Priscilla Beadle
“Would you like to move to Hong Kong?” Don’t the most fun things begin with a question? My husband was offered a job assignment in Hong Kong in 1993, so I resigned from my Human Resources job and went along for the adventure.
Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise and I soon discovered I was attracted to beads. When I filled up my drawers and started putting boxes of them under the bed, my husband asked me why I had so many beads.
My future became destined when I blurted out, “I’m going to make necklaces!” So I set out to do so. I thought my designs looked pretty fine, and, wisely, took a class to learn the fundamentals.
As a final judgment on the direction of my new career should take, I submitted them to the 1994 annual exhibit of the Royal Crafts Guild of Hong Kong, and was accepted.
In 1995, I decided I was retired from corporate life and bead jewelry became my business. I wanted the risk of succeeding or failing. It could never just be a hobby for me. I took that brave step at the Silicon Valley Open Studios and loved every minute of it.
I still love the challenge of offering my work for sale: it’s an instant thumb up or down and gives me feedback. A thumb down means that necklace gets taken apart at the end of the year and gets another chance at greatness.
Here we are in 2015. I have made nearly 2700 necklaces; I never tire of the search for fabulous beads; and I still try to spend at least two hours several days a week in my studio. I have changed marketplaces three times: from Silicon Valley to San Luis Obispo to the South Shore of Boston. I love change!
California website from 1995 to 2010: www.beadleful.com
Current website: www.priscillabeadle.com
Phone: 781-925-0484
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