I have been fortunate enough to garner myself a little bit of press as of late....actually, my first magazine printing, and it is a little ironic that the piece that finally made it 'somewhere'
are my milagro tags, a charity piece that I created in gratitude to the presence of my furry four footed companion Lolita,
who appeared in my life unexectedly and is the best friend a girl could have! Milagro means 'little miracle' in spanish. The milagros of Mexico ( they are called ex votos in europe) are small silver charms left on the altar in Catholic churches. They are the embodiment of a prayer that needs answering. Highly representational in nature...an arm, a heart, farm animals,evil eyes, a book or a boat.... there are hundreds of milagros. They can be carried for protection and good luck, but most commonly are used when a believer makes a vow or request to a Saint. When the request is granted, one is expected to make a pilgrimage to that Saint's holy place and leave the metal milagro as a sign of gratitude and devotion. In Mexico, this practice is known as "manda'. Curanderas ( Mexican medicine women) will ask people to carry milagros after a healing to ward off evil and protect them from a recurrence. Lots more good info and photos of traditional milagros here if you are interested!
Lolita's milagros are carved in wax, a mano by me and have the classic heart with wing symbol of everlasting love and faithfulness. I have taken some liberty and added my own little touch of a paw in the center! They are engraved with the words "best friend" on the back , and cast in eco-friendly argentium sterling silver. I make them in two sizes, small (suitable for little dogs or cats) and medium. One hundred percent of the profits from the sale of these babies has gone to various animal relief funds, and I request retailers who have carried them do the same...to date we have donated almost $3000!
Lolita walked into my classroom one day, filthy, dirty and collarless....but immediately I knew there was something special about her...she is my faithful friend, who asks so little, yet returns so much love...