Beads for Jewellery Making (go back »)

Hi my name is Mike, My friends know me as Rico. This was a nickname I picked up from college and it has kind of stuck. The unfortunate thing is my girlfriend calls me Mike so that means all her friends do too, its confusing I can tell you. Its like having a split personality. I would explain why Rico but its a bit of a long story and I have told it soooo many times and its really not that interesting anyway.

Well thats me in a nut shell well an introduction anyway. Now to the guts of this blog entry:

I have recently.... actually I'm going to start earlier than this and give you an idea of how it all begun all will become clear soon, to begin with you'll be like why am hearing this:

At the beginning of the year I went to Mauritius to see a friend of mine there, I know, I know lucky Bar Steward, but someones gotta do it otherwise these poor airlines would go bust (he he, not a geniune view). So I was there and I was on the beach one day and I found loads of shells they were only tiny and very pretty. Mostly the shells that if you turn them over they kind of look like a womens parts if you know what I mean. They were about 1.5cm long so not those huge ones, I'd feel bad taking those. Anyway, I collected a few and then thought how nice it would be to make my girlfriend a necklace. I had no experience with this and had no idea how to do it. I figured fishing wire would be the best to use and that I would need some more beads. So I went in search of supplies.

Got to Port Louise, found the fishing wire with ease, the beads were not so easy. After hours of searching I found this shop, when I entered I was amazed at the array of all kinds of beads, there were so many shapes and sizes, necklaces of all different styles, it was bead heaven. I picked a small selection and headed back to my friends house.

When I got back I got straight to work, drilling holes in the shells (destroying every drill piece in the house in the process.). Finally it was done my first necklace, well that wasn't to hard I thought and I hadn't done a bad job, I obviously had an eye for this I thought. I proceeded to make 2 more one with just beads, when my mate and his girlfriend got back from work they were amazed that I had made these and thought I had gone out and bought them, result.

The next day I went back to Port Louis and bought loads more beads maybe a few to many, but I was addicted. Got them back to house and my mate thought I was crazy, packed up my stuff and didn't have enough space for all this new stuff. Hmm, well I went out and had to buy 2 more bags, got to the airport and my luggage had taken on 15Kgs, opps, I was now over my weight limit by 8Kgs, how come every time I go travelling I come back with so much junk??? Anyways don't know how got away without paying an excess, logged in my bags and with a rucksack that felt like it was full of bricks (because obviously I had loads of pressies as well as the beads for my family and friends.) I boarded my plain.

Anyway got home everyone at home thought I was crazy too, another one of Rico's hairbrain ideas. Well I was gonna prove them wrong.

Within a couple of weeks I had about 50-100 designs of necklaces, bracelets. Then came the brain wave, why not do the whole array of jewellery, I had to get into anklets and earrings as well. I went on a spending spree ordering all kinds of materials from all over the world.

I now had a full catalogue of stock, but no means of selling it, I didn't have enough to do a stall but enough designs to setup a web-site and so www.beadedlink.co.uk was born. I spent a few months getting it up and running, tweaking and playing, messing with all the parameters, to get this site as perfect as my knowledge would let me. Having a photography degree on my side really helped, I browse the web and I come across the most beautiful sites which have the shodiest pics that make the site just fall apart. Well I was done, but there was a problem I had all these designs but virtually no stock to make the orders that were coming in, well I contacted my contact in Mauritius and had to order about 23Kgs of more beads at great expense with shipping and what not.

Well thats the story so far, I hope you have enjoyed it and I will try and keep this blog updated with more dynamic stories every month. Now I am looking forward to future of jewellery.

Please check out my sites and let me know what you think, my jewellery one is www.beadedlink.co.uk and my Photography one is www.RicoImage.com. I hope you enjoy them.

Mike (Rico)