News

It’s been raining gatos y perros in California, or as they say in Michoacán— lloviendo a cántaros (raining buckets). We’re very lucky at my house to have views of trees and ferns, so it’s not a totally gray scene as we gaze out our windows in search of blue skies. But now during this wet winter I especially appreciate our colorful walls and Mexican folk art that have created a cheerful space— despite the dreary weather. As someone who is happier when the sun is shining, I understand that many people feel depressed or lethargic when experiencing weeks or months...

A new children's book by Mexico By Hand's founder Peggy Stein. Mila's Mask/ La Máscara de Mila is the story of a little girl in the United States who spends a great deal of time at her grandparent's house which is full of colorful Mexican folk art. 

We have a lot of incredible memories (both good and bad) of buying and selling the beautiful burnished clay pots of Huancito. I love their art and enjoy sharing it with folks in the U.S. Here's a good story about how we met a young artisan from one of the village's families online. 

No hay mal que por bien no venga."There's nothing bad through which good doesn't come". My original story about our pine needle baskets was written in March of 2019. This post includes some of that story-- plus an update. In the past 17 years I have bought and sold thousands of pieces of handmade artesania (crafts) from Mexico, including dozens of pine needle baskets. I’ve acquired the baskets various ways-- sometimes from the artisans themselves while I’m in Mexico and they happen to be selling in Morelia or Uruapan, and other times through my assistant who arranges a purchase for me...