Novica Review & Giveaway

May 28, 2010 // by admin// 108 Comments

Have you ever been to another country and brought a really special, handmade item home with you? For those of you who have, you know how special that item is and typically it’s an item that stays with you for many, many years and is so well made, that eventually it will become something that you can pass down to your children.

Novica, a company in association with National Geographic, has set out to connect consumers with these special handmade items, bringing artists and artisans from other countries, right to your doorstep!

About Novica
Novica has set out to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. Their mission is to provide consumers with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow. Novica wants you to know who your buying from and feel the attachment to the product and the hands that created it.

Our Experience
There’s something about shopping with Novica that adds an added excitement that you don’t get shopping at ordinary websites and stores. When you visit Novica, shoppers can not only search items by product, but also by the region it comes from. Once you have found an item that you love, you can then learn about the artist that created it. Novica really makes an effort to not only give you an amazing shopping experience, but they go beyond retail, connecting you with the hands that made each item. You feel as if you suddenly know the artist and I personally found myself day dreaming about what their life must be like.

We were given an opportunity to place an order at the Novica website and after searching the website and their very large array of items, I had a hard time narrowing down my choices. For some time now, I have wanted a wooden salad bowl, however I was not amused by the large price tag of these salad bowls at mass retailers. After searching the Novica for “wooden salad bowls”, we came upon an olive wood salad bowl that was just breathtaking, made by artisan Blas Ponce Manrique. Born in 1927, Blas originates in Peru and offers the following commentary regarding his talents:

“I started in the arts and crafts world when I was thirteen years old doing silversmith work in my hometown of San Jerónimo. When I was young I dedicated myself to studying at a state funded polytechnic institute specializing in arts and crafts trades in the capital, Lima. It was there that I learned the art of woodworking, and over time I worked to perfect my craft, always persevering with a sense of enthusiasm. I am one of the few woodworkers who works with olive wood, as it is a classic wood.”

And here is the Olive Wood Salad Bowl that Mr. Manrique crafted for us…

The salad bowl came packaged in this beautifully paper packaging with a handmade Llama glued to a bow on top!

It also came with a little note about the artisan and information on the salad bowl itself.

The olive wood salad bowl is so beautifully crafted that I’m certain this will be an item that will stay with us for years to come and I hope to pass it down to my girls one day! The salad bowl retails for $92.95 and something of this quality would easily run you around $300 locally and you would be missing out on the wonderful story of the artist and the wonderful feeling that comes from supporting a hardworking artisan that puts much time and thought into each piece they create.

What items are offered by Novica?
This is where it gets really fun! Novica offers everything from furniture and home decor to silver jewelry, apparel, paintings and more! Novica even offers a gift finder, where you can find suggestions of what that “special someone” may enjoy. The enjoyable part about shopping at Novica is that your going to receive a one-of-a-kind item that is not mass produced on a production line. Behind each product is a story, a family, a person and a talent that has been given the opportunity to extend and share their craftsmanship with people like you and I!

Extending Opportunities
Novica goes above and beyond connecting artists to consumers, it also offers microfinance opportunities, in an effort to help artisans grow. Artisans now have the opportunity to gain access to microcredit with 0% interest…how amazing is that?

Start Shopping
Visit www.novica.com to begin shopping! I find myself reading the bio’s of the artists more than shopping, however once you read the bios of the artists, you suddenly fall in love with their work! New customers can use code: NOVICA243 to receive $10 off a $40 purchase!

Win it!

The kind folks at Novica are offering one lucky “Deal”ectible Mommies reader a chance to WIN $50 Novica Gift Card to find a special item for your family! Purchase a new pair of earrings, find a handmade piece of sterling silver jewelry or find a new wooden salad bowl to add to your dinner time festivities!

Simply visit www.novica.com and tell me an item you would love to have OR tell me about an artisan you found and your entered to win!

Extra Entries: Please Note that the intial entry must be completed before any extra entries will be counted.

1. Fan “Deal”ectible Mommies on Facebook

2. Follow “Deal”ectible Mommies on Twitter and tweet the following:

Win a $50 Novica Gift Certificate from @dealectiblemom! http://tinyurl.com/2vjb44h

3. Subscribe to my feed or emails (located on the right hand sidebar).

4. Comment on any non-giveaway post.

5. Grab my button:

6. Follow Novica on Facebook

7. Follow Novica on Twitter

The boring stuff: Giveaway open to entrants worldwide. However, please note click here for a complete list of countries that Novica will ship to. Giveaway ends on June 18th at midnight. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Disclaimer: I was provided with the above mentioned products to facilitate my review. My thoughts and opinions remain my own!