Enter to win a $50 Gift Certificate from Novica.com

etched wine glasses 'Crystal Flower' by Javier & Efren from Novica.com

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris

I kept thinking about this famous line from 19th century designer William Morris while wandering through the lovely wares available at Novica.com. I get my fair share of offers from companies that want to sponsor a blog giveaway, but I don't agree to many since I like a good fit. When I was contacted by Novica about a possibly sponsoring a random drawing, their association with National Geographic was the first thing that caught my eye. Popping over to the site, I was impressed with the wonderful mix of eye-catching fashion and home decor pieces from around the globe. Equally intriguing is that each item includes information about  what part of the world it comes from and the artisans who made it.

wood mask 'Blossom Head' by Nyoman Naranata

Novica states that their mission is "create a bridge" between the craftsperson and the buyer: "We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow." - pretty cool, huh? 

They also act as a venue through which regular folks can make micro-loans to individual artisans worldwide. *More about the loan program at the end of this post* So, a company with interesting products that actually cares about and supports its artisans... I'm all over that. (By the way, you can click on any of the image captions for detailed descriptions. Photos are courtesy of Novica.com.)

rayon batik dress 'Java Twilight' by Galuh Kenaga

So now you're wondering - What about this giveaway? Novica has donated a $50 gift certificate to the latest Thursday Giveaway. On February 23rd one reader will be the lucky winner of this great prize! Want in the action? To enter, leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 2/23. It is that easy.  I will use random.org to pick the winner.

garnet wrap ring 'Red Comet' by Yuli

Want a second entry? Visit any of these links. Then come back & comment on this post with your favorite item:

scarves

women's shawls from Peru

women's accessories from Indonesia

batik shawls

winter clothing

kimonos

If you win, you can use your $50 gift certificate towards any item on the Novica website. Please keep in mind that there will be a shipping charge. (If your item is under $50 You can always put part of your gift certificate towards the shipping costs).

wood walking stick 'Eagle Head' by Nyoman Karsa

In addition to providing the prize for this great giveaway, Novica generously offered me the same amount to play with. Let me tell you, I spent a long time looking around their site. There are so many fun items to choose from, it wasn't easy.  I ended up putting my gift certificate towards this unique book stand /storage box.

nickle plated brass book holder 'Lectures' by Khalid Ali

I really love this box! It is attractive as well as useful & will be perfect accent for my creative space...once I get it back from my 8 yr old who ran off with it  after seeing the 'secret' compartments under the lid.  (see, it is even perfect for hotwheels and comic books.)

Thanks for stopping by today. Now go check out this global marketplace and be sure to leave a comment here to enter the random drawing.

* As mentioned earlier, Novica also helps their artisans get much needed loans to help them expand their small businesses. After trying unsuccessfully to find traditional loans for these folks, Novica set up a system  where these creative people can take out a no-interest loan. The craftsperson then uses these funds to purchase necessary tools, materials or other services that will help their small business grow. To find out more about this micro-loan program, please click here. (As I read more about this program, I've decided that I am definitely going to participate. Later tonight, I will check out the loan requests and donate to one that sounds interesting. Pop back here tomorrow & I'll let you know which project I picked.)*