GlobeIn Artisan Box Review Sophisticate January 2018

GlobeIn Artisan Box is a monthly subscription box featuring favorite products from global artisans. Each box is curated around a monthly theme selected by the editor with the aim of helping you experience new and interesting products and cultures. They kindly sent us this box for review.

If you have been following AYOB for any length of time you quickly realize that GlobeIn is one of our all round, all time favourite subscription boxes!  This box is so popular they started offering two different boxes each month!  I just took a quick moment and looked over some of our past reviews and was quickly reminded of all the great items we have received over the past six months!  I don’t want to spoil too much at the start, but I think this GlobeIn Artisan Box might be my favourite to date!

GlobeIn Artisan Box – Sophisticate

Life is a constant balancing act.  Handling it all – family, career, friendships… laundry – takes grace, poise, and creativity.  The Sophisticate Artisan Box is here to elevate your daily routine just a bit 🙂

These four pieces will add polish to your busy life and help you channel your inner stylish sophisticate, while inspiring you to be brave and bold.

An elegant wallet and tray will keep your essentials close at hand, (keys, coins, cards, lip gloss, the works) while the necklace and bracelet add pizzazz to any outfit.

These items empower artisans the world over, helping them to escape the cycle of poverty, expand their educations, and grow their professional skills.

So seize an opportunity to dress up in your favourite outfit, accessorize accordingly, and do your thing!

Ikat Wallet – India

Meet Kaushalya!  She is part of an ikat weaving cooperative in Andhra Pradesh in southern India.  In India, loom work is not only an art form, it is a cultural identity for artisans in 40 villages surrounding the capital city of Hyderbad.  Ikat weaving is one of the most distinct and unique forms of art.  To the artisans, weaving sustains their families economically, socially, and culturally.

When power looms were introduced to Indian weaving market, generations of families worried that an ancient art form was at risk.  Hand loom weaving not only preserves a valuable craft, it sustains modern artisans and their families.  The ikat print on the wallet was made by hand, from spinning the cotton, to dying the threads, to weaving the pattern!

A snap closure, interior zip purse, and passport sized pockets will keep your belongings secure.

Suggested Use: Stash your cash and cards in style, and carry a small piece of art with you everywhere!

Wow!  This is the most beautiful piece I have ever received from GlobeIn!  Seriously though.  I was just talking about wallets right before I got this box.  This wallet is everything I would look for when purchasing one in the store, and I can be pretty picky when it comes to organized fashion accessories!  I have actually been using this wallet for a few days already and it has got to be the best wallet I’ve ever owned!  It’s so easy to navigate and prioritize items.

Brave Bracelet – Uganda

This delicate brass bracelet and accompanying charm are handcrafted by the Sseko Designs artisan team in Uganda, helping to disrupt the cycle of poverty.  Let it inspire you to face whatever challenges are in your path!  Sseko helps enable young women from all walks of life to fight major challenges of their own.  They hire talented women during the nine month gap between secondary school and university, allowing them to earn money to put towards their education.  At the end of their nine month term, Sseko matches 100% of their savings with a college scholarship.

The word “Brave” is engraved on the charm, and we hope this bracelet serves as a reminder of where you have been, inspiration for where you are going, and a symbol of strength that lies within you.

Suggested Use:  It’s easy to remove the charm or add additional charms.  Over time, pure brass will develop a unique patina, or you can polish it to preserve the shine!

So pretty!  I love the simplicity of this item.  This is exactly the type of jewelry I like to wear on a daily basis. It’s also nice to be given a guide to other items and charms you can add to this.  Why not purchase yourself one every year as a reminder of the girls working each year for their education?

Decorative Tray – India

This chic tray is made from 100% recycled cotton paper!  Incredible, you say!  And we agree.  But for the artisans in Rajasthan, India who crafted your new accent piece, the process is nothing new.  In fact, it dates back many generations.

First, discarded cotton scraps are collected from the textile industry.  Then the cotton is broken down into fibers using a traditional wheel press and soaked, strained, pressed, dried, and ironed.  The entire process is tree-free, non-toxic, and conserves and filters water for re-use in irrigation.

Our partner artisans belong to a minority group called Kagzis, who are part of a long tradition of handmade paper-making.  Since the process is done by hand, it provides job opportunities for many people in this community.  Plus, the artisans have access to benefits including job training, micro-finance, education and health care.

When I read things like this it makes me realize what a waste culture we are in.  We can learn so much about how to re-use items to make new and beautiful things.  I’m going to put this tray somewhere I see it everyday to remind myself to be more cautious of the waste I create in a day and ask myself how I can re-use or recycle.

Earth and Fire Necklace – India

This necklace combines brass and wood in beautiful harmony.  Metal engraving is an Indian art form that dates back more than 500 years.  That’s a lot of tradition carved into the metallic crescent on this necklace.  Etching a delicate design like this fauna – inspired pattern takes astounding attention to detail.

In ancient times, kings encouraged local craftsmen to integrate carved designs in their work.  You can still find examples of traditional carvings everywhere from large palaces and forts, to local houses and villages with traditionally-carved antique doors and furniture.

Sangram has been a metal craft artisan for over 23 years and is proud of keeping the legacy of the art form alive, while thinking of the future by using sustainably harvested wood and other recycled or salvaged materials including aluminum, bronze, and brass.

Suggested Use: Layer this long statement necklace over your favourite sweater or blouse!

What a beautiful piece!  I love a longer necklace and the subtlety of the wood and brass is so beautiful!  This would be a real summer piece for me, so I might tuck it away and be surprised by it come the summer months!

GlobeIn Artisan Box January 2018 – Sophisticate – Final Thoughts

Wow!  I think my feelings on this box have been pretty obvious already!  Clearly I love all the items.  I love how feminine this box was.  I loved the delicate items and the usability of them all.  I also loved the colours of each item!  Sometimes the patterns and colours can be very bright and hard to blend with things I already own, but the subtle patterns and colours of each item were all very attractive!  I feel spoiled and very sophisticated with this months GlobeIn!  I also feel very enlightened with the crafting process of each of these pieces.  So much work, detailing, care and years of experience in each item!

-Shonah

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