Handmade to Market

We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Clare Brett Smith on April 11th—her 97th birthday. Clare served as the President of Aid to Artisans (ATA) from 1986 to 2006 and was a visionary who touched the lives of tens of thousands of artisans around the world.

During her remarkable 20-year tenure, Clare led ATA to provide product development, training, marketing services, and small grants to 65,000 artisans in 41 countries, 72% of whom were women.
 
Clare’s work was not just about the crafts—it was about helping people. As she once said, “One of the best rewards was seeing the artisans prosper. They are innovative and skilled people who, with respect, recognition, and appreciation, can become competitive in the global market.”

We will miss Clare deeply; her passion lives on through us and our global network of artisans, partners, and friends. Click the link in our bio to read her obituary.

We’re proud that our partner, Dos Tierras, took part in the creation of ’s new uniforms, designed by Yakampot to celebrate the airline’s 90th anniversary. For the first time, the collection features traditional embroidery, made in collaboration with 14 communities from the Highlands of Chiapas.

Together with and Dos Tierras / HANDMADE to MARKET México, Yakampot coordinated the production of over 31,000 embroideries crafted by 234 women artisans. This was a one-of-a-kind project, and we’re honored that Dos Tierras was part of it.

Photo: Ricardo Chávez powered by
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🌎Happy Earth Day! Take some time to reconnect with nature and remember to support artisan businesses, many of which incorporate eco-friendly practices into their work. At HANDMADE to MARKET, we understand and value the importance of developing sustainable handmade products. Scroll through the beautiful products made by Chako Zanzibar, a Canvas Home grant winner, made from waste like bottles and glass alongside local materials: https://chakozanzibar.com/

Happy World Artisan Day! Let’s celebrate the amazing artisans and makers around the world who preserve traditions, share their history, and help work toward a more sustainable future.

Congratulations to the artisans from our Manos Vivas 2.0 project! 53 artisans from Chiapas and Yucatán graduated from the program this past March, marking the successful completion of a professionalization process. Focusing on strengthening artisan businesses, leadership, and long-term sustainability, the artisans completed 11 training modules that were delivered in both Spanish and the local indigenous languages, Tzeltal and Tsotsil. The artisans gathered to celebrate each other, share their work, and continue building their networks. We are so proud of all these women and are excited to see where their hard work takes them!

The Manos Vivas 2.0 project is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Here is a sneak preview of some of the looks that will be on the runway this Sunday in Vancouver!

We are so excited to have members of our Manos Vivas 2.0 team at Vancouver Fashion Week to celebrate the work of Indigenous women, especially Lidia Irene May Briceño and Fidelia Abigail Ek Gongora. Comment your favorite design from the collection below!

The Manos Vivas 2.0 project is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

It’s been a couple of months since we introduced our new name, HANDMADE to MARKET, and we’re excited to share how our community has reacted to this exciting change and what has happened since!

So far, we have:

💡 Launched the HANDMADE to MARKET Membership – A new online opportunity under the Artisan Business Lab, giving artisans access to valuable resources, training, and a supportive community.

💲Expanded our Artisan Business Accelerator –Completed one-on-one coaching sessions on costing and pricing with 17 entrepreneurs from Haiti who were preparing to attend a tradeshow in Canada.

📝Refined our mission and focus – Ensuring our work aligns with the evolving needs of the handmade industry, emphasizing market access, business growth, and artisan empowerment.

👐 Strengthened our community engagement – Receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from artisans, partners, and supporters who resonate with our new identity and direction. We even launched an online community within our HANDMADE to MARKET Membership where our 77 members have the opportunity to connect with each other.

But the best part has been hearing feedback from YOU! Your kind and encouraging words have reaffirmed our decision and helped us usher this new chapter in with overwhelming positivity. Thank you for your support – we're so excited to be on this journey with you.

We are so excited to announce that two artisans from our Manos Vivas 2.0 project will be showcasing their work at Vancouver Fashion Week this month! Our artisans will be attending the show as part of , a collective of Indigenous women from Mexico. The group of women created a 16-piece capsule collection entitled “Ancestral Synergy” that will be shown on the runway in Vancouver on April 13th. Fusing traditional techniques with contemporary design, the collection is an invitation to connect with the past and teachings that have been passed down through generations.

Follow their journey with us and !

The Manos Vivas 2.0 project is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Do you ever have a question that you can’t find an answer to? Stop wasting your time googling and use the Artisan Business Guide, an AI bot trained in Artisan Business Lab content. This unique feature is one of the many tools available to those who are part of our HANDMADE to MARKET Membership. Click here to join the waitlist so you know when registration next opens: https://www.handmadetomarket.org/handmade-to-market-membership

Celebrate Eid al-Fitr by supporting the children of Gaza. Children in Rafah, Khan Younis, Gaza City and in northern Gaza are facing life-threatening circumstances, and they need your help. Your donation can help provide food, as well as trauma support, to children surviving harrowing conditions.

❤️ Click the link to bring hope and peace to Gaza's children: https://lnkd.in/erpFuugE

Children in Gaza need your help. March 18th was the deadliest day for children in Gaza, with a reported 174 children killed in one day.

Due to the recent cancellation of funding, we have had to cancel our planned activities to provide Sohour and Iftar meals to 4,000 children aged 3-12 years in Gaza. Your generosity will help us provide this food to children who desperately need it. Your assistance will also help us restart essential trauma support and resources to children and their families.

Click here to donate now and help these children as they continue to deal with unimaginable hardships: https://www.creativelearning.org/gaza-ramadan

Throughout the months of February and March, Alianza Crecer Juntos has hosted a series of workshops for participants of the Solidarity Market in the community of Chabek’Lumil, Chiapas, Mexico. This incredible group of women come together to sell their products in a weekly market. These workshops have strengthened their skills in marketing, selling techniques, how to attend clients and set prices, and administration and accounting.

A powerful moment came during the spiderweb activity (shown in the second image). Each thread is a lesson, and every intersection is an opportunity, reminding us that we grow stronger through connection and harmony. By weaving their own stories, these women are also creating networks of support that lift them up and help them do the same for others.

Beyond building practical skills, these workshops empower small producers, enrich the community, and work to build a more just and supportive future.

The "Grow Together Alliance - Sitalá: A Path to Self-Management" project is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The children of Gaza need your help now more than ever. As we approach the final days of Ramadan, we are urgently seeking your support. Due to a recent funding cut, our planned Sohour and Iftar meals for 4,000 children in Gaza have been canceled.

With your help, we can still provide Ramadan gifts, essential supplies, and educational resources to brighten their Ramadan.

❤️ Please click here to bring hope and joy to Gaza's children: https://www.creativelearning.org/gaza-ramadan

We’re excited to share another wonderful event hosted by Alianza Komon A'tel. On February 27, 2025, the Entrepreneurship Fair took place in San Juan Cancuc, Chiapas, bringing together young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs for a day of innovation, creativity, and collaboration.
This event created a vibrant space for participants to connect, share ideas and experiences, and inspire others to start their own businesses. In communities like San Juan Cancuc, where economic opportunities are limited, entrepreneurship plays a powerful role in generating income and improving family well-being.
From pizza to handicrafts, bracelets, coin purses, and beeswax ointments, participants are already off to a great start. This fair sparked inspiration, encouraging young people to explore entrepreneurship as a path to economic empowerment.

At the end of February, the Komon A'tel Alliance () began their series of Youth Leadership Training Workshops in Chilolja, San Juan Cancuc, in collaboration with a local high school, COBACH 175.
This first workshop focused on community leadership—what it means to be a leader, identifying leaders in their communities, and the key qualities of strong leadership, all with an emphasis on human rights.
These high school students were excited to engage with the material and learn how to be responsible leaders in their communities. We look forward to seeing them continue to grow into these roles and use their skills to strengthen their communities.

🗣️A month ago, our team in Sitalá held the third spokesperson workshop for representatives of various groups of Tsoblej Slekubtesel Sitalá, a municipal space for dialogue and collective action among community-based social structures and community members. Don Miguel (pictured), a spokesperson from Santa Cruz, was inspired by the workshops, sharing that he practices the exercises at home with his children. He says that the topics covered by the workshops have helped him improve his relationships and involvement in his community. Like Don Miguel, many others have overcome their fear of speaking in groups and are now more actively engaged in their communities.

The "Grow Together Alliance - Sitalá: A Path to Self-Management" project is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

This International Women's Day, we celebrate the thousands of women we've worked with over the years from around the world. Their generosity in sharing their cultures and history with us is something that we don't take for granted. We look forward to continuing to meet and work with amazing women all over the world!

It's always exciting to share a new collection at Shoppe Object! At the beginning of February, Dos Tierras shared their new collection featuring handwoven pieces that reimagine gingham patterns through the innovative concepts of “Grid” and “Broken Grid.” Buyers were captured by this modern twist on classic patterns and drawn to the interplay between heritage craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics.

What do you think of the new designs?