My name is AlIie Thornton, owner of Andean Amazon Treasures and designer of Organic Jewelry by Allie. My jewelry line is designed and handmade by me with the help of women fellow artisans in Ecuador and my main media are rainforest seeds and tagua nuts, harvested from native, endemic trees growing in the Amazon forest at South America. I was born in Ecuador, South America and have two professions: Archeologist and journalist. I worked for the Central Bank Museum at Ecuador; for Teleamazonas TV channel, for the Mayor's Press Office in Guayaquil, in Public Relations for ALP ( Latin American Press) and also for Vistazo magazine, HOY newspaper, and PC World magazine in Ecuador. By 2006, I got married with John, my american husband , I moved to America and found it was almost impossible to find a job in my expertise fields. I reinvented myself and decided to open an artisan shop in EBAY called Le petit bohemian in 2008. In 2009, I started to attend Farmers Markets 5 times a week all over San Diego. Chula Vista Town Center, Oceanside, Mission Valley, Scripps Ranch and Downtown San Diego where my first spots. I started to design by 2010. I am always learning new techniques in America and South America. My commitment is to provide green jobs in Ecuador, to design fun, colorful, sustainable jewelry and to save the rainforest with my fashion. From 2010 to 2012, I opened a kiosk at Wallace and Goldman Plaza at Old Town,San Diego, and discovered tourists from America and all over the world find my jewelry different and unique. In 2012, I decided to grow up from my kiosk at Old Town and attended my first CA GIFT SHOW as a new jewelry artist. Today my jewelry is sold at more than 30 West and East Coast stores and galleries:
Seaport Village(Island Fashion); Coronado Island (Dale's Swim Shop); Old Town San Diego (Selena's Jewelry); Rancho Bernardo (Cotton Cottage at Bernardo Winery); Balboa Park (United Nations Gift Shop); Old Town Temecula (The Pink Pineapple); Encinitas (Ecotopia); Carlsbad ( Linda's Gift & Raw Skin Surf Shack); San Juan Capistrano (Mayan Imports); Venice Beach(Venice Beach Jewelry); Oceanside (Little Louie's); Ramona (Unicorn Books and Gifts); Pasadena (Rue de Mimo ); Covina(Tin Frogs); Los Gatos(Butter Paddle), Morro Bay (Smoobage), San Clemente (Reclamation Gallery), Santa Barbara ( Marcel H**p) and Connecticut (Guilford Art Center). Just for mention few ones. My business is growing and with each shop that opens my line there is a success story , there is more work,there are reasons to design , to provide sustainable jobs and to save more trees at the Amazon. I am very thankful for all the new blessings I found in America, and that shows hard work,creativity and positive thinking can transform many lives and save the forest, one seed and one necklace at a time.
