My name is Bo Hulley and I am a beadmaker…

Hello to all you lovely jewellery designers and Bead Shop customers, may I introduce myself? At the risk of sounding like an AA meeting, my name is Bo Hulley and I am a beadmaker…

A little while ago I had a lovely message from Josh, right here at the Bead Shop asking if I would be interested in writing regularly for the Bead Shop Blog. I was delighted for several reasons, but firstly because unbeknown to Josh, The Bead Shop was where I bought my very first beads and set of tools, maybe six years ago and I have bought many more since then.

I don’t buy so many these days, but only because my life took a different direction when I tried my hand at making and selling ceramic beads, so I no longer have much time to make jewellery – I have to be satisfied with seeing what beautiful and original pieces some incredibly talented designers make with my beads instead.

I hope in the coming weeks to be able to chat a little about handmade beads, or art beads as they are also known and a little of what it is like to be self-employed in this extraordinary online world.

One of my early customers was and fortunately still is, Rebecca Anderson who many of you may know from the wonderful classes she teaches at the Bead Shop. We have become firm ‘cyber friends’ (I hope she agrees!) and last year we met for real at the Big Bead Show in Surrey where I was fortunate enough to take one of her classes. If any of you are thinking of taking a class with her at The Bead Shop Academy, please do, you will not regret it for a second. She is my absolute favourite designer and I own several of her bracelets.

I’m telling you this because I feel I have come full circle. When I made my first stretchy bracelet with blue glass beads I would never have dreamt I would end up making beads and jewellery my full time employment. So it was especially nice to be contacted by Josh who had seen my work online via Rebecca – in the nicest possible way I am right back where I began and very pleased about it too.

I hope I haven’t bored you too much – next month I will talk beads!