Emera Remedios E Fernandes
Candles and soaps
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Emera, who is from Saligao, combines creativity with sustainability as she crafts customised candles for Christmas that resemble some of Goa’s most well-known sweets – Pinagr, Chana doce, Rawa doce, Coconut ice, Kulkul, dodol, rumball, bolinha and nankhatai. “My candles and soaps are natural and eco-friendly, as I can control the ingredients, ensuring they are safe and healthy. This is my hobby which turned into a passion,” says Emera.
Jemina Dcosta e Vaz
Candles
Originally from Collem, Jemina mainly uses soy wax and wooden wicks for her candles and focuses on sustainable materials. She is making the Christmas season all the more jolly by creating candles in the form of angels, reindeers and Christmas trees. As a homemaker, Jemina always managed her orders from home, but has now stepped into the pop-up circuit.
Shirley Rodrigues
Handmade puppets and soft toys
Who doesn’t love stars and stockings for Christmas? Shirley from Taleigao has been working with fabrics to create handmade puppets and soft toys. Last year, Shirley started Christmas ornaments to decorate Christmas trees and homes. “I believe in eco-friendly products which are plastic free,” says Shirley. This year, Shirley created stuffed Santa Clauses, Christmas goody bags and tree ornaments like stars and stockings. She retails her products on Insta.
Aira Mirchandani
Upcycled Christmas decorations
Aira’s passion was fuelled by she and her friends decided to host a handcrafted exhibition back 2014, and she started working on collectible Christmas decorations that are also environment-friendly For this year, she has made gnomes, hearts, baubles, Christmas trees, boots and eco-friendly wreaths by upcycling felt and other materials. “It’s been 10 years since I started out and every year I make a range of Christmas decorations and tree decorations. I have experimented with many designs. My sales happen through social media platforms and I also participate in a couple of pop-up markets,” says Aira.
Chriselle Menezes
Sequinned artwork
Originally from Merces and now working in Dubai, Chriselle Menezes uses sequins to create dazzling framed artwork. “I have been doing this since Covid. Depending on the order, I work on a printout and match the sequences on the paper based on the colours in the picture. For Christmas, I have created different symbols of Christmas as in the Nativity scene, Santa Claus Christmas tree, angels, three Wise Men, sleighs and a lot more,” says Chriselle, who is currently in Goa for the holidays.
