Only a bead stringer would understand how difficult it is to complete a bead work without leftovers. How many times have you added beads to your bead soup stash? You don’t want to dispose of them, but you aren’t sure what to do with them. Did you know that with little effort you can turn…
Murano an Island in Crisis
Today Murano is again in crisis due partially to the COVID19 shutdown and the lack of tourists since Italy is allowing the citizens of only a handful of countries easy entry. The crisis was already in progress due to the competition of inexpensive glass from other sources which you can find when you walk along…
Designing Murano Glass Beads
Customers sometimes think there is a giant warehouse in Venice/Murano stocked with the thousands of beads we sell. Well that would be fun, but it is not how it happens. Each bead we sell is ordered specifying color, foils, designs, shapes, sizes and then handmade one by one. Since 1993, we have learned a lot about…
Bead and Button Magazine and Show Calls It Quits
The news arrived unexpectedly a short email notice that Bead and Button, the beloved magazine is closing. No one in the industry had heard whispers of this. I quizzed everyone! But alas it was a “corporate” decision that “things are not as lucrative as they once were”. October will be their last issue and of…
Bead Pendants and Other Creative Ideas To Use Leftover Beads
After making gorgeous bead necklaces or other Venetian Jewelry, you’ll often find yourself with leftover beads. When your bead soup is starting to overflow, there’s only one thing to do: give those leftover beads a new life. Sometimes, a pile of unused beads can seem like an obligation that’s calling to you. Instead, you should…
Another Crisis in Murano: Glass Furnaces Re-Start Costs
I always knew we in the Murano Glass, Venetian Glass and beads world were a small eco system. But COVID19 and the resultant shutdown of Italy, most specifically Venice and Murano have really brought it home. Venetians say we hate tourist and the annoyance to our daily lives they create. UNESCO says Venice can’t maintain the…
Choosing the Right Tools for Your Bead Projects
Whether bead stringing is a new hobby for you or if you want to turn it into your Etsy side hustle, you should invest in specialized beading tools. Custom designed beading tools don’t just make the work process easier. Using proper tools will also help make your bead projects as high-quality as possible, which helps…
Celebrating the End of the Plague in Venice
Who knew something celebrated first more than 400 years ago could be so pertinent to our lives in the 21st Century?The third Sunday of July is Redentore, a celebration of the end of the plague of 1575-1577 which decimated the population of Venice. More than 46,000 or about 25-30% of the population died in this…
Festa della Sensa, Venice Marriage to the Sea
The Festa de la Sensa is held each year to celebrate the marriage of Venice to the Sea. It was first celebrated on 9 May 1000 when the Doge Pietro II Orseolo conquered Dalmatia (parts of which are now known as Croatia) The second was in 1177 when The Doge Sebastiano Ziani, Pope Alexander II…
Update from Murano
The latest from Murano during their shut down. They are in their 9th week and now a few things are beginning to open. It is a welcome for everyone, that they may, hopefully, begin getting their espresso and cappuccino again soon.Venice has been extremely fortunate to have few cases of COVID19 and still in Murano,…