These are some of the items I’ve been drooling over lately ... makes for an attractive image of me, doesn't it?! Oh, well! At least THESE pictures are pretty!
The top two are from Shiana, specializing in handmade Thai beads straight from the Karen village. I have not ordered from them yet, as I still find their prices a little steep (they don’t offer wholesale pricing), but I check their site occasionally to see what’s new. That said, I’m pretty sure I will order something before the end of the year, simply because their selection of beads surpasses most other places I’ve come across. Also, they are a Fair Trade merchant, which for a lot of people might offset the higher prices on some of their items.
The bottom image of the gorgeous labradorite is from The Earth Bazaar. I've ordered from them several times and been quite pleased with both quality and value. Only on two occasions have I been disappointed with the quality. Once I kept the items (sold them to friends who did not mind the items were of slightly inferior quality) and the other time I returned them at a loss of postage and a 10% restock fee, which to me was still worth it rather than being stuck with stones I did not want to use in my creations.
No comments:
Post a Comment