As a kid in elementary school, I loved making friendship bracelets and sharing them - playing with different color combinations and patterns was endlessly fascinating to me, and I liked the repetition of knotting and having a portable project always with me. I remember that moment when I realized, I just love COLOR. In high school I made hemp necklaces (it's ok, you're not the first person to call me a hippie!). I don't remember when I started collecting beads, they always intrigued me with their endless possibilities and I've been lost wandering in many a bead shop. I started amassing my own jewelry collection as a teenager, first necklaces galore and then earrings (when I finally got my ears pierced at age 20!) My favorite way to buy jewelry has always been direct from artisans on the street or at craft fairs, or from little one-of-a-kind boutiques.

For every favorite jewelry piece I've purchased, I generally remember who I bought it from or what store and on what street, whether in DC or California or South America or Africa. That's what I love about jewelry and beads, is finding those unique pieces that speak to me, and that sense of knowing that someone somewhere put love and care into crafting that piece. The jewelry I love the most is not fancy or expensive, but always special. Like the necklace my dad gave me from Zanzibar, made from recycled aluminum and vinyl record beads. Or the necklaces made from nothing but layers of colorful string, that I bought in Mississippi while on an epic road trip with my cousin. Or my favorite bracelet, an ebony wood bangle that I spotted on a seller's blanket in Zambia.

I've been addicted to Etsy ever since I first laid eyes on this site - it's the endless possibilities and the sheer creative vision of the sellers here. And of course, all of the colors. (Did I mention I LOVE color???) I'm thrilled to be adding to this community with my own shop, it gives me a way to keep exploring new designs, learning new techniques, and just to keep on creating. (In other words, most of my proceeds from this shop go to....you guessed it....more beads!)

I'm also a painter (more on that later). And in 2014, I'm trying my hand at weaving, which I'm really excited about.

I love making new "etsy friends" so please don't hesitate to drop me a line and say hi!

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~ sara