In with the new – out with the old! What is the significance of a new year?  I guess that question is pretty pointless…it’s like asking, *What is the meaning of time?*  It’s all relevant really and means what it means personally to each of us.   We’ve come to learn the significance of the changing of a year from some long ago archaic calendar that told us this is such-n-such date and with the ticking of this clock, the dropping of a glittery ball, a kiss, a joyous celebration that people from every corner of the world will welcome in a New Year!  It is the chance to ..read more

My mind, in it’s sometimes (okay, most of the time) racing fashion, woke me up very early this morning.  Usually when that happens it is because I have a lot to do (true), or because I have a flood of beady ideas that won’t let me rest (true), or sometimes it is just hormones wreaking havoc on my mind (sigh…true).  But this morning when I woke up my mind was reflecting back on yesterday.  Spinning through the myriad of encounters I had with people.  Being in retail increases my odds of that, but yesterday was particularly interesting. We had a very busy Cyber Monday sale ..read more

We live in some pretty exciting and inspiring times for new bead shapes, my friends! They're coming at a rapid pace these past few years.  Part of me is begging new production to sloooow down because I can barely keep up, not to mention the expense and no place to display them in the shop and part of me is like a little kid on my birthday and I just can't wait for my presents to arrive! The latest new bead is called an O-Bead™ and is yet another awesome idea by the incomparable Sabine Lippert (she also designed the Rizo™ bead!).  For Sabine, it is important that she not only has con ..read more

I’ve been dealing with a major funk the past few weeks.  Not a normal depression type funk where I don’t feel like doing anything at all – but more of a muse on vacation type of funk.  No beading, no knittting, no coloring, no Zentangles, and only cooking what is necessary to feed us.  I couldn’t figure out why I was just feeling so void of any inspiration.  I mean, I’d just done a bead show and that usually fires up the muse into overdrive.  I’d taught two full classes, which is also a major muse fuel stream.  What could possibly be wrong with me? I took my comp ..read more

I’ve been honored over the years to be included in many publications and have my work featured on the cover, or back cover of a few beading books.  I know I was supposed to keep track, for self-promotion sake, but I’m not real good about that sort of stuff.  Go ahead, lash me with a hank of beads, I deserve it!  I was on the back cover of Suzanne Cooper’s Then & Again book of redesigned beaded purses for Deco Flames(sadly, I don’t even have an image of this any longer) but that link will take you to an image on Suz’ website. I was on the cover of Charlene Hughes, Bead ..read more

Below are images of the various colorways that the Dragons Tail class kit will be available in for my students at BABE! 2013. An ooops in the email!  The class is Nov. 15th and 9am....not Nov. 5th.  One little number can make such a HUGE difference!  :) This is a sold out class.  Sorry, I do not offer kits of projects I am currently teaching outside of the classroom.  This post is for my students to be able to select which colorway they would prefer so that I can reserve it for them. These necklaces are all created with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Crystal Pearls and Japanese ..read more

Did you know I am a high school dropout?  It is certainly not something I am proud of, but it is a fact and one I have learned to stop hiding from.  I’ve managed okay since then with hard work, determination and amazing people in my life.  I’m the classic case you’ve heard about; a kid who couldn’t manage to conform to public school standards.  I had my own ideas and that really ticked off the teachers and administrators in my school. The last report I turned in was on Christopher Columbus.  I got a big fat red F, was called into the principal’s office and my Mom w ..read more

Ut Oh!  Controversy!  Proceed with caution, there is an opinion ahead.  My thoughts are mostly about "ownership" or perceived notions of "ownership" regarding beadweaving.  That should scare quite a few peeps away!  LOL Having been online for almost 20 years now, joining in with groups, newsgroups, email lists, online forums, you name it - that have anything to do with beading, mostly because I LOVE beaders and hanging out with them, and sharing ideas and oohing and aahing over other peoples beautiful creations, I have also managed to hear 1000 times, “I learned ..read more

Did you know that my business, Whimbeads.com, is a small family run business?  Literally, it is myself and my husband Shawn, our youngest daughter Shawna and her girlfriend Kayla, Maria who works part-time packaging and Joan our accountant of about 20 years.  And once in a while when we’re getting ready for a big show we’ll also call in other family members and former employees to help us package up beads. With this staff we manage to operate a retail store (Out On A Whim), run a fairly successful mail-order business, operate a wholesale division of our business and do trade sh ..read more

Dear fellow Bead Store Owners, This letter is an appeal to each and every one of you to please pay careful attention to how you conduct your business.  While we are each our own unique businesses and we personally do not view ourselves as one company, many times, most especially online, we are lumped as one entity under the heading of LBS. (Local Bead Store).  When one of us behaves unethically and/or breaks the law, we all suffer a bit for it.  Very unfair, but life isn’t always fair, is it? While I am proud to be an LBS owner for over 28 years now, I am not proud of how som ..read more