Thursday, September 13, 2012

My second ever bead store

Creative Castle in Newbury Park California was the second bead store I ever taught at.  At the helm, lovely Carole Tripp who I've know known going on 13 years.

Carole's store has a wonderful selection of crystal, seed beads, czech glass, vintage beads and findings and is full of helpful folks to answer your questions.  I say this because more and more bead stores are finding it difficult to stay in business.  My good friend Susan closed her store the Beading Frenzy after 17 years.  The stores that remain need our support.

I sometimes hear beaders talking about sources where they might get beads less expensively priced, however consider the valuable service that our local bead stores provide.  We can look at color and size, make design decisions with beads laid out side by side, we can consult with a knowledgeable beader and in some we can take classes, expanding our skills while socializing with others, who like us have the love of beads.  That is a whole lot of positive and in my book is worth giving up any small price advantage to make sure it continues to exist.

Next week I will be teaching the Dream Keeper Vessel Ring, the brand new Cassandra and the beautiful Aelia pendant.  I'm excited, not only because I have so many friends at the store, and there is the darling Bailey, my second favorite dog in the world, but because I'm going to take the train!  I love train travel and it's a pretty rare day that it fits into my schedule and is available in the direction I'm going.  I love the rhythm of a train, watching the scenery go by,  relaxing into travel instead of racing through LA traffic.



Aelia

Cassandra


Dream Keeper Vessel Ring


So please, if you are lucky enough to have a local bead store in your midst, please consider supporting them. It would be a terrible shame if we couldn't continue to spend a leisurely day playing with the beads or run over for that special bead we need to finish a project, or take a class and visit with friends.

15 comments:

  1. As a hard working bead shop owner, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my bead loving heart for this post!

    I took two classes with you last year at Susan's gorgeous shop. It was a wonderful experience. I was very sad when I learned she was closing.

    You're spot on... there is nothing that can replace the experience of shopping in a well-stocked bead store. Being able to see the true colors and sizes, as well as get input from someone who has a wealth of knowledge can take a project to new heights.

    Enjoy your train ride!

    Carol
    Dancing Beads

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  2. I remember it well Carol, you and Claire. I'm glad you enjoyed the post!

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  3. Great post! I love my local bead store, Bead Creative. It is so easy to get inspired while walking by rows of sead beads, crystals and pearls!

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  4. It's a good reminder to all of us. I am lucky enough to have 3 great shops within 30 minutes of home - Stony Creek Beads, Pam's Bead Garden and Finding!

    I need to remember to go to these places first....

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  5. Creative Castle IS my local bead store and I love it and Carole! Corinne is a genius and all the other women who work there are wonderful.

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  6. Karen, Liz and Lisa, I know you support your stores, and I'm so glad! We need our stores. Karen, going to see you soon, and your too Lisa, life is good. I have met so many friends through my love of beads, and I love it when you show up here!
    Carol perhaps you and Claire should consider Beading by the Bay this year....I'd love to see you.

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  7. I definitely try and support my local bead stores. Like Liz, I have Findings and Stony Creek Beads each about 15 minutes from my house, and Pam's about 45 minutes away. And I learned to bead at my local bead store. I also try and support teachers who come to our guild because they earn their living by teaching.

    Marcia, I love your new (to me) designs and especially the colors you are using. They are like mixed metals. I wish you would come to MI and teach the dream keeper vessel ring - we should have arranged that somehow when you were recently in OH. Hopefully there will be another time.

    Enjoy the train and teaching next week. Yours,Susan

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  9. Hopefully there will be a time we can work that out Susan, I love that guild!

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  10. What a lovely reminder...so important!
    My *local* store is a 40 minute ferry ride to a nearby island, but I pop in whenever I'm over there. The young gal who runs it is a peach & always welcomes suggestions about what to carry. Plus, how could I not want to encourage her youthful enthusiasm to follow her passion and provide an important service (addiction supply, ha!) at the same time?!?

    Great post, Marcia! (found you via f'book)

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  11. I couldn't survive without my local bead store, Dancing Beads. Besides Carol's excellent eye for color and fabulous selection, it's given me an opportunity to teach and meet other bead obsessed people like myself.

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  12. Fascinante....una maravilla de trabajos.....enhorabuena, magnifico...

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  13. Sorry to hear about Susan store. Part of me is lusting after her days off.

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