Cancer Fundraiser

One of the best parts of owning a bead store has been all the wonderful people I've met. I love getting to know more about everyone, their lives, families etc. I've had the pleasure of getting to know a very special lady by the name of Alaine. Alaine has been battling a rare form of lung cancer and during her recovery she was looking for something to keep her busy. She came across an idea for making bracelets out of old silver spoons and thought "I can to that". Well, she did! With the help of her husband Kelly (great name huh?)she bends and shapes the spoons she's collected in to the most fabulous bracelets. She adds a sterling silver charm, maybe a bead or a cancer ribbon charm, a magnetic clasp and a beautiful bracelet is born! The most amazing part is that Alaine donates 100% of the money she makes from the sale of the bracelet to cancer research. How fantastic is that? Alaine popped by the store yesterday and dropped off 4 gorgeous bracelets for me to sell to my customers. They are $40 each and every dime will go to cancer research. Pop by the store, try one on - you'll love them! Also, if you are digging through your China cabinet, or perhaps your Grandmas, and come across any silver or silver plated spoons you'd like to donate I will happily take them off your hands and pass them along to Alaine. The only thing required is that they come in a pair of two and are not stainless steel. Forks, large spoons, small spoons, even demitasse spoons would work.

Giving Back

I've has always felt it was important to give to those in need. Sometimes we can give in small ways that we had never thought of! One of those ways is in donating your small toiletry samples you receive while staying in hotels. These samples are collected and then distributed in a few different ways. Some are given to womens shelters where women in distress seek refuge, others are given to those living on the streets of Vancouver - everyone deserves to feel clean don't they? The rest are packaged up and sent to foreign countries for those less fortunate than us. If you travel, simply take along your own bar of soap, shampoo and conditioners. Remove the toiletries left by the hotel on a daily basis - a few nights at a hotel can fill up a small bag! Bring the bag of toiletries to Kellie's Bead Boutique where they will be passed along by me. A small gesture that can mean so much to those that need them.

New Year - more posts?

I made a vow last year to try and write more but I think I was a bit delusional! Starting up a bead store is a daunting task and it was all consumming for me. I think I've finally found my groove so I'm hoping that this will be the start of more posts......don't hold me to it though!!

My hubby and I decided to take a bit of a break over the Christmas holidays and we headed south to California to visit my Father. On our return trip home I asked my husband to indulge me and let me see as many bead stores along the way that I could. I found some very nice stores in towns that were so small they only had one gas station - who would have thought they'd have a bead store!! I found some rather disorganized and cluttered stores but mostly I found pleasant owners, cheery staff and loads and loads of cool beads! I popped by two stores where I know the owners. Carole from String Bead in Chico, California and Dusti from Beads at Dusti Creek in Portland, Oregan. Both these ladies have done a fabulous job with their stores. Carole has a workshop that made me green with envy and Dusti has used every bit of space to it's full potential - an organizers dream! It gave me some great ideas on how to improve my store and the first thing I did yesterday was rearrange my chain. Thanks Carole for the great idea. Lots more to come, now if I can only find time to do everything I want!

Class teaser

One of the more challenging parts of owning a store is coming up with projects for my classes. I have tons of ideas swirling around my head but with silver costs being so high these days I've had to tone down some of my designs. This has me using copper for just about everything! I had no idea what I was going to make today but after playing around a bit this is what I came up with. My version of an "urban dog tag". Hope you like it!

I'm in a book!

How much fun is this?!! The publishers of Bead Style magazine just published their book "Making Elegant Jewelry for Special Occasions" and I'm in it! I received my copy the other day and have it proudly displayed at the front counter. It's full of all sorts of great projects including a special pearl section where my piece is. If you are looking for some new inspiration for your jewelry designs this book would be a great addition to your collection.

Bead Inspired
Kellie

Guest Teacher

I was lucky enough to have the fabulous Emilie Jefferson teach at the store last week. Emilie is an expert at creating gorgeous wire wrapped bezels and she was happy to share her expertise with my students. Each student created a unique masterpiece and they were all surprised at how easy it was to create something that looked so complex. I can hardly wait until my next batch of classes as Emilie will be back to teach her wrapped bezels and also a new class of viking knit weave! Watch the class list in January for Emilie's class plus a bunch of great new techniques!

Bead of the Month

Every month we will feature a new bead. We'll give a brief description of it's properties and give some examples of how it would work well with other beads. The best thing is that for the entire month all featured beads will be 25% off. Discount is only available on bead strands, not individual beads or already marked down items.

October Bead of the Month - Labradorite
*all strands 25% off for the month of October!*

Labradorite, also known as Spectrolite, is a Feldspar mineral. It is typically blue, pale green, grey-white with iridescent blue or gold flashes. It's metaphysical properties include: strengthening psychic abilities, stimulates the imagination and calms the mind. Labradorite has been used to help heal colds, gout, lower blood pressure and aids in digestion.

Labradorite is a gorgeous stone that pairs well with many different stone. A favorite combination is to mix with smokey quartz and carnelian for a rich and warm feeling. Try mixing it with cool toned stones for an unusual look.