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Sukanya

"My name is Sukanya Thongsri, and my nickname is Tae. I was born on September 26, 1968 in a province on the geographical line uniting the central and northern regions.

"My parents have always encouraged and supported our studying. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in humanities, with a major in English. After graduating, I traveled up north and found an interesting position as an English teacher in a technical college, where I have been teaching for ten years. I really love my job.

"During her spare time, my mother made clothes for others and sometimes us too, as she is very talented. As far as I can remember, I always gave her a hand and became quite good myself. This interest opened me to new horizons, including the world of Thai silver and jewelry.

"I actually like to work with various accessories - especially jewelry. I usually just buy beads and string them on wire, which is very convenient because when I get bored with them, I cut the wire and re-string the beads with different patterns or materials. When more technical skills are required, I consult experienced jewelers to make pieces out of various materials. My offerings range from very simple to extremely difficult, some of them just being impossible to put into concrete form. In fact my main challenge is not to put these ideas into concrete form, but rather to have the artisans believe they can do it. For if they never did it before then they might not believe it to be feasible.

"At first I designed and made clothes and jewelry for friends and myself, and never thought to sell. But I happen to have a few close friends who sell clothes, handbags, silk products and jewelry from all over Thailand. I joined them and within five years I became their partner. I really enjoy this partnership, because I can meet my friends more often. For my part, I focus on jewelry and clothes, perhaps more on jewelry, because I feel women like myself are more attracted by this kind of work.

"A friend of mine who works with Novica introduced me a while ago to their concept, which immediately seduced me. On Novica's site I will be able to show you what we make with our hearts, to promote our Thai crafts and culture. I hope you will find a positive and genuine interest in them and perhaps even appreciate them as much as I do."