or we might look around us and try to figure out how to recycle or upcycle discarded "junk" into something new. If we buy something, we might also wonder about these questions and whether the person who made it worked in a sweatshop or received fair wages for their labor.
Where, oh, where did this doll come from? Who made it? Is it old, new, collectible?
Those of us who have a passion for textiles, fiber art and all things handmade tend to zoom in on items that show expert workmanship, interesting designs, and a new way of putting things together. I draw a distinction between vintage and new work and whether something was made by and individual artist/crafter or as part of a business. The doll is new, made of recycled fabrics. An unknown (to me) crafter made it. It is from Bolivia. It doesn't have much value as a collectible item, but is interesting as a cultural one. One can find plenty of handmade things online that are interesting to fiber enthusiasts. Knowing what the environmental and social impact that item has is a growing concern for those of us who want our purchasing power to help improve conditions here on Planet Earth. Products that fulfill environmental concerns are called eco or green products. They are measured by the impact their carbon footprint has in the production of the item. Products that represent underserved populations as an economic development initiative are referred to as fair trade products.
The doll is both fair trade and green. I bought several of these to sell in my eBay store last Christmas (I think there may be one left, hint, hint...). Inter-American Trading, my source, works with artisans in Bolivia and Peru.
Here is how they describe themselves:
"We are Direct Importers and Wholesalers of Handicrafts, Musical Instruments, Jewelry and Clothing from the Andean Countries of Peru and Bolivia .
We are a family owned business offering indigenous products through the private enterprise system. Our merchandise is produced in an environmentally sound manner. We are members of the Fair Trade Federation."
Groups like Inter-American work with people to help them improve their standard of life. Artisans working with such groups are often referred to as producers. The artistic impact of products they make often take second place to the saleability of an item. Producers may be paid by the piece, or may belong to a collective that helps decide how profits will be used for the benefit of the community as a whole. Success of a project might be measured by the number of locals who have greater access to education, medical attention, legal resources and so on. Often groups are structured as a collective, cooperative, non-profit, church organization or non-governmental organization.
Not everything fair trade is green and not all green products are fair trade. For example, a fair trade group might be working with batik artists in Indonesia. They might pay their producers fair prices for the batiks, but might use toxic dyes in the process. Many of the dyes used overseas are illegal in the United States because of their toxicity when discarded.
And, a green item, let's say an organic cotton scarf, might be made using good environmental standards, but they may pay their workers poorly. These are two different conscientious markets that need to marry. Both have loyal customer bases which have been slowly merging together. Fair Trade coffee is an example of how one cannot survive without the other. Coffee growers unite as collectives and find larger markets if they grow organic beans. This needs to happen in other production sectors as well.
I would like to introduce four organizations that have truly helped grow awareness and organize groups together. You may click on their website images to better read the text and visit their websites by clicking on the title. I have copied each mission below:
"The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is an association of businesses and organizations who are fully committed to fair trade. FTF strengthens the capacity of its members, encourages the exchange of best practices, and raises awareness about the importance of choosing fairly traded products and supporting businesses committed to fair trade principles."
"IFAT is the International Fair Trade Association, the global network of Fair Trade Organizations. IFAT’s mission is to enable producers to improve their livelihoods and communities through Fair Trade. IFAT will be the global network and advocate for Fair Trade, ensuring producer voices are heard.
Over 300 Fair Trade Organizations in 70 countries form the basis of our network and membership is growing steadily. Approximately 65% of our members are based in the South (that is: Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America) with the rest coming from North America & the Pacific Rim and Europe. We are truly international!
Our members have the concept of Fair Trade at the heart of their mission and at the core of what they do. They come in many shapes and sizes and represent the Fair Trade chain from production to sale. Our members are producer co-operatives and associations, export marketing companies, importers, retailers, national and regional Fair Trade networks and financial institutions, dedicated to Fair Trade principles."
"Aid to Artisans, a nonprofit organization, offers practical assistance to artisan groups worldwide, working in partnerships to foster artistic traditions, cultural vitality, improved livelihoods and community well-being. Through collaboration in product development, business skills training and development of new markets, Aid to Artisans provides sustainable economic and social benefits for craftspeople in an environmentally sensitive and culturally respectful manner."
"Co-op America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982.
Our mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society."
All of these organizations have loads of information on what constitutes fair (or alternative) trade. The National Green Pages is an excellent database for finding both green and fair trade products, not just for crafts, but for all areas of life, including investing financially in socially responsible banks and businesses.
This is a short article on introducing the concept of fair trade and green products. I am in the process of inviting groups to write about themselves and will include more articles on these topics in the future. Finding a way to improve the world through what we make is as important to me as the aesthetic value of a piece. Poor artists are not only in developing countries. Many of us struggle for basic needs in pursuit of our passions as artists or crafters. I have no health insurance and many of the other artists I know live in sub-standard conditions with no savings or safety nets. But, I have always known that this struggle has been my choice. I have a good education and could move to an area where my skills would receive decent compensation. I choose to live in a small town where good jobs are scarce.
Not so for most of the world. So, when a scarf, a doll, a quilt, or a weaving can make a real difference in someone's access to resources AND when that item contributes to cleaning up our environment- I'm all for it!
I have several fair trade groups listed under Fair Trade Fiber at the right and will continue to increase that listing as well as develop one for green products. If you would like to contribute articles to Fiber Focus on this theme, please contact me. Meanwhile, explore these organizations and you will find wonderful groups and resources out there! Go green and fair!
Alena bought some textiles from me on Etsy and I took a look at her shop. Her dolls caught my attention. I have a small collection of ethnic and folk art dolls. I'm not sure why I love them so much, but together they represent the wonderful diverse world out there. I also tried to make a couple of dolls at one point- they looked like they had been in a major car wreck! So, I appreciate the technique and how difficult it is to make them. Alena's dolls also look distinctly non-American to me. Now that I know a bit more of her story, I realize that this difference is rooted in her interest in anthropology. Alena is from the Czech Republic. I hope you enjoy her dolls as much as I do!
It took me a relatively long time to begin creating dolls. Originally, I studied book graphics and illustration in Secondary School, then conceptual arts at the Academy of Fine Arts, Theatre Anthropology and finally stage and puppet design at the Theatre Academy of Performing Arts. My greatest desire was to make puppets and follow alternative theatre. But, it all fell through as I followed another way.
After my three children were subsequently born I moved with them and with my husband from the capital city Prague to Jablonec nad Nisou. This is a small but wonderful town in the mountains with an old glass bead tradition. I thought about what I would pursue next and my choice was making dolls. I had made them before for my eldest daughter and used them as mannequins in some performances. A doll has a certain advantage over a puppet. While a puppet lives only in the actor’s hands, a doll has its own life.
I am making two sorts of dolls – partly dolls for children and dolls for collectors. In them I project my main interests – anthropology, preference for aesthetics of the 20th Century, interest in other cultures, etc. I like using body typology as defined by Ayurveda. I started with papiermache and then moved to wood and now work with fabric, which I prefer. I especially like using second hand textiles that retain the energetic traces of its previous owner.
I set up my Etsy shop to expose my work in a wider international context. I am selling on Etsy both of the above mentioned types of dolls. Now I have begun making bags, too. I am attracted by the idea of carrying a creative work on one’s shoulder for the whole day.
My real name is Alena Stukavcova Dolezalova. You are welcome to contact me through my shop Gurumina on Etsy.
Guest Artist: Alena Stukavcova Dolezalova of Gurumina
Canadian artist Inese Smelters of Toronto is my first guest on Fiber Focus. She also sells on Etsy under the name PlanetMonkey. I love her ability of transforming a sock into a character with such expression and life, bringing a little humor into the world of fiber. Surely we all know a Madge or Sylvia! Visit her website to see all her other funny characters.
Madge
"I started making sock monkeys about 2 years ago as a rainy Saturday project with my teenagers. They loved them so much and all their friends kept taking them. I thought, "If teenaged BOYS are interested in these, there is certainly a market for sock monkeys". I applied to Canada's largest juried craft show (One of a Kind Craft Show) on a whim and was accepted.
I work full time and do the sock monkeys during ALL my down time. I never get sick of making them and I never run out of ideas. I have a website www.themonkeyhouse.ca and do the one Christmas craft show per year and have an Etsy shop. I also give sock monkey birthday parties.
Sylvia is the queen-bee of the sock monkeys and is my best seller. Recently her gruff sister Madge joined the group. New this year are the felted babies and I am sewing clothing for this Xmas show.
My goal is to have the sock monkey replace the teddy bear as the cuddly friend of choice. They just have so much more personality! I don't believe there are any commercially made sock monkeys (The Gap came out with one last year but I think it flopped) . That's the beauty of a handmade monkey - they are so homely and vintage. They literally appeal to all age groups."
Other My Tribe pieces all recall Africa, although Sarah said that she is also inspired by the immigrants she sees in Melbourne, often wearing tribal tattoos or henna designs from their place of origin.
But, Merman, looked distinctly Mexican in flavor to me. Hmmmm.... Sure enough, Sarah has been to Mexico and fell in love with it!
And, where does this well of creative juices spring from? AUSTRALIA!!!! It's A Small World After All started playing in my head... Sorry. It's all that childhood indoctrination...
