cute accessories

This adorable key fob is hand crafted by Claudio Ojeda in Mexico. The panda alebrije is carved from copal wood and painted in black and white and myriad patterns and shapes in pink and purple. The wood figurine adorns a stainless steel key ring. The artisan signs his pieces with the initials "T.C.", which represent his initial "C" preceded by his mother Teresita's initial "T". Claudio learned the art of crafting alebrijes from his mother.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all shouted "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.

Costa Rica, the Paradise on Earth, shows the world its immense diversity with a keychain collection inspired by the region's flora and fauna. Crafted by Ruth Guevara, the accessory features a sturdy round pinewood base attached to a steel ring embellished with a little wood bead. The main element is a natural scene made out of cold porcelain, portraying a cute red-eyed tree frog and leaves, attracting good luck.

Ghana's Eliasu Adams carves a leaf in exquisite detail from ebony wood for a fabulous keychain that is also environmentally friendly because it is embellished with beads made from recycled glass and plastic. The lovely keychain is finished with a nylon cord and a stainless steel ring.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design naturally, with a cute posing turtle at one end, and a long slender hand used for scratching at the other.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design naturally, with a cute smiling dachshund dog face at one end, and the paw used for scratching at the other.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design in black, with a cute smiling cat face at one end, and the paw used for scratching at the other.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design naturally, with a cute smiling cat face at one end, and the paw used for scratching at the other.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design in black, with a cute posing turtle at one end, and a long slender hand used for scratching at the other.

Combining form and function to create something that is unique and timeless, artisan Nengah Sudarsana hand carves this attractive scratcher from native suar wood. First employed by the ancient Chinese, back scratchers are a practical tool that have been used by people from all walks of life across the globe for thousands of years. The artisan completes his design in black, with a cute smiling dachshund dog face at one end, and the paw used for scratching at the other.