I started stringing beads about fifteen years ago, making necklaces with gemstone beads and featuring dichroic glass beads created by Gail Lacy, a wonderful glass artist and good friend of mine. Stringing was fun and my necklaces and bracelets sold well. At the time, I couldn’t imagine working with “those teeny tiny beads”. Then I saw a magazine article on beaded cabochons and thought they would make nice pins to go with the necklaces. I asked Gail to make me a couple of glass pieces that I could try beading around. She did, and I was instantly hooked on bead weaving. I quickly moved from beading around cabochons to loom work to off-loom stitches, and finally to pattern design. I was fascinated with creating beaded “cloth” patterns and images. It had a tactile feel unlike anything else, and with the hundreds and hundreds of colors available, it was like painting – but with the added possibilities presented by the many different bead finishes. Today, I find designing immensely satisfying, and hope you enjoy beading my patterns as much as I do creating them. Happy Beading! Carolyn
