Hi! I am Kate and I have a bead obsession. I started making jewelry in high school recombining beads from pieces I found at thrift stores or garage sales. Then I discovered bead stores. I pick things up on my travels and now combine new materials with upcycled components to make unique one of a kind pieces. I use traditional Japanese Kumihimo braiding technique to make satin cords or beaded ropes in many of my pieces. Historically Kumihimo braids were used by samurai to tie on swords or armor, by geisha as sashes for their kimonos, or for implements in tea ceremonies; it is now used in contemporary jewelry making. It typically takes me 5 or 6 hours to make a beaded rope bracelet from start to finish and necklaces roughly 8 to 10 hours. I use a little foam disc with 8 cords to make the braids. It takes 56 moves of the 8 strands, dropping one bead with each move of the cord to make one inch of a beaded rope!! Some say tedious, I say fun!

10+ subscribers · Minneapolis, MN