Planet-Craft is a small business that acts as a bridge between artisans and you.  On this page we aim to provide more information about the artisans with whom we work.

Lace & Hammocks

This lady is making lace in São Luis, in Maranhão, North-East Brazil.  The wooden balls are attached to individual threads and then the artisan weaves the lace bit by bit and then pins back each completed section.  Although we don't sell any on the site you can see the influence of this craft on the hammocks. 

The hammocks are from the same region and use this craft as decoration on the sides.   They are made by a womens co-operative in Pedro II, in Piauí.   These hammocks really are individual pieces that take a long time to make and decorate. 

Persian Throws 

This guy below is printing the throws in Esfahan Bazaar in Iran.  The bazaars in Iran are full of as many workshops as shops.  He has a carved rubber block that he dips into a natural dye and then taps it firmly to produce a print pattern.  He completes one colour first then comes back and goes over the whole print again with another colour.  He uses an interlocking block to produce another colour in thesame spot.  It takes ages.  That's Neda paying for the throws - much quicker than making them!

Egyptian Cotton Cushions and Bedcovers

Egyptian cotton bedcovers and cushions; these really are works of art.  The guy who owns the business designs the patterns and the two chaps sew them up.  The guys who work for him make one bedcover at a time for us so we pay them a little bonus if we sell their bedcover.  That's Ned choosing some - sorry about the poor photos.

Ox-Hide Pouffes

Here are some photos of the folks who make the pouffes.  Geraldo and his employees really take care to produce the best.  Below you can see them cutting the ox-hide, preparing the pieces to be sewn together, embossing the top pieces and painting the top piece.  The machine is for cutting the leather strips that will be used to stitch the pouffe together.  The bottom left picture shows the 'tampas' they use to emboss the top piece. 

Wooden animals

These guys below are making wooden animal sculptures.  The crude carving is done by these younger guys then the finishing done by a more skilled sculpture.  Each piece of wood they get is studied for grain and character before deciding which animal is to be made and in which alignment.  This part of Minas Gerais state in Brazil is very rich in artisan craft. 

Oficino de Augosto

This is Marcelo Costa.  This is a photo taken in a village in rural Minas Gerais, in Brazil.  He is part of a project, Oficina de Augosto, that aims to teach kids in rural areas some extra skills that give them a practical option other than life on the fields or as maids.

Other Brazilian Crafts

This lady (on the right) is from the Isla do Marajó in Pará state in Brazil.  She makes jewellery with local forest seeds.  To the left is the wife of João Alves - they make fantastic models that depict day to day life of rural Brazilians in times gone by - especially during the time of slavery. 

These are 'bonecas' from the Jequitinonha Valley in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil.  They may look a bit freaky but they are amazing.  The locals make these figures from local clay.  This art comes from the time water jars were decorated like people (women).  The head used to be the stopper in the top - now the craft has been highly developed as you can see. 

Zapotec Wool Rugs

Our Zapotec rugs come from two families we met in Oaxaca state in Mexico.  We went to see a few until we were happy that we were buying direct from the family and not from an agent.  Here are pictures of the women preparing the wool in the first photo, preparing dyes in the second and finishing rugs on the third (they're pulling out the little rough bits that got mixed up in the spun wool).

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