She Magazine

Funky Hannah’s (Racine)

Published:
By Jessica Fryman

Hidden in the millions of beads at Funky Hannah’s — perhaps among the freshwater pearls or scattered near the Czech glass or mixed in with the semi-precious stones — are glimmers of history.

The downtown Racine store is full of ancient gems. The bead and art shop’s owner, Amanda Cosgrove Paffrath, said it’s the history and meaning that attracts her to the craft.

“We as humans have been making things with beads as long as we’ve been walking on two legs,” she said. “It was our first money and showed status. The history and connection — it’s amazing.”

She collects storied beads, including Roman and Venetian antiques. She holds on to some while selling others. Funky Hannah’s also features a variety of merchandise all in different sizes, shapes and colors, including Japanese seed beads, Swarovski crystal beads, pearls, clasps and all the tools and how-to books one would need.

When the 42-year-old owner decided to open a bead business, stringing flecks of history into her company was no question.

She decided to name her store after her mother, Hannah, who gave Cosgrove Paffrath her first beads when she was 8 years old. While talking over the idea, her mom told her about the four other Hannahs in the family, all who happened to be crafty: her grandmother has the middle name and great aunts and other relatives dating back to the 1840s also had the name. Funky Hannah’s was the perfect fit for the bead and art store.

While dreaming up a logo, Cosgrove Paffrath looked to her hutch and noticed a china teapot her grandmother, Miriam Hannah Gottshall, painted in 1927. Dots resembling beads danced around the potted pink and purple flowers on the dish that now sits on a shelf inside of the store that claims the design as its logo.

The business originally opened 13 years ago in Racine. Then Cosgrove Paffrath purchased the space next door — 324 Main St. — three years later. She completely renovated the 1,200-square-foot property, and the shop only closed for a day while moving from one store to the other. This included hauling the ladies perfume counter that previously stood in the former Barden’s store in Kenosha. The solid oak display case — 12 feet long and 6 feet deep with curved glass walls — serves at Funky Hannah’s main counter. It’s a keepsake of Kenosha’s history after the department store closed there several years ago.

In opening her business, Cosgrove Paffrath made something of a leap of faith. She left her career in social work in May and opened her store in November. For a year she juggled the store responsibilities while also working as a consultant. Then she stopped consulting to devote herself full time professionally to her bead business.

“I had to be willing to take the risk,” Cosgrove Paffrath said about opening Funky Hannah’s. “I had no idea it would work.”

But it has. Over the years, her inventory has grown tremendously, and the business has withstood trends that cycle out every 10 years or so. Cosgrove Paffrath said beadwork is becoming more popular again now, and sales and requests for birthday parties are hitting an upswing.

It’s during those parties or classes offered at the store that other pieces of history from customers are added to the mix. Beads can be stamped with personal sayings or names to make them someone’s own. Some customers disassemble jewelry from their mothers or grandmothers and use the beads to create modern-day looks that still hold family value. While most people make jewelry with the beads, others embellish quilts, crochet work, paintings or sculptures.

“They offer personal adornment in a way that’s inexpensive and mobile,” Cosgrove Paffrath said of beads. “It’s not hard. It’s a way people can participate in art and creativity without having to know how to paint. And there’s a sense of pride that comes from making something.”

Store:

Funky Hannah’s

Address:

324 Main St., Racine

Phone:

262-634-6088

Website:

www.funkyhannahs.com

Hours:

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday