Hi Friends,
It's my sincere pleasure to welcome everyone. I hope we engage, excite and inspire you!
To those of you from around the world who shop with us regularly, our aim is to bring you an intimate online experience that is easy to navigate and retains the personal relationship we hope will bring you back over and over.
I'd like to say a special "Hi there" to those of you who are die-hard fans of our old store, The Bead Shop in Palo Alto, California. We closed our doors in August 2008 and I know that decision saddened and shocked so many. The Bead Shop was an integral part of the local and global beading community. For 27 years, it was the destination for cutting-edge instructors, the latest in jewelry classes, fabulous products, and true friendships. I had gifted staff and instructors who kept peeling back the onion to make it the very best. Honestly, they did ALL the heavy lifting....I just planted the seeds and watered the garden.
So why did we close? When sales slowed with the recession, expenses just kept rising with inflation. Unfortunately, class registration dropped and old customers felt too over-scheduled to care about beading. It was a new world for me....up until then, there was always a demand. For the first time, by Spring of 2008, it felt like a ghost town at 158 University Avenue. It was hard to close but it was time a few months later on August 27.
For more than a year, I tangled with problems left by the company. It wasn't until late November of 2009 that I was able to really gear up and find my "mojo" again. With the release of Ode to a Queen, I reawakened my passion for vintage, art and antiques. My newest pathway is discovering You Tube. It’s a whole new world!
Again, it's the team doing the heavy lifting; Nicole Anderson and Brittany Ketcham, two very talented artists who used to teach and work at the shop. Without them, I wouldn't know where to begin!
We're not large or grand enough to stock everything at every price (and quality) point. So, my team and I made a decision we would be an online store that would feel and behave like the best of The Bead Shop. We would hand-select everything and sell only what we love. We would try to inspire our customers and treat them like the artists they are. I don't want to be "big" again. I'm completely happy with keeping it tiny. I'm designing again, writing handouts and enjoying my week. It's a new life!
