It’s Annie Contaoe here! (Iykyk) And I am the creator of Seeing Beadlets. What originally started off as a mere project for my digital marketing course by Udemy, has now developed into a tiny business. Let’s see if this course is worth my money!
Picture taken by Veronica Wong Diffa
How it began
2023 was a huge year for change; not just for me but for my friends too. One of my closest friends decided to make a life changing decision to move to the Philippines. I wanted to give something that she could remember me by but could also share with others. That was when I thought about making beaded bracelets. My friend likes loves Paramore so I made five bracelets based on each of their albums.
Taylor Swift
A week later, my sister, who works in marketing at a cinema chain, contacted me about bracelet beads. She had the genius idea of making ‘BFF’ bracelets for ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’. As I used to be a primary school teacher, she asked me if I had any beads for bracelets. I showed her my large collection and I obviously had to show her the awesome Paramore bracelets I had made.
That’s when my sister suggested that I make bracelets and sell them. It was an amazing idea as I needed a product for the digital marketing course I was doing.
Why the Evil Eye?
To make my product different from other beaded bracelets, I decided to add evil eye beads to each bracelet I made.
As a child, my mum would buy accessories with the evil eye including necklaces, purses, and earrings. At first, they creeped me out as I thought they were real eyes. However, my mum explained that they helped ward off evil. My mum believed in many superstitions but she was very adamant that the evil eye worked.
Growing up, I gravitated towards celestial symbols and understanding the moon and stars in greater depth. It was only fitting that the evil eye would influence my creations. I’ve also experienced my fair share of bad luck throughout my life and whenever I had my evil eye accessories, it seemed to keep the bad at bay.
My Vision
Seeing Beadlets is a side project for me but I am hoping that it will one day grow into a business where I can begin using recycleable materials. But for now, I hope you enjoy my bracelets and that they protect you from any negativity. If you ever need any gift ideas for friends or family, I hope Seeing Beadlets can help you with your search.