Brett and his wife became involved with Ugandan AIDS orphans in 2003 through a pastor who came to America to tell their story and seek support for their cause. Facing uncertain finances at home theycommitted to a mission trip that would change their and the lives of dozens of families in Kampala forever. You see during this trip God made good on his promise to provide. Not only for Brett and his family but for the winnowers of Uganda.

It is during this trip to Africa that Brett was giving some beads by a teacher named Ricky who mentioned a side project he ran in Kampala, a group of about 70 churchwomen, most of them widows, who made baskets and beads out of varnished recycled paper.

To be polite, I took a look at some colorful and intricate beads he had brought with him from Kampala. Whoa, I thought. These are beautiful! Delicate shell shapes of yellow, turquoise and other bright colors were strung on simple strings. The last thing they looked like was recycled paper.

Soon word spread here in the states about this beautiful jewelry that is changing the lives of those women in Uganda. When you purchase this jewelry you allow women who lived on the streets to maintain a home and feed their children.

Products that change lives

All of our beads are hand made from recycled magazines, posters, and off cut factory paper from Uganda. The art of making the beads is taught to women, by women. The paper is cut, rolled, varnished and assembled through a process that takes three days from start to finish. Once beads are made, they are strung into jewelry. Because our beads are hand made from recycled materials, each piece of jewelry is uniquely different from the other.

These and other great styles are available here.

In a world

In a world full of “go green” phrases and catchy slogans there is one man who is taking recycling to an all new level.  These incredible bracelets are made out of old silverware… but trust us, these are anything but old fashioned pieces of jewelry. GC began making these bracelets for his wife, Elena. As she began wearing her bracelets out, she naturally got questions on them… Few people had ever seen a piece of jewelry like this before. Her friends began asking GC to make a piece for them and word spread like wildfire.

Soon just a few friends turned into all different kinds of people wanting these unique bracelets. And before he knew it, his bracelet making had turned into a full time “hobby”, sharing his new idea of recycling to a very lucky few. He now sells them at arts and crafts shows and now we are making them available to you.

These bracelets definitely have a place at art shows because each one really is a unique piece of art…. No two pieces of jewelry are alike. This bracelet we have for sale is 5.5 inches in diameter and is silver plated. The stem of the silverware (which serves as the bulk of the bracelet) has a flower detail to it and the bracelet features a cross pendant wrapped in a delicate heart.

Now being green can also mean being fashionable and chic.

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Stories from the heart, products with meaning. http://www.MemoriesFromHome.com“go green”

phrases and catchy slogans there is one man who is taking recycling to an all new level.  These incredible bracelets are made out of old silverware… but trust us, these are anything but old fashioned pieces of jewelry. GC began making these bracelets for his wife, Elena. As she began wearing her bracelets out, she naturally got questions on them… Few people had ever seen a piece of jewelry like this before. Her friends began asking GC to make a piece for them and word spread like wildfire.

In 1973, at the same time the Bahamas became an independent country, a small cottage industry was formed by Dick and Rosi Birch of Small Hope Bay Lodge. The idea started when they watched a guest occupy children on a rainy day with a batik craft project. This was a product that they reasoned could be unique, colourful, and 100% Bahamian done. Once the fabric was made, it could be sewn into easy care island garments. This would help employ single women with families, an objective that was especially important to the Birches.

They developed the concept that each yard would be hand done. Every print would symbolize a natural element found in the Bahamas, and all the colours would be colours pulled right from the islands.

Every colour still has its origins in the waters, flora and fauna of the Bahamas. Lyford Green is from the beautiful seas off Lyford Cay in Nassau, Shocking Pink is the small line found inside the national flower, the yellow elder, and Cabana Blue is from the boat covers that dot the harbours of Abaco. Every yard is still hand printed and hand dyed and dried under the Bahamian sun.

See more here.