Bead Crazy is the only full-service bead store in northern Vermont. Customer service is their priority, and their motto is “Instruction is Always Available”. They have tables for customers to use when they are working on projects and learning new techniques. In the store there are strands of Semi-Precious stones, Czech glass, freshwater pearls, glass pearls and Swarovski crystals, as well as tons of tubes of Miyuki seed beads, and even a few Toho seed beads.

There are also plenty of individual boxes of Beads: Czech glass, freshwater and Swarovski crystal pearls, shells, Chinese Cloisonné, ceramic, crystal, wood, seeds, Pandora-like, semi-precious stones, lampwork and art glass. Their findings selection includes silver and gold plate, copper, brass, gunmetal, Sterling Silver, Hill Tribe Silver, Bali Silver, Gold filled, gold vermeil, and 14K gold.

They also carry many kinds of stringing materials – C-Flex and Softflex beading wire; orthodontist elastic ; Power Pro, Fireline, C-Lon and Silamide threads; Gauged Sterling, gold-filled and plated wire; Griffin Silk; Guterman Thread for Bead Crochet. You can also purchase from their full line of Beading tools; Soldering and Metal Stamping tools and supplies, including sheet metal.

Beading and Metalwork Classes, Children’s Parties, Bridal Parties and Girls Night Out Parties – full details available on the website – www.beadcrazyvt.com.

The helpful staff are also available for stringing, knotting and beading repairs, and on the first Monday of every month (7:00-9:00pm) is Bead Therapy –“A Quilting Bee for Beaders.”

Bead Crazy
21 Tafts Corners Shopping Center
Williston, VT 05495
(802)288-9666
www.beadcrazyvt.com

Take Exit 12 of I89, at the intersection of US Routes 2 and 2A.

The Connecticut shoreline is a wonderful place during all seasons. It attracts visitors from everywhere and many of them are ‘repeats’. There is nothing quite like this New England town, Guilford, with it’s renowned green, typical of the old in-town pastures that have become an oasis in bustling communities. The Bead Hive represents all of these great features! Founded almost ten years ago by women with a vision and too many beads of their own, it has become one of the town’s main attractions.

While the Bead Hive is a destination for beaders who come from all over the state, it is also a return stop for tourists on their way to and from viewing the fall foliage, or a skiing trip, or the local casinos, or just vacationing on Long Island sound. For the ‘regulars’ it’s almost a club house – a place to meet beading friends, to schmooze with the friendly staff and to dream about the next bead project. Almost all of the staff, along with Rena Mulrain and Barbara Lynch (the two owners of the shop), are retired from the field of education and that makes everyone eager to teach and support learning new techniques. So there’s always help available for everyone.

Barbara and Rena bring together their individual specialties in products and projects. Rena has a classic style that is reflected in her use of semi-precious stones, unique glass beads, silver and gold. So the store has a full compliment of these and she’s always hunting for new and special clasps, chain, and findings. Barbara can’t collect enough seed beads to satisfy her and customers know that they’ll find colors and shapes to fill their creative projects, and then she still wants more! She’s the seed bead artist who spends her time away from the shop thinking up new designs to pass on to her cadre of devoted advanced beaders who gather together to bead, chat and laugh together one night a week.

Rena and Barbara have a friendly competition continually going on that is often referred to as the Bead Hive’s performance offering. Beaders in progress stop to listen and laugh at their sisterly arguing and marvel at the way these two bring together their talents, styles, and differences in a way that makes all those around them smile and want to come back for more. And they both love children and welcome them in the shop. They have lots of projects to specially attract children and eagerly work to create avid beaders as young as possible. They also have subtle ways to amuse children while moms shop. In residence is a very special therapy dog, Madison, a Shitz Tu, who is well trained and non allergenic and loves to get attention from everyone. He’s irresistible to the children and they often come back just to see him.

All in all The Bead Hive is more than a place to buy beads or take classes. It’s a collection of warm and creative people who have a burning desire to share their love of beads with everyone who walks through the door. They are in the business of converting the casual crafter into artists who share their love and desire. It’s catching and addictive and has a life and an ambiance that is unparalleled. It’s easy to find – right off I95 at exit 57 in Guilford Connecticut. You can be sure of a great shopping experience and a warm welcome.

The Bead Hive
1250 Boston Post Rd
Guilford, CT 06437
203-453-6681
www.thebeadhivect.com

Vicki Green

I have always loved hands-on projects. I have been a big fan of counted cross stitch since I was a teen. I later discovered the joy of having my own business which evolved through a number of ideas including Baking, Stamping, Christmas Crafts, Cross Stitch and finally Beading. I love to bead with a variety of mediums and am also a big fan of Chain Maille. When opening Dragon’s Lair Beads I wanted to create a place for people to learn, share and gain confidence in their abilities to bead.

I designed this Embellished Herringbone bracelet after making a similar bracelet featured in the Brilliant Crystal Jewelry 2 magazine. The original bracelet was called “Confetti Bracelet” It featured Crystallized Swarovski Elements sequins designed by Bonnie Mountain. It received many Ooo’s and Aah’s. Wanting to make it again I turned to the Magatamas and have created my own version of the bracelet. Then I extended the bracelet and made a necklace using the Miyuki Long Magatamas and 4×4 cubes. It’s a gorgeous piece.

We are very lucky to have a friend who is new into polymer clay. She made me a gift of this piece and I could see it as a fish. This is what I did with it, using Delicas.

It is always interesting to see how people can take an idea and turn it into something beautiful and unique. We encourage our students to be creative and bold with colors and materials.

I can be reached at www.dragonslairbeads.com and www.best-beads-and-jewelry-supplies.com and look forward to hearing from you.

Since 1991 Caravan Beads has been teaching customers to make beaded jewelry. Lots of people who visit us start out believing that they aren’t artistic or crafty enough to learn to put a piece of jewelry together. About a half an hour later they are making earrings and necklaces for their friends and family.

Because we believe that teaching beading is the best way to keep happy customers coming back to the store, we teach all basic beading techniques for free every day we’re open. We also offer evening classes for the customers who want a more structured learning environment or who want to tackle some more challenging projects.

We have a large selection of Japanese seed beads, Miyuki Delica beads (all 1000+ colors), Swarovski crystal, semi-precious strands, African and natural beads, clasps and findings, beading tools and all the things you need to make jewelry with beads. We also look for beads and pendants made by local bead artists so that we can keep bead-making growing in our community.

Learn more about upcoming classes and events on our website.

Caravan Beads
915 Forest Ave
Portland, ME 04103
207-761-2503 x 211

www.caravanbeads.net

“Bead It! – worth the trip? You bet! As you walk in the door, you see
walls of strands: stone, freshwater and Swarovski pearls, glass, shell,
wood, resin – Czech hanks and fire polish – you name it! Then thousands of
tubes of Miyuki seed beads – all shapes, sizes, and colors. Five tables,
three tiers high, of beads (lots of Swarovski crystal), charms, and
pendants. One table is all sterling (including Bali and Hill Tribe),
gold-filled, vermeil, brass, copper, and gunmetal. Then there’s cord and
chain. And how we love beautiful findings – so many lovely clasps! There
are two worktables; we love to have people stay and make their jewelry.
Customer service is our most important product. Bead It! also offers
classes, kids’ parties, and gals’ night out groups. Come check us out!

Bead It!

146 North Main Street
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: 603-223-0146
email: donna@beadit.biz
www.beadit.biz

Directions:
Route 93, Exit 14
Turn left onto Main Street
Bead It! is on the left just a few doors down.

I’m often asked when I started beading. The answer is always “it depends on how you count it.” When I was very young, I was a Camp Fire Girl, and we were given colorful wooden beads to sew onto our vests as rewards for completed tasks. Then, when I was in college, a friend showed me how to string seed beads and make the wrapped wire loop. That knowledge spawned a little earring business where I sold my earrings on consignment in the college bookstore. That business provided a little spending money for me until one day when I spent ALL my proceeds and didn’t have enough to buy more supplies to make more earrings. I was instantly out of business. It was my first real lesson in business. There is an old adage of farmers “don’t eat the seed corn.” Well, that’s what I did. I didn’t touch beads again until more than 30 years later.

During the interim, my mother had retired from a lifetime of teaching school and taken up gemstone faceting. I would frequently take her to gem and mineral shows so she could buy rough material, and I was facinated by the gemstones. In those experiences, I began to learn a little bit of the lingo. Mom graduated to silver smithing and lapidary work, and then to teaching those subjects at her senior center. She did that for about 20 years, then quit and finally passed on. She left me all her hand tools that she had not sold, and as I was looking at them one day I wondered what they all did and what I was going to do with them. I thought, well, I don’t know what all these tools are for, but I do know how to make a necklace. So, if I get started with jewelry making I’ll eventually learn what they are and whether they should be kept or not. So, I made a liquid silver necklace (100 strands) and sold it on Ebay for $175.00. “Woohoo! I can do this!” I thought. That success gave me the confidence to start my own web site.

I figured I’d sell my jewelry online, so hubby and I took a buying trip to Tucson. (If you’ve never been to the bead shows in Tucson at the end of January and beginning of February, you have missed quite an event!) I maxed out a credit card and spent all my savings and came home with quite a few beads. As I was putting some finished jewelry on the web site, I thought, “hey, why not put the beads out there too?” It wasn’t long before I discovered that the beads were selling better than the jewelry. So, I found myself in the bead business. I was working a full time job with a serious commute time for the first year. It took 1 hour to get to work, and another hour to get onto the military base where my job was (after 9-11.) Then I would put in a 10 hour day and drive another hour back home. Then, I’d fill my web orders and work on the web sitein the evening and week-ends. Aftera year, I had to make a choice – keep my day job or keep the web business. I chose the web business.

I worked out of my home, selling beads online for several years, then, when the beads started to take over every available space in the house, moved into a shop in Albuquerque’s Old Town historic district. I’ve been doing that now for 4 years. My business is still in the fledgling stage, so I don’t have any employees. All available money goes to paying down the debt I’ve incurred buying the inventory that I now have, and consequently I work 7 days a week with only occasional help from hubby. I have to admit, I’m tired of no days off, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel someday.

Most of my time is spent packaging beads, doing accounting, filling web orders, and waiting on customers in the shop. However, once in a while I have time to be creative. That’s really the best part of the business. I like to combine different types of beads, such as glass with gemstones or pearls. I truly believe every bead can be a part of a beautiful design given the right companions. My goal is to continue to expand my skills and to learn new techniques as well as to make my little bead business all it can be.

Sun Country Gems
Contact Info

We blame it all on Emily Rose! And every September when we celebrate another year in the bead store business, we thank her. In 2004, when she was 12 years old, Emily Rose started making jewelry and selling it at local craft fairs. The materials she used were genuine semi-precious stones and crystals, which were hung on a simple cord and sold as a necklace or bracelet for $4.00. Emily Rose did her homework—researching the healing and protective properties of each stone and typing up cards on the computer so that she could give one out with each purchase. Her jewelry was so popular that after a couple of craft fairs, she put $3,000 in the bank. It was her idea to open a bead store, and Colorful Creations Bead Company, Inc. was born. Emily Rose has been involved with creating the business from the beginning; working with realtors, bankers, lawyers, choosing the location and the inventory. A great education for a young lady! She is one of our instructors (specializing in chain maille), runs the cash register, repairs all broken jewelry for customers and is the hostess for Birthday Parties and Girls Night Out parties.

Ryan, our store manager, is the brains (and brawn!) behind the operation. He started with us when he was 15 years old. Our “computer whiz” keeps us running, and is also an instructor, specializing in wire and metal work.

Colorful Creations Bead Company is involved in many local, national and international charities. We are a Collection Center for the Open Pantry and Toys for Tots year-round, and have special Charity Days where we raise money in many interesting ways! Check out our website to see what is coming up. With our staff of 11 instructors, we teach over 100 classes and workshops, and are adding more all the time. We have classes in traditional bead stringing, seed bead projects, PMC, Copper and Bronze Clay, Dichroic and Art Glass, Polymer Clay, Resin and Wire Working. Internationally known artists, instructors and authors frequent our Studio for special workshops throughout the year. Offering the largest selection of beads, charms, Swarovski Crystal, tools, books and materials in Western Massachusetts, the bead shop is located in the Heritage Village Shoppes in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. We are known as “The Friendly Place To Bead” with our bright, spacious Studio open to folks of all ages and abilities interested in creating jewelry—we’ll have a cup of tea ready for you, and will be happy to help design and finish up the jewelry!

When she was 6 years old, Emily Rose announced to her parents that someday she would have a business called “Colorful Creations”. Her dream has come true—and has made a big difference in the lives of a whole lot of people!

From Dawn Davis owner of Simply Beadiful in Massachusetts:

Here is a project we are working on right now: The Shriner’s Hospital for Children located right here in Springfield, MA is in jeopardy of closing. There are 22 Shriners hospitals in North America. Right now 6 might close. My dad is a shriner, my grandfather was a shriner, and my godfather is now the Potentate of the Melha Shriners here in Springfield. (Your local groups would be Anah in Bangor, and Kora in Lewiston.) We are having a fundraiser with our “Beadiful Bloom” Bangle Bracelet that we are selling for $6 each and giving the proceeds to the Shriners Hospital in Springfield. We are trying to contact as many people as we can to spread the word. We want to help to keep the hospital open. The next closest orthopedic hospital is Nova Scotia or Pennsylvania. You can read more about this campaign on my website.