Here's my story:
I started off with a big idea - start a jewelry import business, find new & unusual fair trade jewelry around the world, and sell to gift shops and unique stores across the U.S. Along the way I picked up the hobby of beading, and in the early days my supportive friends were my best customers, until eventually my jewelry-making skills caught up with the ideas I was visualizing. Combining the fair trade imports with my own creations, Jewels of the Trade turned from idea into reality.
The beading hobby grew until a full-blown obsession. Now I can't pass a bead shop without my eyes lighting up the way a child does when spotting a candy shop. I can't pass a garage sale, antique or thrift shop without wondering what might be inside that might make a cool pendant for my recycled & repurposed selection of jewelry.
I decided to stop importing and focus on making my own designs, but I still have a smattering of jewelry that came from some of the fair trade and cottage industry suppliers I found, in addition to other odds & ends that I've picked up. And the beading obsession still continues.
Hope you enjoy!
