1st Time Beading

Nearly 5 years ago I came upon my first ever bead store. I was vacationing with some family in San Diego, CA and from out hotel we could walk to the beach or to some shops and restaurants depending on what we were in the mood for.
On one such walk I saw this store that I was drawn into by the jewelry displays in the window, and I can't remember the name but at the time thought it was rather catchy. I thought that I would find a treasure trove of jewelry perfect for my limited budget...
When I walked into the store I was actually taken back however, and completely confused. Why were all these strands hanging on the walls without any clasps? And what in the world is a 'bead board' and why would I want to gather loose gem stones onto it?
I had no idea that what I had jut walked into would turn out to be my life's dream several years later.

In fact it was about 3 years later that my grandmother and I were wondering around Wal-Mart when we passed by the Crafts and she turned to me and said that I hould learn how to make jewelry since I loved to buy it all the time.
We walked over to the jewelry section and once again, I was way out of my element but willing to give it a try. My grandmother grabbed a tool kit for me and I picked out two different kits to try out.
I went home that night and when I realized that the kits really hadn't provided me with any directions I turned to the ever trusty Internet and found all sorts of tips, instructions, videos, and more. With their help I stayed up until I had made six pairs of earrings.

My loops were far from perfect, I couldn't begin to imagine a wrapped loop and using the crimping pliers was a disaster! But I was hooked, and I have been since.
To me beading is therapy and I am totally addicted to it!

Treasure Hunting...

I get up at the crack of dawn most Saturday mornings, dress, throw on a hat to cover my bed head and join my grandfather and great aunt for some serious garage sales.
We start out by getting a newspaper and going over the sale ads with a keen eye, intent on getting to the best ones first. As the navigator I carefully mark each one we want to hit and cross out the ones that are a few days old or out of town. Then I grab a GPS and program the first one in, yes, the GPS is a life saver even in a small town!

Then we grab a cup of hot coffee and tart out. I try to make sure we stay on course for the most part, though there are stops here and there for sales not marked in the paper. And each one of us has our own treasures to hunt for, mine of course is beads and jewelry.

I look for new and for old, with the mind to re-create something out of it all. There' really not much that you cannot find at a garage sale really, I've come across polished gem stones, vintage Lucite beads of every color, and more! It makes the imagination run wild with possibilities and not only is it a great way to get beads and supplies for a low cost but it's also very Green as you're recycling the old to make new.

And trust, the beads, findings, chain and other misc. supplies I've gotten really add up. If you're going to sell what you end up making it makes for a great profit! I once sold a bracelet that I had made from my garage sale stash for $10, nearly pure profit as other than the wire & crimp beads it cost less than $2 to make.

I think that the added bonus for me however is spending the time with grandfather and aunt, it's always a great day even if we don't find anything!