Handmade--a Rare Trade

If you're old enough, or if you talk to your parents and grandparents, you know that at one time, doctors made house calls. Also, if you pay attention to old buildings and old furniture, you note that there was a huge amount of time spent on making really ornate furniture and buildings by way of intricate wood and stone carving. Amazingly, this was not just reserved for the rich customer. Everyone had ornately-carved, handmade furniture and nearly every building was way beyond the glass and steel monoliths we see today. You don't see that nearly as much here in the U.S., but there's a huge amount of it in most, if not all, of the countries of Europe. Gargoyles, and filigree in both wood and stone are found everywhere over there. Maybe that's why stores selling Amish furniture are so popular here. It's really rare to find this sort of thing anymore in our modern world. Nobody seems to have the time (doctors) or want to take the time (artisans) to do these sorts of things anymore.

But, in many parts of the world, this sort of craftsmanship is still alive and well. One place where it's definitely prospering is the island of Bali, over in Indonesia. If you look in the right area of that small island, you'll find one specific craft shop where artisans are making organic photo albums from raw materials found right there in the island's jungles. These items include bamboo, seeds, leaves and flowers, to name a few. They come in more than 80 different designs, at least one of which is sure to attract your attention because of its beautiful craftsmanship. This is not a recent start-up, either. It's been going on over there for more than 20 years.