Category: 2014 Bead Shop Hop

After the long drive from the San Fernando Valley, it actually seemed like a short hop from Bead Stop to Beadology in Huntington Beach.

My pocketbook was quivering in fear. This was a store I hit two years ago, saw the AMAZING variety of lucite leaves and flowers and lost my marbles, leaving with a selection of nearly everything they offered. As fearful as that was, I was really looking forward to going back as I remembered the owners were some of the nicest people I have ever met as far as bead store owners go.

Here’s what’s going on at Beadology the next two weekends:

Theme – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Charm – a chocolate candy bar

Gifts – a candy necklace made from REAL CANDIES with a $25.00 or more purchase

I am happy to report this store has only gotten more AWESOME as far as their friendliness and variety of beads and findings. From the gorgeous, faceted cabochons in summer and autumn iridescence, to their new stashes of O beads and Super Duos, I nearly squeed when I found a Neon Cherry color and a mixed, dark neon AND bright neon mixes of duos! WHEE!!!

Maybe it was the candy theme, but as I reviewed their stash of delicas beads, I was completely taken by some bright, luscious candy-colored Miyuki delicas in shades of purples and pinks! THEY HAD TO COME HOME WITH ME!!!

(*hyperventilating…okay….calm down…BREATHE!*)

Top – left to right – spring faceted lucite cabochons, Lava Red Czech O Beads, Neon Cherry Super Duo 2-Hole Beads.

Middle – left to right – Autumn Glow faceted lucite cabochons, Miyuki Delica size 11 Seed Beads, Miyuki Delica size 15 Seed Beads, Bright Neon Mix  Super Duo 2-Hole Beads.

Bottom right – Dark Neon Mix Super Duo 2-Hole Beads.

Oh man, is it going to be a BUSY beading day when I get to all these beads. I think I need to start BEFORE the end of the Bead Shop Hop.

Tomorrow – Store #5 – Beadtopia

Due to a slow start where bank deposits, gas station & lunchtime drive-throughs put me behind, I would only be able to hit two of the four shops I had planned for the second day of the Bead Shop Hop. Ah, but what stops they were! After a quick visit to a New Age faire to see my harp instructor in concert in the South Bay, I travelled South a few more miles to hit Bead Station in Laguna Niguel.

Be warned, they are not visible from the freeway, but the instructions on how to get there on the Shop Hop map are very good and will get you going in the right direction. The only trouble I had was how large the industrial-like retail strip was and it took a minute to locate their store front, but once there, I was very glad. Even out of the roasting heat of the San Fernando Valley, the entire Southern California coast has been cooking and in a hot car, the air conditioning can only do so much to mitigate the heat.

This was my third stop along The Hop where I was now eligible for the charm bracelet. Now I have a home for my “bugs” and “flowers” – i.e. the bee, hibiscus flower and dragonfly I had collected so far. So, what flora and fauna would I collect at Bead Station to add to their company? A beer stein? Hmmm…well, all I can say is those critters will be partying on my wrist tonight!

Theme – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Charm – the aforementioned beer stein.

Discounts – a coupon for 50% off one item October 15th – December 31st.

Gifts with purchase – Spending as much as I did (not telling!) gets you the gift bag which contained semi-precious stones of a respectable weight, a handmade keychain, water (which I gratefully devoured), cookies and fruit. The food and drink were a nice touch to keep me on the road for the long drive back, thank you.

The Haul began with something I first laid my eyes on directly across from the checkout counter. I saw them and must’ve blacked out, because when I came to tally what’d I’d spent so far, I had a veritable rainbow of tubes of GORGEOUS Super Duo-like beads in my basket! (For those that don’t know, Super Duos are oval-shaped beads with two holes punched through a rather flat top and bottom instead of the usual side drilled fashion. They are also slightly raised in between the punches, as if the process of drilling them pushed up the surrounding bead.) Eight of them were breathtaking neon colors, the rest were just as beautiful copper, silver and black. I have wanted to experiment with Super Duos ever since their coming on my radar last year at the Summer Pasadena Bead and Design Show. The colors weren’t all that exciting, though and while I had picked up a couple of tubes then, just wasn’t really inspired to do anything with them and stashed them away for more colors or inspiration to hit the scene.

The other thing of note I picked up at the Bead Station were two magazines, one being one I have never seen before called “Creative Beading” out of Australia. They have some AWESOME ideas for beadwork in there. The other was the July 2012 issue of Beadwork, snagged for their “Garden Windows Bracelet” on the cover that utilizes Tila beads – another bead I saw last year, bought two packs and stored away for a rainy day’s creating.

Top – left to right – Metallic super duo beads, neons and black.

Bottom – left to right – Size 11 Triangle Seed Beads, “Teardrop” Beads the amazing color of soap bubbles, and Tila Beads in Rust and Green/Purple.

Tomorrow – Store #4 – Beadology

On the way home from Creative Castle, I stopped in The Beadiak in Agoura Hills, CA. I had never been in this store, despite it being on the way home for me for years.

I got a very vibrant, “Aloha!” the second I walked in. The owner was very friendly and had on a necklace featuring the most beautiful blue and green orchid I had ever seen. When I commented on it, she told me they sell them at the store and they are imported from Hawaii. They come in with genus and specie names, are dipped in preservative and stay beautiful forever due to the preserving process. All I can say about them is, “I WANT THE BLUE/GREEN ONE!!!”.

Here’s what you can expect at The Beadiak when you hit it them on your Shop Hop tour:

Theme – Hawaii.

Charm – a BEAUTIFUL, red hibiscus flower.

Discounts – 20% off your entire purchase on your next visit.

Gifts with purchase – Spending at least $20 gets you a nifty gift bag AND the choice of a second charm. It was a dragonfly. They are my favorite, new shop!

Blown glass dragonfly focal beads had me sighing in the corner. I am little hard on delicate items and it would have been broken within a few days if I had caved in and bought it, so I let it go. After a few minutes of scoping out the area, I zeroed in on large tubes of Size 14 seed beads in breathtaking, candy-liked shades of blue, purple and green.

I got off lucky pocket book-wise at this store, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The colors could go with the O & Dagger beads I snagged at Creative Castle, but they are so tiny, they may need to have a project all their own. We’ll see. Tomorrow – Store #3, Day Two – Bead Station

After my traditional “Date Day” where I rescue my husband from work-related lunchtime company emergencies, I headed off to my first stop on the Bead Shop Hop kickoff day – aptly, it is store #1 in Newbury Park, CA.  This is a very familiar store to me and they know my face by now as it is one of two I hit for my delica bead supplies. They easily have the second largest selection in the Los Angeles (and maybe Ventura) area. I was greeted warmly by the staff and quickly signed up under the guise of “passport #9”, with them as my starting store and my home store. Home store designations are important as that is where they send any and all prizes you win for store hopping for the three weekends. Here are the quick stats on what you can expect at Creative Castle when you hit it on your Shop Hop:

Theme – The Secret Life of Bees.

Charm – a silver bee. Goodies – honey sticks, gift baskets you can win.

Discounts – 10% off your purchase today and they’ll punch your key tag. Gifts with purchase – Spend $15, receive Level 1 bag, Spend #35, receive Level 2 bag.

Since this is a store I go to a lot (Date Day is a weekly thing and this store is 12 minutes away from the husband’s work, thus a dangerous combination), I had no idea what I was going to get when I went in. Luckily, they were having a Trunk Show. Beyond Beadery was in town and it was a two-edged sword. Good for all the goodies I picked up, a bad hit for the pocket book, especially for my first store where I was hoping to spend conservatively. HA! It would only be a yardstick for the average amount I would be spending the at each store the entire weekend. Sadly, because the store makes no money on Trunk Shows (it all goes to the visiting vendor), my keychain got no punches and I got no gift bag, BUT I did get the sticker in the book and their tiny little bee charm just for showing up. On to the haul from Beyond Beadery via Creative Castle:

Top left – brass flat-backed Victorian butterfly, Czech Glass Dragonfly button, Rauten Rose Oval flat-backed Cabochons, Sun Swirl Oval Dagger Beads.

Middle – a hank of Vintage size 13 Watermelon Sherbet-Colored Charlotte Cut Seed Beads, size 15 Blue Metallic Iris Charlotte Cut Seed Beads, 2-hole Triangle Purple Metallic Iris Spacer Beads, and a relatively new style bead called an “O” Bead in Crystal Wine and Topaz Purple colors.

Bottom – Eggplant Metallic Glow Dagger Beads and more O Beads in Jet and Crystal Blue.

As I shop, I try to picture a project for each bead and piece I pick up, otherwise my hubby would have to back a truck up to the front door and bring out the forklift. He almost had to anyway. If all the stores are going to be like this, I better start making stuff out of my hauls fast. I don’t think I have a place for all these new beads. Tomorrow – Store #2 – Beadiak