I am the shop owner, but in January, 2008, I moved to San Clemente, California, so I rely on my trusted staff, pictured above, to keep things running smoothly. I come in periodically to check on the shop and bring new beads from my shopping trips. I came in for a visit in March 2009 and the staff and I all went out to dinner at Luo’s Peking House in Oak Park. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White was there having dinner, and he greeted us and posed for our picture. Clockwise from upper left is Zena Paice, me, Jesse White, Julia Schaefer ( store manager), Debra Stephens, Kim Humphrey and Kate Linne.
I’ve been having fun reinventing some jewelry, and I hope the pictures below will inspire you to reinvent some of your own! Take our workshop, Reinvent Your Jewelry, on the second Friday of the month from May – August.
I started with this necklace:
and ended with these 2 necklaces and a bracelet:
The two necklaces pictured above are currently for sale at the San Clemente Art Gallery in San Clemente, California.
This group of young ladies has been meeting at Bead in Hand for classes with me since April, 1999. Left to right, they are Loretta, Marian, Estella, Carol, Pat, me and Nancy. One of these ladies is 87 years young. (Estella – but don’t tell her I told you.) They keep me on my beading toes, as I teach them a new project when I am in town. We find things in magazines or books that we like, and then I work the item up first so that I can show them how to do it. We have a lot of fun, and most of my beaded jewelry collection is as a result of leading this group.
When Diane Carter was asked by Trib Local to contribute to their article about Bead in Hand, this is what she said:
I began beading when Doris opened her store, about 15 years ago. My daughter Alison was a teenager and got interested in stringing beads and since she couldn’t drive yet, I’d drive her to different bead stores in the city. I would just stand around and look while she bought beads. We were thrilled when Bead in Hand opened and I took her there and stood around again and looked while she bought beads. I noticed a sign in the store for an upcoming class to make earrings with seed beads. Alison couldn’t go, so I thought I’d take the class and show her, not quite knowing what the class would be like. After the first few minutes of class, I was hooked, and the rest is history. I’ve been an avid beader ever since. I most like to do off loom beadweaving but also enjoy stringing beads to make bracelets and necklaces. Alison, by the way, is working on her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, studying beads in Cambodia and Thailand.
I have never worked at the store but Alison was their first employee!
I love to do bead work mostly, I think, because it is relaxing, and very satisfying to be able to make a beautiful work of art, even if it takes a long time. I think the journey of working on a piece is even more satisfying than finishing it. And through beadwork, I have met many wonderful and inspiring women(and a few men!). I would say that beads, and Bead in Hand, have been a very important part of my life for many years.
Thank you, Diane, and to see more about Diane’s daughter Alison and her PhD work, look at our links and go to Alison’s bead blog.
In March, 2009 I taught the senior group my San Clemente Links bracelet. Nancy went further and made this gorgeous necklace!
As always, I thank you for your business. Keep on beading!