First You Shop....

I'll start by posting pictures of me shopping for jewelry and beading supplies.
I do that a LOT!

Like many jewelry makers, I like to collect beads, maybe even more than actually making jewelry. I love sea glass. I also like fabric, polymer clay, inks, paints, ribbons, ephemera, stamping, paper crafts, resin, whatever catches my eye. 

My studio is in British Columbia, however, due to some circumstances, I haven't been able to go there lately.  Instead I have been stocking up and plotting.

When we travel, I hit the bead/craft/fabrics stores. We went to London in the fall of 2014 as a treat for me, to add to my bead stash and see what was shakin' in the stores in the UK.
I even studied and researched jewelry in the Victoria and Alberta Museum and the National Gallery.

The fabrics and notions in Liberty's were fabulous. I bought a few gorgeous buttons that became clasps on bracelets....

Camden Market, Spitalfields Market, Covent Garden Market.....

Sometimes you don't realize how much like a dork tourist
you look until you get home and see the pictures.

Would I use a back pack at home? Heck no.
  

Look how cute those ladies beside me are.
I had serious purse envy everywhere I went.
The women in London dressed really well.
The prices on bags, shoes and clothes  
is pretty steep but the quality is good.

 Spitalfields Market 

The jewelry seller had just been skiing in Banff!
We talked about jewelry making.

We should have been discussing our tragic taste in hats and how
soon we would be burning those grey numbers we were both wearing.

It was c-c-c-cold and damp and I was glad I had it at the time though.

 Brick Lane

Hirst Antiques

Finally found Seven Dials and Neal's Yard where, sadly, Bead Aura was going out of
business...but they still offer online sales. Got some sweet deals though.