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Original Message:   Re: How long have you been collecting and/or buying and selling beads?
Who belongs at the campfire here is hard to fathom from out here beyond the circle. It is clear that there are many exceedingly distinguished and learned people involved with this site. I might be an interloper. I hope you guys will bear with me. Fred made me do this. My grandmother gave me a baggie of stuff in the late 70's that included two wedding cake bead necklaces and a few hanks of French cut seed beads - which I put together and still have (see picture taken this afternoon). I've made things from beads forever. School in Providence put me close to Olneyville. (wish I knew then what I know now… such a huge stock of interesting pre-war European and Japanese beads!) Worked at a shop in the 80's in Chelsea NYC called Somethin' Else and made necklaces to sell there. Married, moved to London. - (5 years focused on painting), then Kuala Lumpur - 4 years. In order to escape the horrors of ex-pat wifedom I painted at night when it was cooler, and did trunk shows for the captive audience of other expat wives - and travelled - collecting what was right in front of me. Got interested in textiles and local beads everywhere. Moved to Seattle 20 years ago and mostly put everything away while trying to put an art career together. Now still painting, illustrating and occasional adjunct teaching, I started looking around to see what I could do to relieve financial pressure without getting a DAY JOB. About 6 months ago I started to open my boxes to see what all was in there. I've now opened three Etsy sites. One for my beaded necklaces, one for antique/vintage things including a couple of sections of beads, and one just starting up this weekend, for textiles. The first thing I sold on my necklace site involved some cherry amber bakelite beads and was no doubt cut apart within minutes of delivery to the fellow in Brooklyn who bought it. Lesson number one… My necklaces are mine, but the vintage shop is an amalgam of my things and those of well travelled friends to whom I've offered the service of helping them sort out and down size. I am no expert and the things coming my way are exceedingly varied. I'm reading a lot and spending a lot of time with a loupe. That's it - except that I'm really loving this, and I VERY much appreciate what I've been privileged to read on this site. Thank you!
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