A Bead Hop, Nevada and Utah

From Cedar City, UT...The Bead Forest, quiant, right on Main St. at the center of town.


At Park Silly outdoor Market on a lovely Sunday...found again Beadniks!

My favorite in the heart of Salt Lake City, south of city in Sugarhouse. Next to Sundance outlet!

A definite stop in Las Vegas, outside the strip but worth a look around.

My new favorite bead shop in Las Vegas, closer to the strip, tons and tons of unusual collectibles!

Well along the way to visit my son and daughter in law in Utah we found a few good Bead shops! Most of these are places I had been to before and they truly never disapoint!
Driving up to Cedar City is always a pretty sight then in the heart of town is a familiar old bead shop, it used to be almost underground when it was across the street! He's a clever guy and does his own lampwork beads, carries an ecelectic variety of beads...even had a few little beaded fishes that a gal makes for his shop! Don't let the simple nature of the shop fool you, look around ,ask about the Delicas behind the counter! Gold plated and Platinum Delica beads..pricey but when you run out and need more, well, need I say more?

After a few days in Park City, is was time to run down the hill and visit Salt Lake City...even a few minutes in String Beads is worth it! I don't know how many bonus cards I have, but some day I will put them all together and qualify for a discount! Fun pieces to look at, lots of great beads hanging on the wall and a friendly staff. I noticed the owners eager to help a new beader learn a skill. Nice findings as well...a bonus, next door is the Sundance Catalog outlet store! Those are burgundy pearls that I will use in the Sophia Earrings from Maggie Meister's new book.

A bonus find in Park City...Beadniks which was in the Redmond Shopping center had closed....but wait for it.... the owner was selling her product (at a fabulous discount) at the Park Silly Market on Sunday. A fun surprise of which my dear hubby took a picture and posted on my facebook page! Found great pink leather for another wraparound and two strands of awesome 4mm round semi precious stones.

On the return trip, it was nice to stop in Las Vegas and check out a couple of old haunts...Sadly, Beads Plus has finally closed, but Discount Beads has expanded. Great deals on seed beads and more! Just couldn't take it all home so I only left with a nessecary handful. I did notice they must have every color of every size of Swarovski Pearl on a huge wall...Great staff ready to help when needed.

And then ... the FIND of the trip...a darling little shop with a simple name, Beads Findings, with so much inventory I'm going to have to go back a few times to look it all over. Easy to find and right off the strip I think...maybe a few blocks over but close enough. If you can't find what you want, ask the owner, she'll know just where it is and show you even more than you know you wanted...She had lots of great stories, too, as she had businesses in Hawaii and Spain over the years. A very interesting woman! Great silver, lots of old collectible pieces, surrounded by some of the current fashion bling of today. Hey, ya gotta keep up with the Joneses.

All in all a good trip and I kept busy while in the car! Almost finished the pair of brick stitched earrings, began the two drop peyote base needed for a pendant plus made two outer beaded bases for a round style bead. More to come on those! As for the easiest way to travel and bead, well my DH set up a board with a small pillow underneath, one of those with the little pebbly beads so it conforms to my lap. This trip I put a square of non skid gripper stuff on the underside, the type used for rugs, and it worked well and kept the board securly on my lap. The board has outside rims so that the beads don't slide off and all my nessecary bead kit items fit in a super cute zipper pouch that one of my Bead Chicks friends made for me a few years ago! Every pit stop I made sure to pick up any loose threads and there was never a tell tale sign of my work...well, except for the errant bead or two !