2009: off to a solid start!
With the expected flurry of activity surrounding the holidays, today is my 1st post of 2009 (now that the dust has settled).
I’ve got a few different things in the works. I’m most excited about a collaboration I have going withMarni of Nella Bella Beads. I have an incredible strand of lampwork glass beads that Marni has created, and I’m making them into jewelry. The first piece I made was this gorgeous bangle bracelet:
I have a necklace I’m working on as well, that will be STUNNING when it’s finished.
I’ve made a necklace for myself with a gorgeous cobalt blue lampworked bead also created by Marni.
While I’m aching to create more jewelry, I’m also trying to balance this with expanding my internet presence. I am now selling my jewelry on Handmade Fusion and Art Fire, as well as iCraft, etsy and DaWanda. More on these to come in the near future.
I’ve also started a Twitter page, I have my own business page on Facebook, I have a MySpace profile, I’m on Ning, and I’m trying to figure out Squidoo. Then there are the blogs at WordPress and Blogger. It’s a lot to keep track of!
BeadForLife.org
BeadForLife: Eradicating Poverty one Bead at a Time
BeadforLife eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, and people who care open their hearts, homes and communities to buy and sell the beads.
The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees — and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all.
All profits from BeadforLife are invested in community development projects that generate income and help people work their way out of poverty.
I had the good fortune to attend a BeadForLife bead party, given by a coworker who is also very active in her church. My coworker sold over $1,500 worth of jewelry, all of which goes back to the BeadForLife organization. I bought several pieces for myself.
BeadParties are held in homes, churches, schools and at a variety of other venues where you and your guests can purchase BeadforLife jewelry, including, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, as well as loose beads, music CDs and note cards. There is no cost to you and we will send you everything you need to host a fantastic and successful party including: educational materials, Ugandan recipes, biographies of the beaders, African music CD, pricing, pre-paid return label, gift tags and our inspirational DVD.
Jewelry can also be purchased directly from the BeadForLife online store. They are truly amazing, these beads and these women. Each bead is made from hand-rolled strips of magazine paper. The beaders buy used magazines at the local market for the purpose of turning into jewelry. The strips are cut into elongated triangles, are rolled up and then coated with glue (think quilling and decopage). Once they have dried, the beads are then assembled into jewelry.
BeadForLife is a member of the Fair Trade Federation.
