Refelections on Ten Years of Beading

Antique hand-carved jade bead surrounded by copper handmade heshi beads by the Masi Tribe of Africa. Modern matt finish small round jade beads arch away from the center of this small tribal single wrap.

It’s been ten years since I began making and selling hand-beaded leather wrap bracelets. I never intended to sell bracelets when I began making these ten years ago, I just needed a little therapy.

A dear friend suggested I look at leather wrap bracelets many years ago.  I looked them up, they were hand-beaded, beautiful, soft, and making quite a stir. I was hooked.

I played with beads as a young girl while spending summers at my grandmother’s house in a microscopic town in central farmland, Illinois. At some point in my teens, I was given a small beading loom. I taught myself how to use it and loved it.

Fast forward 30+ years and I really need something completely different to do with my brain. I’d been single parenting for 25 years at that point and had been performing fairly well as Wonder Woman running my own freelance Illustration business - and supporting myself and my two children for years. I studied the beautiful wrap bracelets I had fallen hopelessly in love with and figured out how to make them. Some of my childhood bead collection came back out into the light of day. Making these bracelets really was a soothing relaxing escape. A few friends saw my initial efforts at bracelet making and really liked them. Several even suggested I consider selling them.

That had not been my intention at all when I began. It was all about therapy and a break from what I spent so much of my time doing, running my business, and single parenting.

Ten years later I would not be making and selling my hand-beaded leather wrap bracelets without all of your support. I am so grateful. Thank you.