Faire Collection: Natural Fair Trade Jewelry

One of the greatest things about being a beader or jewelry designer, is the ability to make choices that influence the world around us. Whether we’re focusing on special materials, working with other artists, making jewelry with a statement, or simply donating our designs to charitable causes, there are so many ways that beaders make a difference.

The fair trade jewelry line formerly known as the Andean Collection is one of my favorite bead related causes. Founded by Amanda Judge, this amazing little company made big changes to the lives of women and their families in South America. Now they are taking their efforts global by creating job opportunities for over 200 beaders and jewelry makers in Vietnam, Swaziland, and Ecuador with the Faire Collection.

Faire Collection designs continue to amaze jewelry lovers with gorgeous natural materials like tagua, acai, and coconut. The incredibly trendy styles are bringing the message of the importance of fair trade products to boutiques around the world.

Today’s Wear It Twice collage features handmade jewelry and accessories from the new Faire Collection. In addition to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, Faire artisans also make hats and scarves with flair. There are some amazing colors available, including bright tropical hues and subtle natural tones. I went with the always stunning combination of bright blue and rich brown, with just a hint of mint. The Geo-Stack earrings are my personal favorite.

Summer Faire by mortira featuring sleeveless dresses

Also included: the Isabella Necklace, the chunky Classic Tagua Bracelet, Lola Hat with peacock feather, Rialto Earrings, and the Infinity Scarf. The natural shapes and patterns of the materials blend perfectly with the bright colors. If you haven't worked with natural beads like tagua before, they are a great way to add personality to jewelry.

If you’d like to learn more about the project and the talented designers and artisan partners, visit ShopFaire.com.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Faire Collection
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Inspired Beaders: Big Village

Handmade, exotic, and rare - there’s nothing quite like beads from Africa. The unique bead making process, sustainable and fair trade practices, and of course the gorgeous designs are impossible to resist. One company that embraces all of these things and shares the beauty of African beads with the world is Big Village. Based in Canada, Big Village distributes handmade beads from Ghana through their fair trade partnership, as well as African inspired jewelry, batik fabric designs, and more. Today our guest is co-owner of Big Village and bead lover, Karen Berry.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get into beading and jewelry design?

Karen: Growing up, I explored many crafts and hobbies but I have found that I enjoy working with beads and scrapbooking the most! In my early twenties, I bought my first beads and made simple hemp bracelets and necklaces for friends and family. It was a fun hobby and never thought that one day I might make a living from designing jewellery! I was educated and trained in Therapeutic Recreation and worked as a Recreation Manager in Long Term Care for close to 20 years. Through my experiences in Long Term Care and working with the elderly, I observed that those residents who kept busy with their hobbies and interests, were always happier and healthier than their sedentary counterparts. I have always believed it is important to keep your mind active and beading certainly does that! I became serious about beading and jewellery design about a year before I purchased Big Village; I was Big Village’s biggest customer!

Inspirational Beading: Was purchasing Big Village a huge leap? How has it differed from your original expectations?

Karen: I knew eventually one day I would own my own business but just wasn’t sure what it was going to be. I love working in Long Term Care but after almost 20 years of being in it, I needed a break. When the idea of purchasing Big Village first came up, it was perfect timing; like it was meant to be. I finished a one year maternity leave position with my former employer the month after I purchased Big Village. Knowing that my business partner and I were chosen out of 30 other candidates to carry Big Village forward, has given me the confidence to run a business and move it forward.

During the months leading up to the purchase of the business, I envisioned myself playing with beads and making pretty things all day long. Sadly, this is not the case. Most days are spent answering emails, updating our social media, taking product photos, ordering products from Ghana, making new partnerships, researching products extensively, maintaining a website and online store. I have gone from working in a busy long term care home to working most days alone in my home office. I never thought I would crave the constant interruptions and policy changes a traditional office job has. I can easily be distracted by laundry, dirty floors and bathrooms or a comfy couch. However, I get to take my kids to school every day, stay home with them when they are sick, play hooky with my husband sometimes and make my own hours. It’s a pretty awesome trade off and I love being home!

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite part about working with bead makers in Ghana?

Karen: I feel so grateful and privileged to have had the experiences I have had so far with Big Village and our bead partners in Ghana. I love knowing that we are helping make a positive and sustainable difference in the lives of not only our partners but their family, their employees, their employees’ families and the community in which they live. Knowing that our partners are succeeding, makes me unbelievably happy. And traveling to Ghana (and other African countries eventually), is pretty amazing too! Africa is one of those places that most of us dream of visiting and my dreams have come true. Doing business with Ghanaians has had its challenges but I am grateful for even the most difficult times we have had because I have learned so much about culture and the way people live and view business!

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or bead style to work with?

Karen: I love using bright, bold colours that reflect the Ghanaian culture as well as the simplicity of mixing black and white with teal or bright blue beads. However, my favorite beads are the hand painted ones. When I work with them, I spend a lot of time appreciating each and every single one and all the work that goes into them. I love the designs the artists in Ghana paint on them and it still impresses me that each and every single bead is made by hand, from glass that was supposed to end up in a landfill.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite project for using Krobo beads?

Karen: I love making bracelets with the beads. They are fairly simple to make and very rewarding as they can be made fast! I love experimenting with different colours that I may not use in a necklace. My other favorite project is creating necklaces for our African inspired jewellery line. We use all sorts of African beads including our recycled glass ones but also Kazuri beads from Kenya, cow bone beads from Kenya, rolled paper beads from Uganda, Lost Wax beads from Ghana and most recently EarthButter Beads from South Africa. I love mixing all the different textures and sizes to create unique, one of a kind pieces.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Karen: Our mandate at Big Village is to empower and educate consumers to make conscious purchases. This also goes for crafters and beaders alike. We want to inspire people to make informed choices about not only the day to day purchases that they make but also about the craft supplies they buy. We spend a great deal of time working with school aged children and teaching them about fair trade, ethically made products and slavery.

I hope to inspire people to look at Africa in a different way. When we traveled to Ghana for the first time, I tried not to bring any judgements or stereotypes with me. After years of being told by the media that all of Africa is living in poverty, I happily experienced something completely different. There is joy and hope to be had and people work hard for their families. The people we met were so happy and full of optimism that I now have a different view of Ghana and Africa. I am not ignorant to the fact that poverty does exist but so do thriving, vibrant communities full of people wanting to create sustainability.

To learn more and to purchase some fabulous beads and fair trade products, visit the Big Village website. You can also get news and updates on the Big Village Facebook page, or find inspiration on their Pinterest boards.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and Big Village
Images Hosted by Pinterest
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Jewelry Design Intern Opportunity with iSanctuary

We all know about the healing properties of beads, and the amazing way that jewelry design can change the world. Organizations like Soul of Somanya and The Andean Collection are just two examples of the way that beads and jewelry can help women and young people around the globe. Purchasing their products and talking to others about the cause is a great way to help, but for great change to occur, more hands are always needed.

If you’ve ever wanted to join in a great cause full tilt and feet first, but weren’t sure how to begin, this may be the perfect opportunity for you! iSanctuary - a non-profit that teaches jewelry making skills to survivors of human trafficking - is looking for talented designers with big hearts to help their outreach efforts in India.

iSanctuary Purchase with Purpose

iSanctuary is looking for: “candidates that are not only talented designers but can create within our branding and for our target market, and are culturally and emotionally sensitive. And last but certainly not least, candidates should be multi-talented because as in most non-profits everyone wears many different hats.”

Bravery, generosity, and determination are just a few key ingredients for the perfect volunteer. Flying across the world to begin such a quest can be a huge leap, and interns must provide for themselves during their 12 month stay - the internship is a volunteer position. I asked the iSanctuary founder, Stephanie Pollaro, to tell us a bit more about the organization, and the work that they do.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get involved with the issue of human trafficking?

Stephanie: About 9 years ago I picked up a magazine (something I rarely do) and in it was a story of Anuradha Koirala (who later became a CNN Hero in 2010). I was blown away by several things: the amazing work Anuradha was doing and even more overwhelmingly was the eye-opening realization of learning about the existence of human trafficking for the first time. I immediately went to my computer and started doing research to validate the unbelievable facts I had just learned. As the truth began to grow more evident and more dark I knew in an instance I couldn’t go back to living life the same way… Life as I had known it had been flipped upside down and now I had to respond.

It took several years of planning and talking with professionals in the field to develop an NGO that would best meet the needs of the anti-trafficking community and the survivors themselves. In 2007, with the help of my co-founder Wendy Dailey we started International Sanctuary (iSanctuary). Fun fact: Also in 2007 I got to personally meet Anuradha and thank her for opening my eyes.

In our search to see where we were needed in the anti-trafficking community we heard from many social workers and victims’ rights advocates in India and the US. They all shared the same understanding—trafficking survivors need job skills and economic opportunities. In the USA, Health and Human Services (HHS) often run out of funds to assist survivors waiting for their cases to come to trial (TIP 2012). Internationally, the lack of economic opportunities can be detrimental to a survivors reintegration. According to a study conducted by USAID (2007) the lack of economic opportunities and the skills to earn an adequate income places survivors in vulnerable situations that can lead to retrafficking. It was this realization of the great need for economic opportunities both here in the US and abroad that served as the impetus for the formation of iSanctuary and the iSanctuary POST program.

Inspirational Beading: When did jewelry design and beading become a part of your mission?

Stephanie: It was there from the beginning, as it was the only thing that I had in common with many of the girls in the aftercare homes. To fill the days, the girls are given classes in many different handicrafts: candle making, silk flower making, painting, and jewelry making. However, the jewelry they were making was very Indian and mostly just beads strung on thread. When I introduced the girls to western fashion jewelry and wire wrapping they instantly loved it.

Inspirational Beading: For you, what’s the most difficult part of working with these young women and girls?

Stephanie: The most difficult thing is getting these girls to see themselves the way I see them: talented, smart, beautiful and worthy of great things. Many time the damage from the years of trauma wins- they give into the lies they had been forced to believe, and they settle for much less than they deserve.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite, or most rewarding part of the cause?

Seeing change!

Once in our workshop in India, I overheard one of the young ladies complaining about how difficult something was and how she didn’t think she could do it. Then all of a sudden I heard one of our other young ladies tell that girl, “ We aren’t weak, we are iSanctuary girls. You can do it!” It still gives me chills.

Inspirational Beading: You’re currently looking for designer/interns to help out. Tell us a little about the position.

Stephanie: iSanctuary is currently seeking an adventurous woman looking to have her life shook up. She must be flexible yet structured, patient yet persistent, and a go-getter. The one year volunteer position IN INDIA is for a multi-talented Jewelry Designer/ Maker that can help us create pieces that fit our brands' strategic and financial objectives.

Inspirational Beading: In addition to using their jewelry making skills, what should hopefuls be ready to face?

Stephanie: India is a land of contradictions. Poverty is everywhere but so is wealth. It is a filthy place but they are trying to fix that. The people are lovely especially the iSanctuary people.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any advice for women working in relief services in unfamiliar countries?

Stephanie: Take care of yourself…. Make time for exercise and rest. You are no good to anyone else if you are burnt out!

The International Sanctuary Story

If you’d like to learn more about the opportunity of a lifetime, please visit the iSanctuary field interns page. You can also find additional information about the organization, and all of their efforts in India, the Philippines, and the US, as well as human trafficking issues and what you can do to help. iSanctuary also supports local chapters for promoting awareness, and accepts applications for new advocates. If you’re moved by these issues, but aren’t able to work in the field, starting or joining an iSanctuary chapter is a great opportunity to support an important cause.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading and iSanctuary
Images Hosted by Pinterest
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Inspired Beaders: Soul of Somanya

Here on Inspirational Beading, we often get to see some amazing handmade beads, or jewelry designs that have a great story. Today, we get both! You may already be familiar with the gorgeous handmade products from Soul of Somanya - a fair-trade style bead and jewelry project based in Ghana, West Africa. Co-founder and director, Mel MacDuffee, joins us today to share a little insight into this wonderful organization, and how it all began.

Mel: Most people here call me Mel...my African name is Manye Dede Adanki Banahene III. “Manye” means “Queen Mother,” (I was made an honorary Queen Mother on my first visit to Ghana) and “Dede” means “first-born.” Someone there told me that “Adanki” means “Brave, Wise & Stubborn,” but that remains unconfirmed. “Banahene” is the surname of the Krobo family of which I am now a member. I am (by their customs and beliefs) the third in a line of Adanki’s in their family—hence the “III.” But the most mind- boggling part is that I instantaneously became the mother of I’m-not-yet-sure- how-many Banahene children and/or adults. Still trying to figure that one out.

Inspirational Beading: When did you first get started with beads and jewelry design?

Mel: Actually, I started out as a crocheter. I had developed a technique called “Overlay Crochet,” which I started applying to making crocheted jewelry. That’s what my first book, Crochet Overlay Jewelry (Leisure Arts, 2006), was about. But the real push came when my travel-writing business crashed after 9/11 and, after years of working for myself, I reluctantly applied for a job at a local bead store. Much to my surprise, I found that I loved working there. I started learning all different kinds of beading techniques, although I found myself increasingly drawn towards delicate wirework. Eventually, I started publishing some of my designs. It was one of those designs that ultimately led to the founding of Soul of Somanya.

Inspirational Beading: How did this passion lead to the creation of Soul of Somanya?

Mel: Somehow, a group of beadmakers in the Krobo region of Ghana, West Africa, got hold of an issue of Bead & Button magazine, in which I happened to have an earring design, along with my email address. Traditionally, the Krobo artisans have strung their beads on pieces of cotton string or twisted raffia, tying them off with bulky knots. Now, seeing what the rest of the world was doing with beads, they wanted to learn some of our fancier techniques. So I woke up one morning to an email inviting me to come to Ghana and teach them.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite bead design or style?

Mel: Well, of course I’m pretty partial to the Krobo powdered glass beads, especially the hand-painted ones. I got to watch the whole process of how they’re made the first time I went to Ghana, and I was awed by the amount of time, skill and creativity that goes into them.

Inspirational Beading: What’s the most interesting or unique thing about the bead making process?

Mel: I think the fact that they’re made out of recycled glass is important in a world that is finally becoming more conscious of the need to re-use and recycle. But I also love the fact that the homemade kilns in which the beads are fired are made of termite clay. It turns out that termite saliva is a binding agent that allows the artisans to fire at higher temperatures without their kilns cracking. I’ve always wondered who figured that out.

Inspirational Beading: How have your experiences in Ghana influenced your own designs?

Mel: My previous wirework tended to be extremely light and lacy. These chunkier beads have led me into experimenting with making heavier kinds of wire beads and lace. I also do a lot more stringing than I used to in order to find harmonious ways of combining the colors and the various styles of beads made by the Krobo people.

Inspirational Beading: What’s your favorite thing about working with beadmakers in Ghana?

Mel: I don’t really work directly with the beadmakers these days, except by trying to buy the beads we use and resell directly from individual artisans when we can, so that they can keep the full retail price of their beads rather than having to share it with their bead sellers. The young people who actually earn a living wage working for Soul of Somanya don’t make the beads—they make the jewelry. But my favorite thing about working with both groups has been their absolutely fearless approach to learning. They don’t seem to worry about messing up as so many of us here do, so they are free to just plunge in with joy and verve and give it their best shot. Consequently, they learn with astonishing speed.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting bead or jewelry design in stock right now?

Mel: I really love the Adinkra earrings our artisans produce. They feature a range of traditional Ghanaian symbols meaning everything from “Strength & Humility” to “Friendship & Interdependence” to “Grace Under Hardship”.

Inspirational Beading: Are there any new projects or products on the horizon for Soul of Somanya?

Mel: I’m so glad you asked me that! Yes, we’re currently running a campaign on an online “crowdfunding” site called Indiegogo, where we’re raising money to launch a whole new line of products featuring the incredibly beautiful textiles produced in Ghana. It’s a very user-friendly site, and we are offering “perks” that are worth more in Soul of Somanya goods than the actual value of the contribution made. For example, for a contribution of $20.00 we give back a gift certificate for $20.00 plus a 15% discount that can be applied to the same purchase. So people actually come out ahead by supporting the campaign.

If we can raise enough money, we’ll eventually be offering handbags, tote bags, laptop and iPad sleeves, cell phone cases, men’s ties, etc. This will allow us to offer living-wage jobs to more of the at-risk young people in the Somanya area, ensuring that they will not have to become street prostitutes or thieves in order to feed their children and support older members of their families.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Mel: We try hard to help people understand the importance of supporting 3rd world artisans and agricultural producers by purchasing their products. My own interest, and that of most of our regular customers, is a humanitarian one. But if that isn’t a strong enough motivator, we try to encourage enlightened self-interest. Because, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not, we are no longer a world comprised of dozens of unrelated economies. If the recent crashes in various Europe economies hasn’t amply demonstrated that, I don’t know what ever will. We are a world economy now. Our economic health depends upon that of every other nation in the world. So when we behave generously towards others, we are being generous to ourselves as well. And in the process, we are extending a compassionate hand to the half of the world’s population that struggles to survive on a couple of dollars a day.

You can learn more about Soul of Somanya, their products, artisans, and mission of hope on their website. To support their upcoming line of handmade textiles, visit their funding page on Indiegogo. Beautiful artisan beads and finished jewelry are also available for immediate purchase on Etsy. To see more photos from Ghana, beautiful jewelry, and lots of other bead goodness, check out Mel’s Soul of Somanya Blog.

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
Melody MacDuffee and Soul of Somanya
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

African Trade Bead Rings

At the beginning of this year, I began a mission to try out some new and unique beads every month. During my February shopping trip, I stopped by one of my favorite browsing spots, Happy Mango Beads. They have some of the most unique and interesting beads you will ever find outside of a worldwide bead show.

As a seed beader, I’m a sucker for small colorful beads, so I couldn’t resist picking up several strands of African Christmas beads. They are so beautiful on the strands, with lots of different colors, patterns and shapes. I grabbed six strands altogether, in two sizes, and started planning how I would use them.

I wanted to create designs that would be worthy of the Christmas beads. Although their origins of manufacture aren’t very exciting, it’s the history that makes them special. They are traditionally worn as a symbol of love and devotion to one’s partner, which is why they are also known as love beads.

Once I had the new beads in my hands, I was buzzing with a need to bead, but I couldn’t decide what to make. I thought Ndebele herringbone would be a fitting treatment, but I wanted to make something a bit more interesting.

Then I considered some freeform work that would lend itself well to the different bead shapes. But I though that would end up looking too busy, and the uniqueness of the beads would be lost.

Finally, I decided to just get my toes wet at first, and use a few of the beads for just a hint of color. I gathered up some other favorites like tortoise druks with their leopard-like finish, and instead of bone, I grabbed some more of those claw shaped mother of pearl chips.

I had so much fun making a quintet of spring color rings last week, that I decided to do the same again. For the bands, I picked some more spring-like colors, but in richer shades that would go well with my tribal bead theme. I chose dark beige, orange, lime green, and purple. I wanted to add a blue, and I was torn between cobalt and abalone. In the end, I went with the abalone, because of it’s more natural appeal.

I love the way these rings turned out. I added a striped slice and seed bead shaped Christmas bead to each ring, and they give the tribal design a perfect hint of authenticity. Now I’m ready to make something with lots and lots of trade beads.

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading

Favorite Beads: African Trade Beads

Today my guest is the designer behind the exotic and intriguing jewelry of SarasinArt. The elegantly rustic appeal of trade beads really make her designs stand out.

Inspirational Beading: What is your all-time favorite bead?

Sarasin: If I had to pick one type of beads to work with, it would be African trade beads. I love working with gem stones too, but the trade beads are my favorites.

I like them because there's so much involved in them. There's a culture and a set of techniques to make them that we in this country will never understand the depth of. The colors represent a continent that is mysterious and age-old in its ways, and so are the trade beads that the people from there produce.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite technique or method to use them?

Sarasin: I love to find different colors and combine them with other rustic and tribal components, like horn and bone, and use a lot of copper in the closures. Sometimes I make my own copper closures, to maintain the primitive style of the finished jewelry. I sometimes mix them with other things too, if I find things that seem to go well with them.

Inspirational Beading: Of all the creations you’ve made with these beads, which one is your favorite?

Sarasin: [Leopard Necklace and Earring Set] That is my favorite ever, because I found a cat that seemed to blend so well with the particular beads I combined it with. That set sold at a show about 2 weeks after I made it. It was something I had been tempted to keep.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any tips for making the most of these beads?

Sarasin: Making the most of them, I believe, is understanding their origin, and explaining to the customer about their origin. These beads are made in Ghana in a labor intensive old way, in wood fired kilns. The molds are hand made, the kiln is hand made, the glass is recycled glass that's gathered up, and sometimes the bead makers have to travel many miles to get the wood to fire the kilns.

Then there are procedures to make the beads, a wooden stick placed in the center of the glass which burns away to create the bead hole....returning the colorful ones to the kiln many times to set each new application of color. These beads are both a source of income in an impoverished area and a labor of love that is centuries old.

When I tell my customers the stories about the beads, people like knowing the history of the piece they're buying; it adds to the "thing" being just a pretty thing, and then when they wear the jewelry, they can tell the stories again. People like that.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite bead or material to pair these with?

Sarasin: Mostly other natural and primitive materials: bone and horn, and also some brass trade beads made in another area of Africa, Ajiba in the Ivory Coast. And copper findings and copper beads go well with them, the best, I think.

Inspirational Beading: If you were stranded on the moon, and you could have only one kind of bead with you, would you choose these?

Sarasin: Oh, what a thought! I would be stranded with trade beads, because they would give me inspiration, that even when times are tough, you can make good things happen!

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what is the best source for these beads?

Sarasin: I buy the majority of my African trade beads from a non-profit organization that operates from here, also has an employee and volunteers in Ghana, and buys the beads directly from the bead makers.

The lady who runs the organization is strongly dedicated to helping the people of the Krobo area of Ghana to improve their lives. There are fewer hands in the transactions when I buy beads from her, and that leaves a large portion of the funds in the hands of the bead makers. I like that concept. The organization is called Soul of Somanya.

You can see even more inspired creations at SarasinArt on Wordpress!


Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading and SarasinArt
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading

Inspired Beaders: The Andean Collection

Sustainable, natural materials have become more popular with beaders and jewelry designers in recent years. Many of us are familiar with the Tagua Nut beads that are made from excess vegetable matter, instead of our more familiar man-made glass and plastic. Unlike shell, pearl or gemstones, these types of beads are collected with little or no impact on animals or the environment.

Thanks to the growing popularity of sustainable living, marvelous products like these are becoming more accessible to artisans and jewelry lovers alike. One company that is helping to inspire a love of natural jewelry is The Andean Collection.

Founded in September 2008, this small jewelry company is making waves in the fashion industry, by providing shoppers everywhere with gorgeous accessories made with natural materials - some of which are still rare in the US market.

The owner and founder of The Andean Collection, Amanda Judge, has brought new fashion ideas to cities like Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York, while bringing hope and fair pay to the jewelry artists of South America.

Inspirational Beading: What was your first reaction to seeing the beautiful natural bead designs of South America?

Amanda Judge: I was simply stunned. I couldn’t believe that these beads were actually natural materials. When The Andean Collection was just the sliver of an idea, I would spend days wandering through the markets of Ecuador asking all sorts of questions so that I made sure that I was learning all I could about the beads. I asked for introductions to the people who dye and process the seeds and visited a lot of home workshops to observe the process myself.

Now that I know how the process works and how each seed is handled individually, it makes these pieces all the more interesting in my mind.

Inspirational Beading: There’s always something marvelous and special about hand-dyed beads, and the Andean Collection is full of lush shades. Which color is your favorite?

Amanda: Definitely turquoise. When the tagua is dyed turquoise, for example in our Riverbed bracelet, it actually looks like large chunks of turquoise stone. It’s so cool.

Inspirational Beading: How has working with fair trade affected the way you view jewelry, and the world as a whole?

Amanda: I could probably write a book on the answer to this question, but I’ll try to keep it shorter here. It’s not so much working in ‘fair trade’ that has changed my world, but working with the artisans themselves that has impacted my life the most. I talk with the artisans daily or weekly (via email – I’ve taught them how to use email; and cell phones) and in this manner I get to be a part of their day-to-day lives. If they have a problem, like it’s really cold and rainy in Ecuador and they haven’t been able to sleep well, I know about it. If the price of grain has shot up and they’re having difficulty buying enough to feed their families, I know about it. And then I go out and figure out how to increase sales quickly so we can give them more work.

This makes me continually grateful for what I have in life. It’s all too easy to get caught up in your own world and take for granted all the niceties you have. Starting a business is extremely difficult and I have definitely had my own moments of maximum stress. During these more taxing times I tend to feel disconnected from Ecuador & the artisans as I get caught up in the operations in the states. Once this starts to happen, I book a flight to Ecuador or make some phone calls to check in with the artisans to see how they’re doing. This reminds me of what I’m working for and gives me the extra push I need to make sure things are successful. My relationship with the artisans just puts my own life into perspective. And a good perspective is amazingly key to a happy life.

As far as how working in fair trade has made me view jewelry…I am delighted that big beaded necklaces are all the rave now, but I see so many of them make out of synthetic beads and think, what a shame! The same designs could be made out of natural materials and would be so much more interesting.

Inspirational Beading: The Andean Collection features some very unique materials, many of which are new to North American fashion. Which of the natural materials do you enjoy the most?

Amanda: My favorite bead is the Pambil seed. From far away it might look like a plastic synthetic bead, but then you notice all the natural irregularities in the bead that make it really dynamic. Tagua is also great as you can do almost anything with it! They call it vegetable ivory because it can be carved and molded into anything smaller than the size of the seed itself, which is about the size of an oversized golf ball.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope will be inspired by The Andean Collection?

Amanda: By focusing on high design, I hope we inspire other fair trade companies to market themselves more to the mainstream so that the movement of fair trade can compete on a larger scale. I also hope that we inspire consumers to ask more questions about what they are buying. If an organization says they are fair trade, ask for photos and videos of the artisans and their testimonials. And ask for evidence that an organization has done the due diligence of examining their entire supply chain. Ensuring that products are fair trade takes a lot of oversight on the part of the organization, and as companies grow that gets increasingly difficult. If anyone is thinking about starting a fair trade organization, make sure not to grow too fast so that that oversight gets lost!

I also hope people realize that you don’t need to pay a premium for fair trade, eco-friendly jewelry, nor do you have to sacrifice style to wear ethical jewelry. But most importantly, I hope The Andean Collection inspires people to go out into the world and do meaningful, exciting & life changing work – in whatever way you can.

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading - The Andean Collection