NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. Geometric motifs in yellow form sunny bands on navy blue wool. Alberto Ruiz weaves the fabric on a traditional handloom and transforms it into a stylish handbag. Braided handles complete the design. Because each bag is individually woven, measurements could vary + - 5 cm. Artisan Info: "Hola! My name is Alberto Ruiz Garcia and I'm from a town in Oaxaca dedicated to weaving. I am the fourth generation of my family to practice this craft. I remember as a child I watched my father working on the loom while my mother and grandmother carded and dyed the wool so that the men could weave it. "First the sheep are sheared, and this is done twice a year. We pick out any twigs and burrs and wash the fleece. Then we card it with two large wire brushes so that it is soft and can be worked on a wooden spinning wheel. We wash it with amole, a plant that grows in the sierra. It releases a lot of foam, and in this way the wool doesn't lose its purity. If we washed it with commercial soaps, the wool would lose its shine and wouldn't absorb the natural dyes as well. This removes the impurities and natural grease. We then spin it and dye it with tints from the cochineal insect, pomegranate peel, bark from the huajal tree that thrives here, as well as oak and pecan bark. Stones, dried flowers,
