Holy smokes, you guys! Thanks so much for all the lovely comments yesterday about Dave K’s video (isn’t he incredibly inspiring?) and for all the great feedback about the products. We love that you have embraced them and cannot thank you enough for the ongoing support! If you haven’t already entered the ginormous giveaway from yesterday, please do – we’re not choosing winners until next week! Big thanks to the folks at Demdaco for coming up with the idea for the giveaway and for offering it. It’s a HUGE deal and can’t wait to meet one of you!
Demdaco Appreciation Week continues today with another giveaway (see below!) and a rare behind the scenes peek at both the design process as well as how + where products are made, including lots of photos from my recent trip to China with Anne (the the product developer I work very closely with). We traveled to China to do some design work for a brand new artisan jewelry line to debut next year (it’s going to be so great!) but while we were there we visited the artisan factories that make much of the KRR products. We traveled to Hong Kong and all over mainland China….a trip of a lifetime. Loved China.
(wishes hung on a line, Hong Kong)
Before I begin, I want to respectfully say this: From our ipods to house decor to the clothes we wear to our favorite stationery, so much of what we buy, wear, use, and celebrate in our everyday lives comes directly from China. I know there is concern out there about China’s export industry. For those of you who may have strong opinions, I want to say that this post is not a discussion/endorsement on either side of the broader issues. This post is simply my personal story/experience of having products made in China after having traveled there and witnessed the process and the people hand making the products. Please refrain from leaving harsh/critical/judgmental comments. This is not a post for that kind of discussion. Thank you!
I love what Dave K. (Demdaco’s co- founder who you met yesterday) says about Demdaco’s relationship with their China partners:
“I love China and her people. I view that our industry is a truly global one, and our hearts and affections are with all who are part of our global supply chain. From the artists who conceive of and design the products, to the manufacturers who produce it, to the logistics companies who transport it, to my colleagues at DEMDACO who help distribute it, to the retailers who present it, and to the consumers who purchase and (hopefully) delight in it. All of these folks play an important part in the chain, and all deserve our respect and thanks.
For Demi and I as owners, we actually started our company as a buying agent, living in Hong Kong. So we view ourselves as much a “Chinese” company as an “American (USA)” one. In fact, without our amazing partners in China, we would not exist as a company, and the (hopefully) lovely products that we bring to market could not lift the spirits they do. I know the people who work in these factories; they are wonderful mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and they lead good full lives. And the places they work help them to do that. And, they are really, really good at what they do. So I’m beyond grateful to them, and I respect them immensely.
The word that probably sums it up for us is the word mutuality. We hope, at DEMDACO, to promote mutuality, which is to say that we hope to honor all those involved in the life of a product from concept all the way through to consumer purchase (and hopefully enjoyment!).”
(Cammy [Demdaco employee] + me with our praying sticks, Hong Kong)
Demdaco has many employees on the ground in China who visit the factories on a regular basis, overseeing all production/quality/etc. I met many of these employees and loved loved loved seeing all that they do to help in the development of product! They are a seriously motivated and talented bunch – very much a family to one another. You will see a couple of them in today’s photos.
When it comes to the KRR Demdaco products, “made in China” could easily be “hand-made in China.” This is something I really want to bring into focus and celebrate. I can say this because I had the amazing opportunity to visit the artisan factories where the products are made. I met the owners of the factories, the employees, and watched for myself how the products are literally hand made by skilled and talented artisans.
It was mind blowing. Seeing my artwork reproduced to such quality, among such talented people who work so, so hard to do it well and with integrity…it was eye opening, humbling, and made me feel even more like I was just one small part of a village that makes all of this happen.
That is something that China deeply instilled in me: that the Demdaco KRR products are doing more than offering meaningful gift products in the industry, but they’re creating an impact among the global village that help make it all happen. From the people here in the US (the designers, the sales force, the retailers, etc) to the people a world away in China (the factory artisans, the Demdaco employees, etc) and all the places in between (transport, shipping, gift giving), these products travel miles and miles from concept to final product and then hopefully into the heart of a buyer/receiver. It takes a global village to make all of that happen. I want to celebrate that.
I also want to celebrate that for every single person inside that global village that helps create the product, an impact is made. Demdaco and I have received countless emails from people who have been touched by a product they received as a gift or something they bought for themselves in a store. But at the same time, these products are also creating jobs and boosting incomes, intimately creating abundance (big + small) for the people who make it all happen globally, and locally. It really is astounding. And I’m happy happy happy to be a part of it. The stories and the smiles from the men + women hand making the products in China was confirmation for me that these products are making a difference in ways I could have never imagined. Inspiring, humbling, and something I want to be a a part of. And something I want to celebrate.
That’s why we’re celebrating Demdaco this week. They are the village leader that is making it all happen, changing lives, and doing business the way it ought to be done.
I’m not sure what I expected when it came to the factories, but I was happily surprised to find that they looked surprisingly like an artists studio….artsy messes were everywhere with lots and lots of glue, paint, scrap materials and more.
(decorative art girlies, hand-made in China))
There were young men + women (as in twenty something year olds) sitting around large tables literally constructing, gluing, and painting the products inside big rooms that held all the supplies a typical working studio would hold: drying racks, stacks of materials, paint, trinkets, etc. They were chatting with one another just like you or I would when crafting.
(Here we are working on jewelry design. That’s Freddy to the right, a Demdaco employee)
It was like being a kid in a jewelry shop, constructing necklaces, bracelets and more. SO FUN. It was hard work though, with long days, and a ton of consideration and thought (a years worth) prior to the actual trip to China.
We traveled to several “showrooms” and literally designed jewelry pieces from the gems + stones + materials available to us in that particular vendor’s showroom. It was utterly fascinating to work like this. It was speedy, super inspiring, and required quick creative thinking.
We had our trusted GIANT notebook filled with a years worth of research, ideas, sketches, and more, including artwork to inspire color combinations and such…
(me + Zoyee)
A love story, these two sweethearts met because of the KRR line! She (Lena) worked at one of the factories in mainland China that creates the KRR products and he (Freddy) is a Demdaco employee who works closely with the factory. They met at the factory, fell in love, and got married while I was visiting! How’s that for awesome? LOVE!!!!!
One more thing before I go. One of the things I really loved about China in general was the way in which they choose beauty. It’s everywhere inside the tiniest of tiny details (including their packaging of medicine boxes!). One day we were leaving one of the factories and I noticed something out of the corner of my eye along the long row of bikes (bikes are a major mode of transport). There it was, bright and pink: a scrap piece of my art converted into a pretty bike seat cover. I couldn’t believe it! Not only are they helping me produce my work, they actually like it, too. I loved this more than I can say.
Fort those of you interested in seeing more photos of our trip to China, head on over here.
We’re giving away a little something special everyday this week in honor of Demdaco Appreciation Week here on the blog. Feel free to enter each day’s giveaways! We’ll be picking winners next week, including the winner to the all expense paid trip with me (see Monday’s post to enter that giveaway)!
For today’s giveaway:
*One lucky commenter will win $75 to spend on whatever they wish in the online shop.
*Another lucky commenter will win an original painting by me!
*TWO WINNERS!!!
Giveaway rules:
* To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post. Tell us what you are most enjoying about your summer (for me, it’s porch time in the afternoons with my family). Tell us if anything jumped out at you in this post – was it interesting. Did you learn something? We’d love to know!
* Just one comment per person, please.
* We’ll announce the winner soon.
* Go!
Lovely story on the bride….
what i love the most about summer is having my teacher husband home from work for almost 3 months! Lucky me 🙂 and our annual family beach gathering in June, so so special.
Thank you for sharing and celebrating the "hand-made in China" process.
I am enjoying the simple peasures of a lazy summer with my family.
Summer fun=biking around the chain of lakes in Minneapolis (Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake)! And being able to walk out the door without pushing through two feet of snow. 🙂
It was great seeing the process that goes into producing your products. And I can't say why exactly but I really love the bicycle seat. 🙂
I love summertime! After a very long winter, it is so nice to get ourside and see GREEN! All my flowers and veggies are growing like mad.
What an interesting post this was! I would love to go to China..beautiful country and people! It was fun to see all that goes into getting your product out there!
hugs, Sue K
My daughter is getting married late July, so this is a special — and quite busy — summer for us. Baby True is cuter in every picture… enjoy him. He'll be grown and planning a wedding in no time. ha ha.
What I love about summer is its the one time of year I get to fly home and spend a great chunk of time with my family 🙂 I miss them so much.
The thing I love most about summer is that first morning (we're both teachers) when we roll over in bed, look at each other, and start om with giddy laughter because we don't have to get up or go anywhere or do anything in particular. And we are still getting paid!
The thing I learned about the post today was just a further realization of how much work goes into a single product. I really loved peaking behind the scenes.
Summer is a bit elusive here in the UK, but I've enjoyed a few sunny days here. I love lying in our hammock reading and listening to the birds.
What an amazing post…thank you so much for putting a personal face on the beauty of China and showing the joy of the global marketplace..your post happily shattered so many of my fears about taking my business to China..I love how you showed everyone celebrating each others similarities…hopes, dreams and aspirations…We can have good business practices and bad business practices no matter the county…DEMDACO has a model for a heart centered business…beautiful…and I also loved, loved, loved how similar the studio they were working in looked like my studio…the drying racks…the stacks of wood…the smiling faces…it certainly wasn't the image I had of "factories" in China…thank you so much for "taking" me on such an beautiful and heart opening journey
What I am going to love this summer is walking by the lake when I move to my new home! This post was so interesting, it's nice to know the piece I have were made by human hands 🙂 I love your work!
deedmonds(at)hotmail(dot)com
I love that the world seems brighter. being in Ohio, summer brings out the nice in people, more color and more smiles.
Hello!
Thank you for sharing this post Kelly – I LOVE seeing how all of your work is carefully transformed into beautiful things for our homes and loved ones.
I am enjoying the longer days and warmer temperatures here in the UK – it makes you feel like being much more productive 🙂
Kate x
I loved seeing the working environment in the Chinese factory. Conditions for workers in Asian countries is something that worries me so it was lovely to see a positive situation where the workers seem content and the environment is safe. It's great to have heard from someone I trust that things are ok over there.
The varied shades of green, the birdsong that fills my yard with music, my hands deep in the warm brown soil and the caress of the sea breeze as it comes on shore in the evenings to cool everything down…
We plan to take some nice family vacations and hopefully find time to work on my art. It is wonderful seeing the process from the inside of the factory — very different than what I imagined
interesting, insightful post; thanks for sharing!
as a mom of school aged kids, i'm loving the more relaxed mornings of summer.
Very intrigued by the assembly and detail of the employees work! Awesome to know the products have a giving back approach.
This summer I am enjoying the fresh air and just relaxing in silence listening to natures beauty speak.
What I am working at enjoying this summer is family time where all (hubby and 2 daughters) are all together. My oldest daughter graduated from high school this year, so having the family all together is coming to an end after this summer, so I am trying to enjoy the moments, even the everyday ones.
This post was awesome! It's so fun to see the "behind the scenes." I don't know where else we'd get to see that!
Thank you KRR!!!!!
🙂
Kari O.
Yes, what jumped out at me was that the workers seemed well and happy. I think the image of "sweat-shop" labor persists and it was refreshing to see your photos. Thanks too, KRR, for sharing these details, this is the nitty-gritty stuff artists really do want to know. For sure, you encourage so many fledgling artists to Take Flight. I'm over sixty and learning from you all the time as I follow your blog. May the good karma you store up serve you well for all your days! Yeah!
Thanks for another lovely give away!
What I adore about summer is simply getting out in nature and enjoying the beauty around us. Our family enjoys hiking, canoeing, fishing, camping and hitting the Oregon coast together.
Thanks for sharing your trip to China with us, it really was eye opening to see how your pieces are made, I had no idea that such craftmanship went into the reproductions!
I would be in heaven if I could just have an original of yours, Kelly Rae!
The things I love most about this summer are sleeping in and staying up late. And LOVE summer break; it's one of the best things about being a teacher.
Just amazing to see the whole process, and just the amount of hard work everyone puts into each piece! Makes me realize mass producing anything is a big team effort.
As for summer, well it reverted back to spring where I am, but I am looking forward to many nights on the porch, enjoying the warm weather, and just soaking it up!
Absolutely loved your approach to this post! these folks who reproduce your art are true heart and soul artists, with a passion for life(love the bicycle seat!)& what they do! Thank You KRR for opening my eyes to the behind the scenes(real) story! Love it!
Summer? Time to JUST BE!!!!!
JOY! xo, C:)
I love my gladiolas and dahlias!
Leanne W, santa rosa, cA
My daughter is home this summer after graduating from college in May. We are having a great unhurried time together while I do artwork and she looks for a job.
I love the story of how your art is created in China. It was heartwarming to see the artists gathered around happily making everything. I was happy to see that everyone looked like they were prospering from this work, that it was something they really enjoyed doing! When you mentioned the year of planning, it gave a hint of how much work licensing can involve.
Summer and I usually don't get along. BUT I am loving cold watermelon on hot days. That counts, right? 🙂
what i am lovin' about summer – is creating good summer family memories with my kids at the pool.
they are really SO talented. I love that you really painted the whole picture of what is happening "at the factory". They seem like awesome people!
what I am loving about my summer is spending time with my girls. They are growing up so fast that I am enjoying having this time with them.
What caught my eye most in this post was the joy radiating from the workers.It is heartwarming for me to know that such care in handcrafting that takes place in the production of the product, they are truely gifted artisans.
I loved this post! So happy to see that you went to the source of production, you met the people, you celebrated their milestones with them! What a joy to see an artist really explore every aspect of their art!
I am enjoying spending time with my husband and kids on our patio overlooking our pool and yard.
I loved this post – it is incredible to see your artwork transformed. Thank you so much for sharing…. ox, mary ann
This summer so far I am LOVING the thing that I thought I would be most dreading – needing to get up every morning at 4:55 AM to get my son out the door for early morning football practice. I'm an early riser but I like having a little flexibility, so when this schedule started I really anticipated the worst. As it turns out, this is becoming my most favorite time of the day. It's just beautiful – the temperature is cool and I can open the windows and hear the birds waking up. I can get a jumpstart to my work, and I always create better in the morning. This routine is turning out to be a real gift and one I hadn't expected. In addition to that I am fully enjoying having my kids around (after football) and seeing where the day takes us. It's bliss! :0)
How wonderful it must have been to see your work being reproduced in China. I think the most important thing I learned was the warm and human side to China. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I love that there's a love story behind your story of creating! I am enjoying the break with the kids and having the summer to hang in the garden with them. 🙂
I'm soooo loving time in the park this summer! I bring my blanket, an iced coffee, and my man/the paper/my netbook and relax so much I need a nap.
You have changed the way I will think of things produced in China. It is so good to know that there are some true artisan producers out there, and not just huge factories. I know that not all producers treat their workers as well as the ones that Demdaco uses, but at least there are some out there. I won't lump them all together in my head anymore. You rock, Demdaco, for working with responsible producers — if you lead by example others will follow!
Well I am an Elementary reading interventionist ending my 26th year of teaching, soooo my favorite thing about summer is I finally have time to CREATE!!!
I sent the video to my 80 year old mother who adores your work. She loved it.
hugs,
tara
I think it's great that you were able to visit and see your products being made first person.
I am enjoying every moment with my children this summer. It doesn't matter what we're doing. I love summers because they are home with me all day! I love being surrounded by love. 🙂
Summer hasn't started here yet-it's been raining for 2 solid weeks!! But when it does start, I'm so looking forward to not having to supervise the packing of school lunches. I take great joy in the ceremonial packing away of the lunch bags!!
Being out in nature, hiking, sitting in the grass or chatting with friends anywhere outside.
What an eye opener! We are lead to believe that products made in China are all mass produced on an assembly-line, in sterile factories…but I just loved your comment and the pics showing a fabulous 'artsy mess'. Thank you so much for showing us how your inspiring products are made!
xxsylvia
i am celebrating THIS MOMENT of appreciating the generous nature of
Kelly Rae….giving her fans this week of looking on the inside of how it is "possible" to make our dreams of being working artists is WONDerFUL !! Often people guard the secrets of their success but she openly shares her story and encourages us to join her in living our dreams.
I AM CELEBRATING the power of LOVE!!
I can't even imagine a trip like this…to see your dream being put into production. What a trip, literally.
I loved this post! How fun! I am hoping to get to China in the next couple of years.I loved the bike seat cover and I would love to see them in a future KRR line!! It would be great for my new bike!!
Loved the picture of the factory, I never though much about it but I love that it is like an art studio!
What I love about Summer is having all the kiddos home. I love the days spent in the warm sunshine and running through the water sprinkler. I love grilling out in the back yard or having picnics in the park. I love going to the local icecream stand and getting a twist cone. I love the sound of all the kids on our street playing tag or catching lightning bugs. I love sitting around the fire pit at night and roasting marshmellows then sleeping in in the morning. These simple things of Summer bring me so much joy.