Soul of Somanya, Ghanaian Beads and Artisans

I first found Soul of Somanya when searching for Ghanaian krobo beads, a recycled glass bead. I was thrilled to find out that their artisans are compensated at market rates for their work and that they are working to develop sustainable employment opportunities in Somanya-Krobo in Ghana.

You can read more about their artisans and products at their website.

I was inspired to make a necklace from the beads I purchased and tried to use as many color combinations as I could. I used brown hemp for the strands and held the bead charms in place with simple knots. The bead charms are made from 18-gauge sterling silver filled wire as is the handcrafted necklace closure.

Click here to read more details about this necklace.

And I'm not even a water person!

Ever since the Paradiso family started our annual trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina, I've realized that some part of me loves a certain kind of beach. I'm not a fan of the heat-baked white sands of say Florida, but the moody tides of the Eastern coasts (and mind you, I go once a year so allow me my romanticism) are wonderful.

So I've been hoarding bits of shells for awhile now (some cowrie shells since 1995 I brought back from Ghana) not really sure what to do with them. I think with shells too it's hard to do something neat and tidy, sort of against their nature at least how they ended up. I started making the wrapped loop charms last night and came up with a first version of the hemp part but didn't care for that so took it all part tonight (not the charms, ye gads, that took me long enough).

The idea to wrap the hemp in wire was a whim (I wanted something to contain the strands mostly) but once it stretched out I realized it looked and acted like the edge of a spiral-bound notebook and that appealed to me immediately. Mind you, this thing is nice and long, just shy of 30 inches so all those shells are front and center. It could definitely be shortened though and would make a very neat choker I think as well.

So I posted photos on flickr and have posted this necklace in the Etsy shop too. Now it's time to do all the things I promised myself I would do instead of what washed up in my head...