One of the things I love most about working at Bead&Button is the inspiration I get from the designers and my coworkers. This week alone I had to go to the bead shop twice to pick up supplies for projects I’ve now started at home.

Inspired by working on a piece that features cabochons, I purchased a beautiful variety of large, flat, round beads that I’m going to adapt for a different purpose. Meanwhile, inspired by Beading Basics: Right-Angle Weave, I decided to make right-angle weave netting for my stones. I’m pretty excited about this project. Even though it looks a little bit like a hot mess right now, it’s fun to envision the project and work through the creative process of selecting the beads and arranging them.

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken cues from different sources to make something new. Last month I was inspired by a gorgeous lampworked necklace by Stephanie Sersich, a master class teacher at the 2008 Bead&Button show. Instead of using lampworked beads, however, I put together a fun little clutch of Venetian-glass beads. My necklace ended up looking like a floaty cluster of balloons or some kind of small-scale Chihuly sculpture. It’s weird how many compliments I’ve received for that necklace when it wasn’t anywhere near as stunning as the master’s.

What project or designer has inspired you to go in a new direction?