The story so far……   

Making jewellery began as a hobby, as a pleasant diversion from my “day job” working on the railway. I started making the jewellery after visiting a craft fair and buying a couple of necklaces, taking them home and deciding that I could make something better.

To begin with I started by using the end of the dining room table, stringing glass beads, gemstones and silver. I also made matching earrings. Very quickly I discovered what thousands of people have found, that beading is very addictive. The end of the dining room table became the entire dining room table, and shortly after that, all of the dining room!

Eventually, I decided to tell my friends and colleagues at work about my beads, and they loved my creations, and bought them from me.

During my search for more interesting and unusual beads, I discovered Venetian glass beads, and then dichroic glass beads. I became fascinated by these “new” beads and wanted to make my own. This is even more addictive than bead stringing.

I had a few lessons in making glass beads using a hot head torch, and tried making some lampwork beads. Then during a visit to a friend in America, where I watched her fusing glass, decided that was what I really wanted to do. I wanted to fuse glass and make pendants. I came home and bought a kiln and some glass and started practising.

I now have a workshop and can be found in there during most days creating new beads. I am still experimenting using different techniques and love the experience. What started as a hobby has now become a full time occupation.

I like to make one-off beads. I don’t believe anyone wants to walk into a restaurant or bar and find several other people wearing identical necklaces. However, if you see a bead on my site that has already sold, I will try and make something similar, but it will never be identical.

Have a look around the site, and see if there is anything you like. My email address is karen@karensbeads.co.uk and I am always happy to receive your emails.