This colorful shoulder bag comes from Maria Isabel Ramos in Guatemala. The eco-savvy designer knows the metalized wrappers used for sweets and chips are not biodegradable; therefore, in an effort to preserve the environment, she transforms them into a trendy accessory. "My favorite color is silver, but I also like bright colors," says Ramos of this shoulder bag. Entirely crafted by hand, the bag is lined with cotton and features an inner pocket.
"People see me picking up wrappers in the street and they ask what I want that 'garbage' for. I tell them it isn't garbage, it's my prime material and let them see my bag."
"I was born in a village in Chiquimula, Guatemala. My mother was a homemaker, my father a bricklayer, and I'm the eldest... daughter. I am forever thankful to my parents for the way they brought us up: always with love, they taught us good values, they sent us to school and always gave us what they could.
"Unfortunately, when I was 10 years old my mother contracted a chronic illness and I had to take over looking after the house and my siblings. I still do, because given our economic situation mom has not been able to get any better. I have seen three of my siblings die from malnutrition, illness, and lack of resources to buy medication.
"We always lived with financial constraints, below the minimum standard which meant we didn’t even have much for food. That’s why I grew up a vegetarian, not as a personal choice, but because the situation forced us to. I remember when my 15th birthday was coming and as a quinceañera I really didn't care for a party or a dress, like custom dictates. All I wanted was a pair of shoes because I had never had one.
"I got married when I was 15 years old and now I have four beautiful children. Thanks be to God, my husband let me continue going to school. When we married we moved to one of the poorest municipalities in the country, where we still live and I work as a teacher.
"In 2008 I began an undergrad course in pedagogy, specializing in environmental education. This has opened the doors for me to learn, and to teach, about recycling solid waste. Along with some students, we decided to research some techniques and got very interested in weaving potato chip packages, so we began to work on this project.
"However, since they worked during the day, most of them began deserting little by little. That's when I decided to form a group in the village where I live. I've been offering environmental education to a group of women, most of them homemakers, who seem excited about learning this technique.
"We decided to call our group 'Enchanted Wings' because we want to fly, improve, and charm clients with our products and history. Other than designing and crafting, I also do the quality checks of the products by other women.
"The first item I ever did was my own bag, which I've shown with pride morning, noon and night, winter or fall. I still use it – I keep as my first and most valuable work. It has some imperfections, after all it was the first one I ever did, but I look after it and use it with pride.
"People see me picking up wrappers in the street and they ask what I want that 'garbage' for. I tell them it isn't garbage, it's my prime material and let them see my bag. They immediately like it and that's how I've received many orders for more!
"I love my craft and its inspiring to see the quantity of material that can be recycled. There are many families in need in my community, and female unemployment is 90%, and yet there is a general desire to get ahead and improve our quality of life.
"That's why I got together with other women from my village and venture into the design of items woven with palm leaves. It is still a big part of my focus on recycling and eco-friendly products since palm is a natural and sustainable material. Weaving boxes and other items has been a challenge for me since it requires different weaving techniques and materials and that's always complicated. However, in as much as it is a project that helps many women improve their income, it has been a success.
"I have lived from love, and thanks be to God, having no food to eat or clothes to change into, not looking or feeling good, has helped me appreciate what I now have. My dream is for my children to grow up in a totally different situation from the one I grew up in, without forgetting the love. I would also like to see people in my community, especially women, have jobs with a proper salary.
"I would like our group to become a source of pride for my country, and invite all those who are interested in environmental education and recycling to join us. And, lastly, I would like to see an end to talks about mortality and malnutrition, and instead hear talk about education and productivity.
"One day, when I was walking with my family in a tourist area, my youngest daughter who was 2 years old at the time, leaned down to pick up an empty pocket she saw on the floor, but she fell over. A lady who saw it all asked me why would such a girl so small want to pick it up? I showed her my bag and explained to her what I did, and she was so impressed she placed an order for two bags right there and then!
"When we heard that Novica was coming to Guatemala we got really excited, and now we feel our dreams may possibly come true. That's why I would like to thank Novica clients for their purchase on behalf of Enchanted Wings. With your purchase you are contributing to decrease environmental pollution while at the same time you’ll be helping to generate more employment for women in marginalized areas and in condition of extreme poverty. They will have money to improve the quality of life of their surroundings, as well as contribute to the upkeep of their families in terms of food, health and education."
Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
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This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
BUST
35 - 36
37 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
WAIST
27 - 28
29 - 30
31 - 33
34 - 36
38 - 40
HIPS
37 - 38
39 - 40
42 - 43
45 - 46
49 - 50
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
CHEST
36 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
50 - 52
WAIST
30 - 32
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 41
43 - 45
NECK
14 - 14.5
15 - 15.5
16 - 16.5
17 - 17.5
18 - 18.5
SLEEVE
32.5
33.5
34.5
35.5
36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.
BUST / CHEST
Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.
WAIST
Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.
LOW WAIST
Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.
HIPS
Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.
NECK
Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
SLEEVE
Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.
INSEAM
Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.
Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.
For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.
For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.
See buckle/tie belt size standards below.
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
inches
26 - 30
28 - 32
31 - 35
34 - 38
38 - 42
cm
76 - 86
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
inches
30 - 34
32 - 36
35 - 39
39 - 43
43 - 47
cm
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
109 - 119
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
Sash tie length
Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.
Belt with buckle
Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.
Belt without buckle
Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
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Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. UNICEF USA partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from UNICEF Market to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
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