Oh Good Beads

The plunder from the last weeks' bead shows is gradually making its public debut in our store.

The pearl tray on the crystal table is now full, and there are even more strands hanging on the wall. The colors are luscious, perfect for spring--your Easter outfit, something to lightly turn a young man's fancy to thoughts of love, or whatever your particular desire to adorn yourself is for.

For those longing for summer and the beach, a foretaste can be had in the shells that are now out. Perfect mussel shells, perfect for stringing. Combine them with glass in blues and greens for the feel of the ocean, or with semi-precious, crystals, the pearls from the last paragraph and a little silver or gold, to mimic a mermaid's treasure.

We have lots and lots of strands of semi-precious chips--the most affordable way to own a little bit of the prettiest rocks in the world. The most imaginative use I've seen anyone come up with for a strand of chips was as a handle for a vintage handbag, but they're equally lovely just strung as themselves; alternatively, twist a handful of them together for an opulent look.

Our new (well, new since last May) location may be on the small side, but it's beginning to look as rich as Ali Baba's cave. Come in and see what you can find for you!

Quote of the Month

This afternoon at the shop, a very nice lady came in, shopping for beads as a birthday gift for a friend who had taken up beading. She was uncertain of what the friend had, and uncertain of what to buy for her. I recommended a few things to her, but her uncertainty kept her from feeling as though any one thing was quite right. Finally, with the greatest good humor, she said, "I won't involve you in my madness any more."

WELL!!!! I started laughing. How many times has that needed to be said in our lives, by any number of people? How wonderful if that were as accepted a phrase as "have a nice day"! In fact, I think that a movement should be begun to work that phrase into America's vernacular. Mothers and daughters could say it to each other on those days when adolescence and menopause collide. Husbands could say it to wives, when basketball obsession is at its height. You could even shout it to another driver in traffic! It would give us all a dignified way to bow out of sticky situations, or to let someone off the hook when we know they deserve to be. It could replace "It's not you, it's me," which would be a great relief to anyone who's ever been jilted.

Okay, so this doesn't have that much to do with beads, but it's wonderful just the same.

Yours in beads,

Janet

Things we talked about at the bead store

Every day is different at the shop, of course, since the tone is set by so many things--what the staff is talking about among themselves, what customers are talking about, and topics that come up that are sometimes bead related, and sometimes not.

Today one bead-related topic was earring size relative to hair length. The standard rule of "short hair, small earrings, long hair, big earrings" was mentioned...not one that I necessarily agree with, and one that not a lot of beaders agree with, either. Beaders often have a "more is more" mindset, which may or may not be right, but in any case, we all seem to agree that big earrings are just fine, no matter if your hair is short or long. For myself, I find it sort of a shame that my now-longer hair hides them. When my hair was much shorter, I wore shoulder-dusters regularly--all the better to see them, my dear.

Less bead-related was the question of whether black shoes are permissable to be worn with navy. I went with no, though brown is worse, and red is ideal. I was reminded that not everyone has red shoes to wear with navy...not an issue in my particular universe, though I can see how it could be.

Stop in soon to see what the day's topic will be, or bring one of your own!

Yours in beads,

Janet

Swarovski Crystals & Pearls: A Wonderful Combination!

The "Pearls Pearls Pearls" that Janet mentioned on Tuesday are here and ready to be mixed and matched with Swarovski crystals in what has to be one of the best combinations in the beading universe. We have individual pearls so you can choose just the few you need for a sweet pair of earrings. Or you can snag a strand (or two or three...) and adorn yourself completely. So come on in, take a look at these beauties, and you'll be in a springtime mood in no time! Happy Spring, Everyone!

Ready for your photo shoot?

Soon, very soon, we will be able to take pictures of your work that you bring in to show us, and post it both here on the blog, and on the wall. We love to see what you've done, and this is a way to show it off and inspire others to try their hand at something new--or a variation of something old. Stay tuned for the availablity of this--we're certainly looking forward to being able to brag on you!

Classes

Our class schedule is up on our website, but here's a foretaste.

A number of people have asked about basic bead-weaving stitches, so the Stitch Series is being offered again, on alternate Thursday nights, beginning April 19, safely after the spring holidays, but in plenty of time to make something for Mother's Day, if the spirit moves you. Also ideal for Mother's Day is the Memory Bracelet, a base of right-angle weave that can be embellished with whatever the spirit moves you to use--perfect for those broken pieces of jewelry that evoke memories, but can't be worn any more. Sort of a quilt for your wrist.

There's more, there's more--be sure to check our website!

Pearls, pearls, pearls

The trip to the bead show over the weekend netted an impressive catch of freshwater pearls. The oysters must have been working overtime to produce the gorgeous stuff that glows from the inside. Lots of colors and shapes....soft peaches, vivid greens, deep reds...potato pearls, stick pearls, rice pearls large and small. These should all be available to the public by the weekend at the latest, in both strands and singly. String them up by themselves for simple elegance, or combine them with any of the other beads in the store, from the seed beads that mimic knotting, to the crystals and Czech glass that set them off so well--or the sea shells that harken back to their beginnings.

All that glitters

Could actually be gold. We have a whole bunch of high-quality, gold-plated beads--in sizes from 15 to 8. There's silver too. The finishes are extremly durable, being, in the case of the gold, 22K. The nice thing about these beads is that they give seed bead work the look of fine jewelry.

Adding to the look are our Swarovski crystals. Unlike a great many other bead shops, who hoard their crystals under the counter, ours our out and accessible in bowls on their own table. The colors range from the sublte Pacific Opal to the brilliant Fuchsia AB2x, with almost everything in between. In a few days, there will be freshwater pearls to add to the mix, since, as we mentioned, the bead show season is starting again, and our owners will be going to one on Friday. By next Wednesday, you can expect our selection to have swelled appreciably.

Critters for Spring

Beaders' Paradise is a great place to bring the kids to make neat jewelry for themselves. We just got a new batch of our ever-popular clay critter beads. There is an adorable platypus, a sweet doe, tiny cats and swans - a whole menagerie. We also have a wide selection of pewter charms and several neon colors of spiky rubber beads that are quite kid-friendly. Ask us about hosting a Birthday Party, Girl Scout outing, or a "just-because" afternoon of beading!

Mother's Day isn't until May 13th, but it isn't too early to think about making gifts for Mom. Earlier this week I helped a young lady make an absolutely gorgeous pair of cloisonne earrings for her Grandmother. Handmade jewelry is the way to go!!!

In additon to all new new things that Janet mentioned in her entry, we also have several new books as well as magnetic bead poetry for your fridge and notecards so you can correspond with all your beady friends!

We hope to see you soon! --Alison

A brand new blog

It's a brand new blog for Beaders' Paradise, one that we hope will entertain you, let you get to know our store a little bit, and keep you up to date on all the latest happenings and arrivals.

After the cold of this week, we're all yearning for a little bit of brightness, which works well with the closest holiday, St. Patrick's Day. Only one of our staff has any Irish blood, (Janet, who's of half-Irish descent) but in March, everyone is at least a little bit Irish. To celebrate this, we're offering you 10% off on every item with "green" or "emerald" in its name. Those glowing green beads can be paired with our Celtic knot charms, or any of the other yummy green beads in the store. (And for Irish of the other persuasion, we have lots and lots of orange, as well).

After the hiatus of the winter months, bead shows are starting up again, and we'll be attending them, so look for new arrivals toward the end of the month, especially on the semi-precious table.

Swarovski has introduced three new colors, the samples for which we have, and we hope to be ordering at least two of them as soon as they're available from our suppliers.

The latest issue of "Bead & Button" was a winner--we were all so enthused that we made samples of nearly every project in the magazine, and they can be seen all over the store. The St. Petersburg chain is especially yummy--easy to learn and easy to vary the colors in, so we ordered a new batch of 3mm Czech fire polish to use in that pattern.

Anyway....more soon....in the meantime, stop in and see us!