Winter Hours

Anita's Beads is open 10-5; closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Open Today!

Anita's Beads is all plowed out and open today from 12:30-4:30. (Make that 12:30 - 3:00).

Snowed In!

We're having a "snow day" at Anita's Beads. Call ahead if you plan on coming out. I'll post again as soon as the storm is over and the parking lot is plowed. Stay warm!

Mineral Sale at Anita's Beads

Attention last-minute holiday shoppers ! All Toad Hollow Minerals are now 30% off now through January 7th 2013 at Anita's Beads.

No Bead Club

Bead Club has been cancelled for tonight due to weather. We will resume on Monday January 7th from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads.

Bead Club Meets Tonight

Bead Club will meet tonight, Monday December 10th from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads. Hope you can join us!

Jewelry Sale

Santa's Special! 20% off all finished jewelry at Anita's Beads now through December 24th.

Bead Club Meets Tonight

 

Bead Club will meet tonight, Monday December 3rd, from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads. Hope you can join us! Contact Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

No Bead Club on 26 Nov.

There will be no bead club meeting on Monday November 26th. Please join us next week, Monday December 3rd, from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads.

Bead Club Meets Tonight!

Bead Club will meet tonight, Monday November 19th from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads.

Anita's Beads will be closed on Thursday November 22nd for Thanksgiving. (Bead Club for Monday November 26th is cancelled.)

Bead Club Meets Tonight!

Bead Club will meet tonight, Monday November 5th, from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads.

We have 15 new colors of S-Lon in stock.

And also, the tube bracelet kits are now available in copper and gold in addition to silver and gunmetal.

No Bead Club Tonight

Bead Club is cancelled for tonight at Anita's Beads. We will meet again on Monday November 7th. Stay safe, everyone!

Bead Club Tonight

Bead Club will meet tonight, Monday October 22nd, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Anita's Beads. Hope you can join us! Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Directions for Tube Bracelet

Your kit contains:
1 24-inch piece of .015 beading wire
2 crimp beads
2 metal wire guards (look like horse shoes) 
1 magnet clasp
4 3x2mm rondelle metal beads
4 3mm round metal beads
4 2x38mm metal tubes
6 metal flat heishi spacer beads
10 colored bracelet beads
1 focal bead

You will need the following tools:
Chain nose pliers
Cutters

Step 1) Attach clasp to wire guard with crimp:
Thread the beading wire through one tube of the wire guard from the bottom, and then down the second tube from the top. (Note: if you are unfamiliar with wire guards, they are horse-shoe shaped with a hollow tube portion at both ends connected by an open u-shaped channel between them.)

Move the wire guard to the center of the beading wire. Now slip one ring of your magnet clasp over one end of the beading wire and bring it up into wire guard so it rests around the u-shaped channel. Once the magnet clasp is attached, bring both ends of the beading wire through the crimp. Pinch the two tube portions of the wire guard together so they are touching, and slide the crimp up to meet them.

With your chain nose pliers, flatten the crimp so it makes secure contact to hold the wires. For the best appearance, there should be no space between the wire guard and the flattened crimp. Make sure you do not compress the tiny tubes of the wire guard as you flatten the crimp.


Step 2) String on beads:
Holding the two wires together, string one colored bracelet bead, then one metal rondelle, and then one 3mm round metal bead and slide them up to the crimp. Now split the wires and string one metal tube onto each one and slide them up to the 3mm round metal bead.

Hold the two wires together again and string on one 3mm round metal bead, one metal rondelle, one bracelet bead, and one heishi. Continue to alternate bracelet beads and heishi for a total of two, three, or four sets. Then add the focal bead, followed by enough bracelet beads and heishi to match the first side, ending with a bracelet bead.

You can adjust the size of your bracelet by the number of beads added in the center on either side of the focal bead.

String on a rondelle metal bead directly after the last bracelet bead, and then string on a metal 3mm round. Now split the wires again and string one metal tube onto each.

The bring the wires together again and string on one 3mm round bead, one rondelle, one colored bracelet bead, and finally, the second crimp.

Step 3) Add second wire guard and attach to clasp:
Make sure all beads are strung evenly and without spaces, showing bare wire as little as is possible. Separate the two wires coming out of the second crimp and feed one up through one side of the second wire guard, across the top of the wire guard, and down through the second side.

Now slip the second ring of your magnet clasp over the piece of beading wire that you just fed through the second side of the wire guard and bring it up into wire guard so it rests around the u-shaped channel. Once the magnet clasp is attached, bring the end of the beading wire back down through the crimp and the colored bracelet bead. Pinch the two tube portions of the wire guard together so they are touching.

Keeping the crimp in position against the last colored bracelet bead, pull the tail of the wire running through the wire guard until the gap is eliminated between the crimp and the wire guard.

You still have a second piece of beading wire going up through the crimp. Bring this second piece of beading wire back down through the crimp, forming a loop. Then, reduce the size of the loop by pulling on the short piece of the second wire until there is just a small "nub" at the top of the crimp.

With your chain nose pliers, flatten the crimp so it makes secure contact to hold the wires. For the best appearance, there should be no space between the wire guard and the flattened crimp. Make sure you do not compress the tiny tubes of the wire guard as you flatten the crimp.

Step 4) Trim wires:
Carefully trim off the two short pieces as close as you can, one to the bottom of the flattened crimp and the other to the colored bracelet bead. Your tube bracelet is now complete.

Visit Anita's Beads and ask to see a demonstration at the counter if you need help.

No Bead Club Tonight!

Bead Club for Monday October 15th has been cancelled due to a conflict in schedule. Bead Club will resume next Monday night from 7-9 pm. Contact Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions,

Bead Club Tonight!

Bead Club will meet tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Anita's Beads. Hope you can join us!

Carol's Tube Bracelet

A friend showed me how to make these cool bracelets using 2x38mm bent metal tubes. Her copper bracelet was made with turquoise Czech picasso rondelles. You can adjust the size of the bracelet by the number of beads at the center. Here's a large version in silver plate with eight 6mm Czech pearls (plus two near the magnet clasp).

This sample in gunmetal (also known as black oxide) finish has only six pearls at the center and fits smaller wrists.

Kits and finished bracelets in silver plate and gunmetal are now available at Anita's Beads. Copper and gold plated versions will be available soon. Magnet clasps, tubes, wire guards, spacer beads, and a variety of Czech glass beads are offered separately as well.

Anita will be demonstrating how to construct Carol's Tube Bracelet at next Monday's meeting of The Bead Club scheduled for October 8th from 7-9 p.m. Come join us!

Bead Club Starting October 1st

Bead Club will start it's second season on Monday October 1st. We will meet every Monday evening from 7-9 at Anita's Beads. No reservations or sign-ups are required but we will be asking for a $5. donation per session. (Spend $25. on beads when you attend and receive your $5. back as a credit towards your purchase.)

Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions. Directions to Anita's Beads can be found on the Facebook page.

Gotta Get Gun Metal

I've started making new Daily Bracelet designs in gun metal. After I made my first one I had to start another one immediately. Such a cool look for fall and winter, don't you think?

You will find the following materials in gun metal at Anita's Beads: 24 ga. headpins (2-inch), 21 ga. headpins (4-inch), chain, ball & socket clasps, 2x38mm curved tubes, earwires, 2.5mm round beads, 2x3mm rondelle beads, 3mm round beads, 3mm heishi spacers, and 5mm heishi spacers.

Czech Glass Pearls

I am really loving the new Czech Glass Pearls just in at Anita's Beads. They are extremely affordable and come in a nice range of colors. I've been putting them to good use in some new Daily Bracelets!

In the 4mm size we have a very high quality version available in short strings of 31 pieces:

And here is another range of 4mm colors in a less expensive version which comes in strings of 120 pieces:

Here's what we have in the 6mm size:

Anita's lovely Czech glass pearls make an economical addition to your holiday gift and craft fair designs. Shop early for the best selection.

New Daily Bracelets

I've gotten back to wire work recently and am adding to the Daily Bracelet series using some of our new Czech pearls. I really love these orange ones for fall. Here is Daily Bracelet No. 47 with a matching necklace:

Here's another combination with some faceted Czech glass rondelles that remind me of blue Peruvian opal.
This is Daily Bracelet No. 46.

Summer Vacation

Many thanks to all who have attended bead club, and especially to those of you who have generously shared projects with the group. Bead Club will be suspended for the duration of the summer and will start up again in the fall. Have a wonderful summer everyone and don't forget, Anita's Beads is open 10-5 every day through September. In the fall, regular hours will resume.

Bead Club Meeting

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday July 12th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Czech Seed Beads

Anita's Beads stocks Czech seed beads in 6-strand hanks in the following sizes from large to small: 6/0, 8/0, 11/0, and size 13 Charlotte. The photo above shows our collection of opaque colors which are very popular for beading Native American designs.

Anita's New Ceiling

Back in may I posted a few photos of the shop under construction but never got around to showing you the finished results!

Buttons for Kumihimo

We have recently added some lovely new Czech glass buttons--so popular that we will be stocking additional colors soon. And the lovely "Tree of Life" button is now back in stock at Anita's Beads.

Bead Club Tonight

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday July 5th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

The bracelet in the photo is my latest kumihimo creation featuring a Czech dragonfly button with 4mm Czech faceted firepolish beads--now available as a limited edition kit!

Summer Hours

Anita's Beads is now on summer hours: Open 7 Days from 10-5.

Bead Club Tonight!

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday June 28th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Bead Club Tonight!

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday June 21st from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Bead Club at Anita's Beads

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday June 14th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

We have lots of new size 8/0 seed beads, both Czech and Japanese, for all you Kumihimo addicts out there! Plus new clasps and bead trays. . .

Bead Club Tonight

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday June 7th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Bead Club Tonight

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday May 31st from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Bead Club Meeting

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads tonight Thursday May 24th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions.

Bead Club

Bead Club will meet at Anita's Beads on Thursday May 17th from 7-9. All are welcome. Call Anita at 603-522-6529 with questions. Anita will be demonstrating how to make Anita's Daily Bracelets. Hope you can join us.

Open Today

Anita's Beads is open and has resumed regular hours:
Open 10-5; Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Seriously Closed Today!

As you can see from the photos taken this morning, Anita's Beads is closed again today. Repairs are still seriously underway. I'm praying for a miracle. Best to call ahead at 603-522-6529 if you are planning on stopping in this weekend. If there is something specific you need, give me a shout--although it may take me a day to find it!

Closed Friday

The repair project is in overtime. Anita's Beads will be closed again Friday May 4th but wait till you see it when the project is completed!

Closed For Repairs

Anita's Beads will be closed on Thursday May 3rd for repairs. We are finally getting a ceiling! Bead Club has been cancelled but will resume next Thursday night.

Friday is still up in the air so you might want to give Anita a call at 603-522-6529 before you head out.

Chartreuse Kumihimo

Two Kumihimo braided bracelets in my favorite Chartreuse green. Above: Size 6/0 Czech seed beads on Tex-400 cord. Below: Size 8/0 Japanese seed beads on S-Lon cord (2 strands) braided with 1mm rayon-cotton cord (6 strands).