One of my favorite surprises of this collection happened completely by accident.

I made the Tulip Flower pendant and paired it with Job's Tears that I'd saved from an entirely different broken necklace I had purchased months before.

At the time, I had absolutely no idea that pairing paper beads with those seeds was something many Haitian artisans had been doing for years. It simply felt right. Discovering that connection afterward made the piece feel even more special.

Sometimes your hands know something before your head does.

This strand of Job's Tears is 22 consecutive inches, no clasp. The Tulip in 2 inches tall.

If you're interested in learning more about this piece, the collection, and Paper Trade Beads, you can read about it in my Blog.