be different art

These colorful ornaments are perfect for festive occasions. Shaped like rotating concentric circles, they are crafted by hand with recycled newspaper by people with special needs represented by Argentina and Francisco. Each ornament is finished with braided cotton and a granadillo wood bead, preserving the essence of Guatemala traditional art.

Please note there can be slight differences in color, shape and motifs according to the availability of newspaper.

There will be no issues with these adorable kitties climbing up your Christmas tree. Jose Arriola crafts this set of six ornaments from terracotta in a rainbow of colors and contrasting floral designs. Each ornament has its own hanging cord and the set comes in a striped woven cotton storage bag. Jose Arriola learned the art of ceramics from his mother. He now owns two different shops where he sells his wares in the Antigua market. His work is inspired by old Mayan traditions and the bright colors of his homeland.

"Hummingbirds are a daily feature in our gardens, that's why I combined the image of the bird with the flowers and colors of Guatemalan gardens. What I like about hummingbirds is that they seem to be full of energy, they're beautiful and yet delicate," confides José Arriola. The talented artisan handcrafts the ornaments of ceramic and paints each one with acrylics with different themes. The six ornaments hangs from bright red ribbons, and the set arrives in a traditional cotton pouch woven on a foot loom.

Shaped of terracotta and hand painted in bright folk art colors, these festive ornaments depict the Christmas star. Jose Arriola creates a set of six, and each one is different. Poinsettias with distinct stylizations adorn them. They arrive in a storage bag of handloomed cotton.

A set of four trees makes a lovely addition to your holiday decor. Costa Rican artisan Blanca Padilla handcrafts these stars out of the fiber extracted from cabuya, a succulent that looks like agave. The artisan works with the cabuya's natural texture to form the trees, each a different color and topped with a red ribbon bow.

The art and skill of creating handicrafts from cabuya has been handed down through Blanca Padilla's family for generations. The artisan sources her material herself, growing and harvesting the cabuya, extracting the fiber, and preparing it for use in the handicrafts. Blanca Padilla hopes to help revitalize the cabuya craft industry with the success of her designs.

A set of four bells is ready to ring in the holiday on your tree. Costa Rican artisan Blanca Padilla handcrafts these angels out of the fiber extracted from cabuya, a succulent that looks like agave. The artisan works with the cabuya's natural texture to form the bells, each a different color and topped with a gold ribbon bow and red paper flower.

The art and skill of creating handicrafts from cabuya has been handed down through Blanca Padilla's family for generations. The artisan sources her material herself, growing and harvesting the cabuya, extracting the fiber, and preparing it for use in the handicrafts. Blanca Padilla hopes to help revitalize the cabuya craft industry with the success of her designs.