We asked Jenny of Jelly Beads of Mogo a few questions so you can get to know her a little more ahead of The Bead Show in Melbourne

How did you come to set up your business?

I was working in the Federal Dept of Families and Community Services, back in the early 2000s when a programme for Mature Age workers was set up to help with planning for retirement and helping the Dept control the loss of corporate knowledge through these workers. I joined the programme and over a period of several months and several workshops was able to focus what I wanted to do in retirement. Ha Ha. My choice of location was to be at the coast, Canberra was too cold in winter, too hot in summer. I was right into jewellery making at that time, so I decided I wanted a bead shop; and I decided on Mogo as a shop front location as it was an arty crafty town. My mum died in this time, and I had a small inheritance and so that was put into the business. Of course, the joke was I was moving from counting beans, to counting beads.

I resigned from the Dept on 30 June 2005 and opened my very small shop on 5 August 2005. I had not been idle in the meantime. I had established a small market stall at the Moruya Country Markets and from 5 boxes to 13 boxes of beads in 5 months, I figured the bead business was a good one to be in and took up  an offer to share premises in Mogo. Since then, I have moved premises twice both within Mogo and now have quite a large space at 30 Princes Hwy.

BTW, I had always loved beads. Both Mum and my Nana had always worn beads and hats and they are both my loves. I have the first set of beads I ever fell in love with. They were Nana’s. They need some TLC but I will be wearing them again soon.

What’s the best part of running your business?

The best part of running my business is when I can fix a ‘big’ problem for a customer, with the simplest of solutions. Recently I tweaked a box clasp for a customer on a nice jade bracelet that a jeweller had said he could not fix. It was plated and the join was a difficult one. I agreed with that, but even simpler was lifting the tongue of the clasp up, so that it once again fitted snugly.

My customer was overjoyed and told me I was brilliant. I had to agree, but really it’s that reaffirmation that you are doing a good job that makes all the hard work worthwhile. How do you charge for something as simple as that? Just a hug is more than enough.

Where do you sell – Online, shopfront or show?

I sell shopfront in Mogo, online at www.jellybeads.com.au, on ebay (mostly Delicas) and now I am trying The Bead Show. My first show was good and steady and I am hoping that word will spread and you will become my good wire and metals customers. Each show I will bring something new, just to tempt you. I don’t only supply metals, wire, tools and books, but have a really big selection of seedies in the shop. They are small and fiddly to transport and so I have decided to keep it simple. You all know the KISS statement. Do one thing and do it well.

What do you like about attending a show?

It’s very tiring and I’m not so young, but I like seeing what other people have, meeting with people I’ve only chatted with by email or Facebook and it’s a very happy place to be. Who wouldn’t be happy with so many beads around?

What questions do customers ask most often and what do you reply?

“OMG, you must have every bead available. I’ve never seen so many beads” To which I reply, “I wish. This is only a microscopic portion of what is available.” They find it hard to believe. We all know you can never have too many beads and that there is always something new on the market to indulge our beadaholic pleasures.

Another statement that I get is “Where are the jellybeads?” We have a jar of them on the front counter. They are resin cats eye ovals that look just like a jellybean. The jar does say, DO NOT EAT. There are always comments about beads looking good enough to eat. And yes, we have had people put their hand in to try to taste them.

Which of your products which excites you the most?

I’m a gypsy and a bower bird. Anything new, is what I love today. But I still love resin, big beads and Lucite. The brighter the better.

 Do you create with your products yourself and if so what do you make. Do you have other creative pursuits?

I am a jack of all trades at the shop. But my preference is stringing asymmetrically usually with a mix of shape, textures and colour. I do quite a lot of repairs, exchanging clasps to magnetic ones (our population base is predominantly retirees) and restringing pearls. I like doing that, when it goes well. I like playing with wire and metals and want to get into drilling sea glass and playing with that too.

When Denise When Denise Smith decided to take a stained glass making course in 2003 she had no idea it would lead to making and selling glass beads. We had a chat to Denise to find out more:
“I did the stained glass course and then went on to do the Fusing and Slumping class, which taught me how to join pieces of glass together and then shape them,” Denise explained. “My tutor suggested I could also make glass beads but I was skeptical – I didn’t think I would be all that interested.”
Luckily for the beading fraternity, Denise was wrong – she loved it! “I fell in love with the process. There is just something really special about the melting glass and the flame that really appeals to me.
“I am not much interested in making jewellery, it is the bead making that I really enjoy.
“Lampworking is a centuries old technique of making glass beads. Older traditional methods involved the use of oil lamps, hence the name ‘lampworking’. And even though lamps and bellows have been replaced by propane and oxygen fuelled torches, the magic remains the same. Denise now makes beautiful glass beads with either floral or intricate abstract patterns and sells them via her website, Etsy and the family picture framing business where she works four days a week. All her beads are hand made in her studio in Sydney and go through the proper annealing process. She primarily use soft glass from Italy and the US for their quality, vibrancy and colour range.
She finds that having the beads on display at her workplace and also selling the beads at expos such as the upcoming Bead Show in Sydney is really helpful as customers love to touch and handle the product. It helps to not have the stand too cluttered so people can get the full effect of each bead,” she said.

Denise will be at the Sydney Autumn show.

Check out her new facebook page  which is just up and running

Do you love metal rings? Deb does, find out about her passion here and visit her at both Sydney shows

How did you come to set up your business?

I was putting in an order with one of my favourite suppliers and she mentioned that she would love to have an Australian distributor…..I can do that I thought and it went on from there in leaps and bounds.  Five years later I have more jump rings than I could have ever imagined at the beginning and have met some lovely people along the way.

What’s the best part of running your business?

The customers, always the customers.  Their enthusiasm, their joy, their own take on Chain Maille keeps me going.  It’s why I hold “Show Us Your Maille” on our facebook, so I get to see the amazing works that everyone does.  Of course getting all those goodies in is very cool too….Christmas all the time!

Where do you sell ? online, shopfront or show?

We are an online only store.  Last year we started Maille Con, which was a get together of maillers who learnt new weaves, got to chat about all things chain maille and also got to see (nearly) all we have on offer.  We had such a fabulous time we intend to do it again each year.

What do you like about attending a show?

It’s meeting the customers, putting faces to names and sharing our enthusiasm for maille.  Most of my friends think I am nuts, so it’s nice to meet others who enjoy what I do, and are just as crazy!

What questions do customers ask most often and what do you reply?

I’m mostly asked what rings would be needed to make a piece they have spotted.  In Chain Maille one ring does not rule them all…..and often people need help in understanding which ones are best suited for what they want to make.

Which of your products which excites you the most.

Hmmm, tough question.  My first love is to work with is Sterling Silver and Anodised Niobium, those are my favourite jump rings.  I can’t go past a good set of pliers, any pliers…..did I say I love pliers.

Do you create with your products yourself and if so what do you make. Do you have other creative pursuits?

I don’t get to maille as often as I like for pleasure.  Most of it is related to the business, and when I do it’s always been jewellery.  This year I would like to branch out into garments.

Photography is my other love, and luckily I can combine the two.  I like nothing better though than getting out with my camera and just shooting what takes my fancy.

We asked Georgie a few questions so you can see what’s behind the Georgie Girl business.

Georgie will be at the first Sydney show and Melbourne show

How did you come to set up your business?

I first found myself attending a bead weaving class in early 2000’s which started off only as a fun hobby. As I became familiar with bead weaving I broadened my skills even further and found that I had a real passion for Lampwork art. I focused on creating exclusive pieces of Jewellery and Lampwork beads. As I was craving to learn as much I could about this wonderful world of glass, I decided to gain as much experience as I could by joining a local bead group, working at bead shops, teaching classes on off-Loom techniques, attending shows and meeting fellow Lampwork Artists. This was when I decided that I wanted to be a Lampwork artist and to start a career out of something I truly love and feel passionate about. I started to make a name for myself and people were requesting my beads all the time, they wanted individual pieces and they also wanted to feature my beads when they made their own jewellery. I went on to show my work in local galleries and cafés; during this time and I also had my first exhibition with my new business ‘Georgie Girl Wearable Art Glass’.

What’s the best part of running your business?

The best part of running my own business is that I get to enjoy my work and what I do by fulfilling my own artistic passion, I can work within the hours that suit my family needs and that I can be my own boss.

Where do you sell? Online, shopfront or show?

Most of my work is currently being sold online and at shows.

I enjoy selling my art at shows as it gives me an easy-going and laid back environment where I can enjoy a one on one relationship with my customers. I also sell online which allows customers to shop at their leisure, it is also great for those customers who can keep in contact with me when they may not be able to attend a show and they can also see the quality of my jewellery with the numerous photos of current items I have on there.

What do you like about attending a show?

I do love the welcoming atmosphere at the shows; I thoroughly enjoy setting up my display with my new collection of Jewellery and art glass.

I love to get in amongst the people by collaborating and getting to know other talented artist’s in the industry, designing unique pieces, and making fantastic connections and friendships with some lovely customers. I love that we all share information and I get excited to see what other artists have created.

What questions do customers ask most often and what do you reply?

My customers are mostly interested in how I make my beads, what inspires my palette, if I can create specific items of jewellery for them.

I usually give them a quick explanation of the process of Lampwork. I love to talk to them about my colours. My inspiration comes from the colours I see around me every day, and of course I can create specific items for them, I don’t do the same piece twice but we usually come up with something that they love.

Which of your products which excites you the most.

That’s easy, my latest Lampwork beads!!

Do you create with your products yourself and if so what do you make. Do you have other creative pursuits?

Yes I love to create with my own products; I love to make unique items of jewellery for myself, family, and friends and of course my customers.

I also enjoy painting, drawing and making fashion accessories.

We asked Kay Lancashire a few questions to get behind the business and to see what you can expect when you stop by her stand. Kay’s Artycles is attending all four shows in 2014, check out the Kay’s Artycles website prior to going to a show and let her know if you want certain items. Kay is very helpful.

How did you come to set up your business?

As a jewellery artist I was constantly trying to source findings for my work to give them that unique finish that would set the pieces apart from ‘everyday’.  This meant sometimes purchasing bulk lots from overseas, leaving me with stock I needed to sell off.  This escalated when we opened a bricks and mortar shop to sell both my work and the beads and findings.  Although I no longer have that shop, my online store continues and I sell my work via galleries in our region.  I focus particularly on findings and the means to make unique findings.

What’s the best part of running your business?

The best part of running my business is meeting with and sharing with amazing and talented artists.  I love to share what I know and glean interesting and useful information from others.

Where do you sell online, shopfront or at shows?

My focus is online and shows, however customers can make appointments and visit me here in the studio at my home for a unique shopping experience 😉

What do you like about attending a show?

I love introducing new products to customers, this is an opportunity for them to see how a product is used, ask questions, buy up and build a relationship with us for future purchasing online.

What questions do customers ask most often and what do you reply?

“I have this piece and I’m not sure how to finish it(what clasp to use), what do you recommend?”  I work with the customer’s taste and preferences and use my own extensive knowledge for the best outcome.

Which of your products excites you the most.

That’s a tough one,  I’d probably say my clasps as I’ve got so many I’ve not actually counted them, but I’m up to over 400 products in a variety of styles and finishes.  My biggest challenge is to get them all ‘online’

Just one idea Kay has put together, from product to finish item, Kay is full of ideas and supplies the items to fuel your creativity

Do you create with your products yourself and if so what do you make. Do you have other creative pursuits?

Most definitely!!!!  My first love is my jewellery work.  I do pursue other arts and crafts namely sewing, fibre arts, mosaics, music, calligraphy, painting and drawing but not much time is devoted to them lately.

Another project idea from Kay