thanks for supporting me and local artisans in peru

As we approach the end of an eventful 2016, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have purchased my beaded designs and, in doing so, have contributed to my fundraising effort to get back to Saqsaywaman, Peru.  I originally started selling my designs in small home shows, then on my On-Site Research & Marketing website...and now on this Bead It Forward site launched in late 2016.

This website has raised approximately $1000 for my Peru research and I hope that I will be able to continue selling my beaded jewelry designs (most of which includes beads from my travels around the world) into 2017.

For those of you who don't know, Peru has a long tradition of making unique beads from the many different precious and semi-precious stones that are found in that country.  To this day, mining of these stones remains a source of income for many people in Peru.  When I return to Peru this year, I hope to replenish my supply of locally made beads to support local artisans.  And, I hope to include textiles and other local goods to my store on this site. 

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Several of the communities I'm working in, on the Saqsaywaman archaeological site, rely on selling their textiles and pottery to support their families.  I will be posting to this website stories about these local people when I return to Saqsaywaman and hope, by doing so, to increase their sales online.  I will be working with them as well to help them put together their own websites and social media accounts.  My hope is to help the local people to reach outside Saqsaywaman to reach a global audience for their amazingly beautiful artistic wares. 

Have a wonderful New Year and thanks again for your support through the purchase of beaded jewelry on this website and spreading the word about BeadItForward. 

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