Bead Shops: Maya Honey

Glass beads are an invaluable material for beading and jewelry design. Versatile, varied, and affordable, glass provides a never ending source of inspiration. It’s no secret that some of the best glass beads come from the Czech Republic, and some of the most unique selections come from indie shops that specialize in designer Czech glass. Today’s guest is Kate of Maya Honey in Slovakia– one of my favorite places to search for Czech glass inspirations. In addition to the selection of new and rare glass beads, Maya Honey also carries a variety of findings and Japanese seed beads.


Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Kate: I’m a jewelry maker myself, I used to create a lot of jewelry pieces and made my research through different brands and types of beads and jewelry supplies. We live near Czech Republic where you can find a lot of unique glass beads. So, it was so tempting to get them all! I was getting a lot of questions about materials I used in my own jewelry and how to buy them. Also the stock was growing really fast and my husband suggested we should start selling not only my jewelry and lampwork beads but also Czech glass beads.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or bead style to keep in stock?

Kate: I’m beach fan. Although we do not live near the sea I adore everything concerning beach starting with all kind of teal and blue color hues in glass beads, also beach themed charms like starfishes, shells, sand dollars. I found terrific beach related verdigris patinated charms in Greece and bought them immediately for our shop. Another style I love is boho – it shows palette of rustic earthy colors, turquoise and topaz. Czech glass beads with Picasso (or so called travertine) finish are perfect match for boho jewelry. The more expensive table cut beads can be great as centerpiece for a necklace or bracelet.

Czech Glass Cathedral Beads

Inspirational Beading: What is your all-time favorite Czech bead shape?

Kate: I cannot think of just one! Every season Czech manufacturers spoil us with new designs and beads shapes. Recently I was impressed by new styles with imprinted in bead’s surface dragonfly, seahorse or bird silhouette. My long lasting love is cathedral beads, they now come not only with gold and silver ends but also with rustic earthy finishes. I can also note new Toho seed beads palette of semi–glazed colors – really natural finish.

Czech Glass Coins

Inspirational Beading: What kind of criteria do you use when selecting new products to carry?

Kate: Quality! It’s always about it. You can notice that all products we carry we buy mostly in European Union. That’s because I can be sure I’m buying great product that were made using raw materials to comply with all the EU’s regulations. If it is findings they should be nickel and lead safe, leather cords of great quality, Czech glass made in safe environment and so on.

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops? What's your favorite thing about your products?

Kate: We try to carry a lot of limited production beads which means we get them from family workshops in Czech Republic (sometime they don’t even have websites). It is traditional art for this region and you can find truly gifted masters of glass there. I also make my own beads mixes and bead soups – I love to make them! It’s like painting a picture really. Always happy when my customers send photos of their creations with these mixes.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become a beautiful work of art?

Kate: I’m thrilled! On my Instagram @mayahoneybead I always post photos from my customers with their creations. I sometimes envy them – they have much more time to create than me!

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your beads?

Kate: Cannot say exactly – I love all creative things you can make with beads. I saw fantastic brooches (I never was able to make them myself) or head bands. I like adorable little toys you can make with seed beads or long very difficult to create belts. All sorts of things!

Inspirational Beading: Baggies, tubes, or strands? Which is your favorite?

Kate: I prefer baggies cause for me it’s easier to store and organize them. Tubes are great if you have a lot of space. I don’t really like strands cause I cut them anyway for my projects. As for the shop – I also prefer baggies. We always pre-sort all beads and materials to avoid possible broken glass, chipped beads or defects so baggies are a great choice.

Greek Ceramic Beads and Metal Charms

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small supplies shops vs. the big bead retailers?

Kate: First, I can focus on smaller workshops where I can get very limited and unique products. I don’t think big retailer would bother for such small amount but I would. So, I look into that market, travel and find new family businesses that can offer beads and materials you will not find anywhere else. Second, our buyers say we have great customer service.And I really try to help them quick and answer all questions.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Kate: My husband and I decided to add to our shop more findings, sterling silver charms and earwires, much more colors of leather cords so you can find all in one place. Our last hint is brass ball pins (which I enjoy working so much) – we found them in Greece and now sell them in all finishes: silver plated, gold, rhodium, gunmetal etc.

You can see more gorgeous hand-picked supplies at Maya Honey on Etsy and MayaHoneyBead.com.

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Maya Honey

Inspired Bead Maker: Serena Smith Lampwork

Whatever new innovations in beads come our way, nothing quite beats the beauty of a handmade lampwork bead to inspire amazing creations. The colors, shapes, and patterns of unique flameworked glass go so perfectly with our favorite techniques and materials. One of my favorite lampwork artists of late is Serena Smith, whose floral creations are a delight to behold.

Inspirational Beading: How did you first get started with lampwork?

Serena: In 1991 I was working my first "real job" after college in Seattle, at a company called TSI that sold jewelry and lapidary supplies. I found out through them about the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle where they were doing all kinds of art classes, including glass. I took the bead making class and not long after I turned my bedroom in my 1 bedroom apartment into a studio and moved into the living room, bought an oxy/propane set up and supplies from Frantz, and started making beads. Not long after that I returned to school to get a degree in glass art from the Rhode Island School of Design. At that time, lampwork was not given much respect in the art world and the department didn't even have a lampworking torch - other than mine. With my degree I learned about all different kinds of glass working, some of which I still do today, but lampwork is my first love.

Inspirational Beading: Do you remember your first bead? Where is it today?

Serena: Not my first bead, but I do remember the first demo the instructors did on sculpting beads. Most of the class was about how to make a round bead with dots on it. But they demo'd a pudgy little bug thing and warned us that sculpted beads were pretty much guaranteed to break so the demo was just a throw away idea. This was back before annealing kilns were on the market, didn't even know about fiber blanket, we used vermiculite in a can and flame annealing was considered a myth by a lot of people. But, once I saw the potential in sculpting glass that was pretty much it for me, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I used vermiculite for years and did in fact have a lot of luck with flame annealing. I still make a version of my first sculpted bead designed after the Venus of Willendorf sculpture.

Inspirational Beading: Where do you look for inspiration? How does it translate in your designs?

Serena: I have a lot of books with flower pictures in them, but I think I get most of my inspiration just from nature in general, as well as the glass colors they make now. I work in my garden and grow flowers. I also go for long walks, and especially when the flowers are blooming I get inspired to get into the shop and try to create some new bloom or color I've never noticed before. That's how the japonica style flower came to me. I saw bushes in a parking lot that had masses of wee flowers and I took a close look to see these lovely vase shaped blossoms I'd never seen before. I looked them up when I got home to find the name (japonica pieris) and started working with the shape. I don't always try to be faithful to the original flower, as you can see in some of my fantasmagorical Lady Slippers.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or combination to work with?

Serena: Always, pinks make me happy even though I think my favorite color in general is turquoise blue (I have a terrible time with high metal content opaque turquoise glass). These days there are so many more glass colors to work with, some fantastic pinks from Bullseye glass and not just the ruby pink from Moretti that used to turn brown. It's amazing to me to think back to when all we had was Moretti (Effetre) to now when we have so many manufacturers and some really incredibly beautiful colors to work with. I think one of my favorite new colors these days is from Bullseye, an opalescent blue purple color which is fantastic over petal pink.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite bead style or shape to create?

Serena: That's a tough one. I don't think I do as far as making them, what I like is to be able to have a variety of things to work on so I make things in small batches. It's not fair to the pretty beads I make to feel irritated because I had to work all day making the exact same thing so I try to avoid doing that. Regardless, I am always cheered when I open the kiln and see a beautiful bouquet of flower beads in a rainbow of colors. What could possibly be better than that? As far as shape, I think my favorite flower to look at right now is the tulip. Simple but lovely.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most rewarding moment in your design process?

Serena: I think it must be that "aha" moment when I finally know how to do it, whatever "it" is. Getting the color right, or just figuring out how to create a shape. There is a certain amount of frustration when you first start out something new and you can't "see" or "feel" it, and when it settles down into your hands and they just start making it happen, it is a really good feeling. I've learned not to let those moments of frustration deter me from believing that I can really, truly, figure it out. And the only way to fail is to quit.

Inspirational Beading: What is the most exciting design in your shop right now? What makes it special?

Serena: I have been making a lot of Lady Slippers this month and it has been fun. I designed them a while ago but sort of let them go and hadn't made any in several years when I looked back through some of my history and realized how long it had been, and how special they were! They are a real joy to make, each one comes out different and I am playing with different colors and details and combinations that really makes it fun. I love the moment I open the kiln! Sometimes on my walk from the studio into the house I forget what I'm doing and just stand in the yard looking at each one and smiling.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new bead styles or themes in the works?

Serena: I've always been interested in different forms of glass work so I do casting, fusing, pate de verre, etc. always looking for ways to incorporate lampwork. What I have been working on this last 6 months or so is how to make cast beads, and also fused components like cabochons. The cabochons often include a lampworked element, like the heart in this cabochon, and just recently I've made just a couple of lampwork blobs that I want to put in the kiln and fuse and just see what happens. I might try fusing some holes into the cabochons to make them into beads. Not sure yet, just expanding my horizons!

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Serena: Definitely jewelry makers! But, speaking as a person who likes to try just about every craft, I really would like to reach people who work in areas I might not know anything about, and who might never have considered that their work could include lampwork or glass components. For instance, I also do needle felting and have incorporated my beads into those projects. People think of beads as just for jewelry but they are so versatile and useful and add a wonderful element to any kind of creation.

You can see more of Serena’s gorgeous lampwork beads at the 2016 Best Bead Show in Tucson, Arizona, on her website Serena Smith Lampwork, and on Etsy at Serena Smith and 4GlassCabochons. Follow along on Facebook to see her latest creations and inspirations!

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Serena Smith

Bead Surprise Inspiration from Blueberry Cove Beads

New inspirations are a constant quest for beaders, and one of the best ways to find them is to try out new materials. But whether we shop in a store or online, the choices can often be overwhelming. It can be difficult not only to choose a few new beads from the thousands available, but also to coordinate our choices in a way that will make a great piece of jewelry.

At Blueberry Cove Beads, a lot of the guesswork in finding new beads to try is done for you, and comes with the added bonus of a delightful surprise. This new bead subscription service offers hungry beaders with gorgeous ensembles that are perfectly coordinated, in quantities that allow you to make multiple pieces with a variety of techniques. When you subscribe, a box of gorgeous beads will be sent to you each month, featuring a fun theme with materials that are easy to mix and match. Subscriptions are available in 3, 6, in 12 month packs. You can also purchase single boxes from past months, or a mini box featuring a few essentials from each theme.

Each month’s box is reasonably priced, and you get a lot of beads to mix with your stash. Pictured here is just a small sampling of the pieces from the September 2015 pack “Autumn”. The combinations of orange, yellow, dark red, brown, and copper are totally mouthwatering. When I opened my packaged I wanted to drop everything and start creating! There are several types and sizes of beads included, as well as findings that perfectly evoke the month’s theme. My favorites from this pack are the orange shell pendants and the amazing strand of orange glass beads.

The full contents of each month’s bead box aren’t revealed until after they’ve shipped out to subscribers, so you’ll get a wonderful surprise whenever your package arrives. Your beads come in a pretty drawstring bag, ready to use however you like. You’ll also get a pretty postcard to match the theme, which also contains a beading challenge. If you make something with your beads that fits the challenge, you can enter it in a draw to win your next month free!

Want to give it a try? Purchase a box or subscription from Blueberry Cove Beads by November 3rd to get the next available pack. When you subscribe, payment for each new themed bead box is deducted on the 3rd of each month, so you’ll never miss a batch of inspiration!

I would like to thank Blueberry Cove beads for allowing me to sample one of their amazing bead boxes. Inspirational Beading has not received compensation for including products in this post. Subscriptions are currently available for Canada and US residents.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Blueberry Cove Beads
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Bead Shops: All Things Beaded

The curation of a bead shop selection is just as beautiful and inspiring as a carefully planned jewelry design. When all of the right elements are in place, you can’t help but feel excited about all of the possibilities. One shop that really stands out is All Things Beaded, with an amazing selection of Czech glass beads, buttons, and Hill Tribe Silver. Today shop owner, Cindy, shares her bead story.

Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Cindy:I started to unload some of my extra beads and found them to sell quickly. As a jewelry designer, I already had access to great wholesalers. It’s turned into a great business but it also allows me to buy more beads for my own designs while sharing my beads with people around the globe who also share my interests. I get a much better deal when I place larger orders and it also allows me to sell my beads at competitive prices. Sure, I am in this business to make money but it also very important to me that my customers pay fair prices. I really don’t believe in perceived value or what the market can bear. I have a pricing formula that I strictly adhere to. I’ve been told I can charge more but running an honest business yields more loyal customers in the long run.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or bead style to keep in stock?

Cindy: I am absolutely smitten with Czech glass. A close second is Hill Tribe Silver. So many people sell Czech glass beads that they hardly seem unique, but they are! For starters, they have come a long way. Some are so beautifully finished that they often resemble gemstones without the inherent flaws that come with gemstones. Because Czech glass comes in such a variety of styles, shapes and colors each store that sells them brings a different variety to their customers.

Karen Hill Tribe silver is near and dear to my heart. The fact that they are made by hand by a specific group of talented people give them an organic, heartfelt appeal. It’s as if part of their soul goes into each piece. I think this is why that comes across in any design where Hill Tribe Silver is included.

Inspirational Beading: What kind of criteria do you use when selecting new products to carry?

Cindy: I try to sell what I use in my own designs. It makes the most sense. Why would I sell something that I have no interest in using? I also love to please my customers by ordering specific things they need. Often their suggestions and requests become some of my best sellers. I always listen and try my best to find what they need. I never cared for bead shops that simply say “no, we don’t carry that/those”. I can’t always find what they want but I will at least try.

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops? What's your favorite thing about your products?

Cindy: I think it’s my variety and selection. How can one be unique selling beads that are so readily available? It’s like reinventing the wheel. One thing I offer are mixes from my glass cookie jar filled with beads. I’m always adding to it. I fill my scoop with a random assortment and offer them for sale. It’s a great way to sample all my different beads. I find mixes like that also spur creativity. When I have a creative block myself, I will often pour a scoop on my work surface and go from there. Some of my favorite designs have come from that random mix.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become a beautiful work of art?

Cindy:The Spanish word for jewelry is joyeria. I think the first part of that word sums it up. Joy! To me it is one of the least utilized and underappreciated words in the dictionary. I feel joy when I receive an order of beads. Even if they are beads I’m simply restocking, I still get that feeling. I sit and ooh and ah over them every time. It never gets old. I get that same feeling of joy when I package up something a customer has purchased because I know how they are going to feel when they go to their mailbox to find my package.

I usually drop my packages off after I pick up my kids from school. My daughter hands me the packages and loves to read where they are going. To think you can send packages to all corners of the earth and bring all those people the same universal feeling of joy is truly amazing. I think I really do this for the joy it brings. The money is an added by product of what I do. I can’t remember who said this but the quote “do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” really rings true.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your beads?

Cindy: For me, making necklaces is my favorite. It brings me back to my childhood where I’d spend lazy summer afternoons with friends stringing beads. At that time, there was no rhyme, reason or pattern. We just strung the beads, tied a knot, and wore them until the string eventually broke. Sometimes we used sewing thread because it’s all we had. Necklaces strung on sewing thread had short lives but we had the pleasure of picking them up and making a new necklace. Every time I make a necklace, it takes me back to that time.

I like to see what others make with my Czech glass buttons. I assumed they were using them to accent a special garment or as a closure on a piece of jewelry. One of my regular customers makes earrings. It never occurred to me to make earrings with them. I decided to search on Pinterest for Czech glass buttons and the designs and pieces of jewelry made from them is nothing short of amazing. There are so many creative people in this world.

Inspirational Beading: Baggies, tubes or strands? Which is your favorite?

Cindy: It really depends. For the most part it is baggies. I keep mostly all of my bead mix strands on the string. It showcases them better. All the rest go into baggies. When I receive an order, my mother counts them and puts them into baggies. For one, it speeds up my order fulfillment time. They are counted and bagged and ready to go when a customer orders them. Secondly, bagging them up allows any chipped or broken beads to be discarded. When I buy beads to use for myself, I’m disappointed when more than 2 or three have chips or cracks. My mother and I try our best to weed out any misfits so my customers aren’t paying for something they can’t actually use.

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small supplies shops vs. the big bead retailers?

Cindy: I love connecting with my customers. I love the personal touch I can bring to the buying experience. Life can get crazy but I always try to ship quickly. It always amazes me how a larger company with a paid staff can take so long to get your products to you. I know my customers are excited to get what they have ordered. I know they can’t feel and touch it until it reaches them. I strive to minimize the agony of waiting.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Cindy: Oh yes! I told myself at the beginning of the year that I have to go big or go home. As I complete this interview, I have a huge pile of beads and Hill Tribe silver on my desk. I have plans to expand my offerings to include more findings and chain so that my shop can become a one-stop shop for beaders and designers around the world. Of course, every new bead has to be counted, bagged, photographed and listed so it’s a time consuming process. My ultimate goal is to have thousands of items available for my lovely customers.

To see more gorgeous bead selections, visit All Things Beaded on Etsy. For exclusive insights on new products and happenings, you can also sign up for the All Things Beaded Newsletter.

Inspirational Beading readers are invited to save 20% at All Things Beaded with coupon code BEADLOVER until May 31st.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and All Things Beaded
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Bead Shops: Jen’s Findings

Wherever the inspiration for a new piece of jewelry begins, chances are it will end with findings – those components that turn a bit of beading into a finished and functional design. Today’s guest is Jen of the online shop Jen’s Findings, which specializes in high quality clasps, earwires, jump rings, headpins and more.

Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Jen: Beading started out as a hobby when I was in high school. When I was in college I started selling necklaces, bracelets and earrings at craft shows for some extra spending money. During this time, a bead shop opened up just a couple of blocks away from where I lived in San Mateo. I was really excited because before it opened I drove to a neighboring town to buy my beading supplies.

It turned out the bead store was started by a young man fresh out of college himself. To make the story short, we eventually got married and had a family. Over the years, my husband has gotten into other types of businesses and I've continued to bead as a hobby and sell beading supplies to supplement our family's income.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or style to keep in stock?

Jen: Well, Jen's Findings is a specialty site in that we only sell jewelry findings and are currently only selling sterling silver and 14k gold filled findings. While I do love the elegant simplicity of the findings, I also love having a pretty filigree clasp at the end of a multi-strand necklace made with beautiful glass or semi-precious beads.

To me, a perfect jewelry finding is one that will complement the art that it becoming a part of. Most of the time, the finding is not the focal point, but adds some harmony to the piece, as well as serving a functional aspect of binding components together.

Inspirational Beading: What kind of criteria do you use when selecting new products to carry?

Jen: There are staples that beaders seem to always need, such as head pins or lobster claw clasps, but I like to carry with some personality of their own, like our heart clasps or an oval filigree pearl clasp.

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops?

Jen: What sets Jen's Findings apart is that we only sell jewelry findings. We love beads, but we do not sell them. Instead we are striving to be the place beaders go to fulfill their needs for quality jewelry findings.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a
finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become
part of a beautiful work of art?

Jen: It truly is a wonderful thing. I love that we are able to help people make art. We are a family of beaders (since my daughters and mother-in-law also make jewelry), and we get a thrill seeing our components in finished works.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your supplies?

Jen: I am really into making multi-string necklaces these days. I also like to do wire work and pearl knotting. I am not a talented peyote stitch person, but I do admire what people accomplish with seed beads these days--there are so many creative folks out there!

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what's the best thing about small supplies shops vs.
the big bead retailers?

Jen: We are nicer! Actually, I think that big retailers provide a good service, but I also think that small suppliers can be competitive to them. Also, we are real jewelry makers and know what beaders' needs are. We got started the business because we genuinely love beads and jewelry making. Also, we are small enough that we can carry limited runs of unique jewelry components made by local artists.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Jen: Yes, we are going to expand our inventory to carry more unique jewelry findings, as well as many handmade items like one-of-a-kind clasps. I want to showcase beautiful and unique items. We are also planning to expand our sterling silver and gold-filled findings this year.

You can find more beautiful clasps, findings and more at Jen’s Findings, or follow along on Jen’s blog for jewelry ideas and inspirations.

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Jen's Findings
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Bead Shops: Spirit Bear Beads

Nothing beats an indie bead shop when you’re looking for unique supplies. One of my favorite shops to browse is Spirit Bear Beads, which specializes in custom seed bead mixes and gorgeous Zuni bear gemstone fetishes. Shop owner and bead soup chef Mia offers a wonderful selection of supplies that you can’t find anywhere else.

Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Mia: My Mom..... We went to a bead store one day to restring a necklace of hers. I wandered around fascinated by the beads, picked some out and made a bracelet. We were both hooked! Soon we were traveling to bead shows, shopping catalogs and online. Suddenly I had more beads than I knew what to do with. Selling the extra online was a logical step.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or bead style to keep in stock?

Mia: My favorite and mainstay are the size 6/0 Czech seed beads, I create my own mixes and keep the best in stock.

Inspirational Beading: What kind of criteria do you use when selecting new products to carry?

Mia: First and foremost it has to appeal to the Artist in ME! 2nd I want to be able to use that product in a new and exciting way that no one else has thought of, and finally, will it sell? What customer am I appealing to with the item?

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops?

Mia: Well, I have been told, many times, that my unique and original bead mixes are what customers love, and keep coming back for. I also stock, what I believe to be, the largest selection of Zuni Bear Beads on the internet.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become a beautiful work of art?

Mia: All too seldom do I see the finished product. I have several customers whose work I am familiar with and it does make me very proud to see one of my unique bead mixes in a finished product.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your beads?

Mia: I love to make earrings! I literally have hundreds of pairs of earrings!

Inspirational Beading: Baggies, tubes or strands? Which is your favorite?

Mia: Baggies for the seed beads I sell, I weigh my seed beads so that works the best for me. My personal stash is stored in Tic Tac boxes!

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small supplies shops vs. the big bead retailers?

Mia: Personal service and attention to detail. Customers like to be considered special, I often have requests for quantities, colors or a certain type of bead. I enjoy filling those custom requests, you don't get that kind of service from the 'big box store" type of retailer.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Mia: I always have plans! I have this muse that wakes me up out of a dead sleep with ideas! I never know when her inspiration will strike!

You can find current bead mixes and other unique bead selections at Spirit Bear Beads on Etsy and ArtFire. Mia also sells gemstone jewelry and Southwestern accessories at Spirit Bear West. For updates and inspiration, follow along with Spirit Bear Beads on Facebook.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Spirit Bear Beads
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Bead Shops: O and N Craft Supplies

One of the best ways to create designs that really stand out is to use materials that are unique and exciting. Today my guest is Tina, owner of O and N Craft Supplies - an amazing source of gorgeous beads and beading materials straight from Greece.

Inspirational Beading: How did you get into the business of jewelry supplies?

Tina: I’ve been making jewelry since I was a teenager and even have an Etsy jewelry shop. The world of jewelry supplies and craft supplies in general is a fascinating world for me, I can't have enough of them. When my husband and I became unemployed as a result of the economy crisis in Greece, we were trying to decide what could the next step be. We needed something we could both do. My knowledge of jewelry making and quality Greek craft products lead us to open our O and N Etsy shop and only a few days ago our own O and N site.

Inspirational Beading: In your opinion, what’s the best thing about small supplies shops vs. the big bead retailers?

Tina: We can serve our clients on a personal basis. We can help them find what they need and answer their questions more effectively.

Moreover a small shop is more likely to build a coherent style, a certain personality where clients go to shop because they want to cover specific needs. It is like shopping in a boutique shop rather than a department store.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite material, color, or bead style to keep in stock?

Tina: I love Greek ceramic beads especially the enameled, very shiny ones and our craft cords, braided silk cords and wrapped cotton cords are my favorite.

Inspirational Beading: What makes your bead selection stand out from other craft supplies shops?

Tina: Our ceramic beads are all made in Greece, as they were for thousands of years, of course adjusting to contemporary aesthetics. They have beautiful, vivid colors. They are often handformed and unglazed which gives them an earthy, handmade quality. Other times they have amazing, lustrous surfaces, more beautiful than pictures can show, as a result of multiple firings in the kiln, which makes them perfect for more luxurious, elegant projects. Another thing not to be neglected is that we can offer Greek ceramic beads in the best prices.

Inspirational Beading: Many beaders are familiar with the emotion that comes from selling a finished design. How does it feel when you sell something that will become a beautiful work of art?

Tina: I will be honest, nothing compares with the feeling when someone appreciates something you made! But often I picture our customers the moment when the first open their package, and ideas start popping in their head at the first sight of our jewelry supplies and it makes me smile.

Inspirational Beading: What is your favorite thing to make (or see others make) with your beads?

Tina: I like statement necklaces with multiple rows of cords of different textures and chunky ceramic beads.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have any plans for new products this year?

Tina: Our next step is to add Greek leather cord which is the best quality leather cord.

You can see more unique and colorful beads and craft supplies at O an N and on Etsy. To see the latest additions and specials, follow along on Facebook.

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