CraftedbyFriends

Crafted by Friends is an online boutique where you will find one-of-a-kind jewelry, accessories, and home accents made by remarkable individuals from all over the world; it is style with a story. We are driven by a commitment to helping others, creating connections between people, and highlighting the beauty that exists around the world.

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Philip entered the retail world with no retail experience. In 2005 he started Beleza, a women’s accessories boutique in Cameron Village in Raleigh, NC which has now evolved into Crafted by Friends, an online business. His background is in education. He taught high school for about twenty years before moving to NC State University, where he eventually retired from the College of Textiles after serving as Director of Admissions and Advising for almost twenty years. In this role he met Kyley Schmidt, a student majoring in Textile Design. Kyley ultimately joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Madagascar where she worked with a village of women who made remarkable silk scarves and shawls starting with the cocoons, a labor intensive process requiring incredible skills. She contacted Philip about helping her develop a market for these products, which was the beginning of his work in fair trade practices around the world.

His extensive world travels introduced him to a number of artisans whose products were outstanding and who, like the women in Madagascar, needed a larger market to sell their products. He soon opened Beleza to provide a market and to bring remarkable products to the USA. He was joined in the effort by his wife, Sara, who married him on September 9, 2006, almost a year after he had opened Beleza. Sara soon took over management of the store and developed it into a destination shopping location for their customers. This business was closed and then Crafted by Friends began on line.