CRAFTS : Get a Bead on a String of Places That Supply Jars Full of Inspirations
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to get creative, think beads. A little visual stimulation goes a long way when I need ideas for crafts projects, and the endless, alluring shapes, sizes and colors of beads in any decent store typically trigger design concepts for earrings, a necklace, or whatever.
Here is a list of local bead stores, which abound in Orange County. Most carry these de rigueur items: seed beads, Austrian crystals, inexpensive plastic, wood and glass beads, beads made of semiprecious stones, findings--such metal pieces as jump rings or eye pins used to attach various elements--needle-nose pliers and other tools and beading thread or wire.
The Bead Shop, 899 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (714) 494-2115.
At 20 years old, this is considered the granddaddy of local bead stores, with a loyal following and an inventory that’s one of the best around. Beads from all over the world are plentiful, as are whimsical Fimo beads, such oddities as porcupine quills and a changing array of other goodies, from tiny iridescent plastic bells to plaster Guatemalan animal charms. On the downside, it’s crowded ! And that’s bad news for beaders who often design projects in-shop and can use peace, quiet and elbow room. Try for weekday morning visits.
The Bead Line, 995 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (714) 494-3262.
This store also has an excellent, diverse selection of beads. It’s common to find beads unique to each store, but some unusual objects grace this place, items such as hand-carved fallen antler pendants and beads (that’s right, the animals shed annually, Bead Line owners say) and beautiful contemporary handblown glass beads, not coincidentally made by the owners’ daughter, a jewelry designer. Prices can be on the high side.
Beads Beads, 949 N. Tustin Ave., Orange. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (714) 639-1611.
The area’s friendliest, most instructive and adept attendants assist visitors at Beads Beads, which also boasts a top-notch inventory. Highlights include an array of African trade beads and other ethnic beads, plus African and American Indian artifacts and unusual silver beads and charms imported from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. It can definitely get cramped in this small shop too, so again, weekday morning jaunts are best.
Bead City, 1932 S. Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. Open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (714) 548-9447.
Bead City’s assets include a superior selection of fake pearls and a wide selection of metal-plated findings onto which fake gems may be glued for costume jewelry of the sort you might see at Contempo Casuals or other clothing stores for trendy teens. Also on hand are myriad charms, made of plastic or cheap metal, in designs ranging from peace signs to African masks to mermaids.
Beads and Things, 1033 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (310) 430-9818.
This relative newcomer (it opened in late 1991) has a solid inventory, particularly strong in beads from around the world and one-of-a-kind necklaces, African trade beads and turquoise. One of its selling points is size. At 1,400 square feet, it’s roomier than most and refreshingly spacious.
The Bead Boutique, 4143 Campus Drive, No. C199, in the Marketplace, Irvine. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (714) 725-0468.
Unique to this shop--aside from late-evening hours--are tables at which customers may construct jewelry on the spot, aided by unlimited free instruction from the staff. For the more experienced beader, this may not make up for the store’s less extensive inventory (no Austrian crystal, for instance). But it’s great for beginners and kids and teens, who can also celebrate birthdays with instructional beading parties, costing $25 plus $5 per person.
Gotsie’s, 207 5th St., Huntington Beach. Open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (714) 969-7000.
This is another spacious store with an excellent inventory. Standouts include an abundance of charming, colorful handmade Venetian glass beads and pendants and a large collection of sterling-silver charms. Another plus: Not a single container of beads rests atop another--common in most shops--thereby allowing customers to see the entire stock without asking for assistance, an often wearisome chore.
