Tag Archives: from the hearts and hands of artisans

Nothing inspires us more than hearing that what we do matters.

11 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by in Customer Moments

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From one of our valued customers:

I have received UnaAllaVolta catalog for a number of years and thought it unique and interesting.

I wanted to get a special “Sweet Sixteen” Birthday gift for someone whose family heritage is from Italy although she has never visited there.   I happened to see the Rose Petal Murano glass necklace and earring set.  It was “Just the Perfect Thing” for her!  The perfect balance between delicate youthfulness and beauty and an artisan culture unique to her family heritage she could be proud to wear for the rest of her life!

I was impressed by the Murano glass fish. The fullness of the colors and the uniqueness of the idea make this item one of a kind!  A school of tropical fish now reside on the edge of my bath space!  And I picture the glass blower in his art creating each piece with his unique skill and imagination and feeling a pride in his work and I feel so good about supporting that.

I love your recent Sunflower Ceramic Bowl and Pitcher and Trivet!  The care taken in its hand painting makes these items so valuable and not to be had otherwise.

I am into BEES…my husband and I are beekeepers since 1972 and I do Honey Show Demos for stores that carry our honeys.  I wear a little “Queen Bee” outfit so when I saw your “Queen Bee Brass Bracelet”…well, I just had to have it!…in fact TWO…one for each arm!…and the earrings.  I also wear the Garden Flower necklace and Pin to complete the look!  It is just “TOO CUTE” and I have gotten so many GREAT COMPLIMENTS!

So many of the pieces have extra features that only an artisan would include, such as carvings on the backs of necklace pieces…color matching of stones…intricate designs…going beyond a simple item to create a unique piece beautified with detailing that embellishes it to be “special” and definitely noticed!

I especially love anything in which the technique is rooted in cultures and old “lost” techniques brought to new life by these people who understand how to do them!…and share them with a world accustomed to cookie cutter items made quickly but without personality behind them.

Contemplating these pieces, I always imagine the artisan in his/her work and the intensity and feeling that requires of them inspires me to value uniqueness in my own life.

I wish you much success and applaude you for YOUR uniqueness in appreciating these artisans and offering them a venue to make their wares available to people like me who truly appreciate them and are seeking items beyond the ordinary!

Thank You,

 

Neva J. Whetzel

Partners In Creation

28 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Letters from Terri

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We are so proud to bring you this issue – our strongest autumnal offering since our beginning in 2002.

And what a labor of love this has been for everyone involved. For our artisans who bring to life each individual work with their hearts as well as their hands. For our merchants who collaborate with our artisans to create products just for you. (The vast majority of the treasures you will see here are available no where else in the world!) For our creative team who bring our handcrafted treasures to life in the two dimensions of ink on paper (or pixels on a computer screen).

I have always considered myself to be a student of the creative process. Creativity is how many of us experience and express our own individuality. It is, I believe, one of the fi nest ways to fulfill the human potential.

Yet for all the wonders of individual creativity, I have recently discovered that when one can bring together people with very different gifts and meld their strengths and common vision, the result is often just shy of miraculous. So what is my labor of love? Bringing together
these incredibly talented creative forces and watching a whole evolve that is so much greater than the sum of its parts!

 

Terri S. Alpert
Founder & CEO
T.Alpert@unoallavolta.com

The Joy of Discovery

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in Letters from Terri, Stonycreek Brands

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Traveling for me brings the joy of discovery – the joy that comes from experiencing new cultures, and of meeting new people and learning of their stories. Right now, while you are reading this letter, I am on a trip of an entirely different kind.

Every August since 2004, my husband, my two kids and I travel to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where we join my sister, her husband, and her three children. There is a rhythm to our days and we follow the script set many years before.

The ritualistic sameness provides a high contrast background, making visible that none of us is quite the same person who was here ten summers ago – or even last summer! And, so it is that I delight in discovering each of my loved ones anew.

During long quiet walks in the sand, I reflect on the person that I’ve become over the last year. And, I make commitments to myself – necessary ones – so that when I return in one year’s time, I will be able to experience the joy of discovery when I encounter myself on the beach.

 

Terri

Individuality & Connectedness

14 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by in Letters from Terri, Stonycreek Brands

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I’m so proud of my two daughters!

It is graduation time! In my home, we are celebrating two major milestones. Sarah, my older daughter, is completing college and, not without trepidation, entering the “real world.” Rachel, my baby, is graduating from high school and is off to college. “How do I feel?” is the question everyone keeps asking me. Of course, my first thoughts are like those of most every other parent. “Wow, that went quickly,” followed by “I am old.” But most of all, I am proud – immensely proud. Here are two pretty amazing human beings. I know each will leave her own indelible mark on this world. I marvel at how different each is from the other.  And, I marvel at how tight the two sisters are, forever bonded to one another and to my husband and me. Individuality and connection are common themes you’ve heard me speak about many times when describing our work here at Uno Alla Volta. In my own life, I am delighted to have instilled in each daughter the importance of connectedness, but always in a way that recognizes and perhaps enhances her own individuality.   Terri

In Celebration Of Liberty

04 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Letters from Terri, Stonycreek Brands

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What is liberty if not the freedom to reach for the best within each of us? And, what greater blessing can there be in life than appreciating the privilege to assist in some small way in creating the opportunities for others to become the best they can be? We have such deep respect for each of the artisans with whom we collaborate. It is such an honor to facilitate their work.

What joy we had developing our new “Stars and Stripes” collection with Weronika, Jacek, and their son, Jacek Jr., in their buzzing workshop in Boleslawiec, Poland. To think, just a few decades ago, this family and their colleagues lived in a political regime that lacked even the most basic personal liberties, and now they are thriving as entrepreneurs, as artists, and as human beings. Here in America, Uno Alla Volta celebrates the “little guy” (or more often “little gal”) every day. So many of our artisans are Americans, in their second careers. Following exits from the corporate world, they are finding fulfillment and sustenance with the work of their hands.

Know that you, my friends, are bringing about these blessings, one purchase at a time.

 

Terri

Inspirations From Nature

12 Monday May 2014

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AVPageView 8132014 54833 PM.bmpWhat does it mean to create? The dictionary definition is “to evolve from one’s own thought or imagination.” Yet, where does that first thought come from?

Every artist, every entrepreneur needs inspiration. I love to learn people’s stories. When I talk with our artisans my first question is most often “How did you think of this?” Each answer, like each artisan is unique – but the common thread is that we are all inspired by the world around us.

All around the U.S. and around the world, the sand and sea provide an inspirational spark for so many of our artisans’ designs. At times the inspiration is obvious, other times it is far more subtle and perhaps may be seen only in the choice of palette or texture.

But at all times, the fruits of creativity are a reminder that none of us is alone and we are all connected to something larger than ourselves.

 

Terri

Creativity & Collaboration | At the Heart of All We Do

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by in Letters from Terri, Stonycreek Brands

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Our merchants, Minetta, Julia, Marina,and Lesley, model our latest handcrafted hats.

You have heard me speak many times about how I have built Uno Alla Volta to be a tribute to creativity of the individual artisan, and to the uniqueness of each handcrafted treasure. Yet, our company also pays tribute to the power of a team. There’s nothing like bringing all these creative individuals – our artisans, our merchants, our photographers, our designers – together and watching the collaborative process unfold. We devote this issue to the springtime celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day…and let’s not forget the Kentucky Derby! Just as each item has been touched by the spirit of the artisan who created it, so too has it been touched by the spirit of every individual involved in the creative process. Terri

The Artistan Table Joins Uno Alla Volta

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

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Watch me try my hand at painting a stoneware dish in Boleslawiec. unoallavolta.com/TerriMakesAFoolOfHerself

I’ll never forget my “Aha!” moment back in 2001.

Professional Cutlery Direct, my original entrepreneurial venture, was nearly ten years old, and things were going great. Yet, I knew deep within my gut that it wasn’t going to last in the age of the internet and big box stores.

If our company was to be something lasting, our products needed to be something special. I looked to PCD’s best products and best customers for inspiration, and discovered that my favorites,  French pocket knives and Polish Pottery – were also your favorites. What did they have in common? Each was individually handcrafted, often by someone I had met personally and whose story I could share with you. Out of this realization, Uno Alla Volta was born!

During those years, PCD continued to evolve until it became The Artisan Table. Today, The Artisan Table joins Uno Alla Volta.

We will serve you better by running uno (one) singular business rather than two.

Terri