Store Location
4058 Forest Hill Blvd.
West Palm Beach
FL 33406
t: (561) 649-9909
f: (561) 649-0234

Store Hours
Monday 10am - 9pm
Tue to Sat 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm
 

Tuesday, October 23rd 2007
I know many of you have met my two greyhounds Linkin and Lilly, and I just remembered that October is National adopt a greyhound month. If you adopt a greyhound during this month they waive the normal $200.00 or so adoption fee. I am totally in love with the greyhounds. They are just so loving and sweet and are also known as the fastest couch potatoes! The origin of the greyhound is deeply rooted in ancient history. Murals and paintings of dogs strikingly similar to today's greyhound existed over 4,000 years ago. So if you are in the market for a new pet consider the greyhounds.

Friday, October 19th 2007
I know it is a little after the fact but I was really happy that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. I resisted watching his video, "An Inconvenient Truth", for quite some time. I didn't want to hear about how bad things are. But when I did watch it (my mom made me when I went to visit her) I found it very informative and the best part was at the end when he said we were able to make a difference with the ozone layer and with a few changes we can make a difference here too. The only thing I would have like to see at the end of the movie was more of the ways that we can actively help. I guess I'll look it up on the web site.

Thursday, October 18th 2007
Well my life over the past several weeks has been consumed with mold, paperwork, and more mold and more paperwork. So now we get to get back to business. As many of you have seen we have a lot of great sales going on. Keep your eyes posted to the web site because we keep putting more on sale (gotta make room for next years Tucson Trip). My son Erkki will be in his first play at his new high school. The play runs from the 25-28th at Dreyfoos School of the Arts and you can check there for tickets if you want to do something fun. The play is Our Town.. and it is suppose to be "life changing". Call Dreyfoos at 802-6052. I of course will be there every night.. hope to see some of you there.

Sunday, July 15th 2007
Hello and happy summertime. Those of you who have been watching the progression of the 8/0, 11/0, 15/0, 6/0, seeds beads, know how exciting it is that we have nearly all the colors and they are in number order. This will really help us to make sure we can always have all the colors in stock.

We also just made room on the wall for over 200 colors of the NEW 10/0 Miyuki delicas. These are really fun to work with! They are for sale with a lower price and also have an introductory price of 20% off. All the guest teachers for the rest of the year are now listed on the web site. All but 2 have their projects selected. Take some time to look at the projects and also check each teachers own web site to learn about them.

We will welcome for the first time Huib Petersen, his fish and butterflies are fantastic. We are also welcoming for the first time Amy Clarke Moore, and Carol Cypher. Amy is teaching advanced bead embroidery, and Carol will be doing felting. These New topics are sure to be a hit. Both Amy and Carol are published artists. Janice Berkebile will be returning with some hot new metal classes, as well as Dallas Lovett, one of everyones favorites.

Diane Fitzgerald will be here in December and I have always said she is the teacher of teachers!
She too has written several great books. Leslie Frazier will be with us again teaching her famous flower lariat and Met Innmon another new teacher for us has some very beautiful looking bracelets and a pair of earrings that came especially for us. I had purchased about 15 colors in a large pointed back Swarovski stone. Then set out to find ways to use them. I gave some to
Met and she came up with these elegant Eddies earrings. I put my stones into a bracelet that should be done soon.. called Lava Bracelet, and my Daughter Liisa put her stones in one of the woven treasure bracelets..

The On line shopping cart is up.. and everyday we adding more items, so check back often.

We finally got in the Soft Flex Silver Extreme.. So those of you that have been waiting, and waiting for it... come on in. I hope everyone is having a fun summer.

We are offering FREE intro to beading class during July and August, so if you have friends that you think might be interested have them call to find out when the next class is.

In closing I wanted to sincerely thank everyone for your continued support. I know many of you drive from Jupiter, Boca, Miami, Royal Palm Beach, Vero, Wellington, and Ft Lauderdale to shop for beads at our store and to take our beading classes. Thank you!

I appreciate your business, it's what keeps us here.

Thursday, May 17th 2007
Great news for everyone. I know several people have been in and said that we were really low on seed beads. Well what we are actually doing is pulling out all the excessive duplicates, and making a spot for every color that is available from our supplier, and then fill them! So far we have completed all of the 8/0 and are 1/2 way thru the 11/0's. I know that when we get this all done it will be great. We will be able to find colors, and order and keep in stock all the colors! Stop in soon to see our progress.

Saturday, April 14th 2007
Hello everyone. I Hope you all had a nice spring holiday! I was doing some much needed cleaning and sorting around the house. I feel like it was the first time I have had a chance to go thru things since the Hurricanes 2 years ago. Now back to business... We got in some great new colors from Swarovski that are very well received. Dk Red Coral, Mint Alabaster, and Rosewater. My daughter Liisa created some great new necklaces with the large Swarovski leaves, and deco pieces, in the fancy colors. Be sure to stop in to see them.

I am hope that everyone makes it a point to look at the New Items area on the web site often because that is where we try to post the new items.. Today was fun for me. Erkki, my son, had his first movie filming. It was in Miami and it was a very interesting experience for both of us. The Movie is Bachelor Party 2. No, he is't the bachelor. It should be out in the fall. I am sure this is just the beginning for him. We have a few guest teachers coming before the summer so be sure to check it out on the web site under guest teachers. Several of the teachers are teaching at Bead and Button and their classes have sold out already. This is a great opportunity to learn for the top of the top and at a better price too!

Speaking of which Jen Ursillo, one of our teachers here is getting ready to go to teach at Bead and Button too! 2 of her classes are sold out already. Well hope to see everyone soon. In other news... we are working on a new easier to navigate web site and I am really hoping that the shopping cart will be up by the end of April. We won't be able to have everything on it but I think you will find it very much like the store. Well have a great week everyone. Glenda

Saturday, February 3rd 2007
Hello from the desert. Yes, I am here in Tucson attending the largest show in the USA. Actually there are 38 shows going on at the same time here. I am hunting down all kinds of new and exciting treasures for you. So far I have found some fabulous Larimar beads, the color is just yummy, and some Italian Lucite donuts and chain looking mother of pearl strands that seem very New Yorkish and trendy. I have had selected lots and lots of cabochons. Everyone who took the Sherry Serafini class, or who is doing beaded cabochon embroidery will definitly want to come in and get first pick. The cabs are also great for wire wrap cabs. I got a few strands of spinny oyster chips. Of course I love the orange and red color!

I picked up a new selection of mother of pearl carved flowers and have some new design ideas.

Looking thru my stash I see some new beads from John Winter. His new design which is very Betty Rubble looking. There is a strand of white coral branch and red coral branch. For those of you who like to accent your designs with a focal centerpiece I hove lots of new sterling silver and stone pendants for you to choose from. I picked up some of the new Paula Radke beads, and some outrageously fantastic Swarovski crystal pendants in colors and sizes that I have not had before. I can't wait to get some of these into some new designs. I found some new glass leaves that are just gorgeous, and then placed orders for new 10/0 delica's, more 8/0 triangles, and the new Tierra Cast products.. I did all this in just three days and have 3 more to go!...

Friday, December 15th 2006
Oops...I just realized how long it has been since I last wrote.. As we all know time does fly.. I am can't believe it is December again... We will be getting ready to do inventory right after the first of the year and of course It is fun to have South Florida's Largest Bead Inventory until you have to count it. That is why we have started having our month long December count down to the new years sale. Every day a new item goes on sale and stays on sale till the end of the year or until we run out.. There are some great pearls 50% off, and Saturday December 16th selected gemstones are 35% off.. Selected kits 40% off and a lots of items that we just need to let go of because we want to make space for new items. So come on in and see all the goodies. As many of you know my daughter Lisa came back from Finland with her husband Jaani. She is helping me get the shopping cart up. Finally... I have had it for years but now we will get some items up for sale on there.. I think we will have the grand opening in January. Of course at first it won't have everything but hopefully it should be fun. I love having her around because she is very creative and helps us make all the new samples! Speaking of samples.. Jen made a new Silver Icicles with a big turquoise nugget in it. It is really neat. Be sure to ask to see it next time you are in. Danielle's last day was today... We wish Danielle and Cory lots of happy times with their 2 children. We will really miss her. So as we prepare to say good bye to 2006 I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt "Thank You" to all of our great customers. Thank you for your constant and continued support, and thank you for taking the time to bring in your wonderful beaded creations for us to see. The Crystal Creations Gang wish you and yours a Wonderful Holiday Season, and a Happy New Year! Glenda, Debbie, Sue, Kathy, Danielle, Jen, Michelle, Heidi, Wendy, Jason, Preston, Sheila, Kelly, Lisa, Erkki, Linkin, Lilly

Sunday, August 20th 2006
My Daughter Lisa is in town visiting from Finland and we went to the mall tonight. Every time I go shopping I get totally overwhelmed with new ideas. My head starts spinning and all I want to do is get home and start beading. The first thing I noticed was chain, EVERYWHERE! Big loops, small loops, round loops, square loops and odd shaped loops. Loops in loops, and loops dangling from loops. Hammered loops, smooth loops, and etched loops. Loops, loops and more loops..

I am really glad that we introduced the soldered chain class last month because in that class you can learn to make exactly what’s being shown out there in the fashion world. I know that we have quite a few classes coming up, and we will continue to hold as many as we need so that everyone can learn to make their own chain!

I also noticed that long necklaces, fibers, and eclectic bead mixes within a single item are all in. Leather wrapped with beads, bangles wrapped with wire and beads - so many of the techniques we teach in our classes and new ones I am now motivated to teach. Most exciting is that beads are still in everything possible. From Bags, to shoes, to clothes to jewelry… Beads and more beads. I was also excited to see the amount of crystal encrusted clothing; especially since we are getting ready for our first “Swarovski Hot Fix Class”. That’s where you can learn all the techniques for applying crystals to fabric with the Hot Fix Crystals. I was very impressed to hear that once on the material, if applied properly, the crystals are permanent. Well I am off to start beading… Hope to see you in the store soon.

Tuesday, August 1st 2006
I recently attended the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee. It was a great time for me because I got to touch base with the teachers who have taught here, or are scheduled to teach here. I love to see what new classes they are working on. Lea Zinke (who’s lampwork beads we carry at the shop) won a blue ribbon award from Bead and Button. Laura McCabe, Nancy Cain and Sherry Serafini were some of the other award winners and all are scheduled to teach here.

I am so happy that these talented artists teach here at the Bead Institute. There are only a handful of stores in the US that offer the variety of classes we do, with nationally recognized guest teachers.

Bead and Button recently did a great article on copy right infringement. I have always asked students, whether it is one of our classes, or a guest teacher class, to respect the copy rights of individual artists whether it is in their instruction or designs. Ethics are very important to me. I was shocked when I saw a vendor at the Bead and Button show who was selling knock off glass beads from artists who were actually exhibiting at the show.

It makes me really sad, because I know and respect the artists that worked hard to create a unique style for themselves. I overheard a customer looking at one of the beads in question and remarking – Wow! So and so’s work is not as it used to be. It was clear to me that they recognized the real artist by the bead style. That’s when I butted in and said the beads were mass produced, copies of his style and not the original work of the artist.

To buy beads from an artist and then have them reproduced in mass quantities to sell a cheaper bead is a real insult to the industry. I understand everyone wants things cheaper and cheaper, but it is just not right to pirate an artist’s work.

I guess as long as there are people willing to purchase these items, it will continue to happen.

I personally buy beads directly from the artist and I will not purchase knock off beads to sell and I hope that you join with me in helping to ensure that we maintain integrity in our field.

I know knock off’s happen in every industry, I just never had it happen to close and respected friends of mine. I wish people would realize that it does hurt the artists whose livelihood depends upon the sale of their art.