Welcome to
Our Bead Shop
We are a full
service bead shop, gift gallery and classroom for the avid
beader or discerning shopper, all located in Brevard, North
Carolina. We carry every imaginable bead; findings in
gold, silver, copper and brass; lead-free castings as well
as a wide selection of beading supplies and tools. |
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We have
a mailing list to keep you informed about special events and
sales. We promise, you won't hear from us more that
six or eight times a year.
We do not sell or share our list with anyone.
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If you
wish to be added to our
mailing
list,
add your e-mail address to the box on the right, then click
the OK button.
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Kazuri
Bead
&
Jewelry
Trunk Show
Friday July 24 & Saturday
July 25
10 am to 6 pm |
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The Kazuri Story
Kazuri Founder -
Lady Susan Wood was born 1918 in a mud hut in an African village.
Her parents were missionaries from England in the Ituri Forest.
Lady Wood was sent back to England to be educated and married Michael
Wood, a surgeon. They came to Kenya in 1947. They were
dedicated to making a difference and Lady Wood started a coffee
plantation on the Karen Blixen estate, famous for the award winning
movie "Out of Africa", at the foot of the Ngon'g Hills, about 30 minutes
from the bustling Nairobi city center in Kenya.
In 1975, Lady Susan
Wood set up a fledging business making beads in a small shed in her back
garden. She started by hiring two disadvantaged women, and quickly
realized that there were many more women who were in need of jobs and so
Kazuri Beads was created and began its long and successful journey as a
help center for the needy women especially single mothers who had no
other source of income. In 1988 Kazuri became a factory and
expanded hugely with over 120 women and men. Here women are
trained and apply their skills to produce these unique and beautiful
beads and jewelry. The beads are made with clay from the Mt Kenya
area thus giving them authenticity to their craft. The factory
acts as a social gathering with the hum of voices continuing throughout
the day. With unemployment so high, one jobholder often ends up
providing for and "extended family" of 20 or more. Kazuri is a
member of the Fair Trade Act.
Today Kazuri, the
Swahili word for 'small and beautiful' produces a wide range of hand
made, hand painted ceramic jewelry that shines with a kaleidoscope of
African colors and Kenyan art that reflects a culture and appeal to a
worldwide fashion market. Kazuri's beautifully finished products
are made to an international standard and are sold worldwide.
In 2001 Mark and
Regina Newman bought the company and their goal is to further increase
the size of the company and to maintain the guiding philosophy...to
provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged members of Kenyan
Society.
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Beading for a Cure
Layne's
Legacy
Layne's Legacy
is an annual beading challenge dedicated to raising money for the
National Colorectal Cancer Research Association in honor of our friend
Layne Shiling, who lost her battle with colorectal cancer in November
2002.
Participants
purchase a kit which contains a variety of beads. Each kit is
identical. At least one of each bead type must be used in the
finished project and the beader can only add one other type of bead to
the project. The completed projects are then auctioned off on eBay.
The proceeds are then donated to the NCCRA in Layne's name. We'd
like to ask you to join us helping to raise funds for this very worthy
cause.
For more
information, please visit the web site:
BeadingForACure.org |
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This is our own
Annette's entry in the beading challenge. If you want to see
pictures of more of the entries, please follow the link about to the
Beading for a Cure web site. |
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Freeform/Tubular
Peyote Class
If you want to learn
to make the kind of pieces below, you are in luck. We are now
offering classes in Freeform and Tubular Peyote.
This class is not
a basic level class. It will take two, ninety minute sessions with
a possibility of a third. The class fee is $40 for two sessions
and $50 for three, plus supplies. Students must know the basics of
even count peyote stitch. In class, they will learn how to do the
following:
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increase
and decrease
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start a
new thread and how to tie one off invisibly
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drop
stitches and how to pick them up
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connect
standard strands of beads to free form pieces
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mix
different sized and/or different shaped beads into the
pattern
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shape
free form pieces around cabochons and other extra large
beads.
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Two
Impressive Focal Beads
from
Luigi Cattelan
Each of
these impressive beads measures 50mm X 20mm. They made
the trip here from Murano for our recent trunk show.
Either one is available for special price of $30. |
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Our Garden in Spring
To see more
garden pictures and visit with our resident squirrels click
here. |
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White
Squirrels |
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White Squirrel
Books
Hand Sculpted
Venetian
White
Squirrel Bead
(The
last of these beads are sold.)
White Squirrel Post Cards |
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Bead Rooms
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We have
several rooms devoted to our passion, beads and jewelry making.
The walls are covered in beads, everywhere you look. We carry a
variety of Venetian glass beads, silver, gold, pearls, naturals,
semi-precious, Swarovski crystals, Czech glass, cloisonné, bone, vintage
beads and buttons, seed beads loose and on hanks and a large selection
of unique, handmade beads.
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Thumbnails above and below are all low resolution and may look
grainy.
Click on any thumbnail for a sharper enlargement.
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enlarged pictures are higher resolution and will take longer
to load. Please be patient, they are worth the wait, we
promise.
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Our Bead Room Walls
Natural Beads;
Japanese Seed Beads; Czech Seed Beads; Czech Glass Beads by the strand
or by the piece; bone; horn; wood; shell and mother-of-pearl
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Our Back Room
Silver and Gold;
Pearls; Swarovski Crystals; Fibers; Tools and Supplies
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Japanese and Czech Seed Beads
by the hank or loose |
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We carry both Czech
glass seed beads by the hank as well as Japanese Delicas, Miyukis,
Matsunos, Magatmas and other loose Japanese seed beads. |
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When you visit the bead
rooms in our shop, you have choices.
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You may pick out beads and jewelry making supplies to make
something yourself, on the spot, right here in the shop or at
home.
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For a small labor charge, you may also have us make up your
piece for you.
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You may also take a
class in
beading or jewelry making from one of our teachers.
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Last but not least, we have begun making kits of selected
jewelry items. If you see a piece in the shop that you
like and would like to make for yourself, ask if a kit is
available.
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The Crafter’s Cottage is also a gift gallery filled with a wide
variety of locally produced art work and handmade crafts. Our goal
is to promote and enhance the art of unique handcrafts. We are
striving to do this by supporting over 50 local artisans through
marketing and consignment sales of their work. We envision The
Crafter's Cottage as a resource for hobbyist as well as professional
crafters and artists.
We
thank you for your interest in A Better Bead & Crafts and The
Crafter’s Cottage where we
aid
and abet your obsessions.
Alethea
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Hours of Operation |
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Spring Hours
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May 1
- May 31
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Tuesday thru
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Summer Hours
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June 1 - August 31
- Monday thru Saturday,
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Fri. July 24 & Sat. July 25 -
Kazuri Bead
Trunk Show
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Fall Hours
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September
1 - October 31
- Tuesday thru
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Winter Hours
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November 1 - April 30
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Tuesday
thru
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. -
5:00 p.m.
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Holiday and Festival Schedule
- The shop
may be open extended hours on Sundays and/or Mondays during
holiday and festival celebrations in Brevard.
- Please
call to verify hours.
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