Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Organic Thread, Yarn & Weaving Business For Sale in Guatemala

Here's an email I received today, and there might be many people interested:




GmailCatherine Todd

Organic cotton in Guatemala
2 messages

Nancee Neel Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 7:49 AM
To: "catherinetodd2@gmail.com"
Hi Catherine,

Just came across your information in one of your blogs.

My business partner and I began working with Mayan weavers and natural dyers in Tecpan area several years ago, starting a fair-trade business, nansuhome.  We have imported 10/2 organic cotton yarn from both Peru and the US.  For personal reasons, we have decided to sell the business and inventory, and have about 500# of yarn now in Tecpan.  We would love to find buyers in Guatemala for the yarn, rather than bringing it back to the States to sell.  We have natural, vicuña, sage, cafe, and naturally-dyed indigo and grey.

If you have any ideas of potential purchasers, please let me know.

Many thanks,
Nancee Neel
206.616,8751
www.nansuhome.com


Sent from my iPad

Catherine Todd Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 11:21 AM
To: Nancee Neel , Cynthia Davis , Hotel Tolimán
Dear Nancee, 

You must have read my mind! Just yesterday I was wondering how I could get organic cotton and naturally dyed fabric here in Guatemala. Do you have any fabric? Or is it just yarn? How are you pricing it?

We have just started PanajachelOrganics.com (I'm updating the blog right now) and I will post what you want there - the site doesn't have much traffic since it's new but it's a start and it's free! Add a comment there, or send to me by email. 

I can use what you wrote to me but you may want to add a bit more info, such as price etc. There's no point in posting info and forcing everyone to ask "how much?"

Are you selling "the business" or just the inventory? What is the price for both or either?

Other places to advertise:

The other places I can think of is put a notice on Cynthia Davis' "Cruz News" (I've cc:d her above) and the group she works with, CECAP in Santa Cruz, does weaving so they might be able to use these organic yarns. 

Chati Cajas from Hotel Toliman in San Lucas Toliman might also have some ideas for interested buyers. I've cc'd her here too.

Thirteen Threads does weaving although I've heard they have gone through an administration change: http://www.thirteenthreads.org/. Also try Maya Traditions http://www.mayatraditions.org/ andMayanFamilies.org, who has a sewing group and perhaps weaving too.

You can do a search on my database LakeAtitlanDirectory.com under keywords "Weaving," Charities / NGO's, or Arts & Crafts, and find a number of places and people who do weaving. I'm updating the information right now so some of it may be out of date, but it's a start. And of course, Facebook (re-posting it weekly). There are a lot of for sale groups around the lake listed on Facebook(Pana, San Marcos and more) and things do get sold that way.

There's is a new NewsLakeAtitlan.com that is just getting started you could advertise in. Plus Atitlan Sol and the Revue magazine. I think there's also a Guatemalan Craig's List. There is another group that does weaving across the lake. I can't remember their name or their pueblo, but I think it's San Juan. You probably know most of the weaving groups around Lake Atitlan, but if not, hopefully one of us can help.

Jenna's B&B, La Galeria, Casa Cakquiquel and new Panajachel Center.com
would also be good places to contact (they are all on the Lake Atitlan Directory).

I wonder if you could post the business for sale in any of the google groups and "Save the Lake" google groups that exist around the lake?

If you send me a pdf of a sale notice we will put it on a few bulletin boards around Panajachel that list things for sale, since we'll be going around with our own flyer (there's probably about ten places I can think of). Make yours half size so it won't cost much to print. I will do those ten for free. 

We can also put your ad onto our price list and include it with deliveries of organic vegetables, since we are including a price list along with the orders and there's a bit of extra room on the page.

For now, we can list yours for free as we will include it on the price list, as our list has room and your organic threads fit in with the organic vegetables we are selling. We don't have a lot of customers yet, but any advertising is good advertising!

I wonder if you could list your business with the many realtors around Lake Atitlan? I have not had good experiences with a number of them - many are unlicensed and some are flat-out crooks and there's little to no oversight of how they do business, but they do come in contact with newcomers who are looking for a house and might also want to get involved in a business. 

I'd try them if it didn't cost me anything in advance of an actual buyer! I got burned by giving an advance with a written receipt saying "refundable" once, and then they refused to return the money and they never had their actual physical address listed so I couldn't have them served by the court when I filed a complaint. When I finally found out their address, they refused to come to court and there was supposedly "nothing I could do." I'm still not sure if my lawyer I hired was working for me or for them, but that's how it turned out.

I still don't understand how they got away with it (and it was a substantial amount of money) but they did: they knew Guatemalan law better than me! I've also had realtors try to get me to sell my property here in Pana for U.S.Dollars in cash, and even I could tell the money was counterfeit! They and the "buyer" were in cahoots together, and trying to get my land and leave me with nothing. And this was the realtor that originally sold me my property! 

But a realtor could find you a buyer and as long as you got the money in hand, and had it certified as legal here, then that might also be a good way to go.


It's difficult to advertise anything without a real newspaper here, but between the places I've mentioned plus Facebook you should be able to find someone to buy your organic threads and yarns. There's a lot of NGO's working with weavers who are based in the states, and they too might have the capital to buy the thread and yarns from you. I've listed as many as I can on theLakeAtitlanDirectory.com, and let me know if you find any others and I will add them, too.

Good luck and thanks for writing... here's hoping that someone here will be able to help!

Yours, Catherine Todd

[Quoted text hidden]
-- 

"The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need do is set our sails."

AtitlanArts.com & LakeAtitlanDirectory.com
Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, Central America
Guatemala home tel (first dial 011 from the U.S.)
(502) 7762-1004
Free US Skype Tel: 919-725-7336
skypename: catherinetodd

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catherinetodd/sets/ Music: http://www.last.fm/music/Catherine+Todd/Pilgrim+10.09

USA: Guatemalan Arts & Crafts
Catherine & Leslie K. Todd, Jr.
3007 Bent Tree Dr. Oxford NC 27565 USA
H 919.693.0853


Keywords: Organic Thread, Yarn & Weaving, Business For Sale, Guatemala
Organic Thread, Yarn & Weaving Business For Sale in Guatemala

Sunday, September 28, 2014

3-D Printing: Oceans, Sea Chair, Furniture, Prosthetic Hands

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Download the Open Source Sea Chair Manual here: http://www.studioswine.com/sea-chair-open-source

* * * * *
.
Alberto, do you think this might be possible in some way to try to use with the problem of plastic in Lake Atitlan? Should it be sent out to the group? It sounds fantastic, but apparently they've already made some 3-D printed plastic chairs out of the plastic trash caught in the ocean, using solar to melt it. Amazing, really!


Thanks, Catherine Todd


Alberto Rivera

11:48 PM on 28 Sept 2014
to atitlan 
Gracias Catherine,

Una artículo motivante y una iniciativa extraordinaria.  Vale la pena leer sobre esta experiencia

= A motivating article and extraordinary initiative. Worth reading about this experience. [Alberto Rivera]

12:18 PM (31 minutes ago)

Cynthia Davis

to atitlan
Excelente! Gracias por esta información, Alberto. Yo contribuí a esta campaña de Kickstarter y he escrito la gente en cómo podríamos obtener una versión digital de su Manual de Código Abierto.
Cynthia


= Excellent! Thank you for this information, Alberto. I contributed to this Kickstarter campaign and have written about how people could get a digital edition of the Manual of Open Source. 

Cynthia


My response to Cynthia Davis (CECAP), 





  1. 2. Download the manual here: http://www.studioswine.com/sea-chair-open-source
  2. 3. Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1715854418/sea-chair-into-the-gyre
  3. 4. I posted info and links on my eco-architecture blog:  http://catherinetoddarchitecture.blogspot.com/
  4. The solar 3-D printer is very exciting and something CECAP in Santa Cruz could easily take on! Plus the electronic $349.00 3-D printer discussed below for prosthetics and more.
  5. Printrbot Simple Kit - 2014 Model ID: 1735 - $349.00 ...

  6. Sorry for not using Spanish, but google translate is sometimes too crazy, and I can't write in Spanish. I hope someone will do a good translation of this... Thank you, Catherine Todd
* * * * *

Excerpt: "On the back of this publicity we distributed our open source manual for people to build their own low cost furnace and Chair encouraging local beach cleaning and action against plastic waste. For the first time we are offering our sea chairs as rewards you can buy"  more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1715854418/sea-chair-into-the-gyre






  1. sea chair made from plastic debris found on the beach by ...

    Mar 1, 2013 - open source 'sea chair by studio swine ... the pieces themselves. the manual can be downloaded here. the material plucked from the water's...
  2. Download the manual here: http://www.studioswine.com/sea-chair-open-source
* * * * * *

To: Grupo "Sector
Turístico Del Lago Atitlán" de Grupos de Google.
Si quieres publicar en este grupo, envía un mensaje de correo
electrónico a atitlan@googlegroups.com


VOYAGE INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE WITH A SOLAR 3D PRINTER, 
TURNING OCEAN PLASTIC INTO BESPOKE FURNITURE - MADE AT SEA FROM THE SEA.



Dear Alberto, thank you for sending this out! I think it's an incredible idea that could be used so many places and we could start right here at Lake Atitlan. I found a simple 3-D printer for $349.00 and a YouTube video on how it works. Incredible! What group would be interested in doing this? I hope someone can translate this into good Spanish...

  1. Printrbot Simple Kit - 2014 Model ID: 1735 - $349.00 ...

  2. YouTube has LOTS of videos for what you can make with a 3-D printer and plastic, including human body parts! Using recycled plastic would be terrific.
  3. 1. Printrbot Print Time Lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODyGVobffZI

  4. 2. Printrbot Simple Kit - 2014 Model $349.00

  5. This printer 'Printrbot Simple' comes as a kit from http://printrbot.com/   and can be purchased pre-assembled.
  6. 3. Printrbot Print Time Lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODyGVobffZI
4. Cyborg Beast: A $50 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm-SYMZ7_BU
  1. 5. Boy gets prosthetic hand made by 3-D printer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGSo_I86_lQ

  2. Published on Oct 28, 2013

  3. Two years ago, Paul McCarthy began searching for an inexpensive yet functional prosthetic hand for his son Leon, who was born without fingers on one of his hands. McCarthy came across a video online with detailed instruction on how to use a 3-D printer to make a prosthetic hand for his son. Michelle Miller 
  4. Making Prostethics:

    Linda Lee

    1 week ago
    Comment: [the 3-D printer] costs around $350, and you probably could even find someone with a 3D printer to make it for you.  But if you have to buy your own printer, that's still a lot less expensive than new prosthetics needed throughout a lifetime.  I think this and the new wheelchairs that replace traditional ones are two of the most important inventions for years to come.  Absolutely life altering."


On Sat, Sep 27, 2014 at 11:48 PM, Alberto Rivera <jaguariu@gmail.com> wrote:
Gracias Catherine,

Una artículo motivante y una iniciativa extraordinaria.  Vale la pena leer sobre esta experiencia




Alberto, do you think this might be possible in some way to try to use with the problem of plastic in Lake Atitlan? Should it be sent out to the group? It sounds fantastic, but apparently they've already made some 3-D printed plastic chairs out of the plastic trash caught in the ocean, using solar to melt it. Amazing, really!


Thanks, Catherine Todd

---

Excerpt:
VOYAGE INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC GYRE WITH A SOLAR 3D PRINTER, TURNING OCEAN PLASTIC INTO BESPOKE FURNITURE - MADE AT SEA FROM THE SEA.
NEW STRETCHED GOAL! : £11,500
For this we can fund the film and create an exhibition about the project to spread the message about Sea Plastic around the world.
PLEASE KEEP SHARING AND SPREADING THE WORD AS THE MORE REWARDS WE SELL, THE MORE PLASTIC WE CAN TAKE OUT OF OUR OCEANS!
We have always been drawn to the sea, a fascination which led us to first conceive the ‘Sea Chair’ a project which is about making furniture using plastic that is polluting our oceans. We first heard about the huge problem of marine plastic in 2010, since then we have been designing a series of devices and contraptions to collect and process the sea plastic into sea chairs with tags indicating the geographic coordinates of where it was made.
The project began on a small beach in Cornwall, UK. We collected the plastic on the shore with self-made machines and turned them into chairs. Six months later, we went out to sea on fishing boats with a new improved furnace and made another sea chair with plastic caught in fishermen's nets.
Since then the project has really grown and we have now designed and built a new machine - a plastic extruder which melts the plastic at sea with only the power of the sun, forming a 3D printer that is can be used either on sea or on land, far from any external power source and where plastic trash exists without the facilities to recycle them.
This October, we have an opportunity to go onboard the Sea Dragon - a 72ft vessel dedicated to research of plastic at sea. We will be sailing to the North Atlantic Gyre from the Azores Island to the Canaries. We are running this Kickstarter campaign to raise funding to join other scientist and ecologists on this journey with our new machine on board.
Gyres are where ocean currents converge creating a vortex of plastic fragments. A lot of awareness has been generated around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch but there isn’t a great public awareness or research about the problem in the North Atlantic Gyre. We want to take the project to the North Atlantic Gyre to make a design collection with the waste we remove, as well as a film that can really engage the public about the issue of sea plastic.
During the expedition we will be collecting plastic on the beaches for the Azores and Lanzarote as well as at sea. We will document the plastic collected and sort it to be processed with a machine we have built. The machine uses a parabolic mirror to melt the plastic with the energy from the sun. The extruded plastic can then be 3d printed into a range of objects that will all form a touring exhibition about the voyage.
Sketch by Andrew FriendSketch by Andrew Friend
Previously with ‘Sea Chair’ project we received numerous awards as well as coverage from design world and beyond with articles in global newspapers such as the Huffington Post and The Atlantic. The project also was awarded the gold award at the Design Biennale Slovenia in 2013 and the the film about the project received over 1/4 million views and picked up the 2nd prize at Cannes film festival.
On the back of this publicity we distributed our open source manual for people to build their own low cost furnace and Chair encouraging local beach cleaning and action against plastic waste. 
For the first time we are offering our sea chairs as rewards you can buy. 

--

"The winds of grace blow all the time. All we need do is set our sails."

AtitlanArts.com & LakeAtitlanDirectory.com
Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, Central America
Guatemala cell (first dial 011 from the U.S.)
(502) 7762.1004 casa/oficina
skypename: catherinetodd
FREE US SKYPE TEL: 919-725-7336

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catherinetodd/sets/
Music: http://www.last.fm/music/Catherine+Todd/Pilgrim+10.09

USA: Guatemalan Arts & Crafts
Catherine & Leslie K. Todd, Jr.
3007 Bent Tree Dr. Oxford NC 27565 USA
H 919.693.0853 (leave message)
FREE US SKYPE TEL: 919-725-7336

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

LA VOÛTE! ("The Vault") Medieval Construction

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Fwd: Thanks for ordering LA VOÛTE! ("The Vault") Medieval Construction


Dear Robert, 

I don't know if you like Medieval and Renaissance construction, but I have every book known to man about it and I am determined to build something similar as soon as I get the money. Even if I have to go back to France to do it, since I can't find anyone in Guatemala who knows how to build this way. I'd like to build with adobe in Guatemala, but stone in Europe. 

I have always wanted to return to my beloved France, so now might be the time to do it. If I can sell some property in Pana I'll be on the next plane "home."

Here's a great video that shows modern day people working in the old ways at a wonderful place called Guedelon where they are re-creating a Medieval village built only with the hand tools of the day. I am determined to go there in the next year or two, no matter what!

The movie rental is only $3.00 for one week and I am going to order the DVD too (10 pounds). 

Hope all is well with you... Catherine





---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vimeo <no-reply@vimeo.com>
Date: Mon, May 26, 2014 at 11:23 PM
Subject: Thanks for ordering LA VOÛTE!
To: ctodd1000@gmail.com


To ensure delivery, add no-reply@vimeo.com to your address book.
Vimeo
Dear Catherine Todd,
Thanks for your order!
Your Order (May 26, 2014)
LA VOÛTE
32 mins
Available for 1 week
$3.00
Total$3.00
You’ve successfully purchased LA VOÛTE! We also added this movie to your Watch Later list so you can enjoy it on any compatible device.
Keep checking vimeo.com/ondemand for the latest movies, right here on Vimeo. Enjoy!
LOVE,
Vimeo

Monday, May 26, 2014

Guedelon, a Castle in the Making


GuédelonD 95589520 Treigny - France   (two hours south of Paris)Tél : 33 3 86 45 66 66guedelon@guedelon.fr
http://www.guedelon.fr/

Book tickets in advance for tours and workshops: http://guedelon.tickeasy.com/Information.aspx


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Deep in secluded woodland, an abandoned quarry reveals a landscape seemingly untouched since the dawn of the last millennium. Out of this wood and stone, using 13th century building techniques, a castle is being created.



DVD
DVD



Guédelon film "La Voûte" awarded Silver Dolphin at 2012 Cannes Corporate Media Awards.


Built during the site’s 13th and 14th seasons, the construction secrets of the vault in Guédelon Castle’s lord’s chamber are revealed in this unique document.

This film approaches architecture from an entirely new angle and plunges, along with the craftsmen, into the magic of this fascinating and inspiring construction site.

This film won a "Silver Dolphin" at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards in October 2012.


Directed by Benoît Millot 

Length 33mins
Français-English-Deutsch
16:9 -SD DVD ZONE : ALL ZONE

The DVD "The Vault" is available from our giftshop or from our online store.

Price: €10

To purchase the DVD please go to our online store:

L'histoire de la construction de la plus grande des voûtes de Guédelon. Ce DVD a obtenu le "Dauphin d'argent" au Festival du Film d'Entreprises de Cannes, 2012.   = The history of the construction of the largest vaults Guédelon. This DVD has won the "Silver Dolphin" at the Cannes Film Festival, 2012.


I was able to RENT THE FILM ONLINE for only $3.00 via PayPal!

Rent movie "Guedelon, LA VOÛTE," a film Un film by Benoît Millot
© goodideas 2012:

 https://vimeo.com/ondemand/lavoute/39332047

I found the film on Vimeo by entering the full name including "Guedelon, LA VOÛTE." Only $3.00 to rent the short 32 minute film for one week. Then I want to buy the DVD too. 


And most of all VISIT there and see it in person! This would make my life's work complete, once I have re-created it in at lovely Lake Atitlan. It's possible, I am sure. I will do this one day!

* * * * *

chantier médiéval
de guédelon

d955 89520 treigny
tél. 03 86 45 66 66

Bâtie au cours des 13ème et 14éme saisons du chantier, la voûte de la tour maîtresse du château de Guédelon révèle ses secrets de fabrication à travers ce document unique.
Ce film nous permet de porter un autre regard sur l’architecture et de plonger, avec les oeuvriers, dans la magie de ce chantier médiéval à la fois fascinant et inspirant.
Un film de Benoît Millot
© goodideas 2012 - all rights reserved.
Durée : 33 minutes
Langue : Français
Format : HD 1080
"On frémit au moment du décoffrage" - recommandé par Télérama
Récompense : Dauphin d'argent - Cannes Media & TV awards 2012
Sélection SCAM Tendance 2012
Deauville Green Festival 2013 - Prix spécial, Meilleure musique.
EXTRA FEATURES

= Built during the 13th and 14th seasons of the site, the roof of the mistress of the castle of Guédelon turn reveals its secrets through this unique document. 
This film allows us to take another look at the architecture and dive with the oeuvriers in the magic of this medieval site both fascinating and inspiring. 
A film by Benoît Millot 
GoodIdeas © 2012 - all rights reserved. 
Duration: 33 minutes 
Language: French 
Format: HD 1080 
"One shudders at the time of stripping" - recommended by Télérama 
Reward: Silver Dolphin - Cannes Media & TV Awards 2012 
SCAM selection Trend 2012 
Deauville Green Festival 2013 - Special Award, Best Music. 

EXTRA FEATURES

* * * * *

Is this another film available on Vimeo:

https://vimeo.com/12680700


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An Introduction to the Adventure of Guedelon

http://www.guedelon.fr/en/the-guedelon-adventure/an-introduction_01_01.html

© F. Folcher - Guédelon
© F. Folcher - Guédelon

In the heart of Puisaye, in Yonne, Burgundy, a team of fifty people have taken on an extraordinary feat: to build a castle using the same techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages.

The wood, stone, earth, sand and clay needed for the castle's construction are all to be found here, in this abandoned quarry. Watched by thousands of visitors, all the trades associated with castle-building - quarrymen, stonemasons, woodcutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, tile makers, basket makers, rope makers, carters and their horses - are all working together to complete the castle.


© F. Folcher - Guédelon
© F. Folcher - Guédelon
Work on the site began in 1997 and is scheduled to take 25 years to complete.

Guédelon offers a unique opportunity to witness all the various different phases of a castle's construction.

Let yourself be transported from the present day, back to the sights and sounds of a 13th-century construction site.

Guédelon offers something for everyone: archaeologists, historians, teachers, students and families.

      Don't miss your chance to see history in the making!


---




Film de CHANET Marcel
Guédelon est un chantier scientifique, historique, pédagogique, touristique et humain.
*3ème prix concours CINEVIF IDF 2011
-Chantier Médiéval
de Guédelon
D955 89520 TREIGNY

= Film Marcel Chanet 
Guédelon site is a scientific, historical, educational, tourism and human. 
* 3rd prize contest CINEVIF IDF 2011 
Medieval-Site 
Guédelon