Remembering bead shops

Many years ago there was a bead catalogue called Janet Coles. Have you ever seen it?  
This lady collected together beautiful beads, had them made into necklaces, bracelets and earrings then photographed them for a wonderful glossy magazine catalogue that reminded me of Vogue. 
You could buy the beads individually or in kit form to make the necklaces etc. in the pictures. It was extremely successful and I loved to receive the catalogue and spent hours selecting which beads to order.


There were then bead shops  in most towns but I don't see them any more. Maybe I don't travel far enough or maybe people aren't as interested in making jewellery as they once were.  Yet earrings are back in fashion and after a long period when only the most modest silver chain style jewellery was commonly worn statement necklaces and bracelets are back in again.


Yesterday my friend Penny told me about 'brooch bouquets' which involve wiring up old brooches to put among silk flowers as wedding bouquets.
Maybe it's time to dig out those Janet Coles catalogues again...!