Welcome to PasirPutih
Hi,
I am Susana from the East Java city of Banyuwangi, Indonesia. The surroundings are famous for the 300 year old Dutch coffee plantations (from which coffee became synonymous with Java), its national parks, and the Fire and Brimstone spewing volcano - Kawa Idjen. This area is an escape from Bali for the more adventurous and because of the now famous volcano, sees 10,000 tourists a year. I was the Banyuwangi tour guide and both of my parents worked for the national park service so we had frequent contact with foreign researchers and tourists. The tourists were always seeking out traditional handicrafts and eventually this became a sideline business for the entire family. My dad is a lapidary and silversmith, I design jewelry, and others in my family became carvers. I eventually married an American and ended up in Swedesboro, NJ where during the height of the financial crisis and some rather hard times, I turned to what I knew best and decided to continue the family business in America. I select the designs and my family in Indonesia make them in the village handicrafts tradition and send to me. Then my teenage daughter and I handle the QC, finish work and run the shop. The materials we use are shells from the beach side resort of Pasir Putih, local water buffalo bone & horn, and natural hardwoods from the forests and plantations. My husband Mike helps out a bit but is away a lot doing overseas consulting work which is helpful for bringing in new ideas.
