Summer is getting closer with each longer, warmer day. Although I'm not a fan of hot weather, summer makes me incredibly happy. As the season for vacation grows closer, I've begun compiling a specific list of things to see this year and matching my friends' calendar dates.

My list includes friends to visit, places to have fun, and, whenever possible, opportunities to buy beads.

Beads on the Road

This pendant features coral beads purchased in Kona, Hawaii and sterling beads purchased in Seattle, Washington.

If you're traveling this summer, don't miss out on an opportunity to see new places and new beads. My travels have taken me from coast to coast, as well as to Hawaii, Mexico and Japan. I've purchased beads on all of these trips as travel mementos. My boyfriend Burt has squished pennies from a variety of tourist sites, our fridge is covered with magnets from around the world, but beads are what I really collect.

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An easy, "technologically-free" way to find beading stores is the phone book. This method has led me to many nice, local stores and introduced me to new beads and findings. Any time I visit friends or family, I arrive with a list of local bead stores to check out.

If you're an electronic information seeker, go to Beadshopfinder.com. This site features an interactive search engine to help you find bead shops by state and advanced searches to help you target smaller areas. If you're looking for beads within 10 miles of your hotel, a few clicks will provide all the information needed, including maps, phone numbers and Web sites.

While researching, I found the Local Bead Store Alliance. Their site, LocalBeadStores.com, isn't as high tech as Beadshopfinder.com, but offers great tips and articles authored by store owners. I learned a lot about plastic beads from a great article written by Heather DeSimone. LocalBeadStores.com is definitely worth a few clicks of your time, featuring links to and information about 50 stores across the nation.

No matter how small or rural, there seems to be local bead, rock or gem stores everywhere; it just takes a little looking around.

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Copper Canyon Design by Margot Potter This elegant, earthy design was inspired by one-of-a-kind pieces in a Santa Fe jewelry gallery. The designer version costs $150, but you can make your own for under $25, using inexpensive gemstones and mass-produced copper beads and charms. The mossy green shades combine to create a timeless, upscale look. Our cost for necklace: Approximately $12. Materials Approximately 41 (5mm x 6mm) khaki green rice freshwater pearls Approximately 34 (4mm x 6mm) bronze rice freshwater pearls 1 (15mm x 20mm) pietersite rectangle bead 18 (8mm x 12mm) African green jasper rectangle beads 28 (4mm x 10mm) grossular garnet rondelle beads 9 copper flat grape with leaf charms 4 gold-plated crimp tubes 12 (2-inch-long) copper head pins 1 (2-inch-long) copper eye pin Copper floral toggle clasp 2 (18-inch) lengths .013-inch-diameter 49-strand nylon-coated flexible beading wire Multichannel bead board (optional) Electric bead reamer Round-nose pliers Chain-nose pliers Crimp pliers Flush cutters Finished Size 15 1/4 inches (including clasp) Project notes: : If desired, lay out beads and pearls in a multichannel bead board before stringing to ensure that the inner strand will nestle inside outer strand. Instructions 1) Use the bead reamer to widen the holes in 12 khaki rice pearls so they will accommodate the copper head pins. 2) Slide each reamed khaki rice pearl onto a separate head pin; using round-nose pliers, form wrapped head pin loops above each pearl. Trim excess wires. Do not throw away trimmed pieces of copper head pins. 3) Slide pietersite rectangle onto an eye pin; form a wrapped loop above rectangle. Trim excess wire. 4) Using scrap pieces from trimmed head pins and round-nose pliers, form seven handmade jump rings, setting three aside for use later. Open one jump ring and slide it onto bottom loop of pietersite eye pin; slide another handmade jump ring and a khaki rice head pin on first jump ring before closing ring. Open second ring and slide on a khaki rice head pin; close ring. Attach two additional handmade jump rings in same manner. Open last jump ring and slide on a copper charm; close jump ring. 5) Open one of the remaining three handmade jump rings and slide on bar end of clasp and another jump ring; close jump ring. In same manner, attach last jump ring to second jump ring. 6) String a crimp tube 1/2 inch from wire end on an 18-inch length of beading wire; place wire end through one half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. 7) Beginning and ending with a khaki rice pearl, string 29 khaki rice pearls and 28 rondelles, alternating between the two. This strand should measure approximately 14 inches. String on a crimp tube and place wire end through remaining half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. Trim excess wire. 8) Repeat step 6, attaching second 18-inch length to clasp on the outside of the first strand. 9) String the following onto wire: African green rectangle, bronze pearl, khaki pearl head pin, bronze pearl, African green rectangle, bronze pearl, copper charm and bronze pearl. Repeat three times. String an African green rectangle and a bronze pearl. String on beaded pietersite rectangle eye pin. 10) Repeat beading sequence in step 9, only in reverse. 11) String on a crimp tube; place wire end through remaining half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. Trim excess wire. Sources: Green jasper rectangles from Thunderbird Supply Co.; Pietersite rectangle and copper head pins from Great Craft Works; rondelles and pearls from JS Beads; clasp and copper charms from Blue Moon Beads; beading wire and findings from Beadalon. Copyright © Oct. 2005 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved. Back to top. Click here for printer friendly page.

Shopping Local

My nearest bead store is 25 miles away, and my favorite local bead store is 48 miles from home. When I lived in Seattle, my favorite bead store was walking distance from my apartment. Moving to a place so far from the bead store changed the way I shop as well as my appreciation for local stores. Like all resources, the local bead store is a precious commodity that we beaders need to nurture.

Imagine not having a local bead store at all! Even with a pretty big inventory in my studio, I regularly find myself needing one or two items to finish a project the right way. Necessity is a great way to innovate, but sometimes you just need the right size jump ring! What if the only thing you need to finish a bracelet for a friend's birthday is one crimp bead?

Shopping local isn't just about convenience. Buying local is becoming more important as gas prices soar and resources become more precious. I buy my produce at a local farm stand in the summer, supporting my neighbors by keeping my money in the local economy. Buying your beads from a local store works the same way, employing other members of the community, using less fossil fuel and giving you an opportunity for a personal shopping experience.

If you need help learning how to crimp or finding just the right clasp, sometimes a little input from an expert is the remedy. Many stores offer personal help, and nobody knows the inventory like an employee! This personal assistance can save you plenty of time and give you an opportunity to meet people who share your passion for beads.

Even great photos cannot do many beads justice. Beads have too much soul; the colors, textures and "feel" of a bead cannot be conveyed photographically. I've overlooked some beads on the computer screen that I find irresistible in person. Computer screens don't always show color with enough accuracy to match an unusual pendant or handmade glass bead, either.

The Internet offers us unlimited opportunities to find things, but it isn't personal or local. Your local store is a precious resource, and your support keeps them near home where you need them when you run out of beading needles, crimp beads or flex wire. Now get out there and shop local!

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