Our Story
It all began as a fluke.
I was shopping for some sewing supplies at Joann Fabrics near Southpark Mall in Moline one day in late fall of 2018. The store was full of shoppers stocking up on supplies for making Christmas decorations and gifts, not my favorite situation. I needed just one specific item and was trying to cut through aisles quickly, but wherever I turned, there were shoppers browsing. The aisles were not very wide, and I didn’t want to cause disruption to others by coming through. So I popped from one aisle to the next and found one that was clear. I started walking through and, looking around me, found that I liked what I saw. It was the beading aisle.
That day, I bought a few beads and supplies, planning to make just an item or two as gifts. But once I started, I soon wanted to make more. I started taking classes and watching tutorials, experimenting with various designs and materials, and the rest -as they say- is history. I love the versatility of jewelry design, the fact that just about anything can be incorporated into a piece, including a variety of styles and so many fabulous colors. Trips to Beadology* in Iowa City (https://beadologyiowa.com/) for high-quality beads and supplies and in-person classes, many hours watching video tutorials, especially those of Jill Wiseman (https://jillwisemandesigns.com/), and acquiring a library of excellent jewelry design books followed.
By now, I have outgrown some of my early sources but keep finding new ones, often in unexpected places online and in the physical world. Experimenting with new designs gives me great joy and I hope that some of them will appeal to you too and perhaps become a treasured element of your own style.