I have always loved the look and feel of beaded jewelry. Throughout my life I have also been a fan of various crafts from knitting, cross-stitching, sewing, stained glass, crochet (never quite got the hang of it even though my grandma tried), and the list goes on and on.
As I was growing up I was surrounded by many loved ones who displayed artistic and crafty tendencies so it would be hard to say I was influenced by one person in particular. But if I had to put a finger on it, I would say that spending hours and hours of my youth with my step-father crafting any number of creations gave me that flavor for variety that has allowed my interest in so many areas.
One of the things that always fascinated me was his seemingly endless supply of beautiful beads, gemstones and jewelry making supplies. He would stretch them out over the span of the dining room table and kitchen bar and watch them individually through his magnifying glass. I remember thinking he must have a vast knowledge of gemstones and beads, the way he lovingly explored his collection.
On every vacation or weekend hiking trip, he would make time to collect interesting ‘rocks’ and often tumble them in his small but magical machine to make their inner beauty come to life. He has quite an eye for that!
So, for the love of interesting beads, beautiful rocks, stunning jewelry, and precious family members, this blog is created to honor of all those precious memories of mine and share a passion for bead jewelry making in particular, celebrate the great jewelry artists of the world, and nurture all the possibilities of beautiful pieces of jewelry that you and I will make in our lifetimes.
Let’s create and share together!
Melanie
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
— Maya Angelou