*53* COMBINING AFRICAN TRADE BEADS..... ...WITH GEMSTONES/My new thing!

ADDING FABULOUS TRADE BEADS WITH GEMSTONES IN NECKLACES PROVIDES AN ADDED ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, AND A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION...

---FOR CENTURIES, TRADE BEADS HAVE BEEN PRIZED WORLDWIDE.

BY COMBINING THESE TREASURES WITH SEMI AND SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONES,

A WORK OF ART IS CREATED, THAT IS AS INDIVIDUAL AS THE WEARER.

ADDING CARNELIAN, SHELLS AND BLACK TOURMALINE, AMONG OTHER COMBINATIONS, WILL LEND THEMSELVES TO A FABULOUS, ONE-OF-A-KIND TREASURE TO STAY IN THE FAMILY FOR YEARS.

THE COLOR RED IS REPRESENTATIVE OF CREATION ITSELF,

BLACK REPRESENTING THE LIMITLESSNESS OF THE PROCESS OF STRENGTHENING ONESELF,

... WHITE REPRESENTING THE ABSENCE OF COLOR--

I LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING A STATEMENT PIECE WITH THESE BEAD COMBINATIONS.

I AM NOW USING BEADS MADE BY THE WORLD-FAMOUS,

GHANIAN GLASS BEAD ARTIST KNOWN AS 'CEDI'...

HIS KROBO BEAD-MAKING FACTORY HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR MANY GENERATIONS.

THEY ARE MADE FROM POWDERED RECYCLED GLASS BOTTLES,

METICULOUSLY FASHIONED, FIRED IN A KILN, AND HAND POLISHED.

COMBINING THEM WITH GEMSTONES, SHELLS, SOME AFRICAN METAL BEADS,

AND CORAL, I AM OFFERING THEM TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS TIME.

MY MOTHER COLLECTED THESE BEADS WHEN SHE WAS IN GHANA,

DURING HER PEACE CORP YEARS.

*****'CEDI' GIFTED HER SOME OF HIS ORIGINAL,

FABULOUS BEADS FROM HIS COLLECTION.

MOM WITH THE 'BEAD LADIES' IN GHANA

THE FROSTED GLASS KROBO BEAD ADDS AN ELEMENT OF WHIMSY, LIKE LOOKING INTO A MOSS-GREEN "POOL" TO FIND WHAT LIES BENEATH THE DEPTHS...

...LOOK--THERE ARE LITTLE YELLOW ROUND "FISH"...

THE TWO SMALLER OPAQUE BEADS LIFT THE EYE FROM THE CENTER PIECE, AND INVITE THE ONLOOKER TO OBSERVE MORE CLOSELY.

THE GREEN TO BROWN HUES OF THE PERUVIAN OPAL OPEN THE HEART TO REMEMBER ITS CHILD-LIKE NATURE OF FRESHNESS AND NEWNESS OF EVERY MOMENT.

GROUNDING THESE MOMENTS OF INNOCENCE AND

EXPLORATION, THE BROWN TONES REMIND US THAT MOTHER EARTH IS OUR HOME FOR NOW...TO BE CONTENT WITH THAT, IS ENOUGH.