Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone!

As 2011 comes to a close, Kandra and I would like to thank everyone for supporting the new store and for following the website and blog.  Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, we would both like to wish you a happy holiday season and health and happiness for 2012.  We hope that you will continue to stay with us throughout 2012 as we have some very exciting things planned for the coming months!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Kandra and Kerrie

More classes!

Hi everyone!

Kandra has been busy teaching more classes at the new store and once again I am going to let the pictures do the talking!  I don't know about you, but although I am eager to see what the students are beading, I can't take my eyes off all the incredible beads and beadwork around the walls!

The class schedule for January to March 2012 is now available to view on the website and includes some very helpful 'Clean out your project box' workshops, where Kandra will do her best to help you complete any of those hard to finish projects that you might be struggling with so that you can move on to the next exciting project.  Kandra will also be teaching her wonderful Grape Baby on March 17th and 18th so make sure that you book early!

Grape Baby!

Upcoming classes!

Hi everyone!

As I write, Kandra is busy working on the schedule for 2012 lining up a variety of exciting classes that will cover a whole range of techniques and skill levels, but here's news that C. R. Radding will be returning to the store in March 2012!  C.R. will be teaching this beautiful Wire Beaded Necklace in a full day class on Saturday March 3rd and she will also be teaching a half day class on Sunday March 4th showing you how to create these gorgeous Basket Weave Earrings.

Contact Kandra if you would like to book a place or if you need further details.

Beads!

I don't think I need to say much this week.  I think I will let the pictures do the talking.  Kandra has new beads in the store and LOTS of them!  Can you imagine getting your beady paws on some of these?  I think the ammonite shaped beads are my absolute favourite, but really I could just sit and stare at any of them all day long!

And how is this for a picture?  Don't you just want to reach out and run your fingers through that mound of gorgeous glassiness?  Am I dreaming?

If you want to make any of these beads your own, either drop into the store or contact Kandra!

New two-hole Twin seed beads from Preciosa!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick post today to let you all know that Kandra now has the new two-hole Twin seed beads from Preciosa in stock.  The finishes currently available are black, matte black, clear and matte clear and a selection of the other colours should be in stock within the next few weeks.  The beads measure 2.5 by 5mm and they offer a host of exciting new design possibilities!

These beads are in the store and not on Kandra's website yet, but if you can't get to the store and would like to purchase some of these wonderful new beads just use the contact form!

Ever Bloomin' Cuff!

We are still trying to catch up on the blog with all the exciting events that have recently been taking place at Kandra's Beads as the new store gets established.  A couple of weeks ago C. R. Radding taught a class for her stunning wirework project 'Ever Bloomin' Cuff'.  From the pictures below it looks like the students had a lot of fun and went away with some beautiful everlasting gardens to adorn their wrists!

There's always something going on at Kandra's store and there are some great plans in the pipeline - from trunk shows to classes on the basics of a beading technique or some more challenging project workshops which will be taught by a line-up of national and international teachers.  So make sure you keep a beady eye on the 'Classes and Events' page of Kandra's website!

Third Wednesday!

You know by now that Kandra has a new bead store in Solvang CA right?  But do you know about Solvang Third Wednesday?  On the third Wednesday of every month over 60 stores (including Kandra's Beads) in Solvang stay open until 8pm and many of them offer special discounts or sales.  There's a great atmosphere with lots of exciting activities and attractions throughout the town including wine tasting, live music and fun contests.  In October there was a pumpkin carving contest and the music was provided by trio 'KAT and the fiddle' and in the pictures below you can see the girls doing their thing right outside Kandra's store!

So of course the 16th of November will be the third Wednesday of the month and once again, Solvang will be celebrating.  This time as well as all the usual offers and events there will be a scarecrow contest, so why not pay Solvang a visit this Wednesday and don't forget to drop in to Kandra's Beads and mention 'Third Wednesday' for a 10% discount on your purchases!

Jenny's trunk show!

Following my introduction in the previous post, we have lots of catching up to do regarding all the exciting events that have been going on at Kandra's Beads!  After weeks of hard work decorating the store and stocking the shelves, on August the 1st 2011 Kandra took a deep breath, turned the sign and the new store at 1539A Mission Drive, Solvang, CA was 'Open'. 

Just a month later, the store hosted its first trunk show of Jenny Friske-Baer's beautiful handmade lampwork beads and glass.  You can see more of Jenny's work on her website Divine Spark Designs but the pictures below give you some idea of the delights that were on offer!

Shows like this will be a regular event, so be sure to keep a close eye on Kandra's 'Classes and Events' page!

A helping hand

Hello everyone!  My name is Kerrie Slade and I am a beader living and working in England.  Despite living over 5000 miles away from Kandra, we recently became firm friends via the wonders of modern technology.  During our chats, it became obvious that since she opened the new bead store in Solvang CA, Kandra has a LOT on her plate and so I have offered to help out by keeping her blog up to date for her.  Although I have never physically walked through the door of her new store, I have been given a tour of the interior via Skype and it is such a vibrant and exciting place with so many things going on that I felt the world should know about it!  So, although there is a new voice around here, it's still all about Kandra and her beads and I hope you will become a regular visitor to her blog.

Moving Along With The New Store

I ran out of room on the walls so I am putting the Delicas on a rack, I can get 176 different colors on each side and it's 3-sided! I can get more containers on the rack if I have to but I don't want to go that low.

This is standing up front looking to the back of the store. You can see I have a lot of the seed beads up on the walls.

I will have the racks with the glass on the other side of the shop.

This is a view of the shop from the back.

Working on the Shop!

Dennis took the wood off the back wall so I will be able to put up shelves and this is going to be the wall of seed beads. The address is 1539A Mission Drive Solvang, CA I don't get my phone number until Wednesday. Starting to fill up the racks with pressed glass beads.

Dennis hard at work, I could not be doing this with out him!!!

Another shot of the seed bead wall you can see in the upper right corner I have 2 different containers of beads on the shelf, only eight thousand more to go!

New Bead Store in Solvang, California

Here is a picture of the front of the shop.

Here is a picture of the inside standing in the front looking to the back.

This is a picture of the back room and back door.

Here is a picture of the shop from the back looking to the front.

Here is a picture of the building with the other two tenants.