You can meet beaders in the most unexpected places! On Thursday morning, I visited my local hospital to donate a vial of blood for some tests. As I was going through the registration procedure, the clerk stopped at the line that listed my place of employment.

“You work for Kalmbach Publishing? Don’t they put together Bead&Button and BeadStyle magazines?” she asked. Ten minutes later, we were still talking about her interest in beading, her love of crystals, and the project she was going to work on after she was done with her shift at the hospital. She showed me the bracelet she made and told me how her friends were encouraging her to start selling her beadwork. After we completed the check-in paperwork, we both agreed beading was the best hobby in the world.

It’s always fun to exchange beading experiences. And if someone you meet is wearing a piece of beaded jewelry, it’s the easiest thing in the world to strike up a conversation about beads. I hope your New Year is full of beading stories and great projects you’ve made from Bead&Button.

Happy beading.

Lynne Soto