It's a total blast looking for new supplies for my work and to resell online.
I live in Rhode Island.
It's the (was) the jewelry capital of the world years ago.
My father was in the "business" and when we were little , used to go with him to the factories. We watched the workers go through and work with all the findings, plating, and designing.
And then we saw the final product, which my dad would sell. He was the sales rep. I never understood how hard his job must have been. Dealing with big companies, trying to sell the company's jewelry.
I thought it was the best thing to visit him at the yearly "jewelry show". It was a huge event at the Biltmore hotel in downtown Providence.
All the jewelry reps from all over the country would all have a room on a certain floor and then the buyers would come room to room, and the salesmen would do their thing.
Me, I thought it was cool visiting my dads "friends" and getting candy and and a piece of costume jewelry.
Now, so many years later, I started making my own jewelry. Seeking out findings and beads to work with became an adventure. I found a couple of amazing places in RI..they have findings and beads that are vintage, and findings that have been around forever. You dig, and search , lift, bend, struggle.
It's the best part of my little business.
The search.
The find.
You take it home, spread it out , wash it..and discover your treasures!
Here are just a few of the finds I got yesterday! You'll be seeing them soon in my Etsy shop
