Barbara Shaw - Bold Heritage Gifts with a Twist

Jerusalem Inspires Barbara Shaw to Create Design-Led Heritage Themed Homewares

Press release July 30th 2012

Barbara Shaw of Jerusalem is launching her product range "Bold Heritage Gifts with a Twist" at the New York International Gift Fair (Booth 2351A). Her gifts for the kitchen and home feature bright, colorful, upbeat designs with heritage themes that have global appeal.

Barbara’s range includes aprons with fun sayings and also classic themes, table linens, baby wear, T-shirts for all ages as well as cushions, totes, ceramic and glassware, and wooden coasters, clocks and trivets. A number of items celebrate mothers and women in a variety of languages.

Zany wise Yiddish proverbs with appear on a multitude of products; coaster, trivets - her Schlep bag is a classic.

“I draw from the ancient sources and apply them to designs that are fresh, bold and sassy,” says Barbara.” I am creating a new idiom, with up-market styling and packaging. I weave the landscapes around me into products with humor that enhance the home and beautify everyday living.”

Inspired by piles of fresh Jaffa oranges discovered on market day in her home city of Jerusalem, Barbara Shaw created this fun pattern to bring a pop of color to the table. The 19” x 19” napkins are screen-printed by hand, and sewn from cotton drill fabric. The set of four is packaged with wide ribbon and a gift tag. Her iconic Jaffa orange and pomegranate themes appear on upscale housewares.

One of the most innovative textile artists in Israel, Barbara manages production from her studio in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, her store in downtown Jerusalem is bursting with color and great design. She sells to gift shops and museum stores worldwide.

Be sure to come by at the Gift Fair for a free gift.

Barbara Shaw

www.barbarashawgifts.com

barbshaw@gmail.com

972 547 421815

We ❤ Ladino

Do you speak Ladino?
Ladino is a quite beautiful Romance language derived from Old Spanish, which Sepharadic Jews have spoken since the Middle Ages. It is influenced by Hebrew and Aramaic, as well Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Portuguese - from all of the lands where Sepharadic Jews settled.

We love Ladino because it has a really musical richness about it and we've been using some great sayings in our new coasters:

Our fave:  
"Quien mucho pensa, no se la fada Yersalaim."
(Whoever hesitates will never reach Jerusalem.)





Although not many people around the world speak it today, Ladino is still alive and well in Israeli music. 

Here's one of the classics, from the great Yehoram Gaon:

Getting ready for the Pesach Seder

I'm thinking about making my superb chicken soup for this year's seder - here's the recipe:

Most Magical Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
 1 chicken
1 large onion
1/2 large head of celery
4-5 carrots
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 parsnip (optional)
salt and pepper
nutmeg
handful of parsley

and a large soup pot

Method:
Slice the carrots, garlic, and celery. Coarsely chop the parsnip, and cut the onion in half. If you’re feeling healthy, you can also remove some of the fat from the chicken.

Put all the ingredients into a large soup pot, and add enough water to cover the chicken well. Cook over high flame until water boils, then turn down the flame to medium/low. Boil for at least 1 and a half hours.

Towards the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and a large fistful of torn parsley. Enjoy!

My recipe features on the Most Magical Chicken Soup apron which, as usual, is illustrated by our favorite lovable and quirky artist Galit Lofman at Jerusalem's own Ira Ginzburg Studio.

Happy pesach, everyone!

Perfect Pesach Gifts

We are getting into a Pesach state of mind. This morning we set up the new store window, which created a lot of excitement and activity around and inside the store.

Yesterday we shot some great photos of the new Pesach range, which is now found in stores and museum shops around the US and in Europe as well.  When you are in town come by and if you are not close enough to come into the store, stop by our website at http://www.barbarashawgifts.com/

Fun at the Fair

Exhibiting at the New York Gift fair felt like a big step forward. Pleased that the Barbara Shaw range can now be found at  Museum shops and selected stores across the USA. It was wonderful to meet store owners and managers and hear the positive reactions to the new items. We are now in the Jewish Museums in NYC, Spertus in Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, plus in stores in NYC - Rosebud, LA- Gallery Judaica, Shalom House, Berkeley -Afikoman. We are also in Panama City- Stellas Linens, and in London, Paris and Denmark.
If there a store near you that you think could stock the range - let me know - Thanks Barbara

Barbara in the Jerusalem Post

We've been written up by the Jerusalem Post travel section!
Lots of fun behind-the-scenes peeks into the story behind my designs.
Here's a link to the article on the Jerusalem Post website.

See you at the New York Gift Fair- Javitz Center Jan 29th - Feb 2nd!

Things are very hectic as we prepare for the Gift Fair in New York. This is the first time I shall be exhibiting at the fair, and I am both very excited and nervous. In the studio we are in the final stages of designing the booth - No 1968, which we are aiming to make strikingly bold and bright - a taste of the store. Terrific Tova Safra our muti-talented designer is ensuring that all our marketing materials, brochures and fun give away is in production and will be ready in time. And at the same time we are forever working on new designs and products.

We shall be showcasing new designs for the spring and Passover season and presenting some well loved favourites. Pls find us under the Israeli banner. We will be making appointments with stores next week.
I decided to exhibit in New York as I currently do sell to a number of stores and Museums in the US but I would like to extend my reach. Response has been so terrific from visitors to my store that I feel I can bring a bit more joy and fun further afield.