Jun 30, 2010

A fair trade for global artBy Clare JensenTacomaWeekly.com

Combining resources and goods, four independent business owners have banded together to make it possible for Tacomans to go around the world in an hour.

Aamir Ahmad, Sharon Greenman, Amy McDonald and Clare Petrich all have backgrounds working as independent importers, many selling their goods wholesale to other businesses.

McDonald and Petrich previously operated the import shop Far and Wide a block off 6th Avenue for a short period of time. After that business closed, the two teamed up with Ahmad and Greenman to create a new retail space, specializing in fair trade, sustainable and environmentally-friendly handcrafted products from independent artisans, families and villages all over the world.

Located right on the 6th Avenue corridor, the year-old shop Laughing Lotus has proven to be a continuous surprise for customers, new and old, who visit daily.

Handmade bags of recycled newspaper from Indonesia, aluminum can earrings from Kenya, fair trade chocolate from Germany, and even some local artisan goods – like Scrabble-piece pendants from an independent crafter in Spokane – many of the items are made from re-used and re-purposed materials.

Laughing Lotus represents handmade goods, crafts, accessories, home décor, art and rugs from more than 25 countries and six continents.

And owners say every item has a story behind it.

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