Ivy Mowtey

My name is Ivy Mowtey and I was born in the Volta region of Ghana in 1982. I create bead jewelry. My friends say I am hardworking, sociable and dependable.

I became interested in African beaded jewelry because it's a craft that's been passed down in my family. I reprocess and recycle plastic bottle caps to create wearable art. I learned by helping my mother, and later enrolled in an arts and crafts institute.

"I mastered this craft by training, observing and researching fashion trends. I also learned from other artisans.

"Starting out on my own wasn't easy. I had to move away from my mother's older styles and find my own artistic voice.

"I worked hard to get ahead. For a while, I made and sold porridge to earn money to buy materials. My passion for jewelry pushes me forward. I find inspiration in my surroundings, like our traditional festivals and also in the fashion world.

"I used to sell my jewelry house to house. Once, I visited a home where a woman expressed interest in buying my jewelry, but her husband didn't agree. He insulted me. He said that we use beads to extort money from people. I felt embarrassed, but later I ran into the man at a craft bazaar. He apologized to me and we laughed about the incident.

"I love it when I see people wearing my designs because it's like a part of me goes with them.

"I hope to grow this venture and help others by teaching them how to craft jewelry so that they acquire a skill to earn a living."

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NOVICA was started with a dream to create a better world for artisans, because a better world for artisans is a better world for all.

Along the way, the founders of NOVICA discovered something very important - as artisans around the world succeeded, there was also a visible and profound impact on the communities around them.

Your purchases are that powerful. They directly and indirectly provide for education, help with health care, fund basic needs, support children, preserve disappearing arts, and of course, spread happiness around the world.

The founders of NOVICA had a vision of the future that is not one of mega factories producing cookie cutter products for all to cheaply consume. Instead, a bright future that celebrates artisans who take the time to create an item by hand. A future where time is protected, where stories are told, where unique details are honored. Love, respect, inclusiveness become driving force.

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