I had the opportunity to try out Consumer Crafts‘ relatively new website.  Their mission is to provide competitive pricing on a wide selection of craft supplies, and I found that for jewelry makers, there is a very nice selection of beads and findings available.

I received a shipment of Jill MacKay findings and am very pleased with the quality.   The website was very easy to navigate and use, and the shipment went out the very next day.   I had my order a mere two days after placing it!  The findings that I ordered are silver and gold plate, and as you’ll …read more

As the economy continues to be in a bit of a slump, many of us are looking for ways to cut our costs without sacrificing taste and artistic merit.  For several years now, I’ve been mixing copper, brass, and pewter into my designs…at first because I liked the look, and in addition now because they are more affordable.
I have a list of metal bead suppliers that has links to many fine companies, but I notice that most of them specialize in silver and gold.  Vintaj is listed, a wholesaler of brass beads and findings, and also Green Girl Studios, which …read more

Technique Tuesday!
Over the years that I’ve been working with beads, I’ve complied some pretty extensive lists of  various Suppliers that I’ve found to be reliable and good to deal with.  I’d love to hear if you’ve got any suggestions to add

Complete list of links

Near the top of the right-hand sidebar is a link to several “Pages”. One is a list which will be updated as we go, of various Suppliers that I’ve found to be reliable and good to deal with. Here’s what we’ve got there so far:
Seed bead suppliers
Vintage bead suppliers
Czech glass bead suppliers
Gemstone bead suppliers
Antique and trade bead suppliers
Full-service catalog suppliers
Venetian and Murano glass bead suppliers
Metal bead suppliers

Near the top of the right-hand sidebar is a link to several “Pages”. One is a list which will be updated as we go, of various Suppliers that I’ve found to be reliable and good to deal with. Here’s what we’ve got there so far:
Seed bead suppliers
Vintage bead suppliers
Czech glass bead suppliers
Gemstone bead suppliers
Swarovski crystal suppliers

What a great idea! Maybe if we all add to this, we can bring it up to date and make it even more helpful. Potentially, this bead store map and review site could help you plan your travels. So, add your own local bead store to the map and write reviews! Let’s make this map helpful to the whole country!