OK, we are out of room for pendants in the Carrollton store.  Really.  No more space in the case.  We’ve tried, but we just can’t find any more room, short of stacking them in layers.

So we need to make some of them go away, and we’ve decided to make deals on most of the artist beads we have.  So for this weekend and next week, our fused glass, dichroic, and ceramic artist beads are 1/3 off.  Yep, 33% discount!  That includes Marsha Neal beads.  Come in soon to get your favorite, OK?

PS – This is the Carrollton store only, because we’re the ones that only have two cases, instead of four.  Does that seem fair to you?  I thought about buying another display case, but it seems like more fun to whine about it instead.

Do you see it?  Down there on the right side?  There under “Artists using our beads” – it’s a link to LollyChops’ blog!  Lolly gets to be first, because she mentioned us on her site.  And because she’s funny, and has written comments in here.  Yay, Lolly!! 

So, if you have a website, a blog, or even an Etsy store, and you buy and use beads from either of The Artful Bead stores, give us your web address in the comments, and we’ll add you to the list! 

This Saturday, September 27th, there might be a special Fleur Denise bracelet class at 10:30 in the morning.  We have open spaces, if you are interested, PLEASE call us at 972-242-8949 before Thursday noon.  The teacher has other opportunities, and if we don’t get at least one more sign-up by Thursday, the class will be cancelled.

Take a deep breath, and please ignore the lousy photography:

Um… Note to self – Swarovski Rivolis are awfully dang sparkly – and don’t play too well with flashes.  But still – oh my, oh my…  We also have square-ish ones with rounded corners that were not photographable with my skills.

And the seed bead mixes came in, over 30 different mixes of color, shape, and size of beads! With colors named “Arabian Nights” and “Frost Flowers” and “Metallic Rain”.  Just LOOK!

These are Tourmaline, Rain Forest, and Peacock Garden.  wow…..  Sorry the pictures are a bit lacking, they’re really unbelieveable.

Come seem them soon, before they all go to their forever homes.

I am ever so sorry, the phone number on the home page for the Carrollton store was WRONG!!!  I crossed two phone numbers, resulting in a phone number that is not ours.  I apologize to the unlucky people who happened to have that phone number.  Really apologize and grovel.  A lot.

The number is now corrected, and is 972-242-8949. 

Sorry for the state of the Carrollton class calendar for October and beyond – the dates are fairly certain, but I haven’t had time to get the classes in the catalog so they can be viewed or purchased.

 I promise I’ll get it done as soon as possible.  Feel free to send raspberries or other noises to info at artfulbead dot com.

OK, guilt is nearly overwhelming, since Carol (Yes, First Customer Both Times Carol, THAT Carol) has now officially started working for us.  So that last post about looking for help is way out of date, because she’s been there a whole week, and I’m just now getting this posted.  Very slow freight indeed.

But some of the delay is because we got in more bugles (#3’s and twisted ones!) and some absolutely delicious Swarovski Rivolis, even square ones!  (too lazy to look up the official plural of Rivoli.  Sorry.  Tell me in the comments and make me happy.)  There will be pictures soon. 

Saturday was wonderful, we saw lots of friends, lots of new friends who saw our advertisements in the local newspapers, and several who saw our FRONT PAGE article in the Carrollton Leader last Wednesday.  The online verison of the article is at   http://www.planostar.com/articles/2008/09/03/carrollton_leader/news/46.txt  (I still don’t know how to make that be a link, so you’ll just have to paste it in your address bar, probably.)

And Chris?  Thanks for the “address not there” warning.  It’s there, just not very well organized.  I’m going to make the “directions” and “about us” pages a bit more two-store aware tonight.  Or tomorrow.  Maybe. 

In the lineup of firsts in our new store, we now have the First Job Opening!

We’re looking for a friendly energetic person to work Mondays, Wednesdays, and an occasional Friday or Saturday.  This is a part-time position, 18 – 27 hours per week.

Interested?  Send a hand-written cover letter with your resume to:

Artful Bead
2501 N Josey Ln, Ste 116
Carrollton, TX  75006
Attention Valarie

We’ll see you soon!

OK, for everyone who has asked for pictures, here they are:

First, the glass wall, with Czech glass

Then the stones

And the seed beads

Look at the stones case!

This is the view from the front door

 I am particularly fond of the classroom window.  It’s a very nice large classoom, and I think the porthole is just adroable!

So come on in and see us!  We’re waiting for you!

This is a picture of the very first necklace made in the new Artful Bead, and the lovely young lady that made it – the first piece of jewelry she ever made. 

And then she came back the next day (with her mother, aunt, and grandmother!) and they all made necklaces!  This is the second piece of jewelry she made!  Isn’t it wonderful?

We agree, totally wonderful!  (Sorry she’s a bit blurry, seems there was a fingerprint on the lens…)

 We’re working on the class schedule for the new store, and will have it ready soon!  Lots of new classes, plus some old favorites, so there’s something for everybody!