Asian Brocade

Thank you so much to Rebekah Gamble of Asian Brocade for sending me a collection of items from her Etsy. They're all so gorgeous!

"Hi, name's Bex, and I'm the one who started this madness.

AsianBrocade started unexpectedly when I tried to donate some books at a local library (for that story, see my profile here:https://www.etsy.com/people/AsianBrocade?ref=si_pr#). It started out as a small one person gig, me trying to do what's right. I thought I'd invest some money, a ton of time, and make it a hobby that paid some of it's own bills, and maybe in a year or two I'd see that investment covered and start seeing returns. I was so clueless."

The first item that I fell in love with was the ear cuff set that Rebekah sent.

The ear cuffs have a simple yet effective design, and are comfortable to wear. I'm lucky that these cuffs are silver, as silver usually goes well with pale colours, and I have very white skin. However, silver is known to suit Summery colours also.

I was attracted to this design because I tend to be drawn towards an organic theme in accessories, such as leaves and feathers. I also like the fact that you can wear ear cuffs without the need for any piercings.

"In reality, I wouldn't invest that much (my capital was $1,000), and I'd make that back in six months, and then some. I started learning how to do things- hand recycle products, make paper, make dyes from scraps being thrown out at local high schools, etc. My neighborhood's a little on the low-income side, so I'd always wanted to share free and low-cost events with the community, but people thought it was strange that some random person wanted to do that, and it was never well-received. I found that having a shop to back me up, something to pull it all together, really helped. Within a month of opening my shop, I found myself training interns and school children, having workshops, and sponsoring events for other locals that had skills they wanted to share with the community. I also found local boot-strap businesses who had similar goals as me to work with. Soon I had something of a team of artists, musicians, business owners and local leaders working hard to spread love throughout the community. As a result, we've all been able to do what we love better with more far-reaching results."

Rebekah also sent me a gem-like pendant on a necklace.

I have a lot of two-tone nailvarnishes, so I was chuffed to finally receive a piece of jewelry that would match. It has an appealing design, and again is silver, which is probably THE best colour for accessories, as it tends to suit near enough anything. I also went through a faze not that long ago when I had a slight obsession with cherries, so it was pretty coincidental to receive a necklace with a cherry charm.

"AsianBrocade's manifesto is something like "Focus on Love" though we've never actually written that out. Funny thing about love is that it's got a ripple effect. People snatch it up and grow it in their back yards, and when they get some fruit from the vine, they pass it out too. It's certainly been an adventure, one I feel deeply blessed to be a part of. Less than a year ago, when I started this insanity, I never expected to be involved with healers, artists, crazy African drumming events, library events, and all sorts of other brilliance. It's just kinda happened."

I also received a small bracelet from Asian Brocade.

This bracelet is made up from multiple colours, such as silver, gold, bronze and copper, and although the colours really shouldn't go together, in this bracelet surprisingly they do.

I like how the bracelet includes a space for an image, and although I have no idea as to how I'm going to find an inage that small, it seems relatively easily to replace the cardboard instructions with an image.

The bracelet is really artistic, and it came in a really nice box with a stamp of a rustic bird upon it. There is also a soft cotton-like fabric inside the box to cushion the bracelet itself.

"We stick to doing good, which means recycled and scrap materials, and avoiding all the gross stuff out there: animal cruelty, modern day slavery, China-sourced materials/products/services (we do NOT support countries that do not support basic human rights), toxic materials, etc. We screen everything closely, work hard, have a ton of fun, and share the good to everyone we meet. We look at all the levels of existence and life: Animals, People, the Earth, etc. and do our best to do only good on each level."

Last but not least, Rebekah also sent me a pair of cherry earrings.

These earrings are also silver, and are cherries! Just like I said about my cherry obsession previously, the same applies for these. They go well with the necklace that Rebekah sent me, and are simplistic in a way that still looks aesthetic. They are light and fit comfortably, without any pulling or tugging, like most dangly earrings.

"So what's AsianBrocade about? It's pretty simple, really- Being human, hard work, and a whole lotta love.
And not getting too serious. If there's no laughter, what's the point?"

Again, a massive THANK YOU to Rebekah of Asian brocade for sending me such glorious items. They really are lovely.

Check out the Asian Brocade Etsy; www.etsy.com/uk/shop/AsianBrocade