I’ve been talking to beadwork expert, magazine designer and loyal Beads Direct customer Kerrie Slade. Kerrie lets us know how she got started beading with seed beads and tells us more about the exciting world of Beadwork!

Kerrie Slade

Could you tell me when and how you started beading?

About 8 years ago I was looking for a creative hobby to occupy me and I started off with cross-stitch.  I bought a couple of cross-stitch kits that included a few little beads for accents and that’s when I really noticed BEADS!

Did you have any formal training?

No, I began buying beading books and magazines and gradually learnt some basic stitches such as netting and spiral rope.  Although I loved the look of a lot of the finished pieces in those books, I must admit, I was a bit overwhelmed by some of them as they looked so complicated.  I started off making simple netted bracelets and chokers and tried to create different patterns in them by experimenting with colours and then I learnt brick stitch.  Once I’d discovered the potential for increasing and decreasing and creating sculptural pieces rather than flat beadwork, there was no looking back.  I took a couple of classes at a bead fair a couple of years after I had begun beading and that was very useful too, not only for learning about beading, but also meeting other beaders and finding out about where to buy beads.  Beading can be a very solitary activity and that can be part of its appeal, but once you start looking you discover that there are thousands of beaders all over the world and they are all very friendly as we share our love of beads.  I am a member of several on-line forums and I love being part of the beading community.

What made you choose seed beads?

I don’t really know the answer to that one; I think it might have been the other way around lol!  I use a lot of seed beads now, but when I first started I only ever used Delicas (cylinder beads) as I loved the precise way they ‘lock’ together.  I’ve gradually learned to relax though and I really appreciate the more textured effect seed beads can give and I like the fact that different beads suit different projects.  I’ve tried a little bit of stringing and some wirework, but my passion really lies with beadweaving and turning little piles of beads into sculptural pieces.

Maid Marian's Quiver - joint second place in the seed bead category of The British Bead Awards

How did you start working with magazines?

In those early days, I never dreamed that I would ever have anything published in a magazine, but when I created my foxglove necklace I thought it looked a bit different and so plucked up the courage to send it to the US magazine ‘Bead & Button’.  Around the same time, our UK magazine ‘Bead’ also started up and so I sent in a proposal for a pair of beaded cufflinks as there always seemed to be a shortage of beading projects to make things for men.  Nobody could have been more surprised or delighted than me, when not only were both of those projects accepted; they also appeared on the covers of the magazines!  Since then, I have regularly sent new ideas off to magazines for consideration.  Anyone can do it, all the magazines have details about how to submit a project to them somewhere on their website and the editorial staff are all very friendly and helpful.  Of course, not all ideas are accepted and you need to learn not to take it personally if you get a rejection email, but it’s a lovely feeling when you open a magazine and see your project in there.  It’s also great to hear from other beaders who follow your project and this has really opened the world up for me.  I have a ‘Readers’ Gallery’ page on my website where I show pictures of my published designs that other beaders have made and I love seeing how people interpret the patterns in different ways.

Bougainvillea bouquet as featured in Bead & Button magazine - seed beads from Beads Direct

What is the highlight of your beading career so far?

The entire journey so far has been amazing; from starting out with no clue where I was heading to selling finished work, having projects in magazines and now looking forward to teaching and selling my own tutorials.  All things I thought were entirely beyond me just a few years ago.

What do you look for in a bead?

Well, like a lot of beaders, I have magpie tendencies, so anything shiny and sparkly catches my eye and I have a rather large collection of things I may never get round to using.  Experience has taught me that buying good quality beads with nice uniformity and colour fastness give great long lasting results.  I mostly use Japanese seed and cylinder beads, Swarovski crystals and pearls and some semi-precious beads.  I love the beautiful finishes available with Toho seed beads, from the basic opaque black to something like ‘gold lustre magenta’ – just the delicious names make you want to create something gorgeous with them.

Where do you find your inspiration?

A lot of my work is floral so I am inspired by the flowers in my garden or more exotic plants I see when I go on holiday – I’m always taking photos of plants and flowers that I think I might have a go at beading in the future.  I also really enjoy looking at traditionally non-beaded items and thinking about whether I can recreate them in beads.  I’ve just made some silver core beaded beads because I wanted to see if I could use seed beads to create the look of lampwork silver core beads.

Do you teach?

Up until now, I’ve only ever shared my ideas through magazine projects, but I will be teaching at a local bead shop later this year.  I am very nervous about that, but the opportunity came along and even if I discover that teaching is not for me, I know I will regret it if I don’t at least give it a go.  I have also just finished my first tutorial which is available to purchase via my website.

Silver core beaded beads

What advice would you give to someone who is keen to get into beading?

It might sound obvious, but try not to run before you can walk!  I think it’s a good idea to learn the basic stitches from books, magazines, classes or on-line tutorials and also learn the variations in each stitch e.g. flat, tubular, twisted etc.  I would recommend learning one stitch to start with, such as spiral rope, and experimenting with using different sized beads – the effects you can achieve can be surprising and it will give you the confidence to move on and try something new.  If you attempt something too advanced before you are ready, you may just end up getting frustrated and putting yourself off the whole idea, which would be a real shame.  On the other hand, never be afraid of trying anything, whether it be a new stitch, a bright colour that you wouldn’t normally go for or having a go at submitting an idea to a magazine – you never know where things might lead!

If Kerrie has inspired you and you fancy giving beadwork a try, why not visit her website for an online tutorial? We hope you have enjoyed catching up with Kerrie, keep an eye out for more Beading expert interviews coming soon!