Azhagi Jewelry

Well today was the last day here in the jungle. I leave this peaceful and beloved area tonight at 11:30, which will be an adventure in and of itself. The dirt r...oads will be littered with various sizes and breeds of bovines. Dodging them with the vehicle is the sport of late night driving around here. Today was warmer than the previous days and it felt like rain all day but never did. Chitra is getting better at sewing the bags. I am pleased. They have darling personality. My beloved Carl Bruns will leave tomorrow night so I will miss traveling home with him. Today’s jewelry fun involved me tossing a piece of layered right angle weave I made out in the table and challenging them to figure it out. By golly they did! They have learned much about themselves this trip. Their confidence in their abilities was indeed born this trip. I actually left them with Swarovski bicones this trip in two sizes. Something I have not done before. On only one occasion in all 6 years have I had the benefit of a translator to assist with communication. As the years have progressed I have learned some Tamil and they some English. People ask if that’s difficult. My answer has always been the same, Beadweaving is an exhibition sport. If you can show it they can bead it. It’s charades really. Many of them only have as high as a third grade education. The first year I came prepared with some of my patterns translated into Tamil but they promptly stuffed the pages into a box. An Indian msn told me they don’t read. But they could watch what I did and repeat it. And that’s what they have done....they have copied me until they understood. Now they understand that their 6 years of beading everyday has taught them more than just a particular pattern. Now, the designs are no longer mine, the designs are theirs. I didn’t talk about design collisions because how do you charade that information. So if any of you’ve designed something like any of the below, I’m here to ask you please, please, please do not be offended. These women did truly come up with these when I told them to design. When I get home and settled I’ll get nicer photos taken of all of their work, but here’s a few to tide you over. Cheers to the women of Azhagi Jewelry! I could not be more proud of them. My heart swoons at how far they have come. Blessings, Karen

I closed today in the jungle with spending time with Chitra who is making the most beautiful bags that an artist can use to put their beads into for their class... kits. There’s a little pocket that fits needles for a kit and later after class is over the bag can be used as a little clutch and what was a pocket for needles converts to a lipstick pocket! Now you need to know a few things about these gorgeous bags: 1) they are made 100% by Chitra and this is her part time livelihood 2) there are other colors so while you can ask for a specific color you might get what’s left but honestly they are all gorgeous 3) the first shipment if them will arrive March 1st because well they are being muled from Kondamangalam, India 4) take a look at the antique she’s sewing on. We had the machine serviced while we were here but hey it’s like she’s sewing 150 years ago it’s a pedal machine and while she says it sews super now she was putting silk brocade and satin bags together without holding the fabric together with pins so in all fairness there is a tiny little slippage every now and again but my honest feeling is that you get a bag with a bit of personality and a great story to tell 5) wow you’ve gotta watch the video of her threading a bobbin 6) every bag will come with the story on a special card so you get oohs and ahs from your students All of my kits for classes will come in these bags. Last year I used the other bag we had her making. We managed to keep her employed for 2017 and she will continue to work in 2018. The very last photo is of the other bag and how I used it as kit packaging for my Bead and Button students. It was a big hit. Both styles are available. The more bags we sell the longer we can keep her working. I am not looking to make a profit. I’m looking to simply keep her working. Right now this is just a part time gig for her. She and I would both love to make this a full time gig for her. If you are interested please ping me to discuss details. With a grateful heart I close for tonight. Tomorrow is my last day here and I still have some beading to finish for tomorrow’s challenge.

Today is the next to the last day here in the jungle. Where has the time gone? My heart begins to sag a little knowing I have to leave these wonderful women to...morrow. But it is also lifted knowing they are going to be just fine and I will get to spend more time with them next year. These last 6 years they have learned so much and have even changed their view towards what they make from the first year; quality never mattered to them until a couple of years ago when (with the help of a translator) they began to understand that this isn’t my business it’s theirs and I’m not the boss but I am another artist. And artists take care of their supplies and one another; that they teach one another and help one another. This is the world of art I wish to live in. Where one artist’s success is success for all of us. Where we celebrate one another. Since that conversation they have refused to work with beads that are not quality. Thank you TOHO and Miyuki for such fine quality beads. These women are addicted to them! In the beginning we had a lot of folks wanting to donate their old beads but they would donate seed beads from Michael’s or Joann’s Craft Stores which here in India are called second quality because you cull more than you use. Since that time we have asked that people who want to participate by donating to please donate money so that our bead buyer (me...lol) can purchase quality materials. We are now a 501c3 organization so donations are tax deductible. So cool! One thing that I love about their pieces is the orange bead. The women said their favorite color is orange. Our organization chose a permanent finish orange bead to represent each woman. She places the bead where she chooses in the design. The bead will not fade over time like some other beads. What we’ve seen happening with the pieces is that the orange bead almost seems to glow as tube goes on and we like to say that this represents their growth from poverty; it represents their success. We wanted a way to remind people what their purchase means to these women. You see, when you buy a piece of Azhagi Jewelry you are purchasing with purpose. You are making sure that this group of women can feed their families. It’s really that simple. Oh by the way...the women said that they loved my chicken mulligatawny. I made American Indian fry bread to accompany lunch telling them that while they are Indian I too am an Indian; an American Indian called Cherokee. While my Cherokee blood runs small I can make a mean fry bread. Ping me if you want an authentic recipe that goes great with mulligatawny. Back to beading.

Last night was Saturday and I made pizza with the boys. Manoge was a huge help. Today was Sunday. The women didn’t come today. Instead my beloved Carl Bruns w...as asked to give the Sunday message to the children. It was beautiful and I am blessed to be called his wife. Afterwards we had a breakfast of yellow Dahl and dosas, delicious. I returned to our room and a nap seemed next on order. When I woke it was almost time for lunch. We had guests that had found the orphanage and came prepared to make chicken biryani. It was super delicious. They came to celebrate the first birthday of their son. In India it is common for the birthday child to offer a gift of food (sometimes just candy) to those with whom they spend their time. Afterwards I set to work on making chicken mulligatawny for my jewelry ladies for tomorrow’s lunch. They have been teasing me for two years that they don’t think I can make Indian food. They are in for a surprise. It looks and smells delicious.

Today’s beading adventure? Yesterday at the end of the day I gave the women a small sample of CRAW and said only two words, tomorrow sample. Below is a phot...o of Nirmala studying the piece. I arrived about 20 minutes late to the beading table today because I was working with another woman who is making beautiful silk brocade kitting bags (fellow jewelry making artists if you are interested in buying these for your kits I will have them for sale at wholesale prices.) Anywho, back to the original post. The women had already figured out how to do CRAW and had started their sample piece with 8/0 beads. Then Ramani asked, miss, 3 side no 4, miss 5? If you bead you already know my excited response. Yes 3, Yes 4, Yes 5!!!...and their understanding of PRAW was born in an Indian jungle on a Saturday morning! A short while later Victoria brought her sample to me and was holding the two ends together asking, circle miss? OMG. Wahoo! Then Victoria came back with extra beads wanting to cover the holes and in doing so she figured out how to embellish all on her own. She would ask, 1 beads, 2 beads? I would reply by saying, try 1 beads, try 2 beads. She figured out what did and didn’t fit. I am overjoyed, even brought to tears of happiness, by their progress. I am so grateful to God for these times with these precious women.