Ever since I started at Bead&Button two weeks ago, I’ve been amazed at the level of detail that goes into each step of writing, photographing, and editing each article. Accuracy and precision are a primary concern, starting with the first step, which is assembling the materials to use for each project. My first day here I was handed a beautiful lariat to work on and finding just the right bead combination to complement the designer’s original was a great scavenger hunt.

I have a respectable bead stash at home. My stash is mostly leftovers from completed projects – half tubes of seed beads, a collection of miscellaneous gemstones, and the odd finding or two. And of course, I have loose beads and strands that simply had to come home with me from the bead show or the store, but haven’t found their way into a project yet. Whenever I have a new idea, I always try to go to my stash first for inspiration and use up what I have, but it’s hard to resist the lure of new beads.

The lariat project I was assigned on my first day was perfect for using the odds and ends that normally end up in a bead stash and I got to search through Bead&Button’s. Now, try to picture Bead&Button’s bead stash – all those bits and pieces leftover from the projects that have been editor-tested and photographed over the years – and you can imagine the treasure hunt I had. Best of all, it got me thinking about all the ways I can start to use the odds and ends I’ve collected at home.